Why do I need to "clean burn"?

jhl192

SloppyJoe said:

Why man groom? Just let that crap build up. I haven't showered in weeks.

I love that this quote comes from a guy named @SloppyJoe.  Live what you preach! 

Lit

I never do a clean burn.Every once in awhile I notice an egg just won't burn clean so I will let it sit at 500 for a couple hours but taking your egg to 700-800 degrees is just inviting a cracked base. The warranty will cover it fine but it's a pain I don't like to deal with. I was standing next to my egg when I used to run it up hot for a clean burn and I heard 2 loud pops a couple minutes apart and shut down the egg and the next day I had a cracked fire ring and a cracked base. Also had a mini base and a medium base crack. A couple hours at 500 and your egg will burn clean like new it just won't be white again.

Thatgrimguy

Can't argue with @Lit on that one at all. I have cracks in both of my eggs that showed up after letting them go nuclear.

cajunrph

I did one clean burn, fairly early in my egging experience. It didn't seem to do much. And it certainly didn't make the interior look new again. May be I didn't do it hot enough. I let it burn wide open with the top off. Around that time I was having troubles keeping the temps up in the Egg. I needed to clean out the ash from around the firebox. I may do it again as the interior of the Egg smells like a smoke pit. I'll get the grids good and clean too. And the AR stone too.  

SmokingPiney

Lit said:

I never do a clean burn.Every once in awhile I notice an egg just won't burn clean so I will let it sit at 500 for a couple hours but taking your egg to 700-800 degrees is just inviting a cracked base. 

I do this about once a month - finish a cook, bring it to 500 and let it ride for an hour or so. I'm not into the possibility of cracking a base or frying gaskets.

News2u

Lit said:

I never do a clean burn.Every once in awhile I notice an egg just won't burn clean so I will let it sit at 500 for a couple hours but taking your egg to 700-800 degrees is just inviting a cracked base. The warranty will cover it fine but it's a pain I don't like to deal with. I was standing next to my egg when I used to run it up hot for a clean burn and I heard 2 loud pops a couple minutes apart and shut down the egg and the next day I had a cracked fire ring and a cracked base. Also had a mini base and a medium base crack. A couple hours at 500 and your egg will burn clean like new it just won't be white again.

Glad to know. Wasn't comfortable jacking it up to 750° even though at that point I immediately closed off the lower vent completely and left the daisy wheel vents open for a gradual come-down. Can't imagine 500° wouldn't sterilize the pit and dome and kill any residual smells. Haven't developed any cracks, but being safe than sorry makes sense. 

Jupiter Jim

It's your call as to weather you need to do a clean burn!!!

I have two large eggs in NC and I leave them in my storage shed every year for the winter, if I don't do a clean burn before I store them come April they are full of mold and I will have to do a clean burn to kill all the mold. So I do it in the fall and my eggs are ready to go in the spring. Have been doing this for 4 years and have not had anything crack. When I do the clean burn I fill to the top of the fire ring with lump light it all over with my weed burner, top and bottom vent wide open until all the lump is gone. I keep my plate setters clean with foil so they don't go in the clean burn. Happy Egging.

jtcBoynton

There seems to be differences in the purpose of a clean burn and how to do one.  I use a clean burn to get rid of all the organics that have accumulated inside the egg.  Some like to try to make the insides look like it just came from the factory. Burning hot (600-650º) will remove all the organics if you give it enough time.  No need to remove the thermometer and avoids the stress of going nuclear.  I fill up the fire box with lump, fire it up, hold the temp between 600-650º, and let it burn until it runs out of fuel.

onionlips

I like the "pizza in the rotation" strategy. Pizza is a top item on our Egg menu. The box and ring and stone look great after pizza night.  

On pizza cooks, the dome temp reads about 550 - 600 for a couple hours with two layers of stones in there. But doesn't that mean the lump is much-much higher temp anyway?

GQuiz

Keep it below 800.  I've already cracked a fire ring and a fire box.