visible fire damage

1. EGGactly What Happened Here??? White Rock, South Carolina - $900+K damages Private residence damaged by a fire. Photograph taken on September 28, 1996, following a fire which was alleged to have started as a result of using a “Big Green Egg”. Camera facing north. visible fire damage

2. When the EGGsperts Finish with EGGcuses and EGGsplanations, Who Picks Up the Tab?? Side view of residence [camera facing east]. Outdoor cooking area indicated [inset]. Fire Marshal associated this area with origin of fire.

3. EGGstent of Damage and Damages Zoom-In on outdoor cooking area. Based on Plaintiff’s experts [cause/ origin expert and electrician], “origin area of the fire was the porch where the grill was located, and the cause of the fire was the grill becoming hot enough to ignite nearby combustibles, such as the wooden stand in which it was located on the porch.” Note the soot pattern on the chimney brickwork as well as the area where the soot isn’t [inset].

4. The EGG is was using was right here just a moment ago... ~ 7:30 pm, evening of September 27, insured started fire in BGE using “instant light devices”, covering them with regular charcoal. About 20 minutes later, he cooked steaks. After cooking finished, grill gas grill - propane fuel origin closed to allow coals to burn out. Fire discovered at 3:30 am the next morning.

5. EGGsactly What Do You Mean by “Well Done?? View looking up from immediately in front of gas grill. Note wiring [inset]and soot pattern on chimney brickwork.

6. Copper tubing leading from remote propane tank Remnants of two [2] BGEs Ah, yes - why you don’t sit on walls, have great falls and that sort of thing…. Table supporting BGEs and deck supporting table consumed by fire. No residues from either table or deck recovered. Evidence collected by plaintiff’s cause/origin expert.

7. So… how many King’s horses and King’s men do you need? Plaintiff’s cause/origin expert’s offices [March 7, 1997, Columbia, South Carolina]. Evidence has been partially reconstructed. Note appearance of side vent door [inset].

8. EGGS Over Easy…. or Scrambled? Closer view of BGE base where specimen #1 was retrieved. What does this [and other] reassembly show? Is any evidence being destroyed?

9. A Jig-Saw Puzzler’s Delight - EGGscrutiatingly Detailed... Closer view of 2nd BGE base where a specimen was retrieved for testing and analysis. After I’ve got this stuff, what do you think I should do with it? [careful now….]

10. [1] residue on fracture surface [2] origin of fracture? So Many Pieces, So Little Time….

11. From Ancient Kamado to Big Green Egg The original design of the Big Green Egg® traces its roots back over 3000 years, to ancient China. The Japanese adopted it, and called it "kamado," which means oven, stove, heater, or fireplace. In the years following World War II, thousands of Americans in the military "discovered" the strange cooker and brought it home to the United States. It delighted everyone who used it and tasted the food. Up until then, the only grills available for outdoor cooking were the metal charcoal and gas grills. The additional juiciness and flavor that this "new" cooker gave to foods amazed everyone that sampled its cooking.

12. Materials Science - Ceramics Engineering When our Big Green Egg® store opened in Atlanta in 1974 we sold both the Japanese and Chinese kamados, and they rewarded their owners with great food. These kamados, made of fire-clay, were basically of the same design and material used for thousands of years. These original cookers became brittle after a few years of use, but until the development of the new Big Green Egg®, they were the very best cookers around. Common “Fireclays” are Aluminum Silicates containing 45.87 w/o Al2O3, balance SiO2. This composition is equivalent to a 2SiO2-Al2O3 mol ratio, called metakaolinite

13. FEATURES • EASY TEMPERATURE CONTROL • By adjusting the dampers, you can attain a temperature accuracy within two degrees. You have total control. You can do your grilling, barbecuing, smoking, and baking at exactly the temperatures you need. The optional heat gauge will give precise readings of temperature, from 50° to 750°. We have included a cookbook with recipes and easy instructions. You'll get great results from the start.

14. FEATURES • THE WORLD'S BEST SMOKER • Smoking is done at lower temperaturesusually between 150° and 250°. Add some moistened wood chips to the glowing charcoal for flavor. Your Egg® gives you control of the degree of smoked flavor. You can have just a hint of smoke, or have your meats smoked through to the bone. With the Big Green Egg® you can smoke foods exactly the way you like them. • EASY TO START • Lighting is quick without starter fluid regardless of wind conditions. All you need are a few sheets of newspaper. The air flow works like a fireplace. The Big Green Egg® will be at operating temperature and ready to use in less than ten minutes. You can use an electric lighter for even greater convenience.

