Leaving Egg Unattended

Willwork4BBQ

Hey Guys.  I'm looking at purchasing the Large BGE and getting the CyberQ to go with it.  My primary goal is to do long low slow cooks without even having to be at home.  Is it really safe to do that?  I'm worried about sparks flying out of the egg or somehow creating a fire hazard.  My plan is to start the cook in the morning and head off to work.  I've thought about installing a piece of window screen under the top damper to be used as a makeshift flash arrestor.

 

Secondly, what is everyone's favorite app to used with the CyberQ?

RRP

All depends where you plan to place your egg. What is the surface it will rest on? How close is it to your home? Buying the CyberQ is cool, but why not become "one with your new baby" before slapping it on the butt and turning it over to an electronic device?

Willwork4BBQ

10 feet from the house and on grass.

revolver1

RRP ask the right question.  Where is it and what surface is it on?  No cooker is 100% safe.  Murphy's Law.  

StlScott

I agree with @RRP ... and I'd take it a step farther:  I would strongly recommend ever leaving your cooker. 

You're also talking to someone who doesn't leave the oven on - or operate the dryer - when not at home.

Heck, if nothing else - you're going to miss out on some wonderful smells 

StlScott

The Cen-Tex Smoker

I leave mine all the time. I did burn my table down one time but I left clean out burn (nuclear hot) going and it lit my grill brush on fire. I don't recommend doing that I have cooked overnight and left low and slow cooks unattended every week for the better part of a decade. If you are on a wooden deck or right next to your house, I would probably advise against it. Outside of that, you are pretty safe.

Terrebandit

Not me. I wouldn't chance it.

stevesails

I have not seen a spark come out the top. Ever. Especially.at 250 dome.
I have put butts on at 10 at night and gone to bed. Or ribs and left for two hours. Don't put it too close to.house if you are worried.

With a quarter inch crack in lower vent and upper small too. It just can't get very hot. Physics are like that

The Cen-Tex Smoker

This was very sketchy, but again, i was running hot.....very hot. And it wasn't the egg or deck that caught, it was my grill brush. Still something to be aware of. i still cook unattended all the time and I have hundreds of times with no incident. ...................... Here is the thread: http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1150036/holy-cow-feeling-very-lucky-today/p1

Scottborasjr

If you are leaving it on a grassy knoll it would completely depend on how uneven the land is, how dry your climate is, and the chance that a animal (domestic, wild, or stupid human) will come along and mess with it. I've done plenty of overnights without a controller on a concrete surface and done a few on my wooden deck.  But if I'm leaving the egg burning on the deck I make sure the dogs are kenneled and the gate to the backyard is locked.

dougbacker

Do it with my Cyber Q all the time...I like Pit Pal for Andriod and use it alot

Foghorn

Mine is on concrete and I often leave it alone for low temp cooks with the screen closed on the bottom vent.

I'd probably buy a grill mat before I left it alone on grass.

gerhardk

I believe low and slow and sparks don't really belong in the same sentence.  I have seen sparks when doing pizza or doing a clean burn  but with low and slow I feel pretty confident that it is safe.  I do lots of unattended over night cooks and have often left for several hours to run errands during a long daytime cook.  I agree with the electronics, I bought a fan controller but have only used it on a few occasions don't think I would spend money on one again.

Gerhard

fishlessman

my egg sits in the grass and im usually 6 miles offshore fishing during my low and slows or sleeping
)  i agree with an earlier post to learn to do it without the device and buy one later on if you feel the need, ive learned its not needed as the egg works just fine the way it is. i did have a fire on the deck back 10 years so my low and slows and overnighters are not done on the deck anymore

MrCookingNurse

It would be hard to leve anything besides a low temp cook unattended I think. Anything else would just cook too quick.

I feel safe leaving my egg running and going to work or run errands. In the event my table caught fire, it's got a lot of concrete to travel before it tries to burn my brick house down without me knowing it. I sleep like a baby when doing overnihhters

onedbguru

If your egg is a deck, I highly recommend adding a piece of concrete backerboard under your egg.  This is typically used for tile in the kitchen or bath or underlayment for your tile floor.  Because it is concrete-based, it is fire retardant. Note I did not say fire proof.  That being said, I have left mine for hours at a time.  My normal placement is about 15ft from the house on my concrete driveway.

rsmith193

I wouldn't chance leaving it alone. And I would think the screen would plug up and restrict air flow.

dlk7

When I low and slow with my digiq II the daisy wheel is almost completly closed and can't imagine how a spark could sneak out.  I've done low and slows on my wood deck for a year and a half with no issues running as long as 24 hours. 

robnybbq

I have a BBQ mat I bought at Lowes that is concrete covered that is fire retardant.  I have done overnights with it but sleeping with one eye opened - meaning NO sleep - so there is no way I am leaving the Egg burning when I am not home and that includes my wife home and me running out.  Not taking a chance.  Now If I had an area away from the house on concrete I would consider it possibly.  After seeing CenTex pics and some others - I am very nervous running the Egg on the deck period.  Maybe I should move it downstairs to my paver patio but that may be too close to the house as well.

erblove

I've left my egg on the deck serveral times...and I don't own any monitoring system. Haven't had any trouble. 

bbqlearner

Do it all the time but mine's not on grass and not very close to house either. But I agree with others if you're running low and slow, never really see sparks but then, it could depend on the charcoal as well.

Foghorn

I guess there is green grass and then there is what we have in Texas this time of year which resembles very fine kindling...

Willwork4BBQ

Does this mean that the egg-nests are safer than wooden tables since the outside of the egg gets hot and the nests aren't flammable? 

 

Willwork4BBQ

Does this mean that the egg-nests are safer than wooden tables since the outside of the egg gets hot and the nests aren't flammable? 

erblove

Mine is currently in a nest...still working out details on a table design. Sits right on the deck and I've left work work multiple days just to come home with dinner waiting. No trouble at all and remained within 5 degrees of the temp. I've only done this with pork shoulder/butts due to request from friends to make it for them. 

Gogogordy

....only long enough to run down to the corner for more beer for me!

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Willwork4BBQ said:

Does this mean that the egg-nests are safer than wooden tables since the outside of the egg gets hot and the nests aren't flammable? 

yes

Mine is in a nest after my little "incident"

J_Que

I use a stoker on the longer cooks and frequently leave the egg unattended for 8-10 hours at a time.