Burning off the winter grunge ?


 
J

James Harvey

TVWBB Pro
Hi All,

My smoker has been in the garage for around 4 mths. Here in Toronto, it's been unusually temperate. What are your opinions on cleaning/burning out the gunk for a new season? This will be my 3rd season and I've never cleaned it prior. I'm just thinking that the mid temps (a few C over 0) coupled with moisture might promote mold. I'm inclined to just toss a few chimneys of lit in without the pan and let it burn. Any thoughts?
 
No pan and no door.

I tend to wait till summer when it is really hot outside. I put the whole WSM in a
Few big black lawn and leaf bags, spray it all down with easy off, set the bags in the sun and let components de gunk all day long. Then hose it all down and reassemble.
 
I don't use oven cleaner or other chemicals on mine. I'm a fan of no lighter fluid/oil based products being in a pit though.

Typically I'll wash the water pan and grates with dish soap. The outside with soap and water. I'll let the grates soak if they are tough to clean.

The inside so far after 5 years I just use a grill brush to knock off any excess from the inside of the smoker. The seasoning is a good thing for the WSM.

When you fire it up for the first time I think the heat will kill off anything that might have started growing over the winter.
 
Another good tip I've read is to store the rig with one bottom and the top vent 100% open even with cover on to get a small amount of air circulation and stop mold formation and such.
 
If it looks and smells good I would just have at it. But you can always do a burn-off. I do that ever so often on the kettle, never had a need yet on the WSM.
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Tim
 
Every now and then I'll do a burn off for the grill, and probably should for the WSM soon. I just let it burn really hot, scrub the parts I can handle with wadded aluminum foil and grill brush. Then after it cools, knock all the brittle stuff loose with wadded aluminum foil.

I have used that organic degreaser before. I seems to work fine, with no ill effects.
 
Don't want to do a chemical scrub. I'm going with the HH burn. Will removing the door add to my heat? I'm wondering if I'll lose heat with the door removed.
 
James,

More air flow = more oxygen = hotter fire.

The only way I can get my WSM over 300 to do turkey is to crack the door open. If you take it off, and leave the vents open, you will have a nice roaring fire.
 
Once in a while i'll do a burn-off on mine, usually when I'm finished with a cook and there are still coals left. I don't take the door off, but rather just tilt the lid to one side to get an air gap at the top, and that gives me a hotter fire than having the door off, plus, all of your heat gets all the way to the top. I leave everything in there, water pan and grates. I've never used any chemical in mine, nor any water even, and I've never "scrubbed" the inside either, just a few whacks on the outside to knock of any loose stuff. While i'm doing the burn, i'll rub down the outside with a wet rag and getting it shining like a new penny.
 
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