How often do you clean your WSM?


 
Craig C

Craig C

TVWBB Fan
Should the WSM be scrubbed down or just hosed down every so often? Cleaned after every smoke or once a year?
 
All I do to mine is brush the grate(s) clean before each cook. I never clean the cooker itself. I bought some grill cleaner to do a more thorough cleaning of the cooking grates but haven't gotten around to using it yet.
 
Clean?

I let the grate(s) sit over the low coals after use and brush them a little.



Ok, ok...I admit I have taken mine out and scrubbed them down with some simple green. Guess what? It really didn't do a darn thing for them. I did this before a contest. I didn't get a prize for best-looking smoker.
 
It's funny. Some guys use cleaners to clean down to bare metal every so often, but an old Texan once told me to never clean the "seasoning" out. He said you'd RUIN it!

I just hit the "high spots", especially the dome, with a plastic putty knife between cooks. I use a wire brush on the grate while the coals are still hot after cooking.
 
Yup...I just brush the grates before a cook and run some balled up foil inside the lid to remove anything that may fall onto the food during the cook. Never cleaned it otherwise. Wait, I take that back. One time I opened her up for a cook and it was covered in mold. Lit a chimney and threw it in with some mesquite I had lying around (never use the stuff for cookin') and burned it out, wide open, real good. Mold was gone after it burned out and I went on with the cook as planned (an hour or so behind schedule, though).

I am pretty religious about getting all the ashes out after a cook though.
 
I'm so glad someone ask this question right now. I've had mine for about a year now and was wondering the same thing. I just clean the grates but I think I'll leave the rest alone and let it do its thing.
 
Haven't cleaned it in years. All I do is clean the grates over the chimney when I light the coals. I give the lid an occasional tap to knock off the build up when it's needed. I prefer the smoker well seasoned.
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I did thoroughly clean them during Christmas break after the finals last year. Big mistake, never do that again. Took me 8-10 cooks to get the seasoning back.

Now about once every 6-8 weeks, I just throw the all the grates into a garbage bag and spray them down with oven cleaner. After I hose them off they are shiny and clean.

Russ
 
I've never cleaned the inside of the cooker either. The seals that form between lid/middle/bottom are made better by the grease and stuff, so I just leave them alone. I do hit the outside of the dome during cooks with a wet rag to get it nice and shiny, just because it looks nice.
 
I brush the grates when they are hot, and then usually give the grates a more thorough brushing the next day with wadded up aluminum foil and one those Brillo-like grill brushes. Ash gets dumped and the bottom wiped out the day after too. Water pan gets dumped and hosed out day after. On the dome and insides I just "hit the high spots" with wadded foil or a short brush, like Dave. Don't want stuff flaking on the food.
 
Put the grates right on the charcoal basket at the end of yer cook. Always have a couple of wire brushes made for grill cleaning around and just brush then when they are hot. Also like some have said use foil balled up to "scrub" the flakes off the inside. Do this more often on the underside of the lid cause this flaking will fall on your bbq if you let it go to long. I like to leave the access door off when I am storing the wsm in the garage. I had some mold one year because we all know mold loves dark humid places.
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I would not use any special cleaners on the inside, but that is totally up to you. Just make sure it is rinsed well.
 
Originally posted by Brian Nobles:
So, nobody tosses their grates in the dishwasher??
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I toss my rib racks in the dishwasher. However I have never cleaned the inside of my smokers. I do a welders wire brush on the grates to get the big stuff off and thats it. HTH.
 
Have never done anything other than brush the grates after a cook, usually after letting them sit over the coals for a bit.

Why does the charcoal grate tend to develop rust? Not a ton, and not really worried about it, just curious. It seems like it would be the other way around. The charcoal grate gets so hot I figured it would keep it "safe".
 
Originally posted by Tim L.:

Why does the charcoal grate tend to develop rust? Not a ton, and not really worried about it, just curious. It seems like it would be the other way around. The charcoal grate gets so hot I figured it would keep it "safe".
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Basically the cooking grates are nickel plated, the charcoal grate is just steel which will rust on occasion.

Tim
 
Originally posted by Dave Russell:
It's funny. Some guys use cleaners to clean down to bare metal every so often, but an old Texan once told me to never clean the "seasoning" out. He said you'd RUIN it!

I just hit the "high spots", especially the dome, with a plastic putty knife between cooks. I use a wire brush on the grate while the coals are still hot after cooking.
Click to expand...

Oh, UNDER the lid? Hmm, never thought to look there
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. Otherwise, dump the ashes, clear out the water pan (yes, I use water) and scrape the grates. I figure if 165* is good for what infects meat, 200+* will take care of anything we need be concerned about. So clean the crude and smoke (or grill).
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Rich
 
I have used Simple Green and Industrial De-Greasers (Bio-Degradeable) to clean my grates, then rinse them thoroughly. I wrap my water pan in foil in its entirety and I bought a 14inch Mexican Pottery Plate in Home Depot to sit right on top of the water pan. I wrapped it in foil also in its entirety. I do NOT use water in my pan. Been advised against it by many good smoker jocks. Dump the ashes and keep the good charcoal that doesn't get burned and smoke baby smoke. Leave that seasoning in there, makes the meat taste better. I have an 18 inch WMS.
 
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