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Medium Molded Egg

I've had a large egg for a while and am used to cleaning it out with a hot burn (900°+) and it always takes care of whatever grows inside.

My neighbor just picked up a slightly used medium that was covered in yellow and white funk inside. I'm talking 1/2"-1" thick in places. I said "No Problem!" grabbed a bag of Royal Oak and lit that puppy up with no cap on top and the bottom vent open. We had a hard time getting it up over 500°, so I hooked up a fan to stoke the fire. It helped a little, but still could not get temp up as high as I wanted.

Came back over today and the main growth was gone, but the insides were still stained with the mold patterns. I pulled the fire ring and did a complete clean out and started from scratch. Went through the other half of the bag of RO and was able to get temps up around 700°-750° with the fan but without the fan it would not stay much above 500°.

I can not imagine the mold being much of an issue after this last burn, but you can still see where it was. I was also somewhat concerned  that I would not get the temp over about 500° without stoking the fire. My large will hit 700°+ easy.

Any tips on getting the rest of the mold out?

Do these mediums not normally get as hot as a large?

We are both excited about his new toy and really wanted to use it this weekend, but want to make sure it's going to be safe.

Comments

  • ShadowNick
    ShadowNick Posts: 533
    My medium easily pegs 900-1000 if I leave it wide open too long. Sure his thermo was calibrated correct? I've seen them read a couple hundred degrees low before if they are really out of wack.
    Pentwater, MI
  • spotco2
    spotco2 Posts: 61
    I had mine on the grate and it was reading about 50°-75° higher at the grate than in the dome but mine would not read over 600° before it went funky. I'm not sure what it's supposed to top out at.

    He is going shopping in the morning for ash tools, lump, gasket and new dome thermometer.

    I really didn't even want to touch his when I first saw it with the globs of fuzz growing on the probe and clip.
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    calibrate the thermometer, throw away the back clip. 

    Clean the egg inspect all choke points like the grate for air-flow bottlenecks, load with about 25% full fresh lump, let it go wide open. 

    Monitor the thermometer.  If it doesn't get above 600 F, hit it with a leaf blower.  Pull the thermometer out so you don't damage it.  Don't let it go above 1100. 

    This is for severe cases only.  Not good for the ceramics to thermally cycle it so extreme, but it'll burn out the excessive funk.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • What Nola said. Hit it with a leaf blower or shop vac blower. It will go nuclear.


    _______________________________________________

    XLBGE 
  • GK59
    GK59 Posts: 501
    Only time my lg won't get hot was after it sat in 3 days of rain and the ceramic was saturated.
    Took a few cooks to dry out. Now I cover.

    Smitty's Kid's BBQ

    Bay City,MI

  • rtt121
    rtt121 Posts: 653
    GK59 said:
    and the ceramic was saturated.
    Took a few cooks to dry out. Now I cover.
    Wha?
    Medium, and XL eggs in Galloway NJ.  Just outside of Atlantic City.  
  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    GK59 said:
    Only time my lg won't get hot was after it sat in 3 days of rain and the ceramic was saturated.
    Took a few cooks to dry out. Now I cover.
    Heard of but never seen this. Egg left in the rain with the DFMT on, not the ceramic rain cap. water had run down the inside of the dome as seeping water tends to almost defy gravity. I'm betting @spotco2 issue may be a saturated egg - two or three burns at 500-600º will dry it out. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • spotco2
    spotco2 Posts: 61
    Thanks everybody
  • GK59
    GK59 Posts: 501
    I would think the water came in at the felt lines. I haven't had an issue since I put a cover on it all the time.

    Smitty's Kid's BBQ

    Bay City,MI

  • Well, went over this evening and stood by as he cooked his first chicken. Had a little trouble getting the temp up but it stabilized at 300° and chicken was good as any we have cooked on ours.

    He's always been a Weber Man,  but I think he has been converted now.