15. FEATURES • A COMPLETE OUTDOOR COOKER • The BGE® is a smoker, a grill, and an oven. You can do an entire meal at once by including your veggiescorn, potatoes, mushrooms, onions, etc. are superb! There are even deserts you can enjoy from the Egg®. The cookbook has many more suggestions. • MOISTURE RETENTION • The Big Green Egg® ceramics hold heat and moisture extremely well. For this reason, foods do not dry out, as in metal charcoal, gas, or electric grills. Natural juices and flavors enhance the taste. The BGE® operates without the need for water or endless hours of tending. Meats and other foods are juicier, with little or no shrinkage.

16. FEATURES • SAFER TO USE • The Big Green Egg® is safer to use because the ceramic surface stays cooler than a metal cooker. This protection is most important around small children. • NATURAL FLAVORS • The ceramic Big Green Egg® gives a natural and wholesome flavor to all your foodswith no metallic taste. When baking, you'll get a "brick-oven" flavor and crust. Bake a bread or a pizza in your Big Green Egg® and see for yourself. • YEAR-AROUND USAGE • You can use The Big Green Egg® in all climates. Rain and snow cannot harm it. It is suitable for all year use, even in freezing temperatures. The BGE® can be priceless in emergencies.

17. FEATURES • EASY CLEAN UP • The exterior has a lifetime porcelain glaze bonded to the ceramic. This permanent finish maintains its good looks and wipes clean easily. Inside, the heat will burn off any grease and splatters much like a self-cleaning oven. The porcelain coated grill is easy to clean. When your cookout is over you'll have less than a handful of ash to remove.

18. FEATURES • LIFETIME CERAMIC GUARANTEE • Heavy Duty Big Green Egg® ceramics will not become brittle with use like the fire-clay kamados of old. These new space age ceramics will withstand 2000 ° of heat without damage. Sear your steaks and fish at 700° or more. Smoke your roast or ham at 200° or less. Your Big Green Egg® will maintain the temperature you set, and perform superbly at high and low temperatures!

19. FEATURES • EFFICIENT • The Heavy Duty Big Green Egg® is made of modern heat holding ceramics. The ceramic walls are heavy and thick. This insulating quality cooks foods with an amazingly small consumption of charcoal. A 20 LB bag of natural charcoal will usually provide four to six months use, even if you cook out several times per week. When you are through cooking, just close the lid and the top and bottom drafts to extinguish the fire. You can reuse about 80% of the charcoal. This feature alone will pay for your Big Green Egg® in a short time.

20. Ceramics - Phase Stability and Microstructure Other Alumina Silicates: Kaolinite [China Clay] [Al2O3-2SiO2-2H2O] Pyrophylite [Al2O3-4SiO2-H2O] Sillimanite [Al2O3-SiO2] Mullite [3Al2O3-2SiO2]

21. BGE Smoker/BBQ Grill - Construction Components and Assembly In addition to the right ceramic, we made many other important improvements to the design. We use heavy gauge metal, better hinge design, no-slip bands, a better draft door, and a heavy porcelain coated grill. A permanent non-toxic porcelain glaze, also a proprietary technology, is bonded to the ceramic. It will not fade or discolor, and is easily cleaned. In all, there have been thirty-four significant changes to our new Big Green Egg®.

22. Finally, a Nest EGG of my Very Own…. Formal testing begins on March 13, 1997, using BGE wood chips and using electric fire ignition unit. Note location of BGE with respect to edge of hole in table top. Also note ceramic tile base that BGE sits on.

23. Good EGG, Bad EGG - who can tell…? Shown is a “restored” BGE accepted as a “trade-in” on a newer model. This “exemplar” was described as being manufactured using the original Japanese fireclay ceramic material. The unit is shown partially unwrapped from its packing materials.

24. One Should Never EGGscuse Recycling - As Long As Re-Cycling Doesn’t Affect Recycling … Right? Closer view of BGE top showing high-temperature patching cement used in effecting rehab.

25. Refab BGE during initial heat-up. Refab BGE after complete cycle. Note crack growth. Boy, I’ll Bet It’s Hot Enough to Fry an EGG on, or Fry on an EGG….

26. Heating/Cooling Rate Experiment - Shown is Specimen 1, with thermocouples attached. Thermal Cycling Experiment Set-Up. Heat Gun, Measurement Circuitry Shown. Just How Hot Does Hot Have to Be Before It’s Hot Enough??

27. So…Who Has EGG on their Face Now??

28. Sample 3 [New BGE Shard - Mexican Descent?? Sample 1 Sample 2 Today’s Menu Features EGGS Benedict ... or EGGS Sonora … or EGGS Kyoto … Whatever