Gasket at top of Dome

PBBMGB

Hello,

I am new to the world of BGE.  I have been a Weber person my whole life.  My lovely bride of 31 years got a bonus from work on Friday,a large Big Green Egg with all the fixings!   So, we are now exploring the BGE World!  So far, the biggest challenge has been the assembly directions. I wish there were more descriptions and less illustrations.

Here is my question.......on the dome/lid there is a gasket that wraps around the top vent.  After using the egg, the daisy wheel/ metal cap became attached to this gasket.  After cooking a pork tenderloin, this evening I tried to remove the cap and it was still stuck.  I ended up getting the cap off,but , the gasket stayed attached to the inside of the daisy wheel.  Did I do something wrong?  Thankfully, there is another gasket in the box.  

Any suggestions??


PS-In case anyone is wondering.....My Weber Smokey Mountain Bullet is going on Craigslist.  My 10 year old Weber Performer is staying!  Thankfully, they are both green and match perfectly. Plus, it was,a Christmas present from my wife so she can't protest!

dldawes1

Sometimes the gasket sticks to the daisy wheel, sometimes it sticks to the egg.  I do not use a gasket, the grease has formed a tight seal. 

For me, it would not make a difference where I left it. One reason I might want it on the egg is to form a tight seal when I put the ceramic top back on to shut down the fire. 

Someone else may see it differently.

Welcome to the eggdiction, and the place to find all your answers,

Post pics of that tenderloin or you will be fined !!!

Donnie

RRP

That gasket on the neck is a relatively new addition by BGE. Personally if it was on my eggs that gasket would have been in the trash on day one. Problem is when using the daisey wheel then to change settings you need to lift it off, turn it and sit it back down. Otherwise when you lift the dome the daisey settings change. There is a simple trick on learning how to position your daisey so the setting never changes meaning that gasket is not needed! 

SoCalTim

But, of you want to replace or install a new gasket, I got a new one via Smokeware.  Very inexpensive. 

DMW

There is no need for a gasket on the egg neck, don't worry about it. Oh, and don't get rid of your WSM.

XLentEGG

Gaskets ? What gaskets ?  Running naked and free ! :-)

onedbguru

Welcome to the cult ( as my lovely bride calls it...). 
I have an XL and have never had the neck gasket. no problem here. I use both the daisy wheel and smokeware cap (mostly when it is raining) and neither seem to need the gasket.

Toxarch

I don't mind having the gasket on mine. I positioned it low on the stack. Holds the Daisy wheel nicely and I don't have to worry about it coming off and hitting the window when I open the lid. 

THEBuckeye

Just give the daisy wheel a good twist.

Jeepster47

Welcome to the forum ... don't forget to post a picture or two of your cooks ... that's how we all learn.

First of all, don't try to control the egg temperature with both the top and the bottom vents together ... it'll drive you crazy.  A number of folks don't even use their daisy wheel for cooks over 300 degrees ... they adjust temps only with the bottom vent.  Below 300 degrees they use the daisy wheel to slightly reduce the airflow and to prevent back flow caused by air currents and winds. 

Other folks adjust the temps only with the daisy wheel after opening the bottom vent well beyond normal.

The analogy that has been used is: "adjusting airflow (temp) through the egg is like adjusting water flowing through a hose."  Air is compressible and water isn't, but don't be too picky.  You usually open the faucet at the wall all the way and then adjust flow at the nozzle. Generally you don't play with both the faucet and the nozzle ... likewise, on the egg concentrate on adjusting either the daisy wheel or the bottom vent to control temps ... not both.

If you adjust at the bottom vent (most folks do adjust there) then you really don't need a gasket between the egg and the top vent.  What's a little extra leakage if you've already opened it up more than is necessary for that temp?

If you adjust at the daisy wheel, then you might want a seal under the cap for stability at the lower temps. If you adjust at the top vent and can't achieve those low temps, then you will definitely find a seal to your advantage.

An electronic controller (Guru, Flameboss, etc) uses the attached blower to raise the temp in an egg, but once above target temp the blower is useless.  You need to adjust the top vent so that the pit temp can't go over target if the fan stops.  It's kind of a tug-of-war situation ... the blower pushes the temp up and the top vent throttles the temp down.  Balance is critical to a successful cook.  Since you're using the top vent to control temp with a controller, and the setting is critical, you will generally have more success with a gasket between the cap and the egg.

