Brown Residue


 
K

KenB

TVWBB Fan
I've used my WSM the last two times with a full pan of water, I just find it easier to control the temp and cook at lower temps which. I prefer. After each of last two cooks I noticed a brown residue on the lid and at the interior by the top grate. I cleaned it off after the first cook but it was back when I went to clean the WSM tonight. What is this stuff? Is it dangerous or should I just leave it? It is not flaking.

I have my first contest in 2 weeks and will be using water so I want to make sure the residue will not affect taste. Does the terra cotta saucer perform the same function as the water?
 
I think the official name is gunk. The WSM gets kinda nasty inside. Comes from all the smoke and fat and in your case, water. It will not hurt a thing. Keep a couple areas in mind though. In the lid, always check for flaking. If you get any, brush it off prior to cooking or you could have some nasty black flakes of basically carbon fall on your food. The other area to keep clean is the lip that the lid sits in and the rim of the lid. The gunk can actually stick so bad that you can't get your lid off. To prevent this, I take a paper towel with white vinegar while the WSM is hot (or at least warm) and wipe it down. Doesn't take much and you'll be glad you did.
 
It's basically just cooked on fat. That stuff splatters all over, lid, sides and grates. It will carbonize and flake off if you are patient. It's just extra flavor for the meat, short of mildew or whatever it's not hazardos. I used to clean my grates, then got lazy but I never got sick. Growth of any kind was burned out without question. Mold, mildew and alge were never acceptable. A quick hot burn and brush down made things good, cast iron grates made things great. The water pan was a PIA and I stopped using it. If the top gets flakey you just brush it off, annoying but not a deal breaker.
 
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