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Fire box ash cleaning question and debate with wife.

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Landry's Egg
Landry's Egg Posts: 22
in EggHead Forum
When cleaning out the ash and fire box for next cook, do you also clean out the ash that gets trapped between fire box and the egg. For some reason either out of laziness or that in my weak and feeble mind I think it adds a extra layer of insulation if it gets hot. I asked my wife who is a engineer and plant manager for a coffee plant, all she says it that if ignited it can cause a big fire, so clean it out. Always cautious, she is.  Of course I tell her we've had the egg for probably 6 or 7 years and this has never happened. 

So, any reason I should or shouldn't clean out excess ash. Will it eventually burn away?

What say ye?
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  • SirSquatch
    SirSquatch Posts: 109
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    Won't ash buildup between the firebox and the Egg cause airflow issues at some point? I'd be more concerned for that. 
    Northern VA - LBGE
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  • whldch
    whldch Posts: 126
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    I would definitely clean it out to help air flow for the next cooks, but the ash is what is left over from the burns so it's unlikely to ignite. The small
    particles could be a fire hazard if vents are open. 
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  • YukonRon
    YukonRon Posts: 16,989
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    Air flow in the egg is much more important than added insulation. If the excess caught caught fire, which is unlikely, the lack of air flow would smother it, due to the readily available lump using most, if not all of the oxygen. I do a total clean and inspection about every 10 cooks with all my eggs. I clean ash out of the fire box after every other cook.
    "Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber

    XL and MM
    Louisville, Kentucky
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,487
    edited December 2016
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    I do similar to Ron, and as whidch stated, the ash that falls in through the six holes is already burnt; small pieces of unburnt lump can obviously fall through, and will burn if they get hot enough (just like small pieces that fall through a fire grate, they'll just burn, no harm done).
    A tip: a flexible vacuum hose works great for cleaning around the outside of the firebowl; a leaf blower works too but is NOT a good idea.  Don't ask me how I know this.   :s
    _____________

    "Pro-Life" would be twenty students graduating from Sandy Hook next month  


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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
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    Carolina Q said:
    I've had my egg for over 7 years. Pretty sure I took all the parts out and cleaned behind them... twice. If I can't reach it with my ash tool, it doesn't get reached. And I never bother cleaning out the holes in the firebox.
    There is no need to take out the fire box to clean ash. As @Carolina Q says the ash tool can be used to pull ash from the area between the base and the firebox. The air holes are always above any residual ash level. Just like my airtight stove, I always leave a small ash layer on the floor of the egg. Cleanliness can be next to Godliness, but when it comes to egging, it might be considered a tad OCD. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
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    Once a year or two for me. The kab helps keep some of the small pieces of coal blocking the side airholes, but sooner or later you will restrict airflow as the ash builds up outside the firebox. 
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  • DaveRichardson
    DaveRichardson Posts: 2,324
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    The ash shouldn't burn.  Its already been burned.  @Stlcharcoal would be a great resource to answer this one.

    As far as cleaning, if I've done a couple of low and slows in a row, I will bust out the mini shop vac that can get around the firebox and base inner wall.  If I've exhausted all the lump inside, I will pull the fire plate and vac it out, making sure to hit all the holes in the firebox to make sure they are clean - that happens maybe 2x a year.

    LBGE #19 from North GA Eggfest, 2014

    Stockbridge, GA - just south of Atlanta where we are covered up in Zombies!  #TheWalkingDead films practically next door!

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  • gerhardk
    gerhardk Posts: 942
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    As long as you have to restrict air flow to keep the temperature from going nuclear you don't have an air flow problem.
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  • Landry's Egg
    Landry's Egg Posts: 22
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    Thanks for the help. 

    So this is what I'm dealing with, a woman plus combined with engineer= never wrong. 

    Looks like we established burnt ash is hard to burn again. Which, where the extra ash is located is kind of hard to get too.

    Will a extra layer of ash add extra insulation outside of firebox given airflow isn't compromised during the cook? 

    I need something more plausible for discussion purposes. She was very adamant about ash possibly igniting and causing a wild fire. I disagreed with her of course.  
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  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 30,977
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    I'm not sure how to put this delicately, but: the wife is wrong.
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
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  • marysvilleegger
    marysvilleegger Posts: 329
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    Tell your wife you'd agree with her but then you'd BOTH be wrong!
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  • northGAcock
    northGAcock Posts: 15,164
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    I only opened this thread to see what the debate with wife is. You got this.
    Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax

    Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
    Run me out in the cold rain and snow
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  • Tspud1
    Tspud1 Posts: 1,486
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    How do ashes catch on fire ? 
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  • Landry's Egg
    Landry's Egg Posts: 22
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    She's a manager at a coffee plant and her analogy is that they have to clean the roasters ash because of a fire hazard etc.  Not a good comparison in my opinion.  She doesn't cook and I haven't shown her the configuration of the egg. She knows how to run a coffee plant but her abilities in the kitchen are suspect at best.  

