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Sweating/ mold/mildew

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Unknown
Unknown
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Hi,, I'm a newbie,, I've owned my large egg for about a year now,, The question I have is...., After I'm done cooking on my egg, I shut the lid, leave the bottom vent open, after the charcoal fire goes out, put the the ceramic top vent lid on it and after it sits for a few days, I open the lid and there is sweating, and mold/mildew over everything... WHY???...
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Condensation.

    I would think it would be reduced if when closed the bottom vent as well.

    less humid airflow into the egg should result is less condensation. problem solved!

    What is the thinking behind leaving the bottom vent open?
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  • Lovenbrau
    Lovenbrau Posts: 307
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    When you pull what ever you are cooking off the grill, take the daisy wheel off and set it on the grill. Then close the bottom and put the cap on the top. You will be able to use unburned charcoal and keeps the wheel from freezing up.
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  • Unknown
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    Hi,, thank you for your answers,, Originally I shut all the vents,,and had sweating and mold,., then I thought maybe I should leave the bottom vent open to let air in so it would Not Sweat.. but it still does and still mildews.. WHY?????...
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    No problem, I'm glad to help.

    First off - where do you live???? It sounds like a sauna to be that humid!

    The correct method for shutting down and egg is:

    1) you take food off
    2) put on the ceramic cap and shut the lower vent.
    3) leave more less (with the exception to show off to friends :) ) closed until your next cook.

    I'm surprised you're having such mold and moisture problems if you have been doing that.

    One idea is mold and mildew do need nutrients to thrive. Perhaps do a hot cook - say 5-600 for 30 minutes to help clean the egg out. I would think that would help.
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  • Unknown
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    After I am done cooking, I have done no cleanup,, It is humid here this time of the year.. after I'm done cooking, I just shut the lid,,, maybe I should run the temp up to 500 or 600 degrees like you said then shut it down and see what happens..???
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    I don't think you should need to do that every time. Sounds to me like you have a good nutrient base buildup on the interior of the egg.

    Do a solid 500-600 burn-off for 30 mins or so and I think that would help.

    I guess the other piece of advice is you need to cook more :)

    To be honest, I've never had this problem, I live in the desert. Sometimes I can cook things on the egg without even lighting it. No really but that would be pretty cool.

    Hopefully someone with direct experience with this problem will chime in.
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Hi,, thank you for your answers,, Originally I shut all the vents,,and had sweating and mold,., then I thought maybe I should leave the bottom vent open to let air in so it would Not Sweat.. but it still does and still mildews.. WHY?????...
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  • Panhandle Smoker
    Panhandle Smoker Posts: 3,018
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    The moisture can and will enter from the bottom vent and can not escape when it heats up during the day. It wants to get out at the top. Are you using a cover? If so is it a vented cover? I live in Northwest Florida where the humidity is usually 90-100% during the summer. I do use ventilated covers and never have a moisture problem. On the 1 Egg I do not have a cover for does get moisture I think because it wicks from the gasket. If you do not have a cover try a rain cap and leave the daisy wheel open and see if that helps. it will allow the moisture to evaporate through the top. I recommend a ventilated cover if you don't already have one. My dealer has a non vented cover and has a bad time with mold and mildew and even causes the lump to get damp. The mildew is not a game stopper it just smells bad at light up. The bad smell goes away once things get heated up. The rain caps can be purchased for just a few dollars at most hardware stores.
    IMG_6850.jpg
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  • sharhamm
    sharhamm Posts: 258
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    I live in the Northeast, almost to Canada. I have the same problem, BUT only with my Large. It's shut down after a cook, with bottom vent closed and the ceramic cap on top. No vinyl cover either. My medium and mini are fine. After todays cook I am going to put a coin between the gasket as I thought perhaps it was too tight as I still have a good gasket on it. I really would like to know.
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