Cleaning grills, smokers, etc.


 

Mike Delta

New member
Not a fun topic, but a necessary one. In the absence of a deep utility sink, how do you clean your equipment? I've thought of using one of those small, molded plastic kids' swimming pools. Other ideas?
 
Find a part of your yard that you're not too concerned about. Break the WSM down into its component pieces and spray everything generously with a "cold oven" type oven cleaner. Scrub vigorously (if you want), then hose it all away. You may have to repeat.

I try to stay away from the concrete, as the grease will make stains. I've never had any problems on my back lawn
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Please forgive my beginner question, Kevin, but as I cooked my first ribs this weekend, and experienced the promised "gunk", I ask this:

when you say "break down the WSM into its component parts" do you mean everything but the charcoal grate, to include the middle section inside and out, the access door, the bottom section inside, the top section inside and out, and the grill grates?

The perfectionist side of me would love everything to shine every time I cook, but I seriously don't want to damage this new cooking toy of mine. Thanks for tolerating my simplistic question.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mike Delta:
Not a fun topic, but a necessary one. In the absence of a deep utility sink, how do you clean your equipment? I've thought of using one of those small, molded plastic kids' swimming pools. Other ideas? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

In Australia many people use a wheel barrow.

Regards
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Kevin S.:
Find a part of your yard that you're not too concerned about. Break the WSM down into its component pieces and spray everything generously with a "cold oven" type oven cleaner. Scrub vigorously (if you want), then hose it all away. You may have to repeat.

I try to stay away from the concrete, as the grease will make stains. I've never had any problems on my back lawn
icon_smile.gif
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I use Dawn Power Dissolver to clean my WSM. I clean it once a year in the spring. The Dawn works very well. I let the WSM sit in the sun for a few hrs and just spray it with the Dawn. Let it sit for about a 1/2 hr or so and wash it off with the garden hose. I have a pressure washer, but never had the need to use it on the WSM. I know many here never wash the inside, but once a year works for me. The cooking grate/s are cleaned after every cook, and hung in the garage to dry, and await the next cook. HTH
 
I clean my grates between every cook. Used to spray them down with a degreaser but have been using the gasser with pretty good results as of late (run the gasser on high for 10-15 minutes and brush the grates like you would your gasser grates). I scrape the lid out with foil when the flakes appear and scrape the bottom bowl out with single layer card board to pick up anything that missed the pan during the cook when cleaning the ash after every cook. Also, I wipe the rim between the center section and the lid after every cook. Otherwise, everything else is pretty much baked on and hard (and seasoned). I clean the outside with a good degreaser twice a year too.

Bill
 
I think it was on here, a year or two ago, I heard someone write about using Hefty type trash bags, and placing the parts inside along with a cup or so of ammonia. Tied shut and left in the sun for the day, apparently everything just hoses right off. Haven't tried it yet myself as I live in an apartment, and don't have a garden hose. But I'd be curious to hear if anyone else has tried this.
 
The lid to my round, 32-gallon trash can makes a good, shallow wash pan for the cooking grates. If they're really dirty, I put them in the lid and spray them down with a heavy-duty cleaner, or just let them soak in water with ammonia. Setting the black lid out in the sun heats the water up, too. After a soaking, I generally brush the grates with a brass wire brush, rinse thoroughly, and they're ready to go.
 
I'm pretty much a "once or twice a year" guy, with no specific schedule. When it gets to be too much gunk build up, and I have the time, I clean it.

More frequently, I put the grates in the dishwasher on the "Pots and Pans" cycle. They don't come out shiny and spotless, but certainly clean enough for me.

I'm gonna try that Dawn Power Dissolve Bryan recommends.
 
I use a drip pan made for use under a hot water heater and soak the grates once or twice a year in powdered brewery wash, you should be able to get one of the pans cheap at any hardware store.
 
For my grates I have a 55 gallon poly drum that I cut @12" of the bottom to soak them in. It will hold 22.5" grates. After my last comp, I use powdered bleach and water and soak them for a day or two and hose them off.

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