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Firebox basket / charcoal shaker
James MB
Posts: 359
I have a medium and I’m lazy.
To light I often use a chimney, light some fresh lump and dump it on top of the old lump in the firebox, this works pretty well for a rapid warm up and burning off the volatiles from the fresh lump. I use a wiggle stick a little too.
Sometime it gets sluggish and the pile of old coals needs a little more attention than my wiggle stick can get to. You may say I should just get a longer angled part on my wiggle stick (?) - it’s an old home made door hook I think - but I think sometimes the more I fiddle the worse it gets as the coals are reduced to smaller pieces.
On my WSM I have wired the charcoal ring to the charcoal grate so I can just lift the whole thing up, give it a gentle shake to remove the ash and then it’s good to go. Similarly my monstrous kamado has a heavy gauge wire basket that acts both as a grate and a lump holder that can be lifted and gently shaken, mind you it rusts like anything and heaven only knows what I’ll do when it fails – get someone to weld a new bottom in I guess.
I just wondered if anyone has played with something similar in an egg, I’m a bit wary of mixing expansion of heating metal with static ceramic but can’t help thinking about it. I found the posts below, the first of a Fred’s prototype (which is also in my mind I’d just rather do without the hassle of pulling the lump out) and the second of wooDoggie’s setup, albeit with lapsed pick links but sounds like I was hoping for.
My one concern is that there isn’t any background noise on this raving about how good it is. Perhaps I’ve just got the wrong approach.
Btw – not sure how to post thread links
Can and basket
Woodoggie's setup
To light I often use a chimney, light some fresh lump and dump it on top of the old lump in the firebox, this works pretty well for a rapid warm up and burning off the volatiles from the fresh lump. I use a wiggle stick a little too.
Sometime it gets sluggish and the pile of old coals needs a little more attention than my wiggle stick can get to. You may say I should just get a longer angled part on my wiggle stick (?) - it’s an old home made door hook I think - but I think sometimes the more I fiddle the worse it gets as the coals are reduced to smaller pieces.
On my WSM I have wired the charcoal ring to the charcoal grate so I can just lift the whole thing up, give it a gentle shake to remove the ash and then it’s good to go. Similarly my monstrous kamado has a heavy gauge wire basket that acts both as a grate and a lump holder that can be lifted and gently shaken, mind you it rusts like anything and heaven only knows what I’ll do when it fails – get someone to weld a new bottom in I guess.
I just wondered if anyone has played with something similar in an egg, I’m a bit wary of mixing expansion of heating metal with static ceramic but can’t help thinking about it. I found the posts below, the first of a Fred’s prototype (which is also in my mind I’d just rather do without the hassle of pulling the lump out) and the second of wooDoggie’s setup, albeit with lapsed pick links but sounds like I was hoping for.
My one concern is that there isn’t any background noise on this raving about how good it is. Perhaps I’ve just got the wrong approach.
Btw – not sure how to post thread links
Can and basket
Woodoggie's setup
Comments
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I use SS mixing bowls with holes drilled in the bottom.
Works GREAT.
On my small the mixing bowl fit exactly and broke the fire box when the metal heated up and expanded. I then put two bolts just under the rim of the mixing bowl so the bolts would rest on the fire ring and slightly elevate the mixing bowl. Works fine.
On the large the mixing bowl is slightly smaller in diameter than the fire box and expansion is not an issue.
SS mixing bowl in my large. Very easy to lift out, shake, etc and replace.
Spacey -
Hey James, great to see you posting. Sorry I can't help with the strainer but I'm going to the Ocala fest next month and would love to send you a shirt (I still have the address) just let me know the size. Thanks again for the brochures and info you sent.
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howdy James, hope life is good across the pond.
I made one from rings, 3/16 and 1/4 inch. Configured it so the bge grate sits inside. Bottom ring holds the grate and makes contact with the firebox. This keeps the same contact dynamics (engineering) as the bge grate, ring may be a smidge better as it has a rolled edge. Grate comes out, so no telling how long the bucket will last.
I'd give a hard look at spaceman spiff's concept and try to duplicate it. I use a plastic electrical box to scoop the ash from under the grate, less than a buck at your local hardware store.
I gotta say, out of all the stuff I've made, the bucket is easily in the top three. makes a messy job super easy.....lift, shake, scoop and replace....done in less than one minute. twww.ceramicgrillstore.com ACGP, Inc. -
Are these available for purchase?
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no, I can't get the economies of scale needed to get a favorable price point. twww.ceramicgrillstore.com ACGP, Inc.
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:( :( :(
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What size SS bowl would I need to fit a large.
Any idea on how long the bowl will last before it burns through. -
12 quart SS RSVP Endurance mixing bowl from Sur La Table 3 years ago. $23 then.
No sign of it corroding/rusting thru.
Spacey -
Great Idea Spaceman, Will give it a try with a bowl I have.
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SS is tough to drill.
I used a small sharp bit for the initial holes and then used a unibit to enlarge the holes. Just eyeballed the the hole size.
Spacey -
Made this lump bucket from a stainless mixing bowl.
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Very nice.
I like the 'slots'. I assume you used a grinding wheel of some sort to make them.
I also like the idea of using bolts for a handle.
I made a bail for the bowl on my small but just grab the edges of the bowl on my large.
Spacey -
Your right, a metal grinding wheel. I'm hooked on lump buckets. Clean up is a breeze. I have one for each of my three eggs. :P
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Close up.
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It's funny, while driving home last night (before I read these posts) I was trying to picture what would fit in my Medium and I had a vision of myself taking the firebox to a cook shop / hardware store trying to find a SS mixing bowl to fit. I thought the bottom would burn out though - then I started down the line of a replaceable grate (eg Weber) in the bottom and then the - just use the BGE grate....
Those pics are great (no pun intended) and Tom - that's EXACTLY what I ended up picturing, of course I can't make anything like that, though one day I must learn...
Clay / Spaceman - those both look highly "do-able" though. Quicker setup = more likely to fire up
Thanks for sharing, a bit of "customisation" makes it your own.
PS - Those bolt handles are an inspiration too -
Pat, thanks for the offer, you're very kind.
Have a great time in Ocala, you never know one day I may ask you to act as a delivery point for a pressy box to the UK!
For the record I'm probably a medium kind of guy.
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