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Charcoal dust .
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eggteeth
Posts: 52
My egg semi-frequently gets an accumulation of dust at the bottom which restricts the air-flow and forces me to do a wholesale change/clean. I was thinking of fastening the appropriate sized mesh over a shop vac to vaccum up the dust/small pieces. Has anybody tried this, or have any other tricks to easily and quickly get clean out the dust?
Comments
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Define bottom? Bottom of the egg - most people shop vac, no need for mesh.
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shop vac no worries but I just use the BGE ash tool and all is well. That is the best thing about the BGE - nothing EVER has to be "perfect" and that includes cleanup
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Above the lower fire grate, unreachable by ash tool.
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I just pull out the fire grate and use my mini shovel to get the majority out. Good enough for me.Packerland, Wisconsin
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That happens.
You need to stir the lump. Whenever I am lighting, loading new lump, using old, or whatever: I stir the lump around in the fire box. This will stir it and let the ash fall through the holes in the fire grate._______________________________________________XLBGE -
I don't think the shop vac thingy will really do the trick. I do use a shop vac to suck ash build up out of the bottom vent just because I don't have an ash tool._______________________________________________XLBGE
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Just pop that fire grate and let it fall into the base of the egg. Pull it out through the draft door into a bucket.
Be careful sucking it into a vacuum unless the fire has been out for a few days. You don't want to lone ember torching your vacuum.
The BGE fire grate is bad about letting ash build up, get a higher flow one and the ash will fall through on it's own.
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I rake mine out and recycle the lump that falls through my HighQ.Geaux Tigers!! West Monroe, Louisiana
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Well..I just reach in and stir the charcoal and the smaller pieces drop to the bottom. BTW I switched to the stainless steel grate I think I got from Ceramic Grill works. The coals get going faster, and as I said, stirring drops the dust and smaller pieces to the bottom. ( sorry, don't want to sound like an advertisement, not associated in any way ).
(2) LBGEs, WSM, Vidalia Grill (gasser), Tailgater Grill (gasser) -
I use a spider to remove any decent pieces of lump and then shop vac. You can also attach a piece of 1" hose to the shop vac hose to get around the firebox so you don't have to remove it. Please be real careful cause there can be smoldering bits in there that will set your bag on fire
Steve
Caledon, ON
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I have a small shop vac just for my egg, I clean out the ash all the time
LBGEGo Dawgs! - Marietta, GA -
make a wiggle rod, slide in thru the lower vent and shake the grate so the ash falls out. also that grate could be upsidedown creating more of a problem, the bevel in the holes should face down. another alternative is to buy a hique grate. this site shows a wiggle rod, dont know if thirdeye still makes them
http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2006/10/thirdhand-grate-lifting-hanging-tool.html
fukahwee maineyou can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it -
And just to provide the contrarian view, I never ever vacuum out my Eggs or even remove the firebox to get ash behind it. I get what I can get with the ash tool and that seems to be sufficient.
But as to the OP's question, stirring will get rid of ash and small chips, but it is easier with one of the aftermarket grill-type grates which have much more/larger openings.
The Naked Whiz -
i dont own one of these, i just stir as the whiz suggested and use a wiggle rod duting long cooks. heres the grate that should fix your problem, but check and see if yours is upsidown first, if the bevels are up they collect ash. i also put larger lump down on the grate then dump in the rest, that helps
http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Charcoal-Grate-Upgrade-Large/dp/B004XU1FES/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368120427&sr=8-1&keywords=high+que+grate
fukahwee maineyou can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it -
I seem to get alot of ash, so this is what I use.
Damascus, VA. Friendliest town on the Appalachian Trail.
LBGE Aug 2012, SBGE Feb 2014
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I also have a High-Que. Love it. do I loose gumball sized pieces of lump?Sure do.Do I care? Not at all. All worth worry free low and slow.Bx - > NJ ->TX!!!All to get cheaper brisket!
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