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Frozen Egg

sometrailsomewhere
sometrailsomewhere Posts: 27
in EggHead Forum
Good day!

Just before winterpocalypse hit the Maritimes, I went ahead and got me something to cover my beast and its table. 

I come home from a two week trip working, go for some ribeyes, and the Egg is seized! Rather, I suspect that the gasket was damp/wet when the cold weather hit and now she's frozen together.

Has anyone experienced this before? If so, what did you do to remedy the situation?

I don't want to damage my gaskets needlessly, so I have willed us some warm weather and all we got was two feet of snow! I have a tiger torch, so it would be feasible to warm the exterior of the Egg up, but then I wonder about cold ceramic and propane flame. I'm not a dunce, so this idea didn't grab too much traction.

Anyway, given that we are in the Maritimes, we'll likely have some warm weather before winter ends. And, since I ski a lot during winter months, I am home less and therefore wanting to carry out a cook less. All to say, it don't hurt THAT bad, but I'd sure like a solution and a good way to carry forward for the future? Perhaps something to maintain a gap between the gaskets?

Over to you, from the Land of the Frozen Chosen.
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
Canadaland
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Comments

  • DaveRichardson
    DaveRichardson Posts: 2,324
    Can you get the ceramic cap off?  If so, light a piece of lump or two and drop them in the top with a pair of tongs.  that'll heat is up nice and easy.

    LBGE since 2014

    Griffin, GA 

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  • Shiff
    Shiff Posts: 1,835
    If you can open the lower vent, crumple up some newspaper or put in a wax charcoal starter and light it.  This will usually provide enough warmth to defrost it.
    Large BGE
    Barry, Lancaster, PA
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  • sometrailsomewhere
    sometrailsomewhere Posts: 27
    Yup, knew it'd be obvious like that! Still a newb.
    Antigonish, Nova Scotia
    Canadaland
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  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 751
    Lump in the top vent dropped with tongs worked for me.   Just take it easy....if you pry it before it's thawed, the gasket will tear to pieces.   
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
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  • sometrailsomewhere
    sometrailsomewhere Posts: 27
    Haha, I know the "try before you pry" maxim very well.
    Antigonish, Nova Scotia
    Canadaland
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  • YEMTrey
    YEMTrey Posts: 6,835
    Shiff said:
    If you can open the lower vent, crumple up some newspaper or put in a wax charcoal starter and light it.  This will usually provide enough warmth to defrost it.
    This.  I've only had this happen once.  But this fixed it and lit the lump from below and I was ready to cook once it opened.  Win/win.
    Steve 
    XL, Mini Max, and a 22" Blackstone in Cincinnati, Ohio
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,455
    edited January 2016
    An electric heat gun will also do the trick - or even a hair dryer that's 1,875 watts or higher.
    Re-gasketing the USA one yard at a time 
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  • Jeepster47
    Jeepster47 Posts: 3,827
    You should have some lump left over.  With a propane torch you can re-light the lump via the bottom vent.  Not sure if that's what @Shiff is suggesting with his paper-n-starter approach.  Had to run the egg at about 300 degrees for about 45 minutes to get my egg open earlier this winter.  It rained hard for most of a day and then dropped well below zero.

    No lump, try a 100 watt bulb through the top ... takes about a day with temps in the 20's.  Maybe less with a cover.

    Washington, IL  >  Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max

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  • sometrailsomewhere
    sometrailsomewhere Posts: 27
    All great ideas, thanks for taking the time to stop by and chime in!


    Antigonish, Nova Scotia
    Canadaland
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    edited January 2016
    For the future, you might consider installing a Rutland gasket on the base (nothing on the dome). I don't know for sure, but I think that's why my egg has never frozen shut in 6 years. I don't know if it's because there's only one gasket, or it's the material of the gasket or if it's just coincidence. I just know that I don't cover my egg, it is not protected from the weather in any way and I've never had a problem.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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