New Q - Grates Already Rusting???

I just picked up a Q320 a month or so ago, and I've used it a few times. I'm already starting to get a fair amount of rust on the grates. I've been letting it run for 10 minutes on high after using it, and I have a brass bristle brush for cleaning the grates. I keep it outside with a Q cover on it. Am I doing something wrong, or is there a problem with my grates?

Matt

Matt
One of the reasons that we purchase from Weber is their CS is better than outstanding.
Call Weber CS and advise them of the problem. You should get a new set of grates.
With your new set, after cleaning, spray or brush with a little cooking oil before they cool down. The majority of the rust is on the sides of the grill bars from what I can see. Look at the underneath surface and see if there is a lot of rust underneath. If not it indicates that the main cause is possibly related to how you clean. You are removing the foreign matter from the top of the grill but leaving traces on the sides of the grill bars. I suspect that you are using rubs with a high salt content. It is the salt that is left acting with the moisture in the air that is setting up galvanic action to produce the corrosion. The porcelain coating is not as good on the sides of the grill bars.
It in no way affects the cooking ability of the Q300.
I have had my Q200/220 (changed lids) for nigh on 5 years. I have replaced the grill once under warranty because of rust I have some slight rusting again but have found that by treating it as above it is only minor. I used to soak my grill in hot soapy water and the brush vigorously every few weeks that was the main reason that I encountered the rust problem.

Hope this helps.

Regards

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Matt A:
I've been letting it run for 10 minutes on high after using it, and I have a brass bristle brush for cleaning the grates. I keep it outside with a Q cover on it. Am I doing something wrong </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yes, IMO, you are doing it backwards. Do your burn off right before you cook, not after you are done cooking. When you do it after, you are burning off all the protective grease on the grates, and hence the rust. If you feel like you must burn off after cooking then treat the grates like you would treat a CI skillet. You would need to oil them down once the burn off is done. It makes no sense to me to waste fuel and burn off the grates and brush them after cooking when you can do the same thing on the pre heat on your next cook. MY Gold D sits outside year round here in PA and after 4 years my PCI grates have zero rust on them.

When I first got my Q I was impressed with the PCI grates and surprised that they "did not have the be seasoned" All well and good, but after my first burn off I noticed that the most of the PCI covering burned off with the rest of the stuff(boy it gets hot in there when the propane tank is full). Since I have used cast iron cookware for years I wasn't worried - I just covered the grates with some vegetable oil (I think I used PAM) and let them heat up (watching the heat this time). Got a nice even coat on them and been they've been fine ever since. They have a nice black patina on them now from three years of use, and it's semi non-stick. As mentioned above I do a burn off before i start cooking and use a SS brush (I think SS is better than brass on PCI, in MHO) after to get most of the food residue off. Every few weeks I wash them with soap and water, if necessary using the plastic scouring side of a sponge for the tough spots. After the cleaning a quick heat up on the grill to make sure they are dry and then a quick spraying with PAM and they are all set.

I guess I could have contacted Weber to have them replaced three years ago, but to be honest it wasn't necessary. The are maintaining just fine, and I don't anticipate having to replace them for a few decades.

Hope this was helpful.....

I just throw my Q grates on the Platinum D6 when I'm preheating the D6. A light brushing removes all the gunk off the Q grate. A light spray of Pam and its back to the Q.

PS: I cover my grill with HD foil when preheating to increase the temps.

I'm with Bryan S. on this one, I never brush down the grill grates after a cook-up on my little Q120 and after almost 3 years,I haven't got one speck of rust on them. Mind you, the little Q doesn't get time to rust because i use it practically 5 nights a week all year round
I always give it 10-15 minutes heat up time before grilling then i give it a good scrub with a brass brush and it comes up good apart from the outside edges but they get done with the thorough clean up every 3 months.
I buy some non-toxic degreaser and give it a good hit all round, inside out & underneath, I take the lid off and wash the split pins seperately then scrape the inside of the base bowl with a plastic el-cheapo spatula and all the loose gunk will fall into the pan underneath, once clear of excess gunk, I then hit it with my high pressure water cleaner to get the degreaser and ground in gunk off and it comes up really good( don't forget to remove oil drip pan first otherwise you'll be looking like Al Jolson).
You can use a garden hose with a high power nozzle but a pressure machine is great.
I do however, have a hard time keeping the lid looking like new, in fact I find it impossible to clean all the black from the lid underside so i just clean it up the best i can. I find that the light colored lid stains easily and not easy to get off even with a high pressure water blaster.
I leave everything under the sun to dry and then tip the main body upside down for any water that might've seeped into the gas lines, put it together,hook it up and fire away..never has failed.I'll then put a good spray of oil on the grates and have never found a rust spot.

I'm pretty rough & ready but that's my quarter yearly clean-up and I was just thinking it's now overdue for the post summer(Australia) scrub so it looks like I'll be busy this weekend.

Cheers

Davo

Matt - I think your Q-320 is defective! You must send it to me where I will try to rehabilitate it and give it a good home! (grin)

Pat (curator of the Home for Wayward Weber Grills)