What to do with flooded BGE

Mosca

A guy I know was gifted a LBGE that was in a flood. He says it was about half filled dirty river water.

He is afraid to use it, and I don't blame him, but half of me says to tell him to fill that sucker to the top with charcoal, let it rip with both vents wide open until the fire goes out, and not look back.

I could see doing either, but if there is any health risk AT ALL it wouldn't be worth the cost of a used LBGE.

What says the forum?

(I'm not interested in it for myself, the gifter is a mutual friend and I would be violating a trust to offer to take it.)

buzd504

I would do like you say and burn it out (and I'd probably gently bring it up to 500-600 for a while before going nuclear) and then reassess.  I suspect it will be fine after a little TLC.

theyolksonyou

dont think I'd go nuclear, but I'd burn some lump to dry it out after I scrubbed it with some foil

HeavyG

I wouldn't hesitate to use it.

I would probably hose it out and give a gentle scrubbing. Let it air dry for a couple days and then run a series of small fires to help dry it out.

fishlessman

i would fill it with lump, light a small fire, close bottom vent to about a 1/4 inch and wait for the white smoke/steam to stop which might take an hour or two. then cook with it. my eggs been in the water before with ducks swimming around it

DaveRichardson

low and gentle fires to dry out the ceramics really good, then I'd go hot and heavy with it.  I'd change the gasket for sure.

tgs2401

HeavyG said:

I wouldn't hesitate to use it.

I would probably hose it out and give a gentle scrubbing. Let it air dry for a couple days and then run a series of small fires to help dry it out.

Agree with @HeavyG

Chubbs

fire that sucker up and grill hotdogs for neighbors first. I kid. I would use it for sure after some fires

kl8ton

Shouldn't you bake a loaf of bread in that moisture rich environment?

yljkt

Might be safer to give it a good cleaning then stick a heat gun in the top with the bottom vent open to dry it. 

Jupiter Jim

Hose it down or hit it with a pressure washer, give it a day to dry out, put some lump to it and start using it.

jimithing

If it was mine I'd give it a good scrubbing with clean water and a brush - no chemicals.  Then let it sit open in the sun for a few days.  Then an extended low temp burn.

Mosca

One thing, the BGE was flooded two-three years ago, it's already dried out. The question is more about nasties inside that might ruin your day.

Foghorn

Heat will kill the nasties.   Fire it up.

I'd crank it up to 350 or 400 for a couple of hours and then open it up to 500+ for a while - then cook a steak on it.

dougcrann

Heat will kill the nasties. I had some serious mold in one of ours a few years back....had mold in it for a good 3 months... 1 nuclear fire...

DaveRichardson

If that's the case, load it up with lump and let it burn out.  I'd still replace the gasket since that can harbor some nasties that won't get killed by the heat!

Tony_T

dougcrann said:

Heat will kill the nasties. I had some serious mold in one of ours a few years back....had mold in it for a good 3 months... 1 nuclear fire…

A good way to prevent mold is to keep the bottom vent and dome open a crack (use a twig or a nail)

NonaScott

Tony_T said:

dougcrann said:

Heat will kill the nasties. I had some serious mold in one of ours a few years back....had mold in it for a good 3 months... 1 nuclear fire…

A good way to prevent mold is to keep the bottom vent and dome open a crack (use a twig or a nail)

Yep. When I got mine in January the salesman told me not to cover it and keep the bottom vent open and cap off once the fire went out since I keep it under a roof.

yljkt

Tony_T said:

dougcrann said:

Heat will kill the nasties. I had some serious mold in one of ours a few years back....had mold in it for a good 3 months... 1 nuclear fire…

A good way to prevent mold is to keep the bottom vent and dome open a crack (use a twig or a nail)

Yep. I keep the bottom open maybe 1/16th an inch and put a few Golf tees in between lid and base. Won't freeze shut in winter either. 

Tony_T

I use a twig, but now I'm switching to a tee

dougcrann

Tony_T said:

dougcrann said:

Heat will kill the nasties. I had some serious mold in one of ours a few years back....had mold in it for a good 3 months... 1 nuclear fire…

A good way to prevent mold is to keep the bottom vent and dome open a crack (use a twig or a nail)

Mine got moldy due to operator brain fart. We made a beer can chicken in early spring...and left the beer can and stand in it. Since then we use the Eggs pretty much daily...gonna be hard for stuff to grow when they get used....

To the OP....would replace the gasket....would be more concerned with stuff living there then in the "Mexican Pottery"....

