Got My Egg Up To 1,200 Degrees - WHOA DANG!!! Help Needed...

Papalikes · August 2012

Based on some previous posts about cleaning, I filled my Large BGE up and let 'er rip for about 25 mins. Best guess is that she topped out about 1,200 degrees and the dome is now fused shut. I suspect the only thing to be done is to use a razor knife to open it, but does anyone know of gasket that can withstand that kind of heat (for when I have to blast out the goop inside)?

travisstrick · August 2012

Sure do. NO GASKET. It works the best.

berndcrisp · August 2012

Travis +1

michigan_jason · August 2012

Rutland will do much better than nomex, but I have been gasketless for months and have no problems.

vidalia1 · August 2012

I have Rutland on all 4 of my BGE's.....

xraypat23 · August 2012

my BGE brand nomex gasket held up fine, a little singed where the overbite hangs out a little. BTW, i do demo cooks for one of Big Green Egg's distributors, cooked on a brand new XL and they now ship with a grey nomex installed! Also the handles much larger and nicer!

Mighty_Quinn · August 2012

I could care less about the gaskets, but I'm jealous of those bigger handles.

FanOfFanboys · August 2012

I've been at that temp multiple times my top gasket looks brand new but that's bc it feel off the very first time I cooked on Egg. Assuming wasn't glued right. My bottom gasket is there but inner part is burned pretty bad. I have 0 smoke leak.

OLD NORTH STATE BBQ CO. · August 2012

Just installed a Rutland with the copper permatex. Like going from a Yugo to a Cadillac.

Papalikes · August 2012

Where does one purchase a rutland? Does the Big Green Egg company sell them? I don't trust myself to not accidentally allow the dome handle to slip from my hand and damage the base.

Ellis · August 2012

I ordered the Rutland from Amazon, it was only $11 and it's real nice, been on for about 7 mo. Ck the Naked Wize site they will give you the low down on it.

Doc_Eggerton · August 2012

travisstrick said:

Sure do. NO GASKET. It works the best.

Not completely convinced but I am giving it a real good experiment. It's not that I'm too lazy to put new gaskets on, I just want to test Travis' hypothesis.

nolaegghead · August 2012

True - you get zero gasket wear with no gasket. You don't get that luxurious soft close like a German car, - you get a Pinto "Clunk" - and I've heard a few people complain about the leaks from no gasket making the temps fluctuate all squirrely-like when it's windy, but that's probably because they didn't adjust the hinges to compensate for no gasket.

travisstrick · August 2012

I realize that my experience is only one data point and that y'alls milage may very but, I am going to try to articulate exactly what I have going on with my XL.

I have no gasket. None.

My dome and base do not align in the slightest. In fact, there is about 1/4 in gap throughout.

I can hold any temp from 160-450 with + or - 20degrees with no problem.

LOTS of smoke leaks out from the gap but it does not affect performance.

My lump goes out quickly.

Hillbilly-Hightech · August 2012

nolaegghead said:

True - you get zero gasket wear with no gasket.

Priceless!! =))

That's similar to the logic that you won't get workout injuries (hernias, pulled / torn muscles, etc) if you don't work out!! :D

nolaegghead · August 2012

travisstrick said:

I realize that my experience is only one data point and that y'alls milage may very but, I am going to try to articulate exactly what I have going on with my XL.

I have no gasket. None.
My dome and base do not align in the slightest. In fact, there is about 1/4 in gap throughout.
I can hold any temp from 160-450 with + or - 20degrees with no problem.
LOTS of smoke leaks out from the gap but it does not affect performance.
My lump goes out quickly.

I just reported on reports - I've never tried running without it. I have the same number of data points as you on cooking it - 1. But I did close the lid with and without the gasket (between changing the crappy factory gasket) and it was Audi A8 versus Chevy Vega on the soft thud/clunk. And I take back the alignment thing...I was wrongly using conjecture! (why do I keep doing that! ARG!)

^:)^

travisstrick · August 2012

NOLA, Do you have a large? My XL shuts pretty easy(it never causes me to worry anyway). Perhaps the different hinge setup accounts for the difference.

travisstrick · August 2012

Also, :ar!

Fred19Flintstone · August 2012

Hey Papa! I'm dyin' to know. Did ya get your Egg unstuck?

nolaegghead · August 2012

travisstrick said:

NOLA, Do you have a large? My XL shuts pretty easy(it never causes me to worry anyway). Perhaps the different hinge setup accounts for the difference.

