cleaning egg...

jmsjeanne

Hi fellow eggers! Not sure if this has been addressed, but how do you get the ash out of egg?  I wait several days and squirt water in to give it a good rinse/cleaning...then I let it air dry and reload and cook away.  any input would be appreciated!  Jeanne

jeponline

Just the ash tool and scoop them into a bucket. Occasionally, I'll take out the fire ring and fire box to get everything. Never purposely put water in the egg, the ceramic can soak that up and lead to cracks. 

Some people use a shop vac. 

DrKrieger

I use my shop vac for that purpose, makes short work of it.

lousubcap

Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  As above-and no need to wait several days.  You can run several cooks without having to clean out the ash.  Just stir the remaining lump, reload and fire it up.  
Above all-have fun.
And ask away with any questions-you will usually get several different answers and likely all will work.  FWIW-

billt01

DrKrieger said:

I use my shop vac for that purpose, makes short work of it.

to state the obvious...just make certain its the day after...shop vacs and hot coals do not play well with each-other...

tikigriller

I take everything out of my Large Egg, carry it over to the garbage cans, and dump it all in there.  Kind of heavy, but it replaces the need for the gym.

Ok, not really.  Ash tool into a bucket.  Before a low and slo, take out all the parts, and clean it out completely.

jmsjeanne

Never thought of shop vac...but have rinsed it out several times and let it air dry for a week or so before firing it up again.  Many thanks for the suggestions!!  Jeanne

tgs2401

As per The BGE website:

"The ash should be removed regularly to keep the fire box flowing air properly. Other than that, the Big Green Egg features a distinctive green exterior with a lifetime glaze that maintains its good looks and wipes clean easily without chemical cleaners. Inside, residual heat burns off any grease build-up – just like a self-cleaning oven. Other than removing ash, wiping the outside and brushing the cooking grid, regular cleaning is not necessary. As part of annual maintenance, removal and brushing off the internal parts is recommended for optimal function of the EGG. DO NOT USE ANY CHEMICAL CLEANERS IN THE EGG."

fergi

DrKrieger said:

I use my shop vac for that purpose, makes short work of it.

+1 on the Shop Vac. I also have the Kick Ash Basket which makes it easy to clean the vent holes in the fire box. I saw a pic on this forum of a Shop Vac that had a hole burned in it from vacuuming hot coals. I usually clean mine the next day. I wouldn't use water for the reasons mentioned earlier. Welcome to the forum.

Star_TrEGG

I also highly recommend a utility vacuum (i.e., Shop Vac, Ridgid), especially before a long burn.  Make sure the holes in the firebox are clear with no smaller-sized lump coal lodged inside. Kick Ash basket is nice but not crucial to a successful cook.  As everyone mentioned above, please have fun and don't be afraid to ask questions on this Forum.  I know I learned a lot from it.

SmokingPiney

I rake the ash into a pan with the ash tool every few cooks. I do a good clean-out before long low and slows with a shop vac. I don't think squirting water into the firebox is a great idea......especially now that it's getting colder. The ceramic is porous and will soak up the water. That might lead to cracking issues. 

bhedges1987

Just take the BGE ash tool and slide it in the bottom vent and pull out ash... Every month I will take all of the insides out and shop vac everything.

blasting

5 second Shop vac.  Once a month pull everything and do a thorough 10 second shop vac.

If you've got an outlet handy, a shop vac cannot be beat.  Not sure I'd clean with water as you mentioned.

Steve619

Just order this vac to use instead of my shop vac. I have no intention of vacuuming hot ash, but I like the filter system, 10 amp motor and small size. 

https://www.amazon.com/PowerSmith-PAVC101-Amp-Ash-Vacuum/dp/B0060EUA32/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1478040361&sr=8-3&keywords=ash+vacuum

Ddg551

I got my brother the kick ash basket for xmas last year and he loves it.  Hoping to get one for xmas this year.  He demonstrated it for me and it worked great.  As for cleaning under everything, a dust pan and fox tail work well for me.

SaintJohnsEgger

I've never cleaned out my Egg.

SmokingPiney

SaintJohnsEgger said:

I've never cleaned out my Egg.

Not even the ash? 

SaintJohnsEgger

SmokingPiney said:

SaintJohnsEgger said:

I've never cleaned out my Egg.

Not even the ash? 

Nope.

I've only had it 3 days now and only done one cooks. So I figure it doesn't need it yet and this is probably the only time I can truthfully say that I have never cleaned it. 

SmokingPiney

SaintJohnsEgger said:

SmokingPiney said:

SaintJohnsEgger said:

I've never cleaned out my Egg.

