Look what happed to Ackorn

[fstellab]

Folks,

The ash bowl paint and and handles burned off. I am not sure why this happened
I never let the grill get above 400 degrees. I used the recommended lump charcoal (Cowboy) ..

The only thing I can think of is that I did not clean out the ashes for 2 grilling sessions. When I went to clean
today I found the paint burned off and the handles turned into charcoal, They fell off when I touched them.

I seems to be intact, Is it safe to to use ?

Did I cause this ? Should I bug Char-Griller for a new one ?

Thanks

[Ross]

No, that's not normal, at all. If it were me I'd get a hold of them and ask for a refund. Maybe photos would help your cause. If you don't get anywhere with Chargriller, I'd take it back to the store of purchase and ask for a refud/new grill.

Did, by chance, after your cook, have the vents left wide open for a long period of time? That could have caused what you are describing. But even if you did that, it should not have caused what you are describing.

[JMSetzler]

It had to have gotten extremely hot somehow to burn off the wooden handle on the outside of the grill.

[Slick Willy]

Edit

[yo_quiero_fumar]

I dont think its anything you did and frankly since chargriller did not build a grease trap system into the grill, and they expect you to be able to cook food which releases grease, if a fire breaks out and damages your grill enough to affect function that should be on them. I think the handles burning off your ash pan affects the grills function. Call or email them for sure.

[fstellab]

Ash Pan

php5pPWFTAM.jpg (24.53 KiB) Viewed 883 times

Hi Folks,

I am fairly certian it was not a grease fire .. I used a drip pan for both the Rib and Chicken cookouts ..

I did notice the the main lid did not close exactly to the bottom, putting the latch on fixed that.

Can I use this ash pan while I get this sorted out ?

I finally figured out how to post a photo, check it out:

[IrvinF]

WOW!!!!! Maybe next time you should cut back to only one gallon of charcoal starter. My first guess is you had more than ash in your bottom ash pan burning on top of the ashes. Make sure there is no charcoal in the ash tray. Use only large enough piece that will not fall into the ash pan. I have seen where some people put another grate on top of the standard one perpendicular to the one that's there or put expanded metal on to of the charcoal grate. Good luck getting it replaced that surely should not happen.

[Marty]

AS to can you use it? It the metal still sound? Is the gasket still in one piece? Does the gasket seal? Do the latches pull it up tight.

If it is sound with a good seal you can use it. I would paint it. I would definitely call CharGriller and e-mail them a photo. They will likely send you a new ash trap and if not then I would order one

I am curious did you need to scrape the gasket loose? After my fire I had to scrape the gasket loose from the surface that it seals to to get the ash trap off. I just crumbled the carbon out and reused it.

What did you cook that was fatty over the last dozen cooks? Chicken thighs were what got me---they were extra fatty.

What caused this is the real question. As has been stated it had to get very very hot to burn off the handles
As has been noted a large diffuser say 16 inches and taking it to 500-600-700 would make things very hot.
A number of us have had grease fires and that is even with using a drip pan. I had my chicken thighs around the very outside and beyond the drip pan.

What I find interesting it that it seems to have gotten extremely hot all the way around at the ash trap except the very bottom. All of this is a double walled area except for where the air inlet is. How is the bottom of the main grill. This had to be blazing hot right next to the CGK its self.

Were you there when this happened? If the gasket survived this then if can survive almost any thing. They do have replacement gaskets.

[Slick Willy]

Edit

[Marty]

Hi Folks,

I am fairly certian it was not a grease fire .. I used a drip pan for both the Rib and Chicken cookouts ..

I think that smaller amounts of grease can migrate to the edges of the cast iron grill and drip down the sides from there - even if you have a drip pan to catch the bulk of the grease. I would still be very suspicious that this damage was caused by a grease fire.

Slick I tend to agree with you because this had to be a very intense heat --like that from a fast burning ---concentrated heat source--like grease---or charcoal in closed environment with a steady source of air like a Kamado full of charcoal and both vents open. I got mine up to probably 1000 that way by walking away and getting distracted. I had no damage because I had just had a grease fire so my AKORN was not damaged. It still looks like new except for the copper silicone.

[Ross]

Wow, I'm sorry that happened, and that pic would make me want to run, not walk away from every buying that grill. I know the price is killer, but there has to be a major design flaw for something like this to happen...

[IrvinF]

I have left ashes in my pan for a couple of burns now. It is not much but makes me want to clean it out more often. Maybe the ashes will help to absorb any grease maybe just cause another problem not sure. Makes you always want to have a drip pan in too.

[yo_quiero_fumar]

Are you sure you didn't use jet fuel to light your charcoal?! Really though, it looks like a straight up fire started in your ash pan and just kept going. I mean was that glowing still or did it turn red or was it red originally and the top is black?

[Marty]

I have left ashes in my pan for a couple of burns now. It is not much but makes me want to clean it out more often. Maybe the ashes will help to absorb any grease maybe just cause another problem not sure. Makes you always want to have a drip pan in too.

Some people leave the ash trap quite full with the idea that it absorbs the grease and will slow a fire down.

With the AKORN IMHO you want to catch as much grease as possible and keep an eye on the bottom gasket and around the air inlet on the ash trap for grease residue. My Traeger is set up with a pail to catch the grease and i have emptied half a pail before---mostly from making pulled pork.. My gas grill is designed to burn the grease off of the ceramic plates and has a pull oiut tray the width of the entire grill to catch the grease that falls below the burners. The AKORN dose not have any set up to deal with the grease from say making pulled pork.

Some people tried to say my fire was from improper use -----and at that time I said that I was not the first and would not be the last to have a grease fire. Sadly it seems I was correct.

[Ross]

I have never in my lifetime seen a charcoal grill self destruct in such a manner. A gas grill, yes, but never a charcoal. If forum member Fstellab is telling the truth, then a photo of this being sent to Consumer United Laboratories should be warranted. If this unit were sitting within a foot of a home structure there could have been a catastrophe. There have been companies shut down by the government for producing such high risk products. If there is indeed such a design flaw to cause such a phenomenon, then it needs to be recalled and corrected at once.


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