Kind of Bummed

WeberWho · September 2017

I use the egg out on the concrete driveway. It's still not 100% fire resistant. I have stairs in between the kitchen and driveway. Yes it can be a pain. The extra steps and time are worth it to me. It's not worth the risk in my opinion

bjeans · September 2017

WeberWho said:

I use the egg out on the concrete driveway. It's still not 100% fire resistant. I have stairs in between the kitchen and driveway. Yes it can be a pain. The extra steps and time are worth it to me. It's not worth the risk in my opinion

@WeberWho I wish I had an option like yours. Then I wouldn't have written a "kind of bummed" post.

bjeans · September 2017

Markarm4119 said:

Backerboard, sorry

Spellcheck has a mind of her own.

I'm not as concerned about the deck itself (water, fire extinguisher). It's more if it sailed beyond my reach (thinking of what happened to Chris' garage). But I like the tile idea.

Wardster · September 2017

regarding flying embers, my egg has sat in a screened porch for years. screened roof is about 11-12 feet high. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I don't have any burn holes in the screen.

GATraveller · September 2017

stlcharcoal said:

bjeans said:

The deck is 100% PVC aka solid plastic lumber, no wood filler. It can't burn; it could melt.

PVC will burn......it's more fire retardant than other plastics, but it'll burn if it gets hot enough.

It sure will......just ask anyone who lives in Atlanta.

Image: http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/58ddaf0c8af5781f008b546f-480/i85-atlanta-collapse.png

bjeans · September 2017

blasting said:

Beth, I don't have anything to add, except to say your cooking spot / view looks to be spectacular.

Thank you! That's why we moved here - within commuting distance yet a little water. In the morning a fox couple sits down by the water side by side. Tons of birds, and two bald eagles spend hours In two trees in winter/early spring. Wood ducks perch on the deck railing (!) to eat bird seed, so the lake manager installed nesting boxes. I found plans for turtle basking platforms and an Eagle Scout candidate built and installed some in the lake, one at the foot of our yard.

Like @DoubleEgger I'll be egging and a hummingbird will perch near my shoulder on our feeder. My husband looked at his photo and for a moment thought it was ours. Pic is of the "wood duck branch" just beyond the deck.

bjeans · September 2017

GATraveller said:

stlcharcoal said:

bjeans said:

The deck is 100% PVC aka solid plastic lumber, no wood filler. It can't burn; it could melt.

PVC will burn......it's more fire retardant than other plastics, but it'll burn if it gets hot enough.

It sure will......just ask anyone who lives in Atlanta.

Holy carp. Googled it, glad no one was hurt. Seems like a massive fire of combustible materials stored under the bridge was purposely started by someone, arrests made. And that portion of the bridge collapsed from the heat. Maybe didn't flame? Lots of articles but a summary:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_85_bridge_collapse

bjeans · September 2017

Wardster said:

regarding flying embers, my egg has sat in a screened porch for years. screened roof is about 11-12 feet high. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I don't have any burn holes in the screen.

@Wardster is your screen metal? Thanks for helping talk me off the ledge.

bjeans · September 2017

SciAggie said:

Beth, I feel that since your are appropriately afraid - that makes you safer. Be smart. Stay close, avoid the overnight and unattended cooks, etc. I'm in the camp that we can't live in rubber rooms. Use good judgement and you'll be ok.

The problem is that I'm not in your shoes. My eggs sit on 2 1/2 inches of limestone surrounded by rock that is sitting on concrete that's covered with a metal roof at least 100 feet from the house. I don't have your worries. Everyone has to do their own risk analysis.

Envious of your set-up. You're right about rubber rooms. When did I morph Into this fearful person? Years ago scuba diving was a big part of my life. I got a type of hives caused by cold temps. Tested at the NIH, the doc said the only deaths were from drowning due to anaphylactic shock. Oh great. I told my part-time scuba boss, and he shrugged and said to have my buddy always carry an epi-pen on dives. Controlled risk.

Moral: take precautions, don't be stupid, and live. And pull the hose closer to the egg, don't do overnight/unattended cooks and during the crazy autumn oak leaf deluge, enclose the egg and myself in a concrete room installed with sprinklers. Thank you.

