Big Green Egg - EGGhead Forum

NJ-Professor · October 2010

Little Steven · October 2010

NJ-Professor,

Take a long blade razor knife and work it in between the gaskets.Go around the egg gently till you find the spots it is fused.

Steve

Carolina Q · October 2010

Carefully use a thin bladed knife and work your way around the dome. Then order a new gasket. Or do like many here, don't USE a gasket. Me? I like Rutlands.

NJ-Professor · October 2010

Thanks.....I got it open. I think I need to replace the gasket....better safe than sorry.....especially now that I'm cooking with higher heat.

Ever change one? Big deal?

Little Steven · October 2010

I changed a bunch. Finally gave upon them. May try the Rutland eventually.

Steve

Carolina Q · October 2010

I like the cushioning I get from a gasket. Here's a Rutland just installed on my mini...

After almost a year, my large looks like this...

Adhesive is Permatex Ultra Copper. Works great!

Beli · October 2010

gosh mi amigo you are quite a connoisseur :laugh: :whistle:

Little Steven · October 2010

Beli,

Experience. :blush:

Steve

Little Steven · October 2010

Michael,

Yeah but I dont know a supplier for the rutland. Maybe I could find a guy say just southwest of the Chicagoland area. Say some guy that wanted to trade something he can't get locally. If there was only such a guy.

Steve

Carolina Q · October 2010

Umm, I don't know nuthin' 'bout Chicago, but if u need Rutlands, I can prob'ly help you out. Talk to me...

NJ-Professor · October 2010

I ordered a BGE gasket last night.

I figure that I'd start with the more friendly looking BGE type and depending on how often I need to change consider alternatives.

Is it necessary to remove the dome or can it be done while attached and opened?

How do people get away without using a gasket? Won't the dome fuse to the bottom at high temperature? (If a dome sticks with a gasket what would happen if there was none?)

In the meantime can I use the egg (low temp, etc.?) while waiting to install new gasket?

It's amazing what a flimsy gasket is used for such a heavyweight (hi-temp) item. The Rutland rope and flat gaskets look way better than simple felt but the installation process seems a bit daunting even with the great help from Naked Whiz:

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/rutlandgasket/Sizing_The_Gasket.jpg

Thanks,
Steve

Jasper · October 2010

Steve, Classic Fireplace carries Rutland gaskets. Last time I was at the Scarborough location, they had rolls and rolls of it, packaged and bulk.

Ripnem · October 2010

Little One,

I just picked up 7 feet of the Rutland with high temp sealant (2000*) for 6 bucks. Let me know how many feet you need.

jeffinsgf · October 2010

NJ-Professor wrote:

I ordered a BGE gasket last night....

Is it necessary to remove the dome or can it be done while attached and opened?

I can't imagine successfully replacing the gasket without taking the dome off. Might be possible, but the gymnastics involved would not justify skipping the simple step of unclamping the dome.

How do people get away without using a gasket? Won't the dome fuse to the bottom at high temperature? (If a dome sticks with a gasket what would happen if there was none?)

The ceramic isn't sticking, the goo and the gasket are sticking. The temperature required to "fuse" the dome to the bottom won't occur outside a crucible and I don't think the ceramic can be refired, even if you could get it up to the necessary temperature.

In the meantime can I use the egg (low temp, etc.?) while waiting to install new gasket?

Why not? As several here have pointed out, there are a lot of Eggs out there being used successfully without a gasket. My two are sort of present, but nearly gone.

It's amazing what a flimsy gasket is used for such a heavyweight (hi-temp) item.

And yet, it has served thousands of us sufficiently for around 20 years. I personally am not putting anything made from fiberglass that close to anything I'm going to eat. A little wool felt never hurt the digestion of any true carnivore.

NJ-Professor · October 2010

Can someone then explain the purpose of an egg gasket?

Gasket: The purpose of a gasket is to make a seal between 2 other surfaces,to stop fluids,oil or gases from escaping. In general, it provides a tighter fit between two pieces of an assembly, hopefully reducing the potential for leaking.

jeffinsgf · October 2010

Well, I think the definition you found explains its purpose perfectly. However, the need for a nearly air-tight seal in this application is the issue under debate. The oxygen entering the Egg between the top and the bottom if no gasket is present (but the top and bottom are well aligned to each other) would be minimal, and could easily be compensated for by adjusting the top and bottom vents.

I keep a felt gasket on my Eggs (replaced every 4 or 5 years) not to control the cook, but because I am clumsy and have been known to drop the lid half-way through the process of closing it.

NJ-Professor · October 2010

(As a fellow clumsyite....) that's really funny......

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker · October 2010

the original purpose was to cushion the dome. but cooks quickly found out that the relatively aiir-tight environment meant great ability to control temps.

an egg need not be "air-tight", but it should have some measure of air-tightness (meaning, not leak like a sieve).

i borrowed an egg once that had no gasket, and it ran a little rich (my usual vent settings ran a little hotter). and if i used a lighter lump like cowboy, i found that it would be used up (burnt) by the morning, having continued to burn even after i shut the egg.

the denser wicked good charcoal stopped burning though, after being shut down, and there was some left the next time i went to light it.

no gasket means some adjustment might be required in your 'normal' vent settings (if it leaks, i mean), and you might not want to fill it beyond what you use for the cook (because you might find you are wasting lump, because shut-down isn't as rapid).

but it's doable.

i just slapped on a rutland, with silicone gasket maker/adhesive, and haven't looked back.

NJ-Professor · October 2010

Very helpful info.

I already ordered the BGE gasket but will go Rutland next time. My only hesitance is being able to get the dome off since the screw holding band seems really rusted.

BTW, can how can I continue to use the worn gasket that got stuck without worrying of a repeat?

Thanks,
Steve

Carolina Q · October 2010

Most people install the Rutland on the bottom. Piece of cake.

NJ-Professor · October 2010

Nothing on the top?

Little Steven · October 2010

Thanks Adam,

I can get it here. I was hoping RRP would see the post :laugh:

jeffinsgf · October 2010

NJ-Professor wrote:

...
BTW, can how can I continue to use the worn gasket that got stuck without worrying of a repeat?

Thanks,
Steve

Let me ask a question...did either the top or bottom gasket peel off when you separated them? If they did not, there's no reason to replace them. You got some barbecue sauce or something on the gasket and it stuck. It's not the end of the world. Clean it up and keep cooking.

You seem to be trying to make this much, much more difficult than it really is.

NJ-Professor · October 2010

I do that with everything,,,, :unsure:

What would you use to clean?

Thanks,
Steve

jeffinsgf · October 2010

nm

Carolina Q · October 2010

Correct.

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