Not even the ash? 

Nope.

I've only had it 3 days now and only done one cooks. So I figure it doesn't need it yet and this is probably the only time I can truthfully say that I have never cleaned it. 

LOL! 

I agree! 

blasting

SaintJohnsEgger said:

SmokingPiney said:

SaintJohnsEgger said:

I've never cleaned out my Egg.

Not even the ash? 

Nope.

I've only had it 3 days now and only done one cooks. So I figure it doesn't need it yet and this is probably the only time I can truthfully say that I have never cleaned it. 

Funny.  

But the question must be asked, why have you only cooked once on it when you've had it for 3 days?!  

tikigriller

blasting said:

SaintJohnsEgger said:

SmokingPiney said:

SaintJohnsEgger said:

I've never cleaned out my Egg.

Not even the ash? 

Nope.

I've only had it 3 days now and only done one cooks. So I figure it doesn't need it yet and this is probably the only time I can truthfully say that I have never cleaned it. 

Funny.  

But the question must be asked, why have you only cooked once on it when you've had it for 3 days?!  

When I had mine for three days, I had two cooks, and one night of temp control that turned into a cook of cookies!

SaintJohnsEgger

blasting said:

SaintJohnsEgger said:

SmokingPiney said:

SaintJohnsEgger said:

I've never cleaned out my Egg.

Not even the ash? 

Nope.

I've only had it 3 days now and only done one cooks. So I figure it doesn't need it yet and this is probably the only time I can truthfully say that I have never cleaned it. 

Funny.  

But the question must be asked, why have you only cooked once on it when you've had it for 3 days?!  

I got it Saturday afternoon and did my first cook Sunday afternoon. Yesterday was Halloween and I had to pull a security detail at church so no cook yesterday. Today, the wife and I were out looking for an buying a propane fire pit so I didn't have time to pick up something to cook.

We need to change our grocery shopping habits instead of going to the store several times during the week. I'm working on planning my cooks in advance so that they build off of each other.

I'll get into the swing of things and then I'll be doing more cooks.

lousubcap

Just buy and cook big proteins.  That will force some planning for the remains.

BBQBuddy

Ash tool and/or cheap plastic soup ladle, used exclusively for this purpose.

THEBuckeye

tikigriller said:

I take everything out of my Large Egg, carry it over to the garbage cans, and dump it all in there.  Kind of heavy, but it replaces the need for the gym.

Ok, not really.  Ash tool into a bucket.  Before a low and slo, take out all the parts, and clean it out completely.

Ash tool. I scrape it ouy every few cooks. IMO, no need to take out all parts prior to a low and slow. Just make sure you clean the ashes out of the bottom and have a full load of lump. 

Jupiter Jim

jeponline said:

Just the ash tool and scoop them into a bucket. Occasionally, I'll take out the fire ring and fire box to get everything. Never purposely put water in the egg, the ceramic can soak that up and lead to cracks. 

Some people use a shop vac. 

It won't lead to cracks, because it will slowly dry up the water as it comes to temp. I have left my plate setter in the rain for days and even put it in the egg wet and the only problem was getting the egg up to temp, took much longer than usual.

HofstraJet

Steve619 said:

Just order this vac to use instead of my shop vac. I have no intention of vacuuming hot ash, but I like the filter system, 10 amp motor and small size. 

https://www.amazon.com/PowerSmith-PAVC101-Amp-Ash-Vacuum/dp/B0060EUA32/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1478040361&sr=8-3&keywords=ash+vacuum

I use this one from Sears. Filters are cheap and being plastic I can leave it outside. Can't use on hot coals, but that's never been an issue.

jeponline

Jupiter Jim said:

jeponline said:

Just the ash tool and scoop them into a bucket. Occasionally, I'll take out the fire ring and fire box to get everything. Never purposely put water in the egg, the ceramic can soak that up and lead to cracks. 

Some people use a shop vac. 

It won't lead to cracks, because it will slowly dry up the water as it comes to temp. I have left my plate setter in the rain for days and even put it in the egg wet and the only problem was getting the egg up to temp, took much longer than usual.

I read the below passage on the First timer's tip page on biggreenegg.com, while it may be unlikely to crack, why add the extra risk by purposefully spraying water in there?

Keep your EGG interior DRY

DO NOT allow rain or water to get inside your EGG when not in use. EGGs perform just fine in the rain, or snow, but do not allow water to get inside the EGG when it is not being used as it can penetrate into the ceramic and cause cracking if allowed to freeze. Never use water to clean the inside of an EGG.