mystery leak?

Randman

Yesterday and today I cooked in the 400-500* range. The temp is still up around 250 with glowing lump 2-3 hours later. I have swept the gasket with a whisk broom, swept out the vent door guides, double checked the daisy wheel for clearances, looked for smoke tendrils at the gasket, etc. It seems to me that the leak would have to be under the lump to keep it glowing. I won't be able to look at it closely until next week, But I am going to take it apart and lift the Egg out of the table and check the whole bottom out carefully. I need to replace the stuff I have under the Egg anyway.[p]I have never had this happen before. Any others with this problem? Thanks in advance for any ideas or solutions.

King-O-Coals

randman, jeez! I'm not sure how long it takes mine to cool. I'm usually so full and/or pickeled at that time, I never look back. I will try to start noticing. I feel that my coals are black and dead within 15 to 30 minutes anyway. I do know my egg gets to 100 or above in the evenings due to the sun,, even if I have not cooked on it. Stay tuned,,,, the pro's haven't replied yet.

Mr Beer

randman,
Try closing it off using the rain cap not your daisy wheel. My daisy wheel leaks very badly when closed off completely. I have found that my BGE cools down much faster since I started using the rain cap.

Grumpa

Mr Beer,[p]A Good suggestion and also the way I do it. I have noticed that the daisy is not as air tight as one may think.

King-O-Coals

Bob, Mr.Beer,,, do yall use the slide Daisy? My old Daisy Wheel leaked badly too. So much in fact, I removed the stainless washer so it would lay flat. But my Slide Daisy is a much tighter fit.

Grumpa

King-O-Coals,[p]I started out with the plain daisy then graduated to the slide daisy but, now I cook topless like Cat. I only use it if we are having windy conditions thru the night and it helps me sleep better knowing things won't get out of hand with the gusts.

King-O-Coals

Bob, that's another area that I'm building courage to try. I have gotten to the point that I leave my bottom vent wide open and choke the top down for temps at or above 350. I can hold my temp at 400 easily that way. I am doing ribs this Saturday,,,, and I just may go topless. EEEEEEEKK!

Mr Beer

King-O-Coals,
No, I use the old daisy wheel without the slide. Bought the egg before the combination one came out.

Grumpa

King-O-Coals,[p]Chunk the top in the closet and learn to contol the temp with the bottom vent only. I's really easy once you get the hang of it. The bottom only needs to be open a sliver and remember that wind is NOT your friend using this method.[p]I think what I like the most is the bark becomes just a little crisper using this method (or so it seems to me).

King-O-Coals

Mr Beer, if you take the washer out, it will close better,,,but every once in a while, you may need to use oven cleaner on it because it will stick when cold and is hard to open..

Gfw

King-O-Coals, I still learning but - temps 180 to 400, I use both the bottom and top (old style daisy) vents to control the heat - above 400 degrees, like the 550 for tomorrow night's pizza, I only use the bottom vent and leave the BGE topless!

King-O-Coals

Bob, I like your terminology. Sometimes our winds will blow the scales off a leaping mullet. But those other times I will give'er a whirl...

King-O-Coals

Gfw, we concur on the temps. My temps range just like yours. My slide daisy is stuck onto the chimney due to residue, but opening the slide fully allows high temps. With daisy slide open and bottom open fully, I can get to over 800. (Yeah,, I'm BAD) My dome didn't fit squarely after I added my new latch bands,, so I had to drill out the hinge pin holes a little. Now, I can raise my dome to the 90% straight up position which is great for blast-furnace cooking like steaks. The slide daisy being stuck to the chimney is great for this because it keeps it from potentially falling off.

Tim M

randman,
You didn't mention a rain cap on the chimney. You do have one - right?? If not - you will have a much harder time shutting the combustion process. Even closing the daisy will not shut down the Egg as well as putting on the rain cap.[p]Tim

mollyshark

Topless? Topless? Am I to understand that some will be topless at Eggfest? Welllll....does make packing easier! :-O

Randman

King-O-Coals, That is usually how my coals are, pretty much died out after 15 min or less. The temp of the egg stays up for some time, but the coals aren't glowing, it's just the ceramic staying hot. I guess I wasn't clear about the glowing embers the last couple of cooks. I lost the rain cap long ago, and have not had this occur before. I'll figure it out next week.

Char-Woody

Bob, this may go down in history as another major slip!!
:-)
C~W

Unknown

MollyShark, Sometimes we really get tongue tangled around here. Just ask Gretl..She still has "top" honors..:-)
C~W[p]

Grumpa

Char-Woody,[p]I went back to re-read that post and see that I have been working too many long hours. I can't believe that came from my keyboard. If a stranger were to read that and not know we are a Q group, I'd sure be in trouble. [p]My face will be very "red" today. It may be time to change my identity :~)

Mike Oelrich

Mr Beer,[p] My daisy is so full of "gunk" from cooking low and slow that it seals too well. Sometimes when it's cold, I have to whack it to get it to move. When it was new, it had the same problem you experienced, just not as bad.[p]MikeO

Tim M

randman,
Call BGE and get a new rain cap - unless you place a brick on top of the chimney you will always get some air flow through the tops - even when closed.[p]Tim

MAC

MollyShark,
Got to REALLY watch for back draft if you cook like that. Sorry couldn't resist. Its the scottish in me.[p]MAC

Char-Woody

Bob, Maybe Cat will forgive ya, but I am laughing to hard to do that. Its the little things like this that count!
:^)
C~W[p]

Unknown

Char-Woody,[p]I sure hope she forgives me too! If not, I have no where to hide as she WILL find me :~)[p]I still can't believe I did that. Sometimes I hate the internet because there is no way to take back what you type once it is sent. Guess I'll just have to live with that one from now on.

Nature Boy

Blushin' Bob,
I know what you mean. Just before the Atlanta fest, someone posted that they had the car loaded up, the meat in the cooler and the wife in the car waiting. I think it was Mr. Toad.[p]Anyway, I intended to make a comment "the butchers are smiling". But I typed an "i" instead of a "u".[p]I really wasn't talking about the wives. Boy was that a blusher.[p]Watch them typin fingers!![p]NB

Grumpa

Nature Boy,[p]Oh....I remember those well hehehe

King-O-Coals

MAC, me boy,,, that got a good chuckel out of me. Great reflexes. :^)

King-O-Coals

Bob, HAAA! Ain't it funny how art imitates life?