Mold already!!!


 
Angie H.

Angie H.

TVWBB Pro
Oops should have named my title 'Mold after only a month of no use'

Ok, here is my dilemma. I haven't used the wsm for a month and I took the lid off for the first time today expecting to find water in the charcoal pan after the rain this past weekend and I found mold growing on the inside walls. I sprayed the insides with Simple Green and hosed it off and will do a burn off when the rain lets up. I was surprised to find mold growing in it after only a month of no use and only a couple days of rain.

I've dealt with mold in the past in the wsm and I did a full heavy duty scrubbing of the wsm it and a burn off.

My question is do I really need to do a full scrub of the insides or can I get away with just the rinsing and a burn off? I did a forum search and read different answers some say just burn it off and some say scrub it clean so I don't know what to do. I will scrub it if I have to but I don't want to scrub off all the seasoning.
 
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Throw some logs on & have a barrel fire!

fusco-barrel-fire.jpg
 
:)

If you haven't heard, you (I) can store your (my) WSM with the center section upside-down, covered with the vents open - that keeps the water from dripping in. Mine is a ~2005-2006 18.5".

You have a lot more humidity than me, so you might even want to leave your door off completely (store it inside the smoker).

I've thought about drilling a 1/8" or 1/4" hole in the bottom to let water drain out but I've received zero feedback on that.
 
Thanks for the tips Clint. I did store it last year with the center part turned upside down and vents open but had it covered in waterproof garbage bags, and when I uncovered it last spring the inside of it was like a science experiment gone very, very wrong.

I don't have a covered garage to store the wsm in but this year I might try to find a covered spot under the carport close to the house to try and keep it as dry as possible for the fall and winter. I will leave the door off of it as well. I store the OTG outside uncovered in the backyard all through the rainy season and never have had a mold problem with that.
 
I generally don't clean out the water pan after a cook (usually on Sunday, cook done late, it's barely cool enough to move to the garage by the time I go to bed, and no change to deal with it until the next weekend), and I almost always find some mold in/on the remaining water.

I just pull the pan, dump the remaining water, and hit with a hose to blast off any remaining mold and grease. Then I wipe it out with paper towel and continue with the new cook.

And I never tell my wife about the mold, she would insist on nuking the smoker from orbit :D
 
Plastic garbage bags are a great way to keep the rain out but they also trap moisture. You need to remove them occasionally and let the WSM air out.
I don't cover my Webys but keep them with a roof over head when not in use and only dump the ash when it gets close to the coal grate. I think the ash does absorb excess moisture/condensation.
You could also spritz down the interior with a solution of baking soda and water, lightly rinse that down and let it air dry. That should slow down the growth of mold.
HTH:wsm:

Tim
 
I didn't use my wsm for some time, sat covered under the overhang, with a bottom vent open and found no mold!!! Maybe I got lucky??? Middle and top sections as they would be for smoking.
 
Mold in your WSM means you're neglecting your cookin' woman...Now back into the kitchen (I mean backyard) and cook up some food
 
Has anyone ever tried peroxide to kill mold? I sprayed it on a wooden deck, and it killed the mold and bleached the wood. Sounds like it might be useful on grill mold too.
 
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