Clean burn: process, tips, suggestions and watch outs wanted...

Texag06ish

I am thinking it's about time to do a clean burn on my egg and was hoping some of you would explain your clean burn process to me. 

It would also be nice if you could share any watch outs you might have learned. 

Thanks. 

SmokeyPitt

I don't think it is necessary to go super hot.  Some people will let it run wide open but I think 500-600 works fine.  It will probably fry your gasket but there is not much you can do about that.  

I usually combine a clean burn with a pizza cook.  Let the egg run at 550 for about an hour, then throw on a pizza or two.  

Sundown

Light her up, open the vents and let it rip! Not brain surgery. If you have an old felt gasket be prepared to replace it.

jimithing

Yep, pretty much what these guys said.  600ish for 45 min to an hour.  I like to get the fire going real hot with the lid open and then close the lid but have the top cap off to give it plenty of air flow.  Don't try to let the fire build up with the lid down, it probably won't get hot enough.

The pizza comment above is what I generally do too.  When I cook pizza's it just comes clean as a by product.

fishlessman

1200 degree pizza cook, i gave up on gaskets years and years ago

johnnyp

remove thermometer prior to clean burn

Hotch

Send Ron @RRP a PM for a new gasket so you have it on hand, after the burn, to install.

bgeaddikt

Which gaskets do yall recommend or prefer that last longer? I just toasted my gaskets

jtcBoynton

Texag06ish said:

I am thinking it's about time to do a clean burn on my egg and was hoping some of you would explain your clean burn process to me. 

It would also be nice if you could share any watch outs you might have learned. 

Thanks. 

The purpose of the clean burn process is to burn up the buildup of organic materials from the inside of your egg.  The organics will burn at any temp above 600º.  The higher the temp, the quicker the cleaning will happen.  The time needed will also depend on the amount of the buildup.  High temps can do a number on the gasket and the temp gauge and stress the ceramics.  Doing a clean burn at 700º will take longer than going nuclear, but is within the operating range of your thermometer and less likely to fry the gasket (get a Rutland from @RRP).

Don't leave a clean burning egg unattended.

Holding the temp at 700º for a clean burn is good practice for getting ready to do high temp pizza cooking.

Texag06ish

Thanks for the info. 

sctdg

I've been doing BBQ for the last 50 years of my 67 on this planet and I never saw a need to make whatever I'm cooking in at the time clean like a clean burn would do . If anything I believe what coats the inside of your grill or smoker is very much like when you season a cast iron or black steel pan. If it is done for looks I don't worry about that either because to me that black in the grill say's it gets used and adds character ,and I use the hell out of all my grills .

fishlessman

sctdg said:

I've been doing BBQ for the last 50 years of my 67 on this planet and I never saw a need to make whatever I'm cooking in at the time clean like a clean burn would do . If anything I believe what coats the inside of your grill or smoker is very much like when you season a cast iron or black steel pan. If it is done for looks I don't worry about that either because to me that black in the grill say's it gets used and adds character ,and I use the hell out of all my grills .

sometimes with many back to back low and slows the black can eally get built up in an egg. if you then cook a wet chili or a gumbo the black starts to flake and fall down into the pot, ive had it so bad that it looked like flakes of tar paper on a potroast. normally these dishes are not cooked on a smoker or grill but it is done often in an egg. i only do clean burns when i really see it starting to flake up and its usually after 20 or so back to back chicken thigh cooks done low and slow

sctdg

fishlessman said:

sctdg said:

I've been doing BBQ for the last 50 years of my 67 on this planet and I never saw a need to make whatever I'm cooking in at the time clean like a clean burn would do . If anything I believe what coats the inside of your grill or smoker is very much like when you season a cast iron or black steel pan. If it is done for looks I don't worry about that either because to me that black in the grill say's it gets used and adds character ,and I use the hell out of all my grills .

sometimes with many back to back low and slows the black can eally get built up in an egg. if you then cook a wet chili or a gumbo the black starts to flake and fall down into the pot, ive had it so bad that it looked like flakes of tar paper on a potroast. normally these dishes are not cooked on a smoker or grill but it is done often in an egg. i only do clean burns when i really see it starting to flake up and its usually after 20 or so back to back chicken thigh cooks done low and slow

I know about that flake on the lid ,what I have always done was just rub it off the lid with a rag or a brush and it worked fine to eliminate the chance of that stuff falling into food . That's what I have done,works for me .

fishlessman

sctdg said:

fishlessman said:

sctdg said:

I've been doing BBQ for the last 50 years of my 67 on this planet and I never saw a need to make whatever I'm cooking in at the time clean like a clean burn would do . If anything I believe what coats the inside of your grill or smoker is very much like when you season a cast iron or black steel pan. If it is done for looks I don't worry about that either because to me that black in the grill say's it gets used and adds character ,and I use the hell out of all my grills .

sometimes with many back to back low and slows the black can eally get built up in an egg. if you then cook a wet chili or a gumbo the black starts to flake and fall down into the pot, ive had it so bad that it looked like flakes of tar paper on a potroast. normally these dishes are not cooked on a smoker or grill but it is done often in an egg. i only do clean burns when i really see it starting to flake up and its usually after 20 or so back to back chicken thigh cooks done low and slow

I know about that flake on the lid ,what I have always done was just rub it off the lid with a rag or a brush and it worked fine to eliminate the chance of that stuff falling into food . That's what I have done,works for me .

my camp egg does more low and slows than most eggs, im talking excessive grease and soot build up. this egg was shiney green before this rib cook, all that grease traveled thru the ceramic within a  few hours. personally the light flaking i attack with a tin foiled ball, not much of a problem. with normal use an egg should not do this and im betting that most dont get the excessive build up im talking about and are wasting time and lump with clean burns. i had crud a 1/4 inch thick fall into a pot of brunswick once, had to take my time picking it all out

Texag06ish

The reason I was thinking it was time is because I've done about 35-40 low and slows and my egg has slowly accumulated a glossy black film on the inside and oozes a black goo when cooking. 

td66snrf

fishlessman said:

1200 degree pizza cook, i gave up on gaskets years and years ago

@fishlessman  That looks like an after burner on November F18

Jupiter Jim

I do a clean burn every fall before my eggs go into storage for the winter so they won't be full of mold in the spring. I fill it with lump to the top of the fire ring, take out the thermos, light it with a very healthy blast from the weed burner, close the dome remove the daisy and open the bottom  vent even the screen, let it go wide open until all the lump is gone. It will be like new when done. Have done it with pizza stone, plate setter and my adjustable rig too. I have a Cotronics gasket so no worries with gaskets.