Handle Caught on Fire - Need Replacement Ideas

Magicman_007

I have an XL and do a lot of high heat sears / cooks. My wooden handle has caught on fire a few times. Well this weekend was the last time (cue taps music) in the works of what Medical Officer Leonard McCoy would say to Captain James T. Kirk, "He's dead Jim!"

Anyway, does anyone know the best place to get a replacement and are there any "fire proof" or "high heat resistant" handles out there. 

I have thought about wrapping an new handle in maybe Rutland material or Nomex material. Any thoughts if that would work?

If others have dealt with this in other ways, I sure would appreciate your thoughts. 

I know someone wants to state the obvious, "don't let your handle catch on fire." Seems to be a fact of XL BGE life. High heat & searing = high flames. High flames and wooden handle = handle on fire . 

Thanks in advance!

Toxarch

How about creating a heat shield under the handle that attaches to the metal ring? 

Fred19Flintstone

I'm not sure about the handle, but closing the bottom vent a little while the lid is open for extended time will keep the flames tamed a bit.  If that's not good for you, then maybe your handle should be considered a replaceable component and replaced from time to time.

Photo Egg

Fred19Flintstone said:

I'm not sure about the handle, but closing the bottom vent a little while the lid is open for extended time will keep the flames tamed a bit.  If that's not good for you, then maybe your handle should be considered a replaceable component and replaced from time to time.

Or buy a Weber Kettle Grill for the times you just want to flame grill all your food.lol

littlerascal56

I plan to build a new handle for my XL from some exotic hardwood. I have some Bubinga (African Rosewood)  which is EXTREMELY hard, but a beautiful red color. It's pretty heat resistant verses the stock BGE handles.

Thatgrimguy

I've had my XL for well over 2 years and done a lot of searing and a lot of pizzas and never even had a singe on my handle. What the heck are you doing to catch it on fire!!

Carolina Q

I've never heard of this happening before. On any size egg. Are you searing with the dome open? Don't.

Sear down low with a small gridor use a cast iron skillet or griddle on a normal position grid for a great sear. Both with the dome closed.

tjv

I saw the title and thought to myself.  He's got an xl.   hot handles more common than you think.

t

jimithing

Haven't had mine catch on fire but when I'm starting a high temp cook I leave the bottom vent wide open and the lid open while the fire is starting.  I have to use an oven mitt to close the lid when it's time to cook.  It's directly in the path of the starting fire.  So I can definitely see how this can happen.  Some kind of heat shield would be nice. 

Jeepster47

A heat shield that is held in place with magnets ... removable when not needed. 

Really think that should be the correct answer for the small grill lights also.  Haven't needed a light all summer, but the &%$## bracket is still there.

ksmyrl

Find a wood turner or wood worker and offer to pay him/her to make you some extras. My boss' hobby is wood working and he gets a kick out of making me really cool handles from his exotic wood scraps.

When we travel with the mini max I often leave it open after dinner and get a rip roaring fire going so the kids can roast marshmallows. I wrap the handle in several layers of HD aluminum foil just for his reason.

theyolksonyou

@Jeepster47 I mounted my light so it's to the left of the handle, that way the bracket is out of the way. I don't have pics with me. Can take one when I get home. 

RRP

littlerascal56 said:

I plan to build a new handle for my XL from some exotic hardwood. I have some Bubinga (African Rosewood)  which is EXTREMELY hard, but a beautiful red color. It's pretty heat resistant verses the stock BGE handles.

That handle will be real pretty when finished but the sun's UVL rays will quickly turn the red to dark brown. Unfortunately I was not given that advice before I made several items of walnut and accented them by sandwiching in strips of bubinga between strips of maple. Really pretty and cool when finished, but the red soon turned nearly as brown as the walnut.

Ladeback69

Thatgrimguy said:

I've had my XL for well over 2 years and done a lot of searing and a lot of pizzas and never even had a singe on my handle. What the heck are you doing to catch it on fire!!

I agree with @Thatgrimguy, you shouldn't be searing with the lid open the whole time.  Cook for a minute or so, open lid, flip steak, let go a few more minutes and pull.  I have done high heat burns and the handle gets hot, but not catch on fire.  Here is a clean burn.  You can make the handle out of metal, but that will get pretty hot.

fishlessman

aluminum half rounds might work, drilling and tapping aluminum is easy or a small machine shop could drill tap it

http://www.orangealuminum.com/bar-stock/half-rounds.html

MrCookingNurse

My handle on my XL gets hot when tips open but there's no reason for it to stay open long enough for the wood to catch fire. I'm closer to your side that the XL handle does get hot up there but still scratching my head on what you were cooking and even how to leave it open that long. The flames would have been so wicked you wouldn't be able to get close to the egg. 

Fred19Flintstone

I figured he wok cooks, but what do I know?  I cheat & use an electric wok.

Photo Egg

.

The loss of arm hair is a given but never had my handle catch fire on my XL.lol

Magicman_007

Thanks for all of the comments.

To answer some the questions as to how I am catching the handle on fire.  I do sear steaks and I usually do 3 to 5 at a time. I get the egg up to 800+ degrees. I only want the steak to be on any one side for no more than 20 seconds. Any longer and it will burn. The idea, for me, is to sear them (deep brown) and not burn them as burnt meat does not taste good. As a result I am turning every 20 seconds for 4 min(20 seconds cooking time and 10 seconds turning time for 4 min).  So, I need to leave the lid open for that.

As someone else mentioned, the handle is directly over the flames on the KL and the lid does not open too far as, my best guess it could make the egg unstable.

I think I may need to consider this a replaceable item. I may try the foil and /  or find a wood worker, as someone mentioned who could make me a few

Ladeback69

Magicman_007 said:

Thanks for all of the comments.

To answer some the questions as to how I am catching the handle on fire.  I do sear steaks and I usually do 3 to 5 at a time. I get the egg up to 800+ degrees. I only want the steak to be on any one side for no more than 20 seconds. Any longer and it will burn. The idea, for me, is to sear them (deep brown) and not burn them as burnt meat does not taste good. As a result I am turning every 20 seconds for 4 min(20 seconds cooking time and 10 seconds turning time for 4 min).  So, I need to leave the lid open for that.

As someone else mentioned, the handle is directly over the flames on the KL and the lid does not open too far as, my best guess it could make the egg unstable.

I think I may need to consider this a replaceable item. I may try the foil and /  or find a wood worker, as someone mentioned who could make me a few

Maybe a different way to cook a steak.  I have done steaks at 700, 2 minutes a side, then pull to the side where no lump is going, close the vents for 3 to 4 minutes to get it to medium.  Can't see the steak not getting too charred even if only 20 seconds at 800 degrees.  Another thing you could do is hold the lid half closed while flipping, but you better have a good heat resistant glove on.  One more idea is maybe cook the steaks on a raised grid.  Why the high temp steak cooks, is because you want it done super quick?

Thatgrimguy

I would just get a weber, leave the lid off and use lump in it. It's great for the type of searing you are doing. And a used weber would cost you about as much as the handle anyhow.