Help with my science experiment

Hi everyone,
I know that proper cleaning methods and ethics come up fairly regularly, but I can't find the answer to my specific question--so here goes. I'm doing my first turkey tomorrow and this morning I thought I'd better make sure the smoker was ready to go. ... And *apparently* I must have forgotten to clean the thing after my last pork butt--two months ago. The inside walls were covered with an impressive green growth, some form of mold. I scrubbed it off with steelwool, and it came off easily; then I sprayed it with a hose. So here's the question: is that enough? Will the heat (325-350) of the smoking kill off anything else? or should I bleach it just to be safe? (I know--my bad.) Also, while I'm out here, is it okay if the lower grate, the one below the charcoal, is rusty? Obviously I've cleaned off the cooking grate.
Thanks for the help. This is a great resource. And happy thanksgiving!
Nat

Yep, you're good to go. Mine grows green and blue hairy stuff from time to time, if I leave it sit too long covered up between uses, I no longer put the cover on. I usually use Greased Lightning or Dawn Power Dissolver to remove the crud and rinse with the garden hose.

I take out the water pan and filler up with wood and light it. Let it all burn off.
I haven't melted the handle yet, and it gets all the crude off of the sides and lid. I just brush it out when it cools.

good luck,

Dave

Thanks guys. I'm trying the apple brine--I'm pretty excited to see how it turns out.
N

Nate, you'll love the apple brine. I use the apple brine all the time--the only way my wife will eat Thanksgiving turkey is if I brine it and smoke it, This year I'm doing 2 whole turkey breasts. They're air drying in the fridge waiting for their smoke tonight and their trip to my wife's aunt's house tomorrow for Thanksgiving.

Stagnant air + warmth + microbes = mold.

Next time, open all the vents before you put the cover on. Pretty sure that will solve the problems.

It depends on ambient conditions. Leaving vents open does nothing for me as conditions here are great for mold growth most of the time.