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View Full Version : Galvanized (zinc) BBQ issues ....


Q_Egg
05-09-2006, 12:28 PM
I accept and respect the various comments regarding noxious fumes which are likely to emanate from galvanized metal exposed to BBQ heat temps. I simpy want to take the question one more step and ask if the science involved might indicate a rapid reduction of the noxious fumes after a few normal heating cycles? Once some of the zinc has 'burned off', or oxidized, or what ever transformation takes place, AND ... some smokey residue has built up on the plated metal, is it likely that the negative effects will be minimized greatly OR continue to spew out at the initial rate? This could also be accelerated by a high-energy propane burner applied to the surfaces. Any learned chemists or metallurgists out there willing to comment?

T_B

kcquer
05-09-2006, 12:44 PM
Tommy, the "bad stuff" will burn off. You just don't want to do it in your cooker. The "nasties" will hide in the smoke residue inside the cook chamber and continually deposit themselves on you food until the cooker has been completely cleaned out.

Clearly a little strapping isn't like cooking in a garbage can (never mind A/B's electric experiment), but do take it seriously! Zinc poisoning is nasty stuff.

Q_Egg
05-09-2006, 12:47 PM
Accepted and appreciated! Thanks for taking time ... the logic holds and it's a bit ignorant to take chances with this stuff.
Regards,
T_B

VitaminQ
05-09-2006, 02:49 PM
When I modded my ECB, I made legs for the charcoal pan so I could lift the rest of the cooker off to fark with the fire. All I could come up with was galvanized allthread, so I used it, but burned the zinc off with a torch before I cooked with the legs in place. I've eaten a lot of Q from that cooker, and no ill effects noted. Of course, Sami is my hero, so who knows . . .

Q_Egg
05-09-2006, 03:06 PM
Interesting ..... since I was wondering (before I started all the 101 mods) if your idea, plus some sort of leg extension for the standard grate, would accomplish the same thing. For the long term, these two items will need to be replaced anyway, but they should last for a few cooks.

Thanks for another possible idea (allthread) for the pan, since the firebricks I now have in there will block some of the airflow from the damper.

T_B

Ron_L
05-09-2006, 05:16 PM
When I modded my ECB, I made legs for the charcoal pan so I could lift the rest of the cooker off to fark with the fire. All I could come up with was galvanized allthread, so I used it, but burned the zinc off with a torch before I cooked with the legs in place. I've eaten a lot of Q from that cooker, and no ill effects noted. Of course, Sami is my hero, so who knows . . .

I don't want to alarm you, Shohn, but you may want to check the zinc content in your blood. Your avatar has grown two heads, and neither belongs to that body... :shock:

:-D

chad
05-09-2006, 05:31 PM
Actually, if you do a real hot burn first time (no food) and cook off the zinc you'd be ok...I'm always amazed at the "scout" garbage can chickens done in new galvanized cans...I can't imagine that most of them are burned off before cooking the yard-bird.

I'd just fire up the grill with a big load of charcoal and then stick the firegrate and bolts in the fire and let it go for a nice long time.

The other option is to backup and use stainless or plain carriage bolts...of course, no matter what you do you'll never get the bolts off short of cutting them after the first fire.

Kevin
05-09-2006, 06:48 PM
Got access to a welder and chop saw. Rebar is about $5.00 per 20' stick of 1/2". Lasts a long time as a fire grate.

Kevin
05-09-2006, 07:21 PM
Here's what I built for no cost. Had the scrap steel and mooched the rebar from a concrete buddy.

Q_Egg
05-09-2006, 07:22 PM
.... our area is one of the fastest growing in the USA right now and it's impossible to get anything done related to construction in less than 2 or 3 months. I got a scrap of 9-gauge extended steel and that was it! They won't even talk about welding some re-bar..... good idea though.

T_B

BBQchef33
05-09-2006, 09:29 PM
damn kevin.. that looks more like a prison window than a firegrate... think it'll last? :icon_clown :tongue:

Wayne
05-09-2006, 11:42 PM
I cannot believe we are trying to figure out how to make metal coated with zinc safe. Metallic zinc is not considered to be toxic, but free zinc ions in solution (like copper or iron ions) are highly toxic. Especially in plants and lower forms of life. There is also a clinical condition called metal fume fever or the zinc shakes or zinc chills that can be induced by the inhalation of freshly formed zinc oxide formed during the welding of galvanized materials. Symptoms include a fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, hematemesis (bloody vomit). The problem can slowly go away on its own but drugs can speed up the elimination of the excess zinc. The zinc half life in the body is about 300 days, which means that on day 300 the concentration of zinc should be half of what it was on day 1. That is a long time for something to stay in the body. If you ingest zinc chloride it can be fatal. Zinc is not a cumulative poison like heavy metals such as lead or mercury that may never leave the body. Using a zinc coated grate or grill in your BBQ endangers everybody that eats the food prepared in it. Attempting to burn it off at high temperatures will also endanger whoever tends the fire or holds the torch.

RichardF
05-11-2006, 01:17 PM
Once again - Wayne is the voice of reason.

Bigdog
05-11-2006, 02:39 PM
Fark. I want Kevin to build me one of those fire grates. That is farking awesome man.

BobberQer
05-11-2006, 08:22 PM
There certainly is a a medical condition called welders flu.. can be deadly.. I wouldnt fark with it

JohnMcD348
05-11-2006, 09:30 PM
Interesting ..... since I was wondering (before I started all the 101 mods) if your idea, plus some sort of leg extension for the standard grate, would accomplish the same thing. For the long term, these two items will need to be replaced anyway, but they should last for a few cooks.

Thanks for another possible idea (allthread) for the pan, since the firebricks I now have in there will block some of the airflow from the damper.

T_B

Here's what I did with mine. It's a little bit different becuase I have the Brinkman but the priciples pretty much the same.

I went to Lowes( or try Home Depot or local Mom&Pop Store)and bought some Stainless Steel lag bolts with matching large washers and nuts(2 per bolt). I bought the 5-6" long bolts that are sold in the pull out drawers in the hardware section of the store. I used 6 of them. 1 on each corner and 2 in the middle of the fire grate. I placed a nut about 4" from the top of the bolt and placed a washer on top of that. Then I stuck them throught the grate and placed another washer over the grate and the other nut on that. Basically sandwiching the charcoal grate between two nuts and washers and using the top of the lag bolts as feet. This gave roughly 4" clearance bewteen the grate and the bottom of the firebox. I used that setup for about the last year and a half until I got my Spicewine Basket.
For the baffle, I just recently bough a roll of plain Aluminum sheeting that I plan on using to get the thing setup right.

JohnMcD348
05-11-2006, 09:31 PM
If you want to do that, I will send you the bolts I used, just PM me your address and I'llget them out to ya. I don't need'em anymore.

Samichlaus
05-11-2006, 11:00 PM
When I modded my ECB, I made legs for the charcoal pan so I could lift the rest of the cooker off to fark with the fire. All I could come up with was galvanized allthread, so I used it, but burned the zinc off with a torch before I cooked with the legs in place. I've eaten a lot of Q from that cooker, and no ill effects noted. Of course, Sami is my hero, so who knows . . .


shucks

Q_Egg
05-12-2006, 12:56 PM
to get through the Summer and gets me time to decide about the charcoal basket investment. I'm playing with the extended steel stuff right now.
T_B

ggeilman
05-12-2006, 02:36 PM
It kinda looks like a Spicewine firebox.