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Cleaning your egg

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dannys
dannys Posts: 164
in EggHead Forum
I've had a BGE for a couple of years now. Actually, I have two, a large and a MM.

One of the most difficult chores is cleaning the ashes out. I usually pick up the KAB and shake it to release any small particles and ash. Once that is out, I use the ash tool and a fireplace shovel to pull out as much as possible. On alternate cleanings, I'll pull out the inner ceramics and remove anything below that.

My problem is that the ash too isn't the easiest way to move the ash and particulate around. The fireplace shovel isn't the best at catching anything either inside or outside.  try using it as a shovel inside, scraping stuff up with the ash tool and catching the dropping from the air vent.  Neither works as efficiently as I would like.


My questions are: What is your cleaning ritual? What tools do you use? How do make it easy?
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  • Matt86m
    Matt86m Posts: 471
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    Shop vac. Cleans it all. Clears the side vent holes too.

    I dont even shovel anymore
    XL aka Senior, Mini Max aka Junior, Weber Q's, Blackstone 22, Lion built in, RecTec Mini 300, Lodge Hibachi, Uuni, wife says I have too many grills,,,,how many shoes do you have?
     
    IG -->  matt_86m
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  • ColtsFan
    ColtsFan Posts: 6,338
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    Ash tool and a bucket every 3-5 cooks. That's it. Shake the KAB and scrape it out. 
    ~ John - https://www.instagram.com/hoosier_egger
    XL BGE, LG BGE, KJ Jr, PK Original, Ardore Pizza Oven, King Disc 
    Bloomington, IN - Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!

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  • Powak
    Powak Posts: 1,391
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    I use an old grill fork to stir up my coals and the ash tool to pull em out into a bucket. The fork works way better for stiring up the coals because it doesn’t have that floating handle like the ash tool.
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  • alaskanassasin
    alaskanassasin Posts: 7,648
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    I use your method with the addition of a coal bucket from tsc to catch the ashes instead of a shovel
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


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  • tamck1
    tamck1 Posts: 36
    edited August 2018
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    A $23 Buckethead shopvac from Home Depot takes about 30 sec to clean your egg.  


    L and MM BGEs with JJGeorge tables, Mini BGE with carrier, other charcoal and pellet smokers/grills too numerous to count.
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,888
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    I'd like to answer each of your questions with my solutions and pictures to boot, but time won't allow tonight. 

    BUT the over all solution is to buy a small 10 gallon garbage can and shake your KAB into that can rather than right back into your egg!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • SamIAm2
    SamIAm2 Posts: 1,896
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    tamck1 said:
    A $23 Bickethead shopvac from Home Depot takes about 30 sec to clean your egg.  


    And once it is clean, refilled with lump, and you have the charcoal started you can hook the hose on the output side of the motor, aim it at the bottom vent opening and you have your own redneck Eggcellerator.
    Ubi panis, ibi patria.
    Large - Roswell rig, MiniMax-PS Woo; Cocoa, Fl.
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  • Powak
    Powak Posts: 1,391
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    RRP said:
    I'd like to answer each of your questions with my solutions and pictures to boot, but time won't allow tonight. 

    BUT the over all solution is to buy a small 10 gallon garbage can and shake your KAB into that can rather than right back into your egg!
    And then light that fire
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