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Need for high-temp clean out

I keep seeing people talking about doing a high-temp clean out on this forum. Also see some of those that did saying they fried their gasket. My question is, what is the purpose of doing such a procedure?  Just to make the inside look new again? I do not get it. I understand the need to clean an oven in the kitchen, but the inside of an Egg? Sometimes I will clean off leftover stuff stuck to my cooking grate or my pizza stone using the appropriate tools (I love the GrillStone cleaning blocks- I got rid of all bristle brushes) and of course, ash in the bottom of the Egg. Also take insides out and vacuum, etc.

Don't mean this to be a rant. Just clueless about the need for a high-temp clean.

Springram
Spring, Texas
LBGE and Mini

Comments

  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,671
    edited May 2013
    ive only needed to do a burnout on an egg that cooks low and slow all summer, mostly chicken, the buildup eventually gets to a 1/4 inch thickness and starts flaking on the food. scraping doesnt seem to remove enough of it. by the end of the summer its flaking up top and full of grease below, takes several hours for the smoke to clear at high temps with that egg. do 50 low and slows back to back and you will see a need for a high temp burn
    :)) no gaskets here so no problems for me with a clean out burn
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • SmokyArkie
    SmokyArkie Posts: 65
    I smoked a lot of chickens in my BGE without a high temp clean out. Then on a subsequent cook I had a grease fire, it was spectacular. It seemed that the safest course of action was to just let it burn itself out. After that I have used the high temp clean it after smoking several chickens or when it looks like it needs it.
  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
    never done one myself, never had the need.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

  • bigphil
    bigphil Posts: 1,390
    Never done one either I usually clean the egg out really good and use balled up alumin foil to scrub the inside of the dome and base to remove anything that's loose
    Large Big Green Egg , XL Big Green Egg . BBQ Guru, Weber Kettle, Weber Q grill for road trips.
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Any really high temp cook could wipe the old style felt gaskets. A clean burn is/was just one of the many ways the gasket might fail.

    My experience is that about 1/3 of a fire pot of used lump is enough to do the cleaning. That amount hasn't caused me any problems. A full load of fresh, on the other hand, wiped one of my gaskets.

    As mentioned. the reason is to reduce the grease-soot build up. Besides the gunk falling into food, eventually everything starts smelling like the last 50+ pounds of pork that were cooked.

    And the air flow changes in a gunked-up Egg. Takes longer to come up to temp. Not a huge amount, maybe 10 minutes, but it is noticeable.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,671
    if your doing hot cooks every once in a while, say searing a steak, cooking a pizza, etc, your already doing a burn out.
    :)) my firebox diong back to back low and slows looks like mud after a while
    :D could explain why the outside sometimes looks like this

    image
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • dpittard
    dpittard Posts: 126
    fishlessman You have got to stop posting that picture.  It makes me cringe every time!  =))

    LBGE with a massive wish list
    Athens, Ga.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,671
    dpittard said:
    fishlessman You have got to stop posting that picture.  It makes me cringe every time!  =))
    hoping bge eventually sees it and says its covered under warranty
    :D
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • milesbrown4
    milesbrown4 Posts: 314
    that is fantastic.  bookmark
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    if your doing hot cooks every once in a while, say searing a steak, cooking a pizza, etc, your already doing a burn out.
    :)) my firebox diong back to back low and slows looks like mud after a while
    :D could explain why the outside sometimes looks like this

    image
    After that picture I cannot understand why Pat (FlaPoolMan) is always on my butt......
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,671
    Mickey, if it works, dont fix it
    :)) that was all from one cook, after a few rain storms its looking much better. the insides have a new adjustable rig
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Mud Pig
    Mud Pig Posts: 489
    I notice that my egg builds up a residue after 2 or 3 months.  To counter your point of "why should you do it" you should be asking "why shouldn't you do it."  Its not like you are wasting a ton of lump doing a nice hot clean out.  I've had bitter tasting ribs come off my XL before because their was too much soot or creosote on the inside of the eggs, so I do a clean out once a quarter.

    Put some lump in, light it, open up the daisy wheel and bottom vent all the way and then walk away.  Your egg will clean itself.


  • if your doing hot cooks every once in a while, say searing a steak, cooking a pizza, etc, your already doing a burn out.
    :)) my firebox diong back to back low and slows looks like mud after a while
    :D could explain why the outside sometimes looks like this

    image
    Hmm, sure your dog wasn't getting jealous of your egg?
    Gittin' there...