The_Stache · September 2017

Hi Beth! At the risk of the expected fire and brimstone that will follow... I have had my eggs on wooden desks for >20 years. The first 10 in the nest and the last 10 have been in a built in wooden framed table topped with Granite and wood base covered in tile.

At all times I have been less than 5 ft away from a water source.

I do not do overnight cooks.
I do do occasional clean burns at ~700 degrees but I'm pretty cautious to check the clean process pretty frequently
I do do long daytime cooks but never leave the egg unattended (can see it from my office window).
Table top is granite. Eggs are spaced for at least a 3/4" air gap between them and the granite or tile bases. The tile is floated with flooring level cement.

As everyone has stated... use caution, keep aware of how the egg is doing... prepare for fire extinguishing as you must.

bjeans · September 2017

The_Stache said:

Hi Beth! At the risk of the expected fire and brimstone that will follow... I have had my eggs on wooden desks for >20 years. The first 10 in the nest and the last 10 have been in a built in wooden framed table topped with Granite and wood base covered in tile.

At all times I have been less than 5 ft away from a water source.

I do not do overnight cooks.
I do do occasional clean burns at ~700 degrees but I'm pretty cautious to check the clean process pretty frequently
I do do long daytime cooks but never leave the egg unattended (can see it from my office window).
Table top is granite. Eggs are spaced for at least a 3/4" air gap between them and the granite or tile bases. The tile is floated with flooring level cement.

As everyone has stated... use caution, keep aware of how the egg is doing... prepare for fire extinguishing as you must.

Thanks for the reasonable response and advice. (I hope that's not an insult, given your Loco affiliation.) It would be nice to have a grill that would monitor itself, sense if it pushed out an ember and unreeled a little auto-hose that would drench it, but until that cooker exists, I'll monitor and follow many of the suggestions here.

Thank you.

SciAggie · September 2017

I am soooooo jealous from the pic of the wood ducks...

bjeans · September 2017

SciAggie said:

I am soooooo jealous from the pic of the wood ducks...

OT Thank you, @SciAggie They're cute. And shy. I feel honored they chose us. Well, our yard. We stay pretty still when indoors in the evening and they're on the railing. They arrive March/April and depart Oct./Nov. Last year a Mandarin duck migrated with them. Since wood ducks are the only perching ducks native to the U.S., he must have escaped from a private owner or is the offspring of escapees. There's apparently a small, wild colony 7-10 hours away in a different state. "Our" Mandarin mated with a female wood duck, was very possessive, but the eggs would be sterile.

You will now return to your regularly scheduled fear of fire.

DaveRichardson · September 2017

Mats will cause moisture to build up and stain the decking underneath them. Shouldn't be a problem with fake wood decking!

I had a fire from an ember coming out the bottom vent into my ash bucket. Burned thru the ash pile and out the bottom of the bucket, and thru 2 deck boards onto the ground that's 10 inches below. No other destruction, thank goodness.

Scary? Hell yes! Did it stop me from cooking on a ground level pressure treated deck? Hell no. DigiQ and igrill probes help me sleep thru the night now. Egg is 15 ft from the house structure. Hose within reach. Extinguisher in the kitchen 25 ft away. Will be adding a wifi camera outside so I can watch from inside, but I will not leave the house vacant while a cook is happening! Someone is always available to monitor what is going on outside.

bjeans · September 2017

DaveRichardson said:

Mats will cause moisture to build up and stain the decking underneath them. Shouldn't be a problem with fake wood decking!
I had a fire from an ember coming out the bottom vent into my ash bucket. Burned thru the ash pile and out the bottom of the bucket, and thru 2 deck boards onto the ground that's 10 inches below. No other destruction, thank goodness.
Scary? Hell yes! Did it stop me from cooking on a ground level pressure treated deck? Hell no. DigiQ and igrill probes help me sleep thru the night now. Egg is 15 ft from the house structure. Hose within reach. Extinguisher in the kitchen 25 ft away. Will be adding a wifi camera outside so I can watch from inside, but I will not leave the house vacant while a cook is happening! Someone is always available to monitor what is going on outside.

