The Big green egg does not only look like it’s straight out of Game of Thrones but also is one of the best Kamado Grills on the market. And much like a real (dragon’s) egg, this fantastic cookware is susceptible to mold if left unattended for long periods of time, especially in humid environments.
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However, mold in big green egg is not a death sentence by any means. It can be cleaned pretty easily with widely available materials. So if you are a victim of mold or mildew on your expensive egg, let’s see how you can bring it back to life.
Here we go:
How To Clean Mold In Big Green Egg – Get Rid Of Mold
Let’s face it, a grill thrives only on fire. And fire is exactly what you need to get rid of mold. Sure there are some soap or chemical products that can be used. But you would get much better results by burning all the mold off (also recommended by the manufacturer).
Hence, our step-by-step will revolve around the burning method but here are a few other products that you can use for the big green egg cleaning mold.
What Can You Use To Clean Mold On Your Big Green Egg-
- Bleach and Water mixture
- Oxyclean or similar products
- A Metal brush (be careful around the ceramic)
- A damp cloth or sponge
- A very light dish soap (emphasis on light)
- Aluminum foil crumbed up to be a ball
- Hard bristled plastic brush
All of these products will prove to be somewhat effective against light mold or mildew. The chemicals can give you a clean result and the brush or sponge will scrub the mold off quite easily.
Even after that, for dense mold infestation, you really need to use fire. Below we will describe the methodology for how you can do just that.
Here’s the step-by-step process:
- Step 1: Cleaning the old Ash out
This should really be done after every couple of cooks but if you did not do it before, now is as good a time as any. Take a damp rug and wipe off all the excess ash and dust and then take out the box that holds the ash and discard all of it.
- Step 2: The Cooking grates will only get in the way
The first real step will be to take out your cooking grates. Usually, they will not have a lot of molds if any but you can clean them off with the previously mentioned products. Just be careful not to be too rough.
- Step 3: Put some charcoal in
You can then fill the egg up with some charcoal. Use any leftovers from previous cooks or just use new fresh ones. It doesn’t matter much what kind you use.
- Step 4: Light it up
Light up the charcoal as you would normally do and close the lid of the egg. Crank the heat all the way to max. Anywhere from the range of 500 to 700 degrees F will be good enough for any kind of mold.
- Step 5: The grates go back in
Even after that light cleaning, you can put the cooking grates back in or leave them out. Does not really matter that much.
- Step 6: Let it burn
Now let the charcoal burn. Give it enough time to burn through everything. An hour to two is generally enough. Or you can just wait until the coal is burnt off.
- Step 7: Let Oxygen help
By the end of the burning process, open up the lid and let oxygen get in. Oxygen is what lets flames burn and in this case it’ll help pretty well. At this point you should see most of the mold is burnt and is turned to ash.
- Step 8: Cooling Down
Open up the vents and wait until the grill cools down enough to touch with your bare hands.
- Step 9: Removal of used charcoal and ash
The charcoal has fulfilled its purpose by now and you should have plenty of ash to show for it. Clean them out as you’d usually do.
- Step 10: Disassembly
It is typically a good idea at this point to thoroughly clean your grill and all parts of it. The grates, fire ring, and firebox should come out.
- Step 11: Elbow Grease time
This is perhaps the hardest step of them all and it requires active work on your part. Any scrubber of your choice will do as you rub down all the mold that is burnt beyond oblivion at this point. Go at it for around 60 mins or until every part of the grill looks clean.
- Step 12: The final wash
The mold cleaning process is pretty much done. All that is left to do is gently rub off or wash any residue with a damp cloth.
And that’s it. The big green egg should be squeaky clean by now and is ready for you to continue any grilling endeavors of your choice.
If this was a lot of work for you, perhaps you should know “why is there mold in my big green egg” in the first place and what preventative steps you can take for next time.
What Causes Black Mold On Big Green Egg?
Any mold’s best friend is a warm and humid climate. If your geographical location tends to check that list, you will need extra care to prevent anything like this from happening again.
Along with that, any kamado grill is meant to be used frequently. That is why they were made in the first place and you will do well to have frequent grills in your backyard.
Also, you kinda need to do some mandatory cleaning up after every use as leftover food particles will only accelerate any possible mold growth.
