New Genesis, Unuseable, Everything Sticks to Grill


 
I appreciate the honest opinion, but I respectfully disagree about this being an operator error. First, the meat was room temperature before hitting the grill. And in my opinion they were clearly seared before attempting to flip them.
 
Room temp = cold meat compared to a 500+ degree