Could steam cause a kettle blowout?

[rmcmann]

I had a blowout in one of my kettles while using the old style charcoal baskets. I had just cleaned the  bowl the night before and was wondering if water could have gotten behind one of the support brackets for the charcoal grates where there could have been some rust and then turned to steam, causing the blowout.

[cwmfour]

I suppose it's possible  Did the enamel come off?  Did you pour a chimney of lit charcoal into the kettle or was the pile lit in place?

[rmcmann]

It blew a quarter sized hole in the enamel.  I used the old style baskets with indirect heat. But I took care to place them a little bit away from the edge. They were lit with the starter cubes and the temp was about 250 degrees

[Darko]

I'm thinking probably not. The kettle isn't a pressure vessel. There are too many leaks between the lid and the top & bottom vents. If water got in somewhere, it would have the ability (even as steam) to get out again.

[Troy]

probably not steam
probably a weld spot.

As the kettle heats up, metal expands.
The weld spots expand and contract at different rates as well as different amounts.
The weld's thermoconductivity is also different than the rest fo the kettle.

The result: the porcelain finish directly at the weld spots (grate straps, leg sockets, handle welds) are prone to popping.

[rmcmann]

I was thinking that water could have gotten into a small area of rusted metal behind the weld and expanded inside of the rusted metal. Troy. I thought that blowouts like this happened only at high heat. (true that the charcoal basket was near the wall next to that area) I guess it just goes with the territory . It took me two attempts to pick up the grill last winter. I had just cleaned it up and this was the first time I used it.