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Daisy Wheel Stuck with Gunk

aymobley
aymobley Posts: 34
in EggHead Forum
My daisy wheel on my Minimax is stuck with gunk (most likely creosote).  I cannot get it to move at all, even when it heats up during a cook.  Any suggestions?
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Comments

  • billt01
    billt01 Posts: 1,885
    Easy off and your oven..
    Have:
     XLBGE / Stumps Baby XL / Couple of Stokers (Gen 1 and Gen 3) / Blackstone 36 / Maxey 3x5 water pan hog cooker
    Had:
    LBGE / Lang 60D / Cookshack SM150 / Stumps Stretch / Stumps Baby

    Fat Willies BBQ
    Ola, Ga

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  • tarheelmatt
    tarheelmatt Posts: 9,867
    Hammer and a screwdriver?  
    ------------------------------
    Thomasville, NC
    My YouTube Channel - The Hungry Hussey
    Instagram
    Facebook
    My Photography Site
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  • TEXASBGE2018
    TEXASBGE2018 Posts: 3,831

    as 500 said. Clean burn that thing. get it to 700 or so directly on the grate. leave for an an hour. Snuff fire re-season.


    Rockwall, Tx    LBGE, Minimax, 22" Blackstone, Pizza Party Bollore. Cast Iron Hoarder.

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  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,137
    Don't waste your lump on a clean burn.
    Take the screws out, spray it with oven cleaner and toss into a gallon zip loc freezer bag for a good 24 hours. Cold water wash will take most of it off. Repeat if necessary. Small wire brush if you want. Then re season the top. Will look like new.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
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  • Teefus
    Teefus Posts: 1,259
    I used a propane torch. The oven cleaner approach sounds like a winner too.
    Michiana, South of the border.
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    saluki2007 said:
    Once you have it clean, store it in your egg.  I always toss mine in before I snuff it and have never had a sticking issue because the gunk is always getting burnt off.  Never rusted either.
    This. I almost never use mine, but I keep it stored in my egg. Set it aside when cooking and back in the egg during shutdown. I started doing this when I did use the daisy and just kept it up. Should probably wipe a little oil on it once in a while before I put it back in the hot egg, but it still looks good.

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • etherdome
    etherdome Posts: 471
    Every single time  I shut down my egg I put the daisy wheel inside the egg and cap it off with ceramic top. This seems to be enough for me to never have this problem. Once you get it clean try this . 
    Upstate SC
    Large BGE,  Blackstone, Weber genesis , Weber charcoal classic
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  • TEXASBGE2018
    TEXASBGE2018 Posts: 3,831
    etherdome said:
    Every single time  I shut down my egg I put the daisy wheel inside the egg and cap it off with ceramic top. This seems to be enough for me to never have this problem. Once you get it clean try this . 

    I also do this. +1


    Rockwall, Tx    LBGE, Minimax, 22" Blackstone, Pizza Party Bollore. Cast Iron Hoarder.

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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    TEXASBGE2018 said:
    etherdome said:
    Every single time  I shut down my egg I put the daisy wheel inside the egg and cap it off with ceramic top. This seems to be enough for me to never have this problem. Once you get it clean try this . 

    I also do this. +1
    Likewise. Kudos to fishlessman who mentioned this tears ago.
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  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,768
    Toss it in the garage. It is not needed at all. As of today i have 5 Eggs and not one with
    a Daisy Wheel.  You can control full air with just the lower vent. 
    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). Just given a Mini to add to the herd. 

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  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,524
    Mickey said:
    Toss it in the garage. It is not needed at all. As of today i have 5 Eggs and not one with
    a Daisy Wheel.  You can control full air with just the lower vent. 
    I couldn't agree more. Just an extra step. Only time mine sees a daisy wheel is low and slow.  
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
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  • aymobley
    aymobley Posts: 34
    I often cook low and slow, so i feel the daisy wheel is necessary.  I do store the daisy wheel in the egg when not in use, and put it inside the dome before I cap it to douse the fire.  I will try the oven cleaner approach.  Any thoughts on needing the daisy wheel for low and slow, or does the bottom vent really control temp enough to not need it for low/slow cooks?
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Well, that's a new one. Never heard of one getting gunked up when handled as you describe.

    My lo n slo cooks are usually 300° and up so I rarely use the daisy. Once in a while, I cook at 250° (reverse searing a steak or maybe smoking a butt - just to remind myself that it tastes the same as at 320°). I keep meaning to try 250° without the daisy, but still haven't.

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,137
    aymobley said:
    I often cook low and slow, so i feel the daisy wheel is necessary.  I do store the daisy wheel in the egg when not in use, and put it inside the dome before I cap it to douse the fire.  I will try the oven cleaner approach.  Any thoughts on needing the daisy wheel for low and slow, or does the bottom vent really control temp enough to not need it for low/slow cooks?
    This is another "who cares what others do" thing.
    Just do what works for you at the temps you want to cook.
    Try a low and slow with no top vent and see what happens with you.
    You can always plop it back on. There are so many ways to do so many things when it comes to cooking. Just don't be afraid to try it for yourself.
    Except for not using petroleum based lighter fluid of some type to start your fire in the Egg...that rule is not flexible.lol
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 19,165
    There are so many different ways to control the fire. Top or bottom vent, whatever you feel comfortable with. I switched over the years to controlling temps with the daisy wheel only. I like the precision and I don’t have to bend over to make adjustments. I’m pretty tall. 
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