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Tailgate question

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FSUScotsman
FSUScotsman Posts: 754
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
It had to happen. My friend had his grill die on us and I'm not about to chip in for another gas grill, I would rather buy a BGE to bring to our before game soirees. It will probably be a small as I think the store I go to here keeps them in stock.

Now the question. How long does it take the thing to cool down? Most of the time I drive a Mini Cooper convertible so I'll need to put it on the folded down rear seats!!!

Bet no one has ever put an Egg in a Cooper before!!!

Of course I could get a mini for my Mini.....
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  • UGAVET
    UGAVET Posts: 577
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    It really depends on what you are cooking and at what temps. If you are cooking burgers, hotdogs, etc. you would likely be cooking around 400 degrees so after you shut down your vents it could take an hour or so before it is cool enough to put on the seats but there could still be coals in the firebox. I have opened vents back up after having them closed for an hour and have a fire restart in a matter of 15 minutes. I probably would not feel comfortable putting it back into a vehicle more than 2 hours after shutting down. If you are able to leave it out and go to the game without it getting stolen it would be fine to load back up after the game. i would feel better if it were being loaded into the bed of a truck with nothing that could melt or catch fire from a spark.
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  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
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    We get into the stadium 3 1/2 hours early. After cooking, it is never cool enough to put in a car.

    Mike
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  • BigDaddy - OCT
    BigDaddy - OCT Posts: 773
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    I haven't tailgated with mine yet but when I bought my second one at the OK eggfest it was critical to cool it down to transport home after cooking on it. We removed the lump to a metal pan and added water to extinguish.

    Then we put the grid on top of the fire ring added a cheap disposable aluminum container the size of a loaf pan. We added lots of ice to that pan and checked it every few minutes. Once melted we discarded the water and added more ice.

    It honestly didn't take long and truth be told, the inside ceramics were cool to the touch long before the exterior.

    Here's the disclaimer: I have no idea if this kind of rapid cooling from the inside could cause any problems and I've only done it once so I repitition could be another issue. All I know is it worked very well in this one instance.

    I'm a huge tailgater so I certainly wish you luck! Here's how I roll: http://www.gopokesgo.com

    Bruce
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  • UGAVET
    UGAVET Posts: 577
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    I love the bus. I would love to have a rig like that to haul to UGA gamedays. Hope ya'll kick the crap out of OU who just jumped us in the polls. I guess thats what you get when you struggle to beat S.C. but Spurrier always seems to have a game plan for us.
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  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
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    You got lucky.. I would not recommend you do this again.
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  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
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    When I compete and I am in a hurry to get home I transfer the coals to a metal bucket. A 5 gal. garbage can works great and can be purchased at any big box hardware store.

    I then remove the insides and spread them out on the ground. Since you have FSU in your name I will assume your games aren't prone to ice and snow.

    Keep the dome open. A small BGE will be cool enough with-in 30 minutes or so.

    Dump emough water in the bucket to drown the coals. Once they stop boiling you can discard them into the trash bucket.

    Having a wood carrier for the egg helps keep what heat is left off any interior surfaces of your car.
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  • Happy Hog
    Happy Hog Posts: 67
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    check this out

    http://woodflameusa.com/
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    i bring a small to the patriots game. it has never seen a loss, by the way (i didn't go to the stupor bowel... :pinch: )

    we get there a few hours early, and fire it up. high heat steaks, shrimp etc. typical tailgate stuff.

    when we head in, about a half hour before the game, i shut it down and run a long cable/lock thru the hinge and secure it to the bumper (i have a tow hook underneath). it is cool to the touch by the end of game time, and it goes in my car into a pan which keeps dirt out of the car.

    i have to admit that every now and then i look over my shoulder from the seats nervous about seeing a fireball. i keep thinking someone will say "what's that? and open the top and lower vent, and the lump will reignite and light up the gas tank. hahaha

    i don't know if it's kosher, but most guys with briquettes will dump them in the parking lot. i empty it at home.

    wolf's idea was good. if you want to be totally sure, scoop out all the ash and soak them. the cermaic will cool down quick.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    what could that do?

    i can't imagine the ice would cause the egg to crack. air is a great insulator. would have probably cooled more quickly if they opened it like you suggested anyway.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • Cecil
    Cecil Posts: 771
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    I take my small to Titan's games, during the game I throw a chain around (and through) it. By the end of the game it is cool enough to move and secure for the ride home.

    Walt
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    come to think of it.... if you can cook a spatchock chicken for an hour at 400, getting the ceramic to 300 hundred degrees or so, then have it dump sleet snow and ice on the egg without fear of it cracking, i bet you could just water the egg down with water from the beer cooler. it isn't going to explode.

    when cleaning my patio with a hose, i have shot the egg with a good dose of water to clean it while it was chugging away cooking something or other. it could not care less. thermal shock is not one of it's weaknesses.

    as for ice being a problem...

    adding six pork butts that are straight from a 38 degree fridge isn't going to raise the notion of ceramic shock, i can't see why a tray of ice would.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • Firestarter21
    Firestarter21 Posts: 309
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    I have cooked on my mini about an hour before a concert, did burgers, let it cool for an hour. Then threw it in the trunk of a camry. I do have the next for the mini, so it wasn't touching any part of the car. Came back to a car, not a pile of ashes.
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  • FSUScotsman
    FSUScotsman Posts: 754
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    Thanks for everyone's answers. I think that this is the best way for me to go. I'll just get me a nice chain and a hardened lock. If someone wants it they are going to have to either saw the car apart or break the Egg. In neither case are they going to have much left over when they are done.

    I wish I could get the mini, but I'm afraid that it just wouldn't be large enough. I realize that if I'm doing burgers and dogs that they cook so fast that no one would wait long, but anything else would make the wait too much of a pain.

    I just need to build a small carry box for it now.
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  • FSUScotsman
    FSUScotsman Posts: 754
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    No, no ice or snow in Tallahassee. Until the middle of October I don't even need any lump in my Egg. I just set it outside in the sun and everything just cooks away!!!!
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  • FSUScotsman
    FSUScotsman Posts: 754
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    OK, I think I'm gonna go with the small, but I've another question. With the nest, I've been told it is 38 inches tall. I'm assuming that is to the top of the grill.

    For those of you that tailgate with a small....did you buy the nest or do something else. I'm not sure I want to do it without it but then again I want to put it in a table some day. Of course if I always use it for a tailgate grill it will never make it into a table. Sigh!!!

    Decisions, decisions!!!!
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