Clean out the Ashes after every cook?

[Tom Tabor]

I did some ribs yesterday, photos in the gallery if you want to see. They were really good, full of moisture with a nice tender bark.

My only complaint was that I could just barely, just a hint on the back of my tongue of an off flavor, sort of ashy (is that a word?).

I cooked everything as normal, just didn't clean out the ashes, from my last cook. I added new charcoal to the little that was left over and fired up the smoker. I did shake most of the ashes down though. I had the smoker running about an hour before the ribs went on. I also noticed there was a bit more smoke than normal.

Could it have been the ashes? Do you all clean out the WSM after every cook, even when cooking multiple times a week?

 

[Bry H]

I clean out my WSM after every cook

 

[Enrico Brandizzi]

I always empty my WSM from old ash and if I reuse The left charcoal I always shake it very well to get rid off of any white ash.

 

[Angie H.]

I also empty old ashes before I do a new cook and scrape down the grates, new foil on water pan and terra cotta saucer. Other than that no other cleaning done for me.

 

[Myk McCormick]

Same here, I always empty the ashes before a cook....

 

[Joe Sigmon]

Same here...

 

[AlexD]

Same here I empty, i find if I don't the ash builds up and flies up on to the meat.

 

[JRAiona]

Ditto here, I clean out before a new cook.

 

[KevinInUtah]

Another vote for clean it out...start with clean slate...a clean cooker is a happy cooker.

 

[Matt H.]

I like reusing my coals. i'll clean it out if I have a long smoke coming.

 

[Dustin Dorsey]

I dump the ash out each time, but I think its highly unlikely that's what happened to you. Maybe some bad smoke?

 

[Craig Alumbaugh]

I clean my out after every use. Got a big metal trash can that I dump my stuff into and when it gets full just dump it in the fire pit

 

[S.Six]

I too shake off the ashes from the previously used charcoal, then empty the ash b4 every cook.

 

[EricDS]

I don't clean out the ashes every time. Maybe after 2-3 average length cooks.

 

[Tim K]

Add another to the "clean out after every cook" list. I lift the charcoal grate and keep (for re-use) the charcoal that is salvageable, dump the rest.
Tim

 

[Tommy B]

I always clean out my ashes before every cook.

 

[Chris Hartley]

Its as much about consistency as everything. You want your next cook to be as amazing as the last. If sometimes you've cleared out the ash, and sometimes you haven't, you're introducing a variable that you just don't need. If it works, don't break it!

 

[Rich Dahl]

Always clean out the ashes and any leftover coals the next day that way my grills and smokers are always ready to go.

 

[George P]

Clean out ashes each time. I dump them in the garden

 

[Robert-R]

X2 & X3. I always shake down the used charcoal & clean out the ashes after a cook. Might be the next morning, but I do that.