Yikes. Was that before screens were added, or what was the set up - open vent and the bucket in front/underneath it? Please don't tell me the screen was all the way closed and the ember pried open the screen with its hot little hands.

Our ash bucket is from Plow & Hearth so probably not heavy duty or double-walled, but I don't scoop ash into it until the day after a cook or later.

Once a cook is going I wonder how long I can be away from the kitchen, though I hang out there tons. There's far more glass than siding where the egg is (double glass door, window the size of a double door, another large window with siding below to be blocked by Challenger storage). But there's some.

HeavyG · September 2017

Maybe the simple solution to the ember problem is to use Kingsford briquets. They don't pop/spit/sputter flying embers like some lumps apparently do.

You'll need a bigger ash bucket tho.

thetrim · September 2017

Someone mentioned the keeping the screen closed when cooking. That's a great idea that I don't always follow. In fact on one of my eggs, the screen is shot. Does anyone know if you can replace that or if you need to buy an entire bottom vent assembly? Thank you for all the helpful reminders & responses on this thread.

bjeans · September 2017

HeavyG said:

Maybe the simple solution to the ember problem is to use Kingsford briquets. They don't pop/spit/sputter flying embers like some lumps apparently do.

You'll need a bigger ash bucket tho.

Kingsford Competition? I had been reading on NakedWhiz about charcoal but got kind of lost in the dust.

Do embers pop out of the chimney or just the lower vent?

jollygreenegg · September 2017

I've seen sparks and embers shoot out the top without the cap.

two things I would definitely do in your situation 1) when starting your fire keep the lid closed after lighting the lump - 10-15 mins after lighting is usually when I see the most sparks and embers popping.

2) make a screen for the top hole. I've seen sparks and embers fly out during high heat cooks. A screen would prevent this.

bjeans · September 2017

thetrim said:

Someone mentioned the keeping the screen closed when cooking. That's a great idea that I don't always follow. In fact on one of my eggs, the screen is shot. Does anyone know if you can replace that or if you need to buy an entire bottom vent assembly? Thank you for all the helpful reminders & responses on this thread.

Finally. Something I know: http://biggreenegg.com/product/draft-door/

{Shake-n-Bake and I helped}

bjeans · September 2017

jollygreenegg said:

I've seen sparks and embers shoot out the top without the cap.

two things I would definitely do in your situation 1) when starting your fire keep the lid closed after lighting the lump - 10-15 mins after lighting is usually when I see the most sparks and embers popping.

2) make a screen for the top hole. I've seen sparks and embers fly out during high heat cooks. A screen would prevent this.

Great. I appreciate your observation. I always close the dome within a couple of minutes, don't care if it takes longer to get the fire going.

We'll make a screen like you and @HeavyG suggest. (Dunce cap may not fit well.) Would a piece cut to size and placed there work, since the daisy wheel or Smokeware cap should keep it from shifting? Or is something more needed?

@jollygreenegg

GrillSgt · September 2017

2 houses, 2 decks, 2 eggs, 2 decks with eggs.

DaveRichardson · September 2017

thetrim said:

Someone mentioned the keeping the screen closed when cooking. That's a great idea that I don't always follow. In fact on one of my eggs, the screen is shot. Does anyone know if you can replace that or if you need to buy an entire bottom vent assembly? Thank you for all the helpful reminders & responses on this thread.

Yes, someone on a facebook group mentioned an aftermarket one they saw on Amazon that was stamped stainless steel instead of the welded on mesh screen. Looked like a thousand little stamped holes.....

bjeans · September 2017

DaveRichardson said:

thetrim said:

Someone mentioned the keeping the screen closed when cooking. That's a great idea that I don't always follow. In fact on one of my eggs, the screen is shot. Does anyone know if you can replace that or if you need to buy an entire bottom vent assembly? Thank you for all the helpful reminders & responses on this thread.

Yes, someone on a facebook group mentioned an aftermarket one they saw on Amazon that was stamped stainless steel instead of the welded on mesh screen. Looked like a thousand little stamped holes.....

