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Leaving BGE unattended

Unknown
Unknown
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
Do you feel comfortable leaving your Egg unattended while it's smoking at low temps for extended periods of time? Say, leave your house for a few hours while smoking pork shoulder? Put aside the cooking issues like rising temperatures. I'm thinking purely safety issues.
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Comments

  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
     
    Personally I feel completely comfortable and do it often. The egg by itself with the spark screen closed has been no problem whatsoever for me.

    GG
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  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    I do but only when I'm using my BBQ Guru. Then both the top and bottom vents are completely closed. So far not a single problem.

    Spring "Just One Spark In The Night" Chicken
    Spring Texas USA
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Might depend on which size ya got. :) And where it's located of course.

    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=810659&catid=1

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    If by "I'm thinking purely safety issues" you mean will the Egg be a fire hazard, no, I'm not at all concerned. If somehow someone opened the bottom vent all the way, and took the daisy off, the only result would be a high temp burn-off that would leave any food a pile of ash. I suppose if the same someone were to pull aside the bottom screen, and some sparks fell on something flammable, then there might be a fire hazard.

    If you went away long enough, and the fire dropped way down below 140 because of ash blocked airflow, you might be concerned that the meat became spoiled. Never had anything like that in just a few hours. Its those long overnighters when maybe the fire isn't checked for 6 - 8 hours that are a problem.
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    It's a large Egg on a wood deck but we have built a stand with the bricks underneath. I am thinking "fire hazard" but my husband is not concerned. He's more concerned about the meat cooking improperly.

    Carolina Q...that sucks!
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
    i have, but it was on a brick patio, removed from the house. wife was home if something went horribly wrong, but wasn't "checking" the egg at all.

    but it is well known that i'm an idiot.

    i would say you should not do it, unless you had the egg situated very safely.

    variable is neighbors. they might see smoke and assume the worst
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  • ewjd
    ewjd Posts: 21
    I too with the guru but never do I stray for an extended period of time. Over the past 4 years with all my 20+ hour cooks there have never been any problems and never really needed attending.In fact I never needed to add any lump, just great bbq.
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  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    Yes, I leave it unattended.
    The Naked Whiz
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  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    I wouldn't worry too much. My Chicken Coop is all wood and I know there are many others who have their Eggs on wooden decks, wooden outdoor kitchens and even under wooden porches. You can look through Naked Whiz's site and see plenty of them.

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/TableGallery/tables.htm

    But I also have a servicable fire extinguisher handy, along with a nearby garden hose. On top of that I frequently wet down or pressure wash the wood flooring just to keep it looking good.

    Enjoy your Egg.

    Spring "A Wet Coop Is A Safe Coop" Chicken
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  • Lazydogsaloon
    Lazydogsaloon Posts: 213
    I leave mine for one reason or another almost every weekend. Ribs take several hours and I have other task to complete. My table is wooden but I have the Egg on the supplied feet with tile under that to protect the wood.

    Lazydog B)
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  • Hungry Celeste
    Hungry Celeste Posts: 534
    I do leave mine unattended, but when I do so, it's placed in the middle of a concrete patio (not under a roof)--it's situated at least 20 feet in any direction from anything else...so potential mishaps will be (relatively) contained.
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 34,583
    i had one egg crack during an overnight and burn thru 2 inch thick pine boards while sitting on my deck. there is a reason why a lot of towns have passed ordinances against grills on decks, even gas grills can cause a fire on a deck, my neighbor lost part of his home and all the skin from his elbows down to a gas grill fire. i leave mine unnattended on a stone patio away from the house now and use the screen, they didnt come with those screens years ago but after someone here lost their house, they sent out screens. play it safe
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Avocados
    Avocados Posts: 465
    I have left mine but it is on a concrete patio and about 15 feet away from the house (or anything else flammable.)

    But I would NOT do it if my egg(s) were on a wooden deck because I have seen "Murphy's Law" rare its ugly head several times over the years. :(

    You would most likely be ok but there is a slight risk.

    The big question is if the risk worth it, and would your homeowners insurance cover the damage in the rare case if something bad did happen.
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    I agree completely. At least get some barbeque mats to put under the egg if it is in a nest.

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • asianflava
    asianflava Posts: 313
    I start it and go to work, I leave it on my plastic deck all the time. Used to worry about the temp running away before I got the Guru but it never happened. The Guru gives me piece of mind, worst case, the fire would go out.
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  • Nature Boy
    Nature Boy Posts: 8,687
    It's easy to get comfortable because the BGE is very safe. But freaky stuff can happen, and it's hard to realize all the possibilities. Yes it can be left unattended, but only a safe distance from the house with no combustibles around. Combine any number of potential issues of unattended cooking with wind, and the risks become real. Remote still, but real.

    Safe cookin toya!
    Chris
    DizzyPigBBQ.com
    Twitter: @dizzypigbbq
    Facebook: Dizzy Pig Seasonings
    Instagram: @DizzyPigBBQ
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  • Dave in So Cal
    Dave in So Cal Posts: 603
    I am on the side of caution here. I leave mine unattended at times, but it is away from the house and we do not let our kids out in the yard unless an adult is right there.

    The kids bring up another issue. While the exterior of the BGE stays cooler than a metal grill, it can still get very hot. If a neighbor kid comes into your yard and burns him or her self on the BGE, you could have some trouble because the BGE could be seen as an attractive nuisance.

    Keeping the BGE away from structures, having a fire extinguisher handy, keeping the screen closed, and minimizing the time the BGE is unattended are all good advice. Better to be safe than sorry. :)
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  • Eggtucky
    Eggtucky Posts: 2,746
    I've done it while using the digiII to keep the temps good..but I have my eggs on a screened in porch with spark pads under them...still...like Nature Boy said..anything can happen..so am I 'totally' comfortable doing it?...have to say 'no' in my case..
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  • Firetruck
    Firetruck Posts: 2,679
    I leave mine sometimes. I figure it's no worse than going to bed.

    In fact I fired mine up this afternoon, put on a ham and left to go cut fire wood. I did not leave instructions with my wife so she left too and went to the mall :huh: When I got back the egg was still chugging along near where I left it but the ham had gone past the 160 and made it to 175 :angry:

    Oh well, so much for slicing. It still tastes amazing!
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