Good point. I've noticed the hinge difference in pictures, having only a large. Seems like the stuff the BGE is made of is the best stuff on earth...I'm in awe of the durability of the ceramic.

Just threw on some baby backs while I secure the yard for hurricane Isaac....gawd, the news is depressing...all the ways we might die. Might was well have a good last supper...

:-h

Fred19Flintstone · August 2012

You take care NOLA and all you gulf coast Eggheads too!

LizzieSamps · August 2012

Yes all the eggheads that are in the path of Isaac be careful!! Prayers are with you all!

Dave in Florida · August 2012

I put a Rutland on my large last month. Hardest part was getting all the old glue off.

ugafan · August 2012

I bought a large this past weekend and can confirm they now ship with a gray nomex gasket (and larger handles). Not sure if it's new or not, but there's also a screen covering the bottom door to prevent lava spills and fancy rubber tips on the bottom door tabs.

FanOfFanboys · August 2012

Nola, hope that fancy table doesn't get damaged!

pileit1971 · August 2012

nolaegghead said:

travisstrick said:

NOLA, Do you have a large? My XL shuts pretty easy(it never causes me to worry anyway). Perhaps the different hinge setup accounts for the difference.

Good point. I've noticed the hinge difference in pictures, having only a large. Seems like the stuff the BGE is made of is the best stuff on earth...I'm in awe of the durability of the ceramic.

Just threw on some baby backs while I secure the yard for hurricane Isaac....gawd, the news is depressing...all the ways we might die. Might was well have a good last supper...

:-h

I know I asked this in another thread I started and I am a VERY NEW NEWBIE and can't call myself an egghead yet because I still have not lit one up :)

That being said, I see in your picture that you have the table nest sitting on a paver? I have heard all three sides, paver only, nest only and paver and nest together. I see benefits of the latter I am sure the wood will dry out quicker without a paver there. I am getting a table built (sorry not handy enough to do one myself), I am doing the most common the design for the BGE Long table that I have seen on most of the websites including the BGE website....Question... is it going to screw up the functionality of the egg and/or opening it with egg sitting on paver and the table nest? I am assuming it will up twice as high using both...

Sorry for the rambling, I am getting my table tomorrow and will be out of town when it gets here, but will be setting it up Thursday night and firing it up for the first time Friday for some steaks or burgers. Just want to do whats the best for this investment (wife still doesn't know how much this thing costs, better to beg forgiveness then ask permission as my Father used to say).

Appreciate any first timer advice...

nolaegghead · August 2012

The nest give you a pretty big air gap. I'd put some radiant barrier down to protect the wood, but I don't think there's any risk of fire with that amount of separation. I don't know if you can see it in the pic, but I have the three ceramic feet on top of the paver, so I have an air gap.

I used to just have a paver, and it started burning the wood shelf when I was running hot for pizza.

A few sheets of HD aluminum foil on some fiberglass insulation is a fine radiant barrier. Most important is the air gap - the feet or the nest takes care of that. More of a gap, the better.

pileit1971 · August 2012

Okay thanks for the heads up, I am SOO excited and I am kind of a forum junkie with my job as well, not sure if my wife will stay married to me if I become engrossed in this one as well.

So does the height of the paver and the ceramic feet effect how it sits in the hole in the table?

Thanks for the advice

nolaegghead · August 2012

You might have to lower the shelf (increase the height between the top hole and shelf). The BGE plans that I saw were based on a paver and the feet. So whatever the additional height of the nest is, which I don't know, you'd need to lower the shelf by that amount. No, it's not critical, but you don't want the egg in too low or you'll need a hinge cut-out or will need a platform.

Papalikes · August 2012

Hi there, Fred. Yes, I did get my dome un-stuck. I used a thin bladed putty knive and just slowly worked my way around the circumference of the dome. Still have a little gasket left, clinging to life, but will probably put a new one on anyway.

My reasoning isn't performance based at all, as much it is worry over drinking too many Fat Tires during a long pork butt smoke and dropping the dome from the highest point, only to slam down onto the base causing a catastrophe.

The risk to my baby is far too great. I can't bear to think of what I would do it, God forbid, something were to happen to her. She means so much to me. Sorry, have to stop, can no longer type through the tears. Going outside to give her a hug...

gumbo_bill · August 2012

When cooking pizza why risk burning up the gasket? Just cook at 475 or 500. Sure it may taste a tiny bit better if cooked hotter, but a new gasket gives me a foul taste in my mouth.

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Got My Egg Up To 1,200 Degrees - WHOA DANG!!! Help Needed...

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