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How do you clean your small egg?

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Cookinbob
Cookinbob Posts: 1,691
in EggHead Forum
I have had my small for a couple of months now, and am surprised how difficult it is to clean.  The space in the bottom is small (smaller than I think it needs to be),  and it fills up quick.  The air vent hole is also small - too small for any of my vacuum attachments.  I made my own attachment out of 1" plastic tubing, but it gets plugged up with chunks.  Today, I removed all the lump, took all the parts out of the inside, and cleaned it.  There was a lot of crap in the bottom, and after only a couple of cooks.

Looks to me like I will need to do this every couple of cooks which is a PITA.  How do you handle it?
XLBGE, Small BGE, Homebrew and Guitars
Rochester, NY
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  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
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    I get it the best I can with the ash tool and prolly take it apart once a month and sweep it out with an old paint brush. May take 5-6 mins total. I think @caliking modified his ash tool to work better with the small but I haven't got around to that yet.

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    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • Biggreenpharmacist
    Biggreenpharmacist Posts: 4,341
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    I just clean it every few cooks. I usually can get by with 5or 6 "quick" cooks without cleaning it. If i do low and slow, I always clean it afterwards. But honestly as light as all the parts are, I just pull em, sit em on a piece of cardboard snd clean it real quick. Not a huge deal.

    Little Rock, AR

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  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
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    Here's Cali's thread on the mods http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1158433/small-ash-tool-mod

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • Thatgrimguy
    Thatgrimguy Posts: 4,729
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    I basically fill the egg to the top of the fire ring with lump. Then cook till it's gone (usually 4-5 cooks) then clean it out and start over. I use the ash tool between cooks.
    XL, Small, Mini & Mini Max Green Egg, Shirley Fab Trailer, 6 gal and 2.5 gal Cajun Fryers, BlueStar 60" Range, 48" Lonestar Grillz Santa Maria, Alto Shaam 1200s, Gozney Dome, Gateway 55g Drum
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  • Cookinbob
    Cookinbob Posts: 1,691
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    I don't have the ash tool, did not know there was one for the small!  Another eggcessory I need to acquire
    XLBGE, Small BGE, Homebrew and Guitars
    Rochester, NY
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  • SmokyBear
    SmokyBear Posts: 389
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    I don't have a small (Mini + KJ Classic) but use a Loveless Ash Vac on both.  Makes cleanup a breeze.  (Ash Vac has protection against hot embers..far better than a shop vac).
    Mini BGE, KJ Classic - Black, Cookshack SM025, Weber Gasser (mostly for Kamado storage!)
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  • bud812
    bud812 Posts: 1,869
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    Thatgrimguy said:
    I basically fill the egg to the top of the fire ring with lump. Then cook till it's gone (usually 4-5 cooks) then clean it out and start over. I use the ash tool between cooks.
    +1

    Not to get technical, but according to chemistry alcohol is a solution...

    Large & Small BGE

    Stockton Ca.

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  • Cookinbob
    Cookinbob Posts: 1,691
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    SmokyBear said:
    I don't have a small (Mini + KJ Classic) but use a Loveless Ash Vac on both.  Makes cleanup a breeze.  (Ash Vac has protection against hot embers..far better than a shop vac).
    Holy smokes, that ash vacuum is $274 on Amazon.  I guess I will suffer with what I have been doing so far, with the addition of an ash tool.  As for doing several cooks without a refill, I am often searing, so want the lump to be close to the grate.  As a result, I top it off for each cook, and have been cleaning out every 2-3 though it is a pain.
    XLBGE, Small BGE, Homebrew and Guitars
    Rochester, NY
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,897
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    Here's a "cleaner-outer" as I call it that I made years ago for my small. It consists of a 90 degree bend at the end of a strip of steel and then I Pop-riveted a piece of 1.25" x .75" brass. The Pop-rivet lets it pivot in the center. This thing is 14 years old and still rocks and gets in and out of the hole in my small.
    image
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • cajuncook
    cajuncook Posts: 99
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    Use my leaf blower from the top and blow ash through the vent. Or vice versa. It will get messy.
    Live on beautiful Lake Hartwell GA
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  • rifrench
    rifrench Posts: 469
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    Normally after emptying the unburned lump and ash grate, I scoop out the ashes and small bits of lump with my hand. I can't get it all that way, and spread the remainder around on the bottom inside the fire box. I haven't had any problems...
     1 LBGE, 1 SBGE, 1 KBQ and a 26" Blackstone near Blackstone, Virginia
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