Grilling Failure

[Steven A]

I was making some simple burgers for the kids and my grill caught on fire. All the gunk in the bottom pan ignited and left me with hockey pucks. Looks like tacos tonight!

 

[Ed M.]

That happened to me several times in the past. Now I try to have some type of catch pan/foil or whatever for the grease drippings so it is less likely. Those grease fires can be nasty.

 

[Pat Smith]

Was the flame up in your Q220? About once a quarter, I clean out the bottom of my Q220 with a wire brush, then some degreaser and high pressure water hose. I've had these flame ups and they seriously screw up whatever is on the grill at the time.

I would tend to shy away from foil on the bottom of the grill since it might give the grease a place to "puddle up" and more mass to ignite.

Sorry about the burgers. Give the bottom of that grill a good brushing, scrubbing and rinse off and you should be good to go for a while.

Pat

 

[Steven A]

It was on my OTG. I did notice that my Q220 gets gunked up very quickly and requires frequent scrapings.

 

[George Curtis]

thats why you need drip pans. also scrape and clean the kettle regularly also.

 

[Bob Sample]

I don't scrape or clean my kettle. I just burn it off once in awhile like you did except I don't add food when I do it.

 

[Pat Smith]

George - I didn't mean to imply that I don't use drip pans in the holder at the bottom of the grill. Only that I don't line the bottom of the lower part of the grill itself with anything....

Pat

 

[Wolgast]

Originally posted by Bob Sample:
I don't scrape or clean my kettle. I just burn it off once in awhile like you did except I don't add food when I do it.

- This!

 

[Jim H.]

Rotate where you bank your coals from one side to another for every cook. That way, grease doesn't have much of a chance to build up.

I have also started using aluminum foil catch pans on the charcoal grate, and if I'm saucing anything on the grill, it goes in a foil pan too. I have a lava/concrete-like buildup in the ash catch pan from wings and/or sauced chicken that I can't remove with a jackhammer and no cleaner will dissolve it. Lesson learned.

 

[T Bounds]

Stephen, I know drip pans are great (no pun intended), but when I grill chicken for my family there isn't a drip pan big enough or shaped to fit the grill. I bank my coals on one side and use the other 2/3 of the grill for chicken, keeping it rotated. Point? I end up with plenty of grease every time I do chicken, which is plenty. After the first time or two of grease fires when trying to cook steaks or burgers or anything next, I came to a solution.

I light about half a chimney, dump it in the grill, put on the empty grate, and put on top of that any grates that need cleaning (I'm pretty lazy and usually clean my wsm grates when I need to cook, including the rib racks). The grease burns off, the gunk burns off, and the solution cost me 1/2 a chimney and a little time. Good luck, whatever you do.

 

[TroyRedington]

did you have the lid open or something?

i grill bacon (regularly) and don't even have a flare up until i open the lid to remove the bacon.

 

[Steven A]

I had dropped the lid and didn't realize that the edge had bent just enough that the lid didn't seat right on the kettle, so I had a bunch of extra airflow. It was easily fixed, so I hope it doesn't happen again.

 

[TroyRedington]

Originally posted by Steven A.:
I had dropped the lid and didn't realize that the edge had bent just enough that the lid didn't seat right on the kettle, so I had a bunch of extra airflow. It was easily fixed, so I hope it doesn't happen again.

ahhh. that's probably what caused it.

i hope your porcelain didn't chip!