If you choose to use a gasket, then applying it to the egg is a better option.  The Smokeware cap is easier to clean without a gasket attached.  The daisy wheel is usually stored in the egg while it's still hot when you shut down with the ceramic cap ... it's easier on the seal if it's not inside the egg.

captjo

The reason that BGE added the gaskets at the top of the dome was to help cut down (and it worked) on the amount of people that broke their daisy wheels by sailing them off the backside of the Egg when new. After a bit of use and build up, that gasket isn't necessary. The daisy wheel becoming a projectile can also be prevented by not slinging your dome open on a new Egg.

VanDawg38

captjo said:

The reason that BGE added the gaskets at the top of the dome was to help cut down (and it worked) on the amount of people that broke their daisy wheels by sailing them off the backside of the Egg when new. After a bit of use and build up, that gasket isn't necessary. The daisy wheel becoming a projectile can also be prevented by not slinging your dome open on a new Egg.

Been there, done that.

Carolina Q

DMW said:

There is no need for a gasket on the egg neck, don't worry about it. Oh, and don't get rid of your WSM.

This. 

And welcome!

RRP

captjo said:

The reason that BGE added the gaskets at the top of the dome was to help cut down (and it worked) on the amount of people that broke their daisy wheels by sailing them off the backside of the Egg when new. After a bit of use and build up, that gasket isn't necessary. The daisy wheel becoming a projectile can also be prevented by not slinging your dome open on a new Egg.

so they say, but this simple trick prevents that and keeps your daisy setting in tact when you open the dome.

This verbiage & pictures courtesy of The Naked Whiz:
How Do I Keep The Daisy Wheel Top In Place When I Open The Egg? 
You will find that when you open the top of the Big Green Egg that the daisy wheel slider top will swing to one side or the other, thus messing up your carefully set temperature adjustment. The way to prevent this from happening is to position the top so that when you open the top of the Egg, the slider top will hang from the pivot point. Below are some photos from the front and the back showing how to position the top so that the slider will remain in position when you open the Egg. Note: The first person in recorded history to think of this little trick was probably Sir Isaac Newton, shortly after the apochryphal apple hit him on the head. However, the first person in the modern era to share this idea was Tim Moore. You can visit his site at www.tm52.com.

Front, lid closed	Back, lid open

Bshults1

RRP said:

captjo said:

The reason that BGE added the gaskets at the top of the dome was to help cut down (and it worked) on the amount of people that broke their daisy wheels by sailing them off the backside of the Egg when new. After a bit of use and build up, that gasket isn't necessary. The daisy wheel becoming a projectile can also be prevented by not slinging your dome open on a new Egg.

so they say, but this simple trick prevents that and keeps your daisy setting in tact when you open the dome.

This verbiage & pictures courtesy of The Naked Whiz:
How Do I Keep The Daisy Wheel Top In Place When I Open The Egg? 
You will find that when you open the top of the Big Green Egg that the daisy wheel slider top will swing to one side or the other, thus messing up your carefully set temperature adjustment. The way to prevent this from happening is to position the top so that when you open the top of the Egg, the slider top will hang from the pivot point. Below are some photos from the front and the back showing how to position the top so that the slider will remain in position when you open the Egg. Note: The first person in recorded history to think of this little trick was probably Sir Isaac Newton, shortly after the apochryphal apple hit him on the head. However, the first person in the modern era to share this idea was Tim Moore. You can visit his site at www.tm52.com.

Front, lid closed	Back, lid open

I used my egg for 3 years, multiple times per week, before I finally stumbled upon this on the forum.  Mind blowing and so obvious at the same time!

Hotch

You may want to watch this before you start! It may help.



And welcome to the herd!!

Darby_Crenshaw

i have no gasket.

for the first year or so i used to spin the ceramic cap on the top of the chimney/vent when i shut down.  eventually, all the soot and residual grease levelled it all off, and the thing is air tight.

PBBMGB

Wow......I am overwhelmed by the all tips, hints, experiences and limited sarcasm,LOL.  Thankfully, I was able to follow pictures to assemble the BGE.  I would have appreciated more guidance on how much torque you put on the bolts attaching the bands to the base and lid. Perhaps, I was having a flashback to the first time I replaced spark plugs on my 75 MGB when I was 16.  I put too much torque on the plug and heard ceramic break on the plug.  What a PIA to pull that broken bolt.  Cranking down on the lid gave me a flashback,except, the ceramic was much bigger and more expensive. Thankfully, we live 10-12 miles from BGE headquarters.  One of the guys on the deck told me you can crank away without fear of breaking the dome or base.  

At this point, I am going to scrape off the gasket and go naked!

Thanks Again!