Jupiter Jim

I'm so confused about what could be alive after so much time and then after a 600 degree clean burn! Are we really so worried about what could be living in the Egg now that we know it was 2-3 years ago! There is nothing wrong with that Egg other than it needs a loving home with someone that is ready to fire it up and cook some awesome food.

DoubleEgger

I bet a flooded egg is still cleaner than most restaurants. 

Jupiter Jim

DoubleEgger said:

I bet a flooded egg is still cleaner than most restaurants. 

Totally agree, as a service electrician/contractor I learned a very long time ago to just not look very close while working in restaurant kitchens while working in them or I would never eat out......... Oh and I'm still alive.

HeavyG

Jupiter Jim said:

I'm so confused about what could be alive after so much time and then after a 600 degree clean burn! Are we really so worried about what could be living in the Egg now that we know it was 2-3 years ago! There is nothing wrong with that Egg other than it needs a loving home with someone that is ready to fire it up and cook some awesome food.

With flooding any critters/sewage that might have been floating in the Egg is one issue that is easy to fix. Kill it with fire!

Another issue with flooding is lots of known and unknown chemicals are commonly found in floodwaters. Quite possible that gas, diesel, pesticides, etc., etc., etc. could have absorbed into the unglazed ceramic interior during the flood.

They tell you never to use lighter fluid to start your lump in an egg because the vapors will "ruin" your kamado. I'm not sure I really believe that but that seems to be the common wisdom.

Again, I wouldn't worry about using an Egg that had been flooded.

Well...I wouldn't worry much.

Jupiter Jim

I'm sorry any of what you speak of after 2-3 years I just don't think it could be an issue after a good hot clean burn. If it was me I would load it up with lump to the top of the fire ring light it up top vent 100% open and bottom vent 100% open and let it burn until all lump is nothing but ash and then start cooking with it. The egg can take a nuke clean burn. I have taken cold water to eggs, plate setters to cool them after Eggfest so I could travel with them.

RRP

Jupiter Jim said:

DoubleEgger said:

I bet a flooded egg is still cleaner than most restaurants. 

Totally agree, as a service electrician/contractor I learned a very long time ago to just not look very close while working in restaurant kitchens while working in them or I would never eat out......... Oh and I'm still alive.

Long story, but fresh out of college I was in public accounting. A large local client was Pabst Blue Ribbon. I got assigned to the inventory observation meaning I went into the bowels of the brewery to make recounts and observe recordings. I saw dead rats in the granary and about puked from the stench in the early brewing area. After 4 years of drinking beer in college that day at Pabst ruined me for drinking any brand of beer for well over a year and that's no lie. I could just smell when someone would pop a  beer and have flash backs - BAD flashbacks that is! 

Jupiter Jim

RRP said:

Jupiter Jim said:

DoubleEgger said:

I bet a flooded egg is still cleaner than most restaurants. 

Totally agree, as a service electrician/contractor I learned a very long time ago to just not look very close while working in restaurant kitchens while working in them or I would never eat out......... Oh and I'm still alive.

Long story, but fresh out of college I was in public accounting. A large local client was Pabst Blue Ribbon. I got assigned to the inventory observation meaning I went into the bowels of the brewery to make recounts and observe recordings. I saw dead rats in the granary and about puked from the stench in the early brewing area. After 4 years of drinking beer in college that day at Pabst ruined me for drinking any brand of beer for well over a year and that's no lie. I could just smell when someone would pop a  beer and have flash backs - BAD flashbacks that is! 

Your still with us too!

RRP

Jupiter Jim said:

RRP said:

Jupiter Jim said:

DoubleEgger said:

I bet a flooded egg is still cleaner than most restaurants. 

Totally agree, as a service electrician/contractor I learned a very long time ago to just not look very close while working in restaurant kitchens while working in them or I would never eat out......... Oh and I'm still alive.

Long story, but fresh out of college I was in public accounting. A large local client was Pabst Blue Ribbon. I got assigned to the inventory observation meaning I went into the bowels of the brewery to make recounts and observe recordings. I saw dead rats in the granary and about puked from the stench in the early brewing area. After 4 years of drinking beer in college that day at Pabst ruined me for drinking any brand of beer for well over a year and that's no lie. I could just smell when someone would pop a  beer and have flash backs - BAD flashbacks that is! 

Your still with us too!

yup - just glad we didn't have any meat processor clients! Some things a man just doesn't need to see!

Smokin_Trout

Wash out, air dry for a few days. Small fire to slowly dry it 100%. Any moisture that is in the ceramics and heated too fast and too hot will steam and bust the egg. Just like wet stone around a campfire. 
Then burn it up- not too many things can survive 600 degrees.