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Safe temp and time to clean the egg

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GrillMan
GrillMan Posts: 50
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
My large egg is getting kind of grungy inside after using it almost every day for the past year. I read horror stories of folks frying gaskets and welding eggs shut trying to burn them clean. Any guidelines as to a safe time and temp for burning off the gunk would be appreciated. Thanks

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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    GrillMan,
    i'm pretty sure that leaving the daisy on with the big hole wide open, and the lower vent open, will peg at 600 (does for me, on a large).[p]an electric oven is around 500 to 600, i believe.[p]if you really want to clean it, i think that's what i'd do, load it up to the top of the fire box, and keep an eye on it.[p]i do NOT know if there's a specific temp/time at which the gasket toasts, but i think 600 would be the minimum ante for a clean egg.[p]but i don't really ever remember having a clean egg in the first place... hahahaha[p]keep an eye on it, and maybe only let it go 45 minutes to an hour before checking. don't go 800-900-1100 for any significant length of time.

    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • QBabe
    QBabe Posts: 2,275
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    GrillMan,[p]Ok, I'll go out on a limb...[p]I really don't see a need to "clean" it out, so I don't ever do that, and I've had mine for years now, with no ill effects.[p]Tonia
    :~)

  • Saucy Sue
    Saucy Sue Posts: 79
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    stike,
    My egg was getting grungy inside the dome, so I just took a metal brush and gently cleaned off the hard gunk that looked like it might fall off into my food. I have done a lot of low and slows, and the grease can build up on the inside.

  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    Saucy Sue,
    that's what you get for lookin under the dome! more work!.[p]i get a grunge from cleaning my cooking grid. crumbs and gunk fall down in to the crack around the fire ring, etc.[p]same kinda stuff prolly.

    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Saucy Sue
    Saucy Sue Posts: 79
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    stike, I have the same gunk there, but at least it's not going to fall into my food. I think that all that gunk adds flavor-- either I am getting to be a better cook, or my egg is well seasoned!!

  • Chubby
    Chubby Posts: 2,955
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    Saucy Sue,[p]I'd venture....probably both are true!![p]Evans

    I spent most of my money on good bourbon, and bad women...the rest, I just wasted!!
  • Saucy Sue
    Saucy Sue Posts: 79
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    Chubby,
    You are too kind!! Looking forward to seeing you in Waldorf ;)

  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    Chubby,
    buzz off, pal. she's mine.

    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • randomegger
    randomegger Posts: 194
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    GrillMan,[p]Clean... Egg....[p]I'm sorry, I'm must not be following you.[p]RE
  • Charbon
    Charbon Posts: 222
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    GrillMan,
    Keep it below 800 degrees. Above that and you might as well order more felt. You can declare the underside dome area as a "Forbidden Zone" and make sure no food touches nor do any humans look at it. Every once in a while you can take a ball of alum foil and rub off loose scale. Start a fire and keep under 800 degrees; when about 700 place another sheet of foil shiney side down on top of grate. Cook this for about 25 minutes. The bottom and grate will come out clean. Do this foil burn at night since you may irritate some PC neighbors with all of the grease smoke. Good luck

  • QBabe
    QBabe Posts: 2,275
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    GrillMan,[p]I should clarify...[p]I don't do the high temp burns that some do to clean out the insides of the egg. However, I clean the grid every time I use it, using warm soapy water. Before cooking on it, I spray it with Pam. I very seldom have much that sticks to the grid, so cleanup is relatively easy.[p]Tonia
    :~)