I can't win

Tanker Tim · April 2000

I installed my new auto-lock bands, trivet, and a new felt seal, got a 15 Kilo bag of Lump from the local store and did a couple of shoulders and some beans last weekend. All WAS good.[p]I stopped off at the store on my way home from work and got a BIG T-bone for a late supper, did a tater at 350 for a bit, took the slide top off and opened the bottom and set course for maximum burner. [p]As the temp rolled around past 750 then 100 then 200 I started burping the big guy only to find half of my new seal hangin off the inside. NOT GOOD [p]Half way thru the steak I heard my already cracked fire box go POP![p]Did the steak, came out great blah blah blah. [p]
Lesson learned:
If you use the "trivet" and you cook steaks be prepared to loose the majority of the hair on your arms. I think from here on out my trivet will be restricted to slow and low, it allows too much airflow.[p]I guess the pizza's I planned for tomorrow are on hold.[p]TT

Tim M · April 2000

Tanker Tim,[p]For me its was just a matter of adjustment of the vents and getting use to new settings on high temp fires. Low and slow is about the same as you implied. The trivett allows lots of air to go past but not too much. I have found that I don't need or want to add as much lump for most grilling jobs. In other words, I don't fill the firebox when grilling. Actually I never fill the whole firebox unless I need 12+ hrs of cooking. Even for pizza, which uses lots of fuel, I go 2" above the holes. If your filling the firebox, that may be some of the problem. [p]Tim

Spin · April 2000

Tanker Tim,[p]Hey my friend, make the pies. The gasket on my large slowly dried, cracked, and I scraped off the rest when it feel apart. It still cooks like a champ. The small Egg gasket is now almost totally dried out. You don't really need the gasket to cook with. I've cooked on three Eggs and the one at Eggotoberfest was the one I seriously fried the gasket when heating it. I then cooked 13 pizzas on it without the gasket. The large has a very seriously cracked firebox that still cooks like new and both Eggs have the stock BGE firegrates that are in two pieces.[p]I haven't used the trivet only because I have grown used to how the Eggs work when using the stock firegrate.[p]Remove any remaining gasket and keep on cookin'.[p]Spin

Char-Woody · April 2000

Spin,
Good advice, wish I had said that first. [p]Tanker, hold the yolk steady and don't nose dive her yet. I am working with some repair products that if it succeeds we can put those chambers back together in a hurry.
Keep on cookin...The only way you can stop an egg is with a lousy cook.
:-) [p]

Tanker Tim · April 2000

Tim M,[p]Good point Timmer, I did add some new lump but it wasn't chock full. I'll either have less lump next time or get some tongs that are three feet long and a welder's glove!![p]Thanks for the help[p]
Tim

Tanker Tim · April 2000

Spin,[p]Thanks for the encouragement, I wasn't too worried about POP goes the fire box, it was already cracked in the front. Now it's probably just two halves. Seeing my new felt seal inches from the grill didn't do much for morale after a bad week. [p]Pizza'a on! This wil be the first time I'm doing pizza with
real fire bricks, the swanky Eyetalian Terra Cotta pot's are
sitting this one out![p]
Thanks for the kick in the Arse![p]
TT

Tanker Tim · April 2000

Char-Woody,[p]I'm going to salvage as much of the dead seal as I can
mostly from the dome side, and press on.
I guess I didn't clean the dome as well as I thought?[p]
TT[p][p]

I can't win

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