Mold In Egg

Duggan3

I have not used the egg for a couple of months because we were moving. When I opened it up recently there was mold on the charcoal and sides of the egg. I'm sure there was some left over grease from the last cookout. Should I heat the egg up to a high temperature to kill the mold or is it safe to spray this with bleach? Is there a  way to prevent this in the future if you are not cooking for an extended period of time? Thanks.

WeberWho

I wouldn't use bleach. A high temp clean burn will fix any mold issues. Not all that uncommon. Get it ripping hot with vents wide open.  It will kill off any mold. 

Thatgrimguy

WeberWho? said:

I wouldn't use bleach. A high temp clean burn will fix any mold issues. Not all that uncommon. Get it ripping hot with vents wide open.  It will kill off any mold. 

I agree. Burn baby burn!

bgebrent

Common occurrence with non use, humid air and closed vents.  No bleach!  Just a good burn.

Ozzie_Isaac

Bigger problem is why did a move interfere with cooking?

Sounds like you need some counseling to help identify the issue mucking up your priorities.

NPHuskerFL

Yes, Bleach. Use lots of bleach.  
JK!   Plan some Zas. Light it and let it burn for at least an hour at 500℉-700℉ & then proceed to turning out some Zas. 
And to prevent it is as easy as just using your egg on a regular basis. 

EGG_Daddy

I had the same issue.  Don't be alarmed if it starts bleeding a weird ooze.  My was orange and white.  After 2 burns, scraping, and Simple Green for the exterior mine was good.  

I almost cried when I saw that mold.  Love my Egg!!!

henapple

If anything bleeds ooze it's not good. Consult your doctor immediately.

henapple

If anything bleeds ooze it's not good. Consult your doctor immediately.

Ozzie_Isaac

If you think you read the same post twice, thats not good.  Call your doctor.

Mickey

Was it this bad? High heat!

egghead43

bgebrent said:

Common occurrence with non use, humid air and closed vents.  No bleach!  Just a good burn.

Another newbie question.  You obviously close the vent and cap it to extinguish the coals.  Are you supposed to open the vents back up after it cools down?  

NPHuskerFL

No @egghead43

egghead43

NPHuskerFL said:

No @egghead43

Thanks!  For future reference I'll just burn it should it develop mold!

Theophan

egghead43 said:

Another newbie question.  You obviously close the vent and cap it to extinguish the coals.  Are you supposed to open the vents back up after it cools down?  

I've had mold several times, and a guy from the BGE company said it was because I closed the vents.  He said if I opened the bottom vent and the daisy wheel on top, but kept it covered with the vinyl cover, I'd have no more mold problem.

I bought the Smokeware caps to replace the daisy wheels partly because they'd prevent rain from falling directly into the Egg when cooking, but also partly because I'd hoped that leaving the Eggs always open to the air (after letting them cool down, of course) would prevent mold.  Nope.  If I leave the Eggs for several weeks, and there's a lot of rain, I still can get some mold.

I do think that air flow reduces the risk, and how quickly it can happen, so I do still leave mine open after cooling down, but I just do another high-temp burn when it happens.  Not a big deal.

Ozzie_Isaac

I open mine after shutting it down, not a lot just a crack top and bottom. (Smokeware here)

No proof if it helps or hinders.

SloppyJoe

Do not pour gas on the mold and light it on fire.  You would be considered a redneck and likely destroy your egg. 

Jeepster47

Try to do a hot cook before leaving the egg idle for a long period.  Not sure if it helps, but I remove the lump just in case there are any fat drippings in it.  I leave my Smokeware cap and the bottom vent open to allow for air circulation.  But still, the humidity in this area of the country is high enough that I'll pick up some mold - some of the time - when the eggs set idle for a few weeks.  A good hot burn (500~600 degrees) for an hour or so eliminates the mold.

Getting rid of mold is a good use for Royal Oak lump ... it gets hot and it's cheap ... that's all you need.

EGG_Daddy

bgebrent

@egghead43, yes, once your egg has been extinguished, usually next day, open bottom and top vents maximally.  Prevents the mold in question.

jtcBoynton

Mold needs moisture and food in order to grow.  Any left over organic material in the egg is mold food.  High heat will burn up the organic material, making it hard for mold to grow.  Leaving the vents open will allow air to circulate through the egg. This may help prevent mold grow or it may aid mold grow.  Depends on the humidity. Leaving the vents open can also allow more mold spores to enter the egg. If moisture and food are present this will lead to more mold grow than having the vents closed.