Was it this one or similar? For medium and large. https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Punched-Panel-Medium/dp/B06XQFV1WJ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1504296884&sr=8-3&keywords=Big+green+egg+screen

gdenby · September 2017

There are lots of fire retardant materials and paints/sprays. Certainly there are many things that will protect the house walls. Restaurants/night clubs typically have to coat all possibly flammable surfaces such that a lighter cannot start a fire. I'd bet that you can significantly reduce any hazard for a fairly small amount of money with sheeting and coatings.

Purely anecdotal, but I have 2 trees growing over one of my eggs. Never had even a leaf catch fire.

There was a fellow who posted on the old volunteer forum, quite forget his name, but he had 2 larges under a patio roof only 10 feet high. He posted pictures. The white paint was soot smudged, but no sign of combustion.

Both eggs sit next to my garden, where there is typically a fair amount of dry vegetative stuff, like tree leaves. Never had a fire. The worst I've had is opening the Egg while using some lump that popped a lot, and had a few pinhole burns in my shirt.

SmokingPiney · September 2017

I got careless with a kettle on my wood deck about 4 years ago and set fire to my deck. Thankfully, my wife noticed it before it got out of control and I put it out with a garden hose. After that incident, the grills were evicted from the deck.

My Egg, kettle, and smoker are now set up on a concrete patio with a roof. I don't do overnights on my Egg, but I will on my smoker (temp controlled, not much chance at all on a fire or escaping embers).

I'm a pilot, so I like checklists - When I shut down my Egg, I actually say out loud "bottom off switch engaged" (vent closed), "top off switch engaged" ( cap on) EVERY time I shut down my Egg. It's become habit that has amused some friends - but I know the Egg is shut down.

Just be observant and vigilant about the Egg: Keep fire safety first and foremost in your mind when you use it.......you'll be fine with the Egg.

thetrim · September 2017

bjeans said:

thetrim said:

Someone mentioned the keeping the screen closed when cooking. That's a great idea that I don't always follow. In fact on one of my eggs, the screen is shot. Does anyone know if you can replace that or if you need to buy an entire bottom vent assembly? Thank you for all the helpful reminders & responses on this thread.

Finally. Something I know: http://biggreenegg.com/product/draft-door/

{Shake-n-Bake and I helped}

Thank you

dstearn · September 2017

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/j2/w4x6jkhunq2z.jpg

One of reasons I bought the Challenger cart. I always watch it when I light it up to insure that no embers hit the deck especially using the Looflighter. Prior to this it was on a nest cart. I am considering purchasing one of those fireproof mats the front.

thetrim · September 2017

bjeans said:

DaveRichardson said:

thetrim said:

Someone mentioned the keeping the screen closed when cooking. That's a great idea that I don't always follow. In fact on one of my eggs, the screen is shot. Does anyone know if you can replace that or if you need to buy an entire bottom vent assembly? Thank you for all the helpful reminders & responses on this thread.

Yes, someone on a facebook group mentioned an aftermarket one they saw on Amazon that was stamped stainless steel instead of the welded on mesh screen. Looked like a thousand little stamped holes.....

Was it this one or similar? For medium and large. https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Punched-Panel-Medium/dp/B06XQFV1WJ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1504296884&sr=8-3&keywords=Big+green+egg+screen

Thanks. I just ordered this.

Durangler · September 2017

thetrim said:

bjeans said:

DaveRichardson said:

thetrim said:

Someone mentioned the keeping the screen closed when cooking. That's a great idea that I don't always follow. In fact on one of my eggs, the screen is shot. Does anyone know if you can replace that or if you need to buy an entire bottom vent assembly? Thank you for all the helpful reminders & responses on this thread.

Yes, someone on a facebook group mentioned an aftermarket one they saw on Amazon that was stamped stainless steel instead of the welded on mesh screen. Looked like a thousand little stamped holes.....

Was it this one or similar? For medium and large. https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Punched-Panel-Medium/dp/B06XQFV1WJ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1504296884&sr=8-3&keywords=Big+green+egg+screen

Thanks. I just ordered this.

Does that fit an XL??

Kind of Bummed

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