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Fire box ash cleaning question and debate with wife.

So, any reason I should or shouldn't clean out excess ash. Will it eventually burn away?
What say ye?
Comments
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Won't ash buildup between the firebox and the Egg cause airflow issues at some point? I'd be more concerned for that.Northern VA - LBGE
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I would definitely clean it out to help air flow for the next cooks, but the ash is what is left over from the burns so it's unlikely to ignite. The small
particles could be a fire hazard if vents are open. -
Air flow in the egg is much more important than added insulation. If the excess caught caught fire, which is unlikely, the lack of air flow would smother it, due to the readily available lump using most, if not all of the oxygen. I do a total clean and inspection about every 10 cooks with all my eggs. I clean ash out of the fire box after every other cook."Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber
XL and MM
Louisville, Kentucky -
I do similar to Ron, and as whidch stated, the ash that falls in through the six holes is already burnt; small pieces of unburnt lump can obviously fall through, and will burn if they get hot enough (just like small pieces that fall through a fire grate, they'll just burn, no harm done).
A tip: a flexible vacuum hose works great for cleaning around the outside of the firebowl; a leaf blower works too but is NOT a good idea. Don't ask me how I know this.___________"They're eating the checks! They're eating the balances!"
Ogden, UT
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I've had my egg for over 7 years. Pretty sure I took all the parts out and cleaned behind them... twice. If I can't reach it with my ash tool, it doesn't get reached. And I never bother cleaning out the holes in the firebox.
I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!
MichaelCentral Connecticut -
Carolina Q said:I've had my egg for over 7 years. Pretty sure I took all the parts out and cleaned behind them... twice. If I can't reach it with my ash tool, it doesn't get reached. And I never bother cleaning out the holes in the firebox.Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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Once a year or two for me. The kab helps keep some of the small pieces of coal blocking the side airholes, but sooner or later you will restrict airflow as the ash builds up outside the firebox.
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The ash shouldn't burn. Its already been burned. @Stlcharcoal would be a great resource to answer this one.
As far as cleaning, if I've done a couple of low and slows in a row, I will bust out the mini shop vac that can get around the firebox and base inner wall. If I've exhausted all the lump inside, I will pull the fire plate and vac it out, making sure to hit all the holes in the firebox to make sure they are clean - that happens maybe 2x a year.
LBGE since 2014
Griffin, GA
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As long as you have to restrict air flow to keep the temperature from going nuclear you don't have an air flow problem.
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Thanks for the help.
So this is what I'm dealing with, a woman plus combined with engineer= never wrong.
Looks like we established burnt ash is hard to burn again. Which, where the extra ash is located is kind of hard to get too.
Will a extra layer of ash add extra insulation outside of firebox given airflow isn't compromised during the cook?
I need something more plausible for discussion purposes. She was very adamant about ash possibly igniting and causing a wild fire. I disagreed with her of course. -
I'm not sure how to put this delicately, but: the wife is wrong."I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
"The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand." - Deep Throat -
Tell your wife you'd agree with her but then you'd BOTH be wrong!
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A smart man would say "yes, dear" and then go do it his way.~ John - Formerly known as ColtsFan - https://www.instagram.com/hoosier_egger
XL BGE, LG BGE, Med BGE, BGE Chiminea, KJ Jr, PK Original, Ardore Pizza Oven
Bloomington, IN - Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers! -
I only opened this thread to see what the debate with wife is. You got this.Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax
Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
Run me out in the cold rain and snow -
How do ashes catch on fire ?
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She's a manager at a coffee plant and her analogy is that they have to clean the roasters ash because of a fire hazard etc. Not a good comparison in my opinion. She doesn't cook and I haven't shown her the configuration of the egg. She knows how to run a coffee plant but her abilities in the kitchen are suspect at best.
This is will get interesting later tonight since we can't talk about the saints and Brees throwing picks. -
Landry's Egg said:She was very adamant about ash possibly igniting and causing a wild fire.
Whups, someone's at the door, gotta run Good Luck!___________"They're eating the checks! They're eating the balances!"
Ogden, UT
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Botch said:What kind of engineer is she?
"I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
"The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand." - Deep Throat -
In several years of egging, a couple of times I wasn't getting good airflow and it turned out that enough ash had built up between the Egg and the firebox that it was choking the airflow some. Took out the fire ring and firebox, cleaned it all out, put them back, great air flow. Hasn't happened often, less than once a year, but it's happened to me.
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Your gonna trade your ash problem for another problem. Clean it and keep the peace. You've already went through more trouble and time then it would have taken to clean it.
Bill Denver, CO
XL, 2L's, and MM -
Put her in charge of cleaning the egg since she's a self proclaimed expert.
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We are all such d!cks."I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
"The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand." - Deep Throat -
Theophan said:In several years of egging, a couple of times I wasn't getting good airflow and it turned out that enough ash had built up between the Egg and the firebox that it was choking the airflow some. Took out the fire ring and firebox, cleaned it all out, put them back, great air flow. Hasn't happened often, less than once a year, but it's happened to me.Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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Here's what an ash build up through the air holes looks like. In time mine have completely clogged and restricted the air flow meaning a clean out was necessary.
Re-gasketing the USA one yard at a time! -
Ash burns? Well, that pisses me off, I've been tossing it in the corn field behind my house.They/Them
Morgantown, PA
XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer - PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker -
I don't worry about it. Just make sure all the air holes are clear and you are good to go. I worry about it even less since I typically use a Stoker.Joe - I'm a reformed gasser-holic aka 4Runner Columbia, SC Wonderful BGE Resource Site: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm and http://www.nibblemethis.com/ and http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2006/02/recipes.html
What am I drinking now? Woodford....neat -
RRP said:Here's what an ash build up through the air holes looks like. In time mine have completely clogged and restricted the air flow meaning a clean out was necessary.___________
"They're eating the checks! They're eating the balances!"
Ogden, UT
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I pull the guts out and clean the ash behind the firebox about every two months or so._________________________________________________Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!Large BGE 2006, Mini Max 2014, 36" Blackstone, Anova Sous Vide
Green Man GroupJohns Creek, Georgia -
I pull it apart twice a year or so... Whenever I let it burn through all the lump it's time for a full clean out.XLBGE, LBGE, Charbroil Gas Grill, Weber Q2000, Old Weber Kettle, Rectec RT-B380, Yeti 65, Yeti Hopper 20, RTIC 20, RTIC 20 Soft Side - Too many drinkware vessels to mention.
Not quite in Austin, TX City Limits
Just Vote- What if you could choose "none of the above" on an election ballot? Millions of Americans do just that, in effect, by not voting. The result in 2016: "Nobody" won more counties, more states, and more electoral votes than either candidate for president. -
The only ash that burns comes from center cut lump, so you should be ok.
Even if ash did burn, it's in the egg (where the fire is), you're still restricting airflow, so what.
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