Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Flashback question

Eggmoramus
Eggmoramus Posts: 84
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I have a question about flashbacks. Three times I have had my Egg up to 600 degrees or so cooking steaks. When I open the Egg to burp it, which I do for 10 seconds or so, I still manage to get a few singed hairs and eyebrows. Besides the obvious answer, which would be to not cook on such a high temp, does anyone have a remedy for this? Thanks for your help.

Comments

  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Maybe burp a little slower. I usually just crack the dome, sit back down, crack again and raise 1/4", sit back down, raise to 1/2", and hold for a few seconds, then raise. Every now and then I get a tiny "woosh," at the third raise, but nothing hair burning.

    Also, watch for smoke coming from either top or bottom vents. There should just be a bit of flame from the top. Smoke anywhere means there's something to explode.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,657
    open both vents all the way and wait several seconds, dont burp the egg. i just use welders gloves and open the egg whill looking away, no peeking or youll burn your eyes out kid ;)
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,657
    should have added the link
    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/flash.htm#avoid
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • WokOnMedium
    WokOnMedium Posts: 1,376
    Oh yeah! A Christmas Story reference in March!!!

    You'll shoot your eye out kid! Love it!
  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797
    Put on leg of the platesetter dead center over the handle. That way the flames go around you hand and not up them :(

    The reality is very hot indirects do restrict some of the airflow and lead to flashbacks. I had a flash or 2 come out of the draft door while in Ocala. Talk about singed hair, it's not good to lose leg hair.
  • Thanks to all for the answers, I'll give them a try!
  • BENTE
    BENTE Posts: 8,337
    i say if you got hair on your knuckles you aint eggin right B) :laugh:

    happy eggin

    TB

    Anderson S.C.

    "Life is too short to be diplomatic. A man's friends shouldn't mind what he does or says- and those who are not his friends, well, the hell with them. They don't count."

    Tyrus Raymond Cobb

  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,657
    i kinda like the burnt popcorn smell. steam burns from the egg are the ones you really wanna be careful of. :laugh:
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • bobSTL
    bobSTL Posts: 105
    Got these at a welding supply store. They work great,, but I still Burp!!

    Gloves.jpg

    Bob
  • FlaMike
    FlaMike Posts: 648
    I raise the lid only an inch or two, then wait to see the flames appear down in the firebox. Once that happens, the danger is usually past. I say "usually"..... 'cause I lost quite a bit o' hair too along the way.
  • That looks like the ticket, thanks!
  • Burping, even if done correctly, just gives you a bunch of small flashbacks which can burn your gasket. Do like the Whiz say and open both the bottom and the top vent all the way for 10 seconds before you open the egg. The reason you get a flashback is because the fire is starving for oxygen, and when it gets a good supply of oxygen, WOOF. I open both vents for 10 seconds, then immediately before opening the egg I set the vents back where they were so I don't forget them wide open. I have been doing this for quite a while and have yet to get a flashback.
  • I usually have both of the vents wide open to begin with. Any thoughts?
  • Hungry Joe
    Hungry Joe Posts: 1,566
    Do what fishlessman said. I open the bottom full and take the top off then open slow.
  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    Personally, I don't burp as it can damage a gasket. I open the vents long enough to get full airflow going in the cooker and then I slowly open the lid.
    The Naked Whiz
  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    I would disagree with the statement about the smoke. I don't believe it is possible to get a flashback on an Egg with smoke. I tried to get a flashback using old lump and some chips to generate a ton of smoke. I couldn't do it. It was only after I added fresh lump that I was able to generate a nice flashback.
    The Naked Whiz
  • I am cooking with the vetns wide open. Is this a no no? That is how I am getting the temp so high. I am brand new at this so any help will be appreciated. Thanks.
  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    No, I do it all the time. Usually, I'm above 750 degrees with the vents wide open. Anything that restricts airflow can make flashback possible at lower temperatures that you might expect. So, if your lump has a lot of small pieces and air flow through the fire isn't tremendous, you can get flashbacks even with the vents open. Then, I guess you have no choice but to try to open the lid a small amount to slowly let air in to allow complete combustion of the gases that have built up in there.
    The Naked Whiz
  • The way I understand it, the only way you get a flashback is when you have "potential fire" waiting for oxygen. Under normal circumstances, when both vents are wide open, the lump is getting all the oxygen it needs, so there is no "potential fire" to flare up when more oxygen enters the egg. My GUESS is that even though you have both vents open your fire is being starved of oxygen because a clogged fire grate, clogged holes in the firebox, or you are using small pieces of lump, or the hole in your firebox is not aligned with the bottom vent. Then you open the egg and introduce more oxygen and you get a flashback. If it your fire grate being clogged you may want to make you a fire grate out of expanded metal. I did, and it drastically increased the air flow.
  • Thanks very much for the feedback
  • This happened to me yesterday. Before I started my cook I took the whole thing apart and cleaned out all of the ash and all of the vent holes were clear. When I put the firebox? back in I had the opening facing the lower vent in the egg. I am assuming that was correct as that is the way it came when the dealer delivered it. After putting it back together I then put in fresh lump. Is this scenario correct? Did I do it right? Thanks.
  • Sounds good. When you open the bottom vent you should be able to see into the bottom of the firebox. The fire grate has more area that is grate than is holes. Even if no holes are yet clogged the grate is not letting a huge amount of air through. Fresh lump is a big part of the flashback. I wonder if loading the egg up for a high temp burn the day before and burning it a while would'nt help cut down on flashbacks?
  • Cactus Doug
    Cactus Doug Posts: 341
    Bob, you went all out on the gloves. Those are a nice pair of top of the line tillman, welding gloves they should last you a long time.
  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    Ya man. I have to agree with that.