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frozen dome

nrudiak
nrudiak Posts: 22
in EggHead Forum
Living in upstate New York can be a little chilly at times (23 below zero the other day!!). Best way I've found to thaw out a frozen dome and open up your egg is to get a couple of cans "camp  heat" form the camping section of your favorite store. Basically its sterno but has a wick and screw on top. The can fits right inside the bottom vent. Slide it in, light it and wait until the dome can open, usually takes about 20-30 minutes. It's real easy and when the dome is open, take the can out, screw the top on to re-use and wait for the next ice up. Hope that helps as we are expecting another blast of snow and cold. My wife thinks I'm crazy to be smokin' at 10-20 below but she doesn't refuse the results! Enjoy Eggheads and stay warm! 
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Comments

  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 34,080
    Upon shutdown, I place thin aluminum foil strips on the base gasket and then shut the dome.  So far so good, but coldest here has been 0*F.  Although, we are now on 10 days or so w/o getting close to 32*F.  FWIW-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    I installed a Rutland gasket (base only) in 2009. Hasn't frozen yet. Hmm, maybe once.

    Then again, I haven't tried to open it at 10-20 below. Who would?! :rofl:

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 18,144
    Use golf tees or something similar to prop open the dome 
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 34,080
    @DoubleEgger - I get the golf tee deal but when in the shutdown process do you insert it?  Seems to me if done as soon as the cook is over you have a pretty good supply of air for awhile...
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • YukonRon
    YukonRon Posts: 17,095
    Remove the top vent, drop in some sort of a fire starter. 10 mins max, if that long.
    I have used 3-4 sheets of a paper towel, soaked in canola oil, loosely compressed in small sheet of aluminum foil.
    Light it, drop it, thaw it. Done.
    Plenty of alternatives. I have done it with a small bag of fritos too, because I am not smart like @lousubcap and @DoubleEgger.
    "Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber

    XL and MM
    Louisville, Kentucky
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  • Teefus
    Teefus Posts: 1,236
    I wiped my gaskets with olive oil and haven't had an issue since.
    Michiana, South of the border.
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  • Skagit
    Skagit Posts: 1
    Ironically, I just jumped on the forum to search for this very topic! I did a brisket for NYE, and on the 1st, I went to clean the egg up, and it was frozen shut, and has been for the last few days. I was nervous about using too much heat to thaw it out, as I wasn't sure if that would crack the ceramic. Maybe a small firestarter will do the trick!
    Thanks! 
    XL Big Green Egg
    36" Sunterra Santa Maria 
    18" Weber WSM
    Weber Performer
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  • Hook_emHornsfan_74
    Hook_emHornsfan_74 Posts: 1,433
    Similar but of topic a bit.   Has anyone had their smokeware cap frozen to the top?  I could get mine off the other day until I got some heat built up in the dome.  
    Midland, TX XLBGE
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,068
    edited January 2018
    Hook_emHornsfan_74 said:
    Similar but of topic a bit.   Has anyone had their smokeware cap frozen to the top?  I could get mine off the other day until I got some heat built up in the dome.  
    Actually I did a few years back, but it wasn't because of ice and cold weather - it was before I ever cleaned it and the creosote had gotten so built up and literally glued the two pieces together!

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  • Hook_emHornsfan_74
    Hook_emHornsfan_74 Posts: 1,433
    RRP said:
    Hook_emHornsfan_74 said:
    Similar but of topic a bit.   Has anyone had their smokeware cap frozen to the top?  I could get mine off the other day until I got some heat built up in the dome.  
    Actually I did a few years back, but it wasn't because of ice and cold weather - it was before I ever cleaned it and the creosote had gotten so built up and literally glued the two pieces together!

    Wow, just reread my post.  I should probably proof read a little more often.  Any suggestions as to cleaning it with out having to take the base off or should I take that off as well?
    Midland, TX XLBGE
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  • BEgging_To_Differ
    BEgging_To_Differ Posts: 10
    I am a die hard egg cooking fiend, but living in Florida has thinned my blood and would limit me to about 20 degrees. @nrudiak I believe -10 would have me sitting in front of a fire and watching cooking videos...
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    BEgging_To_Differ said:
    I am a die hard egg cooking fiend, but living in Florida has thinned my blood and would limit me to about 20 degrees. @nrudiak I believe -10 would have me sitting in front of a fire and watching cooking videos...
    Nah, just use the fire to cook. =)
    Related image
    pic from... www.esquire.com

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,068
    edited January 2018
    Hook_emHornsfan_74 said:
    RRP said:
    Hook_emHornsfan_74 said:
    Similar but of topic a bit.   Has anyone had their smokeware cap frozen to the top?  I could get mine off the other day until I got some heat built up in the dome.  
    Actually I did a few years back, but it wasn't because of ice and cold weather - it was before I ever cleaned it and the creosote had gotten so built up and literally glued the two pieces together!

    Wow, just reread my post.  I should probably proof read a little more often.  Any suggestions as to cleaning it with out having to take the base off or should I take that off as well?
    I just take both pieces off and spray them with Easy Off Oven cleaner. Just be sure to use old rags and or paper towels as that creosote is nasty stuff after Easy Off does it's work! Also be sure to use it outside and to not breathe the fumes and to put down some plastic sheet or several layers of newspaper for the overspray.
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  • Miked125
    Miked125 Posts: 481
    I have had my chimney cap and doors freeze, never the dome.
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  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    Just put mini egg in fireplace 
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Chubbs said:
    Just put mini egg in fireplace 
    I used to do that, a few times anyway. I sure was more comfortable in bad weather. The more warnings I saw about burning charcoal indoors, the more concerned I became about CO. Never saw a single source that said it was okay if your chimney draws well or okay if you have a CO detector. Just, DO NOT burn charcoal indoors. So I quit doing it.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
    Besides the CO issues, I have seen concerns expressed for fire safety.  Charcoal burns hotter than wood and the concern is that charcoal fire temperatures may exceed the design standards of a wood burning fireplace.
    Southeast Florida - LBGE
    In cooking, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than ‘that’s what everybody else does’ or ‘that’s what I have been told.’  Dare to think for yourself.
     
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  • Rte1985
    Rte1985 Posts: 304
    -3 degrees the other day and my egg opened right up with the Rutland on it. ( Rutland was installed last winter after ripping my original gaskets off opening the dome when it was frozen!)
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 18,144
    Time for a seasonal bump. Get out those golf tees! 
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  • Mark_B_Good
    Mark_B_Good Posts: 1,607
    The lid is stuck closed because the moisture in the gasket ices them together. A way around this is to put some metal washers or nuts on the bottom gasket, just wide enough to keep the lips from touching each other. You'll never have this problem again.
    Napoleon Prestige Pro 665, XL BGE, Lots of time for BBQ!
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 18,144
    Mark_B_Good said:
    The lid is stuck closed because the moisture in the gasket ices them together. A way around this is to put some metal washers or nuts on the bottom gasket, just wide enough to keep the lips from touching each other. You'll never have this problem again.
    Or a golf tee  ;)
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 12,249
    @jonessteave MIA, lol
    canuckland
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