Curved ash remover?

[Eggman62]

I have a circular firebox but cannot find an ash remover with a curved blade. Any suggestions?

[RonB]

Any curved shovel should work, but I'd opt for one with a wooden handle.

[dpearce]

You talking hot ash or cooled ash? If you don't mind waiting until it's cooled off, a plastic milk jug, cut to match your firebox.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7namI0Gg6s&t=4s

Otherwise, if you have some metal-working tools, you could take a garden hoe, shorten the handle, cut the blade to match your firebox angle, and possibly put a lip on it to help scoop out the ash?

[Eggman62]

Great idea, DP. Thank you.

[Panhead John]

Something like this one?

https://www.chargriller.com/products/ash-scraper

[Eggman62]

That's exactly what I was looking for PJ. Thank you very much for the information. What's difficult to match is the curvature of a 24-inch diameter circular fire box, which changes per inch around 4.77°. This may not fit that curve, but it's a great start!

[Mosca]

If it’s for a BGE, I use an old fireplace brush and work from the top. Take out the food grate and the charcoal grate (or basket), sweep the ashes to the front. I only take the firebox out once or twice a year, whatever ash is hiding there has no effect on the cook.

[LA Pork Butt]

Where do you need the contour? On the bottom of the pit like Panhead John suggested or like a Big Green Egg. I cook on a Big Green Egg and cut the contour on a small hand held plastic dust pan. The more information you give us on your cooker and whether it is hot of cold coals the better we are able to help.

[Eggman62]

Thanks for your reply, LAPB. The smoker has a circular 26" smoke box, 2" of which is insulation, so a 24" diameter. As such, the curve changes per inch by around 4.77°. Of course, it is unlikely I'll find a cold-coal ash remover designed to that specification, but I'm open to suggestions beyond plastic ash scrapers.

[RonB]

If you have, or know someone who has an angle grinder, you can grind the correct shape by placing the new scraper against the end of the firebox, tracing the correct curve, and grinding it to shape. Perfect would be great, but not absolutely necessary.

If only for cold ash, you could make a scraper out of wood and shape with some kind of sander.

[RonB]

You may be able to rent an angle grinder if all else fails.

[LA Pork Butt]

Is it possible to shape the one that Panhead John attached or attach with metal screws a piece of metal that has been shaped, as RonB suggests, to fit you fire box?

[Panhead John]

Eggman62 Which smoker do you have? Can you post a picture of your firebox or a link to the smoker you have? That would be helpful for us to give you suggestions.

[Eggman62]

Old Country G2. https://ocbbqpits.com/products/generation-2-smoker

[Panhead John]

Nice smoker!

[Duanessmokedmeats]

Use a shop vac

[sclawrence2013]

+1, I have a dedicated shop vac just for cleaning ash from all my cookers.

[Donw]

I use a bucket head vacuum, attached to a 5 gallon bucket, for all my cookers too. Cold ash only of course.

[Santamarina]

With my offset I always used a shovel to tend the fire. Easy ash management during a cook. Didn’t get everything out, but got enough for things to burn clean. When cool I’d use a small broom for the final cleaning after removing the big stuff with the shovel.

[Eggman62]

How true it is that we often overlook the most obvious answers! Thanks.

[Henrik]

I just use a handheld brush to move the ash to the back edge (where the firebox door is), and then place a bucket underneath. Easy peasy. But that only works with ash that has cooled off. I run my offset smoker, and then do this on the morning after the cook.