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Changing/adding lump

eggteeth
eggteeth Posts: 52
edited August 2012 in EggHead Forum
Newer Egghead here.  I've noticed that after several cooks, a lot of ash/little pieces collect at the bottom of the egg and prohibit airflow enough so that I can't get it up to 450+ and sometimes makes it very hard to get a fire going.  I always have to clean it out fully and add all new lump.  

Are you guys doing a full exchange of lump each time you cook?  After 3-4 cooks?  Are you only putting in large chunks?

Any tips/advice would be appreciated.

Comments

  • Eggdam
    Eggdam Posts: 223
    Since you never mentioned what size you have I'll assume you have a large or smaller as the XL doesn't really seem to have airflow issues.  I found the same type of issues as you.  I ordered a hi que fire grate from http://www.high-que.com/ problem solved. Best 30 bucks I have spent on my egg.
  • Titanman
    Titanman Posts: 30
    @Eggdam
    Do you have trouble with small pieces falling through the grate? 
    Also do you sort through your lump to find pieces that will not fall through?
  • Eggdam
    Eggdam Posts: 223
    edited August 2012
    You will find some very small pieces while emptying the ash which I do every 3-4 cooks.  This is such a small amount that I don't even worry about trying to save it.  I am pretty well a dump out the bag kinda guy.  If you look in the bottom vent you will notice the small pieces burning away as well.  Pieces out of the bag don't seem to fall through the grate.
  • SkinnyV
    SkinnyV Posts: 3,404
    I'm on my second cook with the high que, even the stuff that falls through is smoldering and being used as fuel, I don't think there will be any chips and small bits when I clean out like there is with the drain cover.
    I took an extra minute to make sure the bottom coals fit the grate then sprinkle the rest on top no real issue there.
    Seattle, WA
  • Titanman
    Titanman Posts: 30
    Thanks for the information. Looks like another awesome accessory.
  • Hillbilly-Hightech
    Hillbilly-Hightech Posts: 966
    edited August 2012
    Newer Egghead here.  I've noticed that after several cooks, a lot of ash/little pieces collect at the bottom of the egg and prohibit airflow enough so that I can't get it up to 450+ and sometimes makes it very hard to get a fire going.  I always have to clean it out fully and add all new lump.  

    Are you guys doing a full exchange of lump each time you cook?  After 3-4 cooks?  Are you only putting in large chunks?

    Any tips/advice would be appreciated.
    Full exchange - no, never.  I just stir the used lump to allow the ash to fall through, then use whatever is left over, and add new, as needed. 
    Large chunks - no.  I just dump in new lump from the bag.  I don't sort, sift, organize, etc - heck, if I had to go through all that, I dunno if I'd enjoy cooking on the Egg anymore!! heh

    What I do do (heh, I said "do do") is I'll take an extension cord & my shop-vac & wheel it out to the Egg & suck up the ash from the bottom.  If you have the cool array of accessories that I do for my shop-vac, you can also add on the lil crevice tool to get back in the corners & edges, and the smaller tool to get the holes in the fire box as well. 

    I usually do that every 3-4 cooks, or as needed. 

    Before every cook, I'll peek in the lower vent & see how much ash is there, and if there's only a little bit, will just shovel it out.  If there's a lot, (or if I'm doing a multi-hour low & slow), out comes the shop vac. 

    HTH,
    Rob
    Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup... Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. - Bruce Lee
  • ratcheer
    ratcheer Posts: 189
    edited August 2012
    I am pretty new to this too, but here is what I have been doing.

    About every two cooks, I remove all the charcoal from the firebox and put it into a cardboard box (but anything that suits you would do). Then I remove the fire grate and remove the ashes and clean out the air holes. Then I replace the fire grate.

    Next I put several large, new lumps for a base. Then I put in the largest of my leftover pieces. Finally, I put the new and used smaller pieces on top in such a way that the larger pieces keep them from falling down through. With the old, small stuff on top, the new fire then burns it fairly completely.

    Maybe I'm going to too much trouble, but this seems to be working pretty well.

