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What's the best way to restart...

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Unknown
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Last night I cooked on the BGE for the first time and I loaded up the fire box with charcoal and used an egg starter under the charcoal grate (as the instructions stated) to get the fire going. Worked great, but I was wondering what's the best way to restart this, since it will be hard to get a starter back under the charcoal grate. Could I break the starter up and use it that way?[p]BTW, My father-in-law was amazed at the egg. I'll be he'll have one before too long...or maybe it will make a good B-day present.[p]Richard P.

Comments

  • JJ
    JJ Posts: 951
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    Richard P.,
    In the event that you would have to restart the EGG, cut the starter in half and slide the pieces in the ash door and ignite. Be sure to push the starter pieces under the grate.

  • Earl
    Earl Posts: 468
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    Richard P.,[p] The best way when using an eletric starter, which is what I use as well. Is to use the ash tool ( if you have one ) and move aside the leftover lump. You then place the starter on the bottom and cover over again. This will have you going in no time.[p]Earl
  • Earl
    Earl Posts: 468
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    JJ,[p] Hey JJ, Morning. I did not read the post correctly, thought Richard was using eletric, not cubes. Oh well, now if he goes eletric, he knows what to do. LOL[p]Earl
  • JJ
    JJ Posts: 951
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    Earl,
    You need another cup of coffee. I just finished my 3rd.
    JJ

  • Richard P., if you need to re-start during a cook, open draft and damper, and shove some paper into the ashpit and light it.

  • Char-Woody
    Char-Woody Posts: 2,642
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    George, exactly. Get some fire going down below, and leave the dome shut. I use a 1/4" rod about 30 inches long (doesn't matter in exact length 20 to 30 inches) and bend a 90 degree on the end of about 3 to 4 inches. Only large enought to allow insertion vertically under the ash grate. Then I can insert the rod into the grate holes and once inserted, I and wiggle the rod and the 4 inch tip wiggles the charcoal and helps remove any ash that build up over the grate level in the firechamber. Acts much like the old time cookstove grate shakers. I do this in several spots to assure a continues burn on long cooks or a restart to allow fire to reach combustable charcoal.
    Cheers....
    C~W
    (Be careful you don't dump the entire grate into the ashpit)

  • ChefRD
    ChefRD Posts: 438
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    Richard P.,Hello, If you mean how do you fire up the egg the next day etc. after a cook, heres what I do. ( I learned this method here, and it works.)
    I put on a large rubber type glove (like the biggest dishwashing glove you can find) and just stir the coals by hand to force most of the ash to fall out of the bottom holes. After this add charcoal to fill back up to the top of the fire ring. I put one weber fire starting cube on top of the coals and maybe shuffle a couple of pieces on top of the cube for good measure and then light it off! After that, just sit back and wait, and in a few minutes you are ready to cook. I leave the dome open or closed during this time depending upon if I am in a hurry or not. (Charcoal lights faster if the top is open) but you can't read the thermometer so you can overshoot the temps if you wanted some low temp. For low and slow, leave the top down and watch it approach your final temp.
    JMO, later,
    ChefRD

  • Huck
    Huck Posts: 110
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    Richard P.,
    MY best way? I'm more of a techy I guess. I have one of those cheap little propane torches on the back porch with a spark ignitor. I spark that dude up, torch a couple of places in the pile and bingo bango, I'm cookin'! We don't need no steenkink matchis!