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Please Help--Mold

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Dan4BBQ
Dan4BBQ Posts: 271
edited July 2012 in EggHead Forum

Having been away for 3 weeks, I was really ready to cook on my egg again.

I opened it up and had a little charcoal left but it and the inside walls of my egg had little mold spots.  I added some new charcoal but it still took a while to get the fire to 500.  I let it cook there until the coal was gone---about 4 hours.

I checked on it again this morning and the walls still have some mold spots.

Any and All suggestions are very welcome.

Yes, I had the vent closed and the cover on but it must have not been enough.

Thanks for your help.  I want to cook on it tonight.

Dan

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Comments

  • Sundown
    Sundown Posts: 2,980
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    Load it up and let'er burn! Taking it new-clear is a good way to rid the Egg of mold
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  • AleBrewer
    AleBrewer Posts: 555
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    Clean out all the old lump, and do a hot burn on it. Over 500.

    I work away form home, so I only get to use my egg every three weeks or so. When I'm away, I leave the bottom vent wide open, with the screen in place so no critters can get in. And I put a piece of rope across the top opening before putting the rain cap in place. You really want good airflow to prevent mold.
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  • Doc_Eggerton
    Doc_Eggerton Posts: 5,321
    edited July 2012
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    Do you feel this is actually mold, or a stain left over?  If you only went to 500 you weren't hot enough.

    Get it up to 800, wide open, then throttle back and control the heat so it stays at 600- 700 for as long as you can maintain.  Your fire box should be white after that.  The dome will still be dark.

    Don't forget to put any nasty grids, stones,  bricks, racks or whatever in to take advantage of the burn off.


    XXL #82 out of the first 100, XLGE X 2, LBGE (gave this one to daughter 1.0) , MBGE (now in the hands of iloveagoodyoke daughter 2.0) and lots of toys

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  • ShedFarm
    ShedFarm Posts: 499
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    I use my small Egg the most, with my large, medium, and mini getting lonely for long stints of time. If I don't do like AleBrewer, and leave the bottom vent fully open (screen closed), and ceramic cap propped up a little (I used folded aluminum foil strips), I'll find quite a fuzzy interior, the next time I go to use it.

    With all of that moisture in the ceramic, it's going to take a while for it to get to temp.  Like others have suggested, load it with new lump, crank up the heat, and let it go.  If you prefer having a gasket, make sure you have a new one on standby.
    BJ (Powhatan, VA)
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  • Dan4BBQ
    Dan4BBQ Posts: 271
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    Thanks

    I have the grill cleaned up now but I thought I should close the vent and put the top on.  Do you suggest the venting just if it is going to not be used for a while?

    Dan

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  • ShedFarm
    ShedFarm Posts: 499
    edited July 2012
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    I always try to leave my Eggs in a vented state, because a) I never know when I'm going to get back to any particular Egg, and b), I don't know what the weather is going to be, between cooks. You'd be surprised how quickly the mold can set in, after a thunderstorm or two, and a couple of hot, steamy, days. Just make sure your Egg's fire is totally out, and the ceramic has had a chance to totally cool off, before setting it up to breathe. I usually wait until at least the next morning, just to be safe.
    BJ (Powhatan, VA)
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  • Dan4BBQ
    Dan4BBQ Posts: 271
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    Thanks much

    I live in Orlando--hot and steamy.  I appreciate your advice.

    Dan

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  • twlangan
    twlangan Posts: 307
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    I went about a week without using mine back in June. We had some very humid weather at the time and some rain. When I opened it to cook, I had some mold too. Cleaned it out and read on here about that time a suggestion to leave the bottom vent open when not using it. I've done that ever since and have had no mold problems and the Egg seems much drier inside than it did before I started leaving the vent open. AleBrewer's advice appears to be a good fix.
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