    This is will get interesting later tonight since we can't talk about the saints and Brees throwing picks.
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,487
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    Landry's Egg said:
    She was very adamant about ash possibly igniting and causing a wild fire.   
    What kind of engineer is she?  When I was forced into IT (with my Mechanical/Industrial Engineering degrees) I made some flat-out wrong decisions too.
    Whups, someone's at the door, gotta run Good Luck!  
    _____________

    "Pro-Life" would be twenty students graduating from Sandy Hook next month  


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  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 30,977
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    Botch said:
    Landry's Egg said:
    She was very adamant about ash possibly igniting and causing a wild fire.   
    What kind of engineer is she?  
    I'm guessing she steers a steam-powered train.
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
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  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,654
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    In several years of egging, a couple of times I wasn't getting good airflow and it turned out that enough ash had built up between the Egg and the firebox that it was choking the airflow some.  Took out the fire ring and firebox, cleaned it all out, put them back, great air flow.  Hasn't happened often, less than once a year, but it's happened to me.
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  • BilZol
    BilZol Posts: 698
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    Your gonna trade your ash problem for another problem. Clean it and keep the peace. You've already went through more trouble and time then it would have taken to clean it. 
    Bill   Denver, CO
    XL, 2L's, and MM
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 17,186
    edited December 2016
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    Put her in charge of cleaning the egg since she's a self proclaimed expert.  ;)
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  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 30,977
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    We are all such d!cks.
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
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    Theophan said:
    In several years of egging, a couple of times I wasn't getting good airflow and it turned out that enough ash had built up between the Egg and the firebox that it was choking the airflow some.  Took out the fire ring and firebox, cleaned it all out, put them back, great air flow.  Hasn't happened often, less than once a year, but it's happened to me.
    Did you rake the ash from between the firebox and the base? The rake will go to about the 11:00 and 1:00 o'clock position meaning airflow is not affected. There is a choice, simply rake it out (10 seconds) or remove the whole firebox...... your choice. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,895
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    Here's what an ash build up through the air holes looks like. In time mine have completely clogged and restricted the air flow meaning a clean out was necessary.

    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
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    Ash burns? Well, that pisses me off, I've been tossing it in the corn field behind my house.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
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  • 4Runner
    4Runner Posts: 2,948
    edited December 2016
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    I don't worry about it. Just make sure all the air holes are clear and you are good to go.  I worry about it even less since I typically use a Stoker.  
    Joe - I'm a reformed gasser-holic aka 4Runner Columbia, SC Wonderful BGE Resource Site: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm and http://www.nibblemethis.com/  and http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2006/02/recipes.html
    What am I drinking now?   Woodford....neat
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,487
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    RRP said:
    Here's what an ash build up through the air holes looks like. In time mine have completely clogged and restricted the air flow meaning a clean out was necessary.

    Okay, that I've never seen before!   :o
    _____________

    "Pro-Life" would be twenty students graduating from Sandy Hook next month  


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  • JRWhitee
    JRWhitee Posts: 5,678
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    I pull the guts out and clean the ash behind the firebox about every two months or so. 
                                                                
    _________________________________________________
    Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!
    Large BGE 2006, Mini Max 2014, 36" Blackstone, Anova Sous Vide
    Green Man Group 
    Johns Creek, Georgia
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  • xfire_ATX
    xfire_ATX Posts: 1,115
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    I pull it apart twice a year or so... Whenever I let it burn through all the lump it's time for a full clean out.
    XLBGE, LBGE, Charbroil Gas Grill, Weber Q2000, Old Weber Kettle, Rectec RT-B380, Yeti 65, Yeti Hopper 20, RTIC 20, RTIC 20 Soft Side - Too many drinkware vessels to mention.

    Not quite in Austin, TX City Limits
    Just Vote- What if you could choose "none of the above" on an election ballot? Millions of Americans do just that, in effect, by not voting.  The result in 2016: "Nobody" won more counties, more states, and more electoral votes than either candidate for president. 
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  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,627
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    The only ash that burns comes from center cut lump, so you should be ok.  ;)

    Even if ash did burn, it's in the egg (where the fire is), you're still restricting airflow, so what.

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