How To Prevent Mold In Big Green Eggs?
Now that you know your whys, here’s how to keep mold from growing in the big green egg:
- Before storing the egg after use, remember to not have any leftover water droplets on it. Give it a good rub with a clean and dry cloth.
- In between cooks, remember to store your grill in a clean and dry place and do not use the cover. Yes, you might notice some dust but they are usually a lot easier to clean than full-fledged mold.
- If you have the time, let some coals burn in your grill for 30 to 60 minutes every time you are done using it. This will burn off any food residue and get rid of any living ground for mold.
How Often Should You Clean Your Big Green Egg To Prevent Mold?
The answer to this question depends on what you mean by cleaning. You should, in theory, do some basic cleaning every time you use the grill. That includes burning it for an hour extra to let all the residue burn off.
After every 3 to 5 times you cook, it will be in your best interest to clean the ash and dust. And finally, if you are a frequent user, deep clean the entire thing once every 4 to 6 months so that no mold can ever grow.
How to Kill Mold in Big Green Egg?
Molds are living things and like every other living thing out there, they can be killed. There are a lot of chemicals in the market that are purpose-made to kill mold but what you need to pay attention to here is are these chemicals good for your big green egg. The answer is usually no.
The best way to kill mold is to burn them. Like every other living being, mold will burn and then turn into ash which is much simpler to clean off.
What Temp Kills Mold In Big Green Egg?
A really high or really low temperature is typically enough to kill any mold. Low is a bit hard to get on most parts around the world, especially with a bulky big green egg, so we will focus on the high temp here.
A lot of studies suggest that anything over 150 degrees F is enough to kill off most molds, however, just to be safe, always crank up your Big Green Egg to the highest possible temperature (500 degrees F) to kill off any mold.
What Kills Mold Naturally?
To kill mold naturally, you need to create an extremely acidic or basic environment. Thankfully, that can be done by common household objects.
Vinegar, lemon, grapefruit, baking soda, toothpaste, and hydrogen peroxide are all natural objects that can be used to kill molds.
Although for the purpose of the Big green egg, these chemicals might have a tendency to hurt your expensive grill. So do not just use any of them.
Can You Burn Off Mold In Green Egg?
YES, that is exactly what you need to do to any mold inside your big green egg. That is also what the manufacturer suggests you do instead of using another natural or artificial remedy.
We have already described how to do it earlier and it is easy enough for anyone with a couple of hours of free time.
How Long Does It Take To Burn Mold Off Grill?
Usually, gas grills run a bit hotter than coal ones and that is why the time required to burn off mold is different for them. With gas grills, you can expect all mold to burn off in 20 to 30 minutes of time.
If you have a coal grill, given that you have enough burning coal, you can get rid of mold in around 30 to 60 minutes.
What Happens When You Burn Mold?
Like all other known living organisms, mold is made up of carbon molecules. When exposed to enough heat carbon molecules burn and turn into ash. So when you burn mold, it might give off some smoke that hurts your eyes and nose, but eventually, they’ll just burn down to ash.
What If You Use Moldy Big Green Egg?
The important thing about mold is that it does not affect every human in the same way. Some of us are just way more sensitive to any and all kinds of mold.
So depending on you and your friends/family, using moldy big green egg might not even mean anything health-wise.
However, you might still get that old moldy smell from the food. So you should always avoid using moldy grills or any other cookware.
White Mold And Black Mold On Big Green Egg – What Are They?
Both molds are just fungi or distant cousins of the mushrooms we eat. White mold is also commonly known as mildew. Both need a humid climate to grow and since white will need a lot more water, the mold you will typically see on your big green egg will be black. Either way, the cleaning process remains the same.
Can You Smoke With Moldy Big Green Egg?
A BIG FAT NO! Smoking is done at a lower temperature and molds will not be dead at that temp. If you go through with smoking in a moldy big green egg, your meat will smell of mold, and depending on your genetics your body will get some reaction if that meat is eaten.
Conclusion
If you have stuck through all of this article, you should understand by now that mold in big green eggs, while annoying, is not a death sentence to the grill. You just need to clean it out before proceeding to cook and it can be done pretty easily too!
