After stainless flavorizer bar upgrade: Hazy grey-black discoloration on meat

[Mark Minich]

I've used my Weber Genesis grill for several years with no problem. Other than cleaning the grill's internals once a year, it has required no other maintenance until this year, when my flavorizer bars finally rusted through. After researching, I decided to replace them with stainless steel bars so that hopefully I would never have to replace them again. My research suggested that Weber's own stainless flavorizer bars (which are pretty expensive) are probably one of the cheaper grades of stainless steel since they don't boast about them being grade 304 or 316, which would make them less corrosion resistant than 304 or 316. So I opted for a much less expensive set from amazon that claims to be grade 304 (and since a magnet doesn't stick to them, perhaps they really are 304). They are pretty solid, thick, and don't seem cheaply made.

After giving them a while to burn in at maximum heat, I let the grill cool & cleaned the grates again. But when I cook with these stainless bars, my meat gets a strange hazy grey-black discoloration that it never had before! I've cooked on it several times now, and when cooking chicken, you can really see the lines. The grey-black lines on this chicken are NOT grill lines from the hot grates; the grey-black lines are from the spaces between the grates! What the heck could be causing that? And is it safe to eat?!?

 

[LMichaels]

It really is not from the flavo bars unless they're really not actual stainless steel but some type of zinc or zinc coated metal.

 

[Grant Cunningham]

It really is not from the flavo bars unless they're really not actual stainless steel but some type of zinc or zinc coated metal.

The only thing normally coated with zinc would be carbon steel, and the magnet rules that out. A zinc alloy, such as Zamak, has a melting point right around 700 degF — they'd melt almost instantly when placed directly over the burner.

I'm thinking there's something on the flavorizers that didn't get burnt off. I'd suggest washing them (use a Brillo-type pad and scrub them inside and out), rinsing thoroughly, then doing another high-heat burn. If that doesn't solve the problem, there's something else going on.

 

[Bruce]

Did you replace any other parts? DId you do any other cleaning to the grill at the same time as you changed out the flavorizer bars?

Probably not a health risk, but definitely not appetizing. I agree with above. Clean them up good with some kind of abrasive and put them back in. Can you post a link to the ones that you purchased.

 

[ChuckO]

Looks like soot was on your grate. Wiping them with vegetable oil should remove the soot

 

[Ralph]

The fact that the gray/ black is not where the grates are leads me to think that maybe you're getting some soot from the burners? I had similar marks when I was playing around with the shutter adjustment on my grill after cleaning the burners.

 

[Tony-Chicago]

I am hoping it is soot from burners. Makes sense. But I am concerned that it is a metal off gassing. Do not eat until this is fixed. Change bars. That will prove it unless the sizes were different and that caused the burners to not work properly.

 

[Mark Minich]

Thank you all for your ideas, I am really hoping it is soot too. I've never cleaned the burners or the gas orifices or spider screens; I've never had a gas grill last long enough to have to clean those things. (Normally my cheap no-name grills fall apart in only 3 years, but my Weber Genesis has lasted much longer!) Unfortunately it's rainy now and will be for several days, so I won't be able to test this hypothesis for maybe a week or so.

 

[Bob Bailey]

Give them a good scrubbing with Barkeepers friend and then rinse several times. If that doesn't get rid of the problem, it isn't coming from the grates.

 

[LMichaels]

Skip the BKF. It will not clean those parts well if at all. (Heck I can't even get it to clean my Wolf). I would simply get after them with some good hot soapy water. Dawn or similar. Brush the burners clean and make sure all the holes are clean as well, check for lint and dust in the spider screens too. Use a good stiff wire brush on the burners. I keep a good stainless steel grate brush for that but I don't use it on grates. Only burners.

 

[Bob Bailey]

BKF will not only clean stainless steel if used properly, it will also repassivate it.

 

[Tony-Chicago]

First check how the burners are burning
At night or in shade. See if they are burning correctly. That will answer several problems.
If they are okay.... if they are not answers why the cook issue, and what to fix about the burners

 

[Brett-EDH]

BKF will not only clean stainless steel if used properly, it will also repassivate it.

Since it the flavorizer bars, wouldn’t a coat of veggie oil on the bars and then a high heat burn for 30 mins seal them too?

I’m guessing that sealing them would possibly stop the issue being experienced, but im not expert enough on this subject.

I did use veggie oil to seal my steel plate that I use for pizzas. That has worked well and no rust to date.

 

[Bob Bailey]

Since it the flavorizer bars, wouldn’t a coat of veggie oil on the bars and then a high heat burn for 30 mins seal them too?

I’m guessing that sealing them would possibly stop the issue being experienced, but im not expert enough on this subject.

I did use veggie oil to seal my steel plate that I use for pizzas. That has worked well and no rust to date.

It should do a good job of seasoning, but it won't get rid of any surface impurities.

 

[timothy]

It sure looks like soot. Did you marinade or use a oil that has a low smoke point?
You could try cooking something dry like white bread. Put down about 6-8 slices and see if you still get those sooty lines.

 

[Mark Minich]

Hi, sorry it took so long for me to respond. I delayed figuring out the cause for a long time, and the areas on the grill that caused the soot kept growing larger until finally all I had was a small corner of the back of the grill, which forced me to figure out the problem.

When I took everything off to clean the insides, I discovered that about 50-70% of the burner tube holes were plugged, either with corrosion or grease accumulation or both. The flames coming out of the open holes were big, orange, and wavy, not firm strong small blue flames like I remember seeing when the grill was new. Most of the grease plugging the holes was probably from before I replaced the flavorizer bars; my old bars had a lot of rust holes in them that let grease drop through. After brushing the burner tubes and test-lighting the grill, most of the holes were burning. (I couldn't see the blue flames easily in the bright daylight, so I waited until evening when it was darker.) Then I kept poking the remaining holes with the wire brush bristles until all of the holes were burning small blue flames again, and put the grill back together. Now all is well.

Thanks everyone for your help; I didn't even know soot was a possibility until you mentioned it!

 

[Bruce]

Mark, even though it was 4 months, thanks for coming back with the update. You probably knocked down a lot of rust, grease, grime and carbon onto the burners when you changed out the Flavorizer bars and that exacerbated the less than optimal burning problem. Glad you figured it out and I am sure your family is as well.

 

[Roy-Parallax]

This raises a question. Do burner tubes need to be replaced every now and then? If not, how does one go about cleaning them? I've removed a set but haven't taken the time to glance inside.

 

[DanHoo]

replace them when they are cracked and the flame is uneven.

How To Clean Your Burner Tubes | Tips & Techniques | Weber Grills

Burners are the heart of any gas grill, and if there’s a problem with them it can make it hard or impossible to grill great food on your Weber.

www.weber.com

Properly Cleaning Your Burner Tubes | Tips & Techniques | Weber Grills

This video will show you how to clean your burner tubes to keep your grill working at peak performance throughout the year.

www.weber.com

If sometimes spiders make a home near the valve so check there too.

Every few years, remove the burners and shake out any "stuff" inside them.

 

[Bruce]

As long as the integrity of the tubes are good, they are still usable. I don't know what the weber guide states about cleaning them, but I just hit them with a wire brush in the grill. If they are really bad, I would take them out and hit them with the angle grinder or drill with a wire brush in it. They do collect stuff inside them after a while, so removing them every few years is a good idea so you can clean out the insides. I just grab a hose and spray them out.