general grate treatment and cleaning


 

George Curtis

TVWBB Olympian
i've tried to keep my grate oiled and generally clean. but no matter what i do it gets bad and i have to really go for major cleaning. the cast iron is said to be porcelain covered but its really hard to tell. so if the ci is not raw ci it doesn't soak up the oil to become non stick. it seems the porcelain coating really like to stick. no matter what i try, after several uses its just bad. also it gets really bad if you cook some meat that has some marinade on it. just turns into a reallt sticky gooy mess. i just tried to burn it off but now i got a thick layer of really hard carbon. anyone got some ifeas for fixing this and maybe cooking ideas to prevent this otherwise ? i have tried both veggie oil and pam. nothing seems to work. its now the second time i've had to attack the grates with oven cleaner and i don't use this hardly at all. thanks,
 
Porcelain coated cast iron is very non corrosive & moderately non stick, not as non stick as seasoned cast iron. Problem # 2 is that with high heats since the expansion of the steel & porcelain is different cracks develop in the porcelain . This is why porcelain coated steel makes lousy flavorer bars.
I treat mine like cast iron grates, I seasoned the grates, to clean I heat, brush ( never scrape) when warm, & wipe with a moistened towel. To help with sticking I spray the meat etc with Pam just before putting on the grill. As the greats get older they do season better.
 
I got a Weber Q 200 for steaks and Hotdogs. When I am done grilling I turn it up full blast for approx 10 minutes and wire brush it a little its ready for next time. I love that thing for steaks.
Brazos
 
I keep some used peanut oil from my fryer in a can and when I'm finished cooking on my Q220 or Char Q, I brush down the grates - which can take some effort depending on what I cooked - then let the grates cool. When they grates have cooled a bit, I dip a paper towel in the oil and wipe down the grates. Keeps them nice and oiled up for the next cook.

Pat
 
well, i took some easy off to the grate. been soaking and scrubbing for two days. just about looks like new. we will see how it goes in the next year.
 
I just picked up a Red Q100 for $30, and its in relatively decent shape except for the fact that the guy tried to pressure wash the thing. It should clean up nicely, but the grate is gonna need some serious elbow grease on my part to bring it back to life.
 
Turns out the Redhead I got is a Q120 and the grate cleaned up fine, a little surface rust on the bottom, but it got wire brushed and re seasoned and its good to go! Cover and all for $30!
 
its in relatively decent shape except for the fact that the guy tried to pressure wash the thing. It should clean up nicely, but the grate is gonna need some serious elbow grease on my part to bring it back to life.

How did the pressure wash affect the BBQ? I was going to use one to clean my 300, but not if there's a risk of damaging it!
 
George,

Since getting my Q320 with the PC-cast iron grates (short for porcelain-enameled coated cast iron grate), I've wondered about cleaning them as well. With my previous gas grill, I really did not worry about cleaning it - I basically scrapped off the grate (it was chrome-plated steel) whenever I thought it needed it, and cleaned the rest of the grill maybe 3 times in the 14 years I used it. Heck, I barely even empty out the ash from the Weber kettles I've owned over the years
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I think I've reached the conclusion that as long as the tops of my PC-cast iron grates are brushed 'clean', then I am not going to worry about the gunk in between the crevices. I'll continue to regularly brush off the grate after each use, keep it oiled, and also make sure I oil the food that needs it prior to putting it onto the grate.

After all, grilling is supposed to be fun; not work
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