froze shut

cookn biker

Well I guess the chickens will have to wait. I put a firestarter in the bottom, looks like it might go out. Daisy wheel froze to.
That's about all I can do, right?
Sigh, Molly

cookn biker

Just thinking I've been out to start my egg in much colder temps. It is 25 degrees now, not all that cold.
Hmmmm?
Molly

DynaGreaseball

If you can get a fire started in the ashe pit, you might try a fan or a hair dryer if you can get power out there.

cookn biker

Yea, fire starter wont stay lit. I'm pullin ou the hair dryer. Just aim it on the seal, right?
Thanx alot, Molly

DynaGreaseball

Not sure there's any rules. Either there, or heat up the daisy wheel, so you can remove it and drop some more fire down from there. Good luck!

cookn biker

Got the top off and relit the fire starter. See what happens.
Molly

Jeffersonian

WessB had the smart suggestion of always leaving some lump in the firebox so you can light from below it in the event of a frozen dome. If you left some in there, try using newspaper or a paper towel wetted with cooking oil under the grate.

Rick's Tropical Delight

how does one not leave lump in the firebox after a cook? do people actually remove all the lump after each cook? or do people let it burn till there's nothing left?

cookn biker

Well the problem is I always shut the egg down and dont remove the drip pan till next cook. Lesson learned now.
I just put a few pieces of lump next to the fire starter. This sucks.
Molly

Jeffersonian

Sometimes, when I want to burn off my grill, or if it's lump I don't like, I'll let it burn down to nothing. But yeah, there ought to be something combustible in almost all other cases.

Rick's Tropical Delight

give it some time, it'll free itself. starter cubes and some lump should do it. aim the hair dryer at the gasket all the way around also.

maybe use a cover or foil or parchment paper on the gasket to prevent freezing? did it get a lot of water on it prior to this or is it a grease soaked gasket?

cookn biker

No to all of those as far as I know just pulled off the pork yesterday and shut it down came inside and wrapped pork put in cooler and took a nap.
Molly

stike

keep the daisy wheel in the egg when you aren't using it, and the ceramic rain cover on top.

cookn biker

That is a great idea, will do.
Still waiting for outside temps to raise.
Fire starter and newspaper with oil both fizzled out.
I guess the chickens go on when they do. If I have to, since I go to bed so darn early for work, let them go as long as possible if the temp of the meat is staying in the platue I'll finish in the oven and refidgerate them and deal with is after work tomorrow.
Oh well.
Molly

stike

you don't have a draft, so it'll not really get lit.

instead of trying to take the daisy off, why not just knock the spinning bit open? i can see not wanting to whack the whole thing for fear of cracking the egg, but laterally whacking the petal thing should be no issue.

if it's icy for some reason, sprinkle a little salt on the ice. when it spins free, start the fire. then when the daisy thaws enough to take it off, rinse and dry it to get rid of the salt.


shouldn't have to be at the mercy of the cold.

cookn biker

I think I got depressed for those 2.5 hours. Cause when that lid finally lifted I have been smiling ever since!
I see smoke, it is a wonderful thang!!
Thank you all who were my gardian angels. I will now change my ways.
Molly

Grandpas Grub

Molly,

Don't go knockin the egg or parts of the egg.

Frozen shut will happen from time to time. You have the dome off. If you can't get the egg open yet then...

Open the bottom vent all the way. Take a fork or table knife and get a starter cube. Put the fork in all 4 edges of the fire cube and spread the fibers out some. I go almost double thick of the cube. Napkin and oil (not motor oil) works great too. Lightly twist the napkikn, or paper towl and put some oil on the napkin/towl.

Now get some tongs and hold the cube/napkin and get it good and lit. Then, drop it down the top vent.

It will stay burning. Give it a few minutes and if you need another then light it and again drop it in.

It is going to take a little time to heat the gasket enough heat to release. It ws 11° and I had to use 3 starter cubes down through the top vent and 2 paper towls into the bottom vent.

My lump never did light but the egg got hot enough to open with our hitting or prying.

Hopefully, you are back in business now.

I used to tinfoil the gasket but I don't any more. Fire starters work fine when the gasket gets frozen shut.

Kent