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lid is frozen shut

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4wheels
4wheels Posts: 4
in EggHead Forum
after a lot of cooking I decided to light a big fire to clean the egg. I tried to open the egg and I get the lid to budge. 

Any ideas? 
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Comments

  • DoofusOfTheDay
    DoofusOfTheDay Posts: 401
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    theyolksonyou said:
    Your gasket is fried. Get a putty knife and order a Rutland from @RRP
    Dittos on that.
    Gregg
    Large BGE Owner since December of 2013!
    Marietta, GA
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  • dldawes1
    dldawes1 Posts: 2,208
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    How much is "a lot of cooking" ?   I've been cooking for 1-1/2 yrs and have never had to do a clean burn.  

    For the folks who do clean burns....how do you determine that you need one?  I must be missing something.

    Donnie Dawes - RNNL8 BBQ - Carrollton, KY  

    TWIN XLBGEs, 1-Beautiful wife, 1 XS Yorkie

    I'm keeping serious from now on...no more joking around from me...Meatheads !! 


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  • gamason
    gamason Posts: 406
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    Use you putty knife carefully and the gasket will be fine.  my egg is 2 years old, several clean burns with the gasket stuck twice. It is still working great!

    Snellville,Ga.

    LBGE

    Minimax

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  • gerhardk
    gerhardk Posts: 942
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    Go naked, I have been using my egg for the last few years without a gasket and it works fine.

    Gerhard
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  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,654
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    dldawes1 said:
    For the folks who do clean burns....how do you determine that you need one?  I must be missing something.
    You may never have needed one.  The only reason I've done some is because I got mold in the Egg when it had been unused for a while (I've had some health problems), and I burned it clean at a high temp.  AND I melted the gasket, sealing the Egg closed, just like the OP in this thread.  I think the BGE gaskets are different now, though.
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  • HoustonEgger
    HoustonEgger Posts: 616
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    I do a clean burn only when I need to replace the gaskets - since there is no reason to worry about melting them at that point. I've got one egg that I've never done a clean burn on in 8 years - so it's just up to you if you want to do one or not (or as @Theophan says - if you've got mold or other funk happening)
    Formerly of Houston, TX - Now Located in Bastrop, TX
    I work in the 'que business now (since 2017)

    6 Eggs: (1) XL, (2) Large, (1) Small, (1) Minimax & (1) Mini - Egging since 2007
    Also recently gained: (1) Gas Thing (came with the house), (1) 36" Blackstone Griddle & (1) Pitts & Spitts Pellet Smoker
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  • JT_Thomas
    JT_Thomas Posts: 101
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    dldawes1 said:
    How much is "a lot of cooking" ?   I've been cooking for 1-1/2 yrs and have never had to do a clean burn.  

    For the folks who do clean burns....how do you determine that you need one?  I must be missing something.


    I cooked for about 8 years on mine before I did one.  Food started having off flavors due to all the creosote build up.  Did a clean burn, and it was darn near like new on the inside.

    I would assume if you do a lot of hot cooks, you won't need to do one very often, as it will burn it out. 

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  • DieselkW
    DieselkW Posts: 894
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    Since an air tight seal is not necessary for a clean burn, why not put spacers between the gaskets when you do a clean burn to keep the surfaces from welding themselves together?

    Or would that encourage the fire to seek the nearest wooden handle? Hmmm.

    If the bottom vent were nearly closed, air would come in to the fire from the gasket, keeping the gasket cooler, while still feeding the inferno necessary to clean burn the dome.

    Thoughts?

    Indianapolis, IN

    BBQ is a celebration of culture in America. It is the closest thing we have to the wines and cheeses of Europe. 

    Drive a few hundred miles in any direction, and the experience changes dramatically. 



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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,897
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    DieselkW said:
    Since an air tight seal is not necessary for a clean burn, why not put spacers between the gaskets when you do a clean burn to keep the surfaces from welding themselves together?

    Or would that encourage the fire to seek the nearest wooden handle? Hmmm.

    If the bottom vent were nearly closed, air would come in to the fire from the gasket, keeping the gasket cooler, while still feeding the inferno necessary to clean burn the dome.

    Thoughts?
    Actually that method would nearly assure the destruction of a normal gasket. Let me explain - when a BGE gasket begins to deteriorate it will either crack or have weak areas which allow heat and gases to escape even though they appear to be minute. In time those areas get larger and worst until the original gasket is shot. By propping your dome slightly open during a burn out you are subjecting your gasket to the abuse and rapid destruction. 
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,897
    edited July 2015
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    JT_Thomas said:
    dldawes1 said:
    How much is "a lot of cooking" ?   I've been cooking for 1-1/2 yrs and have never had to do a clean burn.  

    For the folks who do clean burns....how do you determine that you need one?  I must be missing something.


    I cooked for about 8 years on mine before I did one.  Food started having off flavors due to all the creosote build up.  Did a clean burn, and it was darn near like new on the inside.

    I would assume if you do a lot of hot cooks, you won't need to do one very often, as it will burn it out. 

    Well said. When the crud on the interior of your dome builds up and up it will eventually start to crack and fall on to your food. If you just want to see if a clean burn might be in your future take a ball of foil or even a narrow bladed putty knife to your cold dome interior and see what crud falls off. If none then you are fine, but if what you see turns your stomach you are a candidate for a burn out. 
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • SoCalTim
    SoCalTim Posts: 2,158
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    dldawes1 said:
    How much is "a lot of cooking" ?   I've been cooking for 1-1/2 yrs and have never had to do a clean burn.  

    For the folks who do clean burns....how do you determine that you need one?  I must be missing something.

    @didawes1 .. the gunk buildup in my egg was really thick (and sticky) my food and the the smoke had a nasty rancid smell. I've had my egg for 3 yrs

    I did a high temp clean burn - problem solved. Yeah I fried my gasket .. but looking back, it was the best thing I could have done. Got a Rutland now .. 
    I've slow smoked and eaten so much pork, I'm legally recognized as being part swine - Chatsworth Ca.
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  • saluki2007
    saluki2007 Posts: 6,354
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    gerhardk said:
    Go naked, I have been using my egg for the last few years without a gasket and it works fine.

    Gerhard
    I would recommend wrapping your hot dog in a bun before doing this...
    Large and Small BGE
    Central, IL

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