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Cleaning a small

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Beavercreek_Smoker
Beavercreek_Smoker Posts: 105
in EggHead Forum
ok, been loving my large egg for several years. I been wanting a second egg for smaller cooks, debated on the small vs the med. anyhow saw a small, unused, unregistered, with stand and accoreissies for $400 on Craigslist. No brainier, had to pick it up. 

Well ill broke it in with an indirect chicken breast cook. Came out perfect. Used it several times more for just
t the wife and I. After 5 cooks I decided I let the coals burn out so I could clean it. Man it was backed up lol. It doesn't hold ash like the large does.. The bottom draft door is small, real small compared to the large. It's also higher from the bottom. The ash pan I have doesn't fit the small. 

No no big deal, I just held the ash pan under the egg and scooped out the ash the best I could. I'm just wondering how others do it. I have my large in a table that I just hook my ash pan lip in the door track and scoop away. I usually get 5 short hot cooks per cleaning. I'll disassemble and clean before a pizza cook or a low and slow. 

The best thing about the small is the little fuel it consumes. I never minded buying good charcoal for a good meal but this is a bonus for sure. I feel I have the perfect pair now. We do a little entertaining in the summer with the pool and there's been a few times I wish I had the XL but I use a second grate and stack them when I need more surface area. 

Next spring comes the outdoor kitchen build. 
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  • johnnyp
    johnnyp Posts: 3,932
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    Wait for ashes to cool and shop vac them out 
    XL & MM BGE, 36" Blackstone - Newport News, VA
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  • smbishop
    smbishop Posts: 3,053
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    I have a small and a large.  It is a great combo!  I just scrape and clean out maybe every 20+ cooks on it.
    Southlake, TX and Cowhouse Creek - King, TX.  2 Large, 1 Small and a lot of Eggcessories.
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,897
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    Of my four eggs, my Small is my go to egg for 65% of my cooks! BTW I made this simple ash tool using strap steel, and a piece of brass Pop-Riveted to the 90º bend at the end.

    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • chef_jeff
    chef_jeff Posts: 7
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    After working for a high end grill shop several years, I 
    had the opportunity to purchase all different  sizes  of Green Eggs. I have found that large  egg cooks better then the XL.  This week I just sold my last XL Egg and purchased a large egg. I would never go back to a XL Egg. I will evently purchase either a medium or another large Green Egg to complete my outdoor kitchen when I need more cooking space. 
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  • Solson005
    Solson005 Posts: 1,911
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    The best way I have found to clean the small is wait until the next day and pull all of the guts out and clean it from the top. 
    Large & Small BGE, CGW Two-Tier Swing Rack for BOTH EGGS, Spider for the Wok, eggCARTen & and Cedar Pergola my Eggs call home in Edmond, OK. 
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  • AaronH
    AaronH Posts: 145
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    chef_jeff said:
    After working for a high end grill shop several years, I 
    had the opportunity to purchase all different  sizes  of Green Eggs. I have found that large  egg cooks better then the XL.  This week I just sold my last XL Egg and purchased a large egg. I would never go back to a XL Egg. I will evently purchase either a medium or another large Green Egg to complete my outdoor kitchen when I need more cooking space. 
    Was that the Old XL or newer one? 
    XLBGE /MiniBGE / Maverick 733 x 2/ Woo2 / CGS 17.5 Stone

    North Carolina land
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  • chef_jeff
    chef_jeff Posts: 7
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    I just sold my 5 year old XL. So guess it was an order model. Have they made improvements on the XL. 
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  • Cookinbob
    Cookinbob Posts: 1,691
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     I have a small, consider it a pain to clean out. I just scrape it out good with tje ash tool after every couple of cooks. Every so often, I'll  empty it and clean it out from the top.

    in my opinion, it would be a better egg if the firebox at the bottom was bigger, and the cleanout door was larger. I can't even fit a shop vac in. 
    XLBGE, Small BGE, Homebrew and Guitars
    Rochester, NY
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  • Beavercreek_Smoker
    Beavercreek_Smoker Posts: 105
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    Thanks for the replies guys. Yea the lower vent is pretty small, wonder why that's the design. Oh well, nothing I can't live with. I will have to get used to cleaning it out mort often. Good thing is the fire ring and box is light and easy to handle. The large I find myself moving real slow and gentle when tearing it down to clean. 
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  • Braggart
    Braggart Posts: 238
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    I clean both my eggs top to bottom every 2-3 cooks.  Just keeps the airflow happening...

    I also use a shop vac, or a scoop (depending on my energy level), but come in topside-down. 

    After reading some of the replies above I think my next project is to retro-fit a small tube on my shop vac so I can slip the nozzle into the clean out door.   That'll save me from taking out the guts...which will guard against potential breakage courtesy of butter fingers here.  Genius!  You guys rock. 
    Large BGE
    MMax BGE
    Weber gasser
    3 Dogs
    No neighbours 
    Living in Canada's bush
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,385
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    Gotta love the SBGE (a bit partial here:) ) for its ability to do a low&slow as well as hot and fast.  I find the Hi-Que grate really helps the SBGE.  Use the ash tool thru the bottom vent after every L&S and about every two hot and fast cooks.  Feed the SBGE with already used lump from the LBGE unless running a low&slow, then it will get a full cleaning and fresh lump.  Never any air-flow issues.  FWIW-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • Cookinbob
    Cookinbob Posts: 1,691
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    Braggart said:


    After reading some of the replies above I think my next project is to retro-fit a small tube on my shop vac so I can slip the nozzle into the clean out door.   That'll save me from taking out the guts...which will guard against potential breakage courtesy of butter fingers here.  Genius!  You guys rock. 
    I did just what you described.  I have the Hi Q grate, so there are some pieces mixed in with the ash.  They quickly plugged the shop vac thingie I made, so I went back to the ash tool.  If you find something that works, please post it.
    XLBGE, Small BGE, Homebrew and Guitars
    Rochester, NY
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  • DaveRichardson
    DaveRichardson Posts: 2,324
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    They did change the shorter, squatty done on the xl to a taller one to give a little more internal room. That might have made cooking easier....

    LBGE #19 from North GA Eggfest, 2014

    Stockbridge, GA - just south of Atlanta where we are covered up in Zombies!  #TheWalkingDead films practically next door!

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