    Tim
  • Eggdam
    Eggdam Posts: 223
    It sure is nice after doing ribs at 250 for 5 hours to crank it to 600 for a pizza.
  • Baysidebob
    Baysidebob Posts: 489
    Before I fire it up I put on the gook-gloves and root through the lump kinda-sorta moving smaller to the top but not too fussy about that.  Getting all the ash pushed through the grate and clearing all holes seems to help.  Remove ash, dump more on the top and go.  Never had a problem.  Used a chimney this afternoon and was able to further sort it out but that's another story.
    My actuary says I'm dead.
  • twlangan
    twlangan Posts: 307
    I use a High Que too. I just give the used lump a little shake down with a stick, add some more lump on top the old, and light it. I pull everything out and do a full clean-out after every 6-10 cooks, depending on how much ash is piling up in the bottom. I'm cheap, so I sift the small pieces that fall through the High Que out and toss them on top after I refill with lump. Dealing with ash buildup on the grate has become a non issue.
  • Duganboy
    Duganboy Posts: 1,118
    Stir the old lump, clean out ash, dump on new lump.  Light with electric starter.
  • cortguitarman
    cortguitarman Posts: 2,061
    Even if you don't empty the ash every time, the key is to stir the old lump to knock the ash down.
    Mark Annville, PA
  • eggteeth said:

    Newer Egghead here.  I've noticed that after several cooks, a lot of ash/little pieces collect at the bottom of the egg and prohibit airflow enough so that I can't get it up to 450+ and sometimes makes it very hard to get a fire going.  I always have to clean it out fully and add all new lump.  


    Are you guys doing a full exchange of lump each time you cook?  After 3-4 cooks?  Are you only putting in large chunks?

    Any tips/advice would be appreciated.
    Full exchange - no, never.  I just stir the used lump to allow the ash to fall through, then use whatever is left over, and add new, as needed. 
    Large chunks - no.  I just dump in new lump from the bag.  I don't sort, sift, organize, etc - heck, if I had to go through all that, I dunno if I'd enjoy cooking on the Egg anymore!! heh

    What I do do (heh, I said "do do") is I'll take an extension cord & my shop-vac & wheel it out to the Egg & suck up the ash from the bottom.  If you have the cool array of accessories that I do for my shop-vac, you can also add on the lil crevice tool to get back in the corners & edges, and the smaller tool to get the holes in the fire box as well. 

    I usually do that every 3-4 cooks, or as needed. 

    Before every cook, I'll peek in the lower vent & see how much ash is there, and if there's only a little bit, will just shovel it out.  If there's a lot, (or if I'm doing a multi-hour low & slow), out comes the shop vac. 

    HTH,
    Rob
    This is exactly what I do do do


    _______________________________________________

    XLBGE 
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    Dee doo doo do, dee da da da, that's all i want to say to you
    :)

    Yeah. Stir dump stir light.
    I have only rarely taken out lump to add new stuff when the old stuff ended up being all fines. Even then, i pulled it aside. Tossed in newer medium or better lump, and addedthe fines back in over time

    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    Since you never mentioned what size you have I'll assume you have a large or smaller as the XL doesn't really seem to have airflow issues.  I found the same type of issues as you.  I ordered a hi que fire grate from http://www.high-que.com/ problem solved. Best 30 bucks I have spent on my egg.
    +1 on the high-que grill grate.  You can find it on Amazon or their site.  

    ...another great tool is a wiggle rod.  Just go to any hardware store and get some steel tube and bend about a 3 inch L on it.  If things aren't burning right...poke it up through the holes in the fire grate and wiggle around to let some air in.  Easier than doing the lump exchange.

    Before my high-que I would always do the full exchange before an overnighter.  Now I never do.  



    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    I am pretty new to this too, but here is what I have been doing.

    About every two cooks, I remove all the charcoal from the firebox and put it into a cardboard box (but anything that suits you would do). Then I remove the fire grate and remove the ashes and clean out the air holes. Then I replace the fire grate.

    Next I put several large, new lumps for a base. Then I put in the largest of my leftover pieces. Finally, I put the new and used smaller pieces on top in such a way that the larger pieces keep them from falling down through. With the old, small stuff on top, the new fire then burns it fairly completely.

    Maybe I'm going to too much trouble, but this seems to be working pretty well.

    Tim
    Works for me too. I have the time and hate to waste just about anything. This only takes a moment and ensures an easy to regulate stable burn.
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • KingtUT
    KingtUT Posts: 157
    edited August 2012

     

    I use my ceramic lid as a catch basin and the grate lifter as a scraper and clean the bottom out through the vent each time, takes about 30 seconds.  Also noticed I didnt have as much ash after using Wicked Good the last few cooks as compared to Royal Oak.