Do you clean inside after every cook


 
N

Neil Guest

New member
Have the small 14.5 smoky and had my first burn last night which was a leg or pork that turned out excellent. The wife as wives do cleaned it spotless inside and out. Do you guys clean the inside ?
 
Good lord no. I clean my cooking grates if I think it's going to be a while before my next cook, mostly because there's food on them. You absolutely do not need, nor should you, clean the interior of a smoker. You want that thing nice and seasoned.
 
I only clean the grates.
When the inside of the cooker gets gunked up to the point of flakes forming I use a grate brush and knock the flakes off the inside surfaces.
The build up of gunk on the inside surfaces makes the cooker work better.
 
i pressure wash my mini wsm every month or two. 1500 psi, no soap, just knocks the flakes and crud off but doesnt take off the seasoning completely. its quick and doesnt get me too dirty either.
 
Neil. No need at all to clean it mate. By all means give the cooking grates a cursory pre-cook brush, & the bottom bowl a quick brush out. (A stiff 3" paintbrush does the trick with the bottom bowl). Get that thing seasoned.
 
Nope just the grates and maybe after 10 or so cooks I do a high heat, no water bowl, full chimney of KBB, chicken cook, after which I just let her rip to burn out the crud.
 
I clean the grates and the bowl. After dumping the water, I wipe the inside of the bowl with a paper towel. The next time I use my grill after smoking, after I take the food off, both grates go on the grill, the cover back on, and they cook for about 10-15 minutes, then they are brushed and removed. The bowl goes on the grill inverted, and all the vents are closed down and the grill eventually cools down. Almost takes longer to explain than actually do.
 
Clean the grates every time. Check the lid for any flaking and if there is any brush them off. Dump the ash every time and use a brush to get charcoal bowl somewhat clean. I do also keep the rim of the lid and the rim of the middle section where the lid sits clean. I just use some paper towel with a little vinegar on it when the WSM is warm. Far from clean except where the food touches.
 
Grates in the dishwasher after each cook. Like Jerry N, I check the lid for flaking. Usually use the water-pan empty - encase it in foil at each cook to help with cleanup. I empty the ash when it starts to fill toward the charcoal grate.
 
Before each cook, I check the inside of the lid and rinse/brush it if it's flaking a lot. I find I get more flaking if I've been cooking with water recently than if I've been cooking dry. I may brush down the inside of the middle section if it needs it. I wrap the water pan with foil to make cleanup easier.

After cooking, I clean the grate(s) with oven cleaner then a scrub in the sink. If I have water in the pan, I skim the fat, put it in the trash, and run any water down the sink. I remove the foil and give the pan a quick wash. Once the ashes are stone cold, I dump them into a plastic garbage bag and brush out the bowl, the charcoal grate and charcoal chamber. If I remember, I use a paper towel to wipe any grease from the edge of the lid and the lip of the middle section to prevent those parts from bonding together as they sometimes do, depending on what you have cooked.

WSM Cleanup, Maintenance & Storage
 
I don't clean anything.... I'll wire brush the grates if they look real gross or if the inside is flaking... Seasoning
 
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