Cleaning!

[Richard Diaz]

Hey guys, I've done 10 smokes since November when I got my 22. I usually cook with water. The gunk on inside of my 22 is beginning to crack and fall apart. What is the best way to clean it? I've read soap and water, will I lose my seasoning? Any suggestions?

 

[K Kruger]

There is no seasoning of or in a WSM, just gunk buildup. I knock the loose stuff odd with a brush. That's it.

 

[timothy]

I don't use the water for smoking in my WSM.For any flaky stuff that builds up under the lid, I just use an old 5in1 tool or a plastic putty knife.

Tim

 

[Phil Perrin]

You can also take a ball of crumpled foil to knock off any loose stuff.

 

[Willy B]

I occasionally use Joy soap on my grill brush with water and scrub it off, but I also just knock the stuff off as well. Guess it just depends on how important cleanliness is to you or how industrious you are. There is a good page on cleaning on virtualweberbullet.com under "Operating Tips and Modifications" then "Cleanup, Maintenance, and Storage."

 

[Jerry N.]

A couple times a year, I take some soap, water and a nylon brush and scrub the inside of my WSM. I don't really try to clean it. I just try to get the loose stuff off and then give it a rinse. As for the flaky stuff on the inside of the lid, I use the same brush and just brush it (dry). The stuff on the sides I'm not at worried about. The stuff on the lid can flake off and get on your food. That's worth worrying about.

About the only other thing I worry about is the lip on the middle section that the lid sits in. If you don't clean that gunk off, the lid can literally stick to the middle section. I just take a paper towel with white vinegar when the unit is warm to the lid and the lip. Works pretty good and is food safe.