What causes crazing?

[Rub]

Does anyone know for sure? Heat related? Stress? Age?

[brewtownbeatdown]

General consensus is high heat.  I have to agree with that theory.  I bank coals on my workhorse 26 OT & have had serious crazing since I've switched to using lump primarily in it.  Very localized damage on a 9yo kettle.  I imagine that so many older kettles end up crazed because of the shear number of cooks (accumulated heat damage).  Guessing your yellow had a sunken (concaved) charcoal grate from the looks of it. 


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[Hell Fire Grill]

My opinion is themal shock caused by flare ups and lighter fluid type rapid/sudden heat.

[kettlebb]

I think the two main causes are banking coals directly against the bowl and grease fires. I had a nice grease fire tonight doing thighs. I'm all out of drip pans.


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[toebone]

I believe it's from banking coal, here in Australia most 18's even in the 90's were sold with charcoal rails and not baskets.

I've had quite a few of both sizes pass through my hands and the 18's always seem to have more crazing issues then 22's.


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[Rub]

Some good points made. It seems in a lot of the cases with mine the crazing has happened below the line of the charcoal grate. I could definitely see it happening from a sudden temp change like @Hell Fire Grill said. Like cracking a glass from pouring in a hot liquid. Or using water to defrost a windshield.

[pbe gummi bear]

Some good points made. It seems in a lot of the cases with mine the crazing has happened below the line of the charcoal grate. I could definitely see it happening from a sudden temp change like @Hell Fire Grill said. Like cracking a glass from pouring in a hot liquid. Or using water to defrost a windshield.

Or the grill being super hot then having cooler meat juice fall on the bowl.

[Hofy]

High heat cooks with the coals banked directly against the bowl.  This is what I did to mine.  Weber still warrantied it!

[Golly]

banking coals causes crazing

[Rub]

A lot of times it's below the coal grate though. Small chunks falling through maybe? But that wouldn't really amount to high heat like banking.


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[kettlebb]

That's why I'm thinking grease fires and flare ups Rub. I had a nice grease fire the other night and my first thought was this thread.


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[vwengguy]

I have seen some with insane amounts of crazing and still can't put my finger on what exactly causes it out side of high heat. As we all know .. some colors seem to be the whipping post of the crazing monster. The worst cases I have seen always are the blue kettles? I have seen others but mostly on blue and almost all the blues have pops at the straps. My theory with the grate strap enamel pops are due to the spot weld and the thicker metal in this spot. This extra thick chunk of metal directly touching the charcoal grate conducts more heat and that causes a hot spot.
OR it's a colder spot and the kettle metal around this weld is hotter ?
Anyways.. crazing in places other than the straps is in my idea caused buy insane temps in combination with cooling from wind.
We have all seen the video from the Weber factory when the enamel is baked on and the kettle is glowing red.. this is baked with an even heat in an oven and that is not a problem.
Proof that the enamel can take the high temps.. but high temps in one place = Crazing
Just my 0.02

Edit:
All that being said.. I still can't explain the crazing below the charcoal grate all the way down to the air vent holes?
Unless someone once used a whole bottle of starter juice in a epic fail of an attempt to start 8kg of coals for 4 hotdogs.


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[swamprb]

Some time ago @Jeff was asking folks for pics of excessively crazed bowls. Maybe he has some input?


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[lksdrinker]

I just picked up a blue performer and found the bowl is really badly crazed. So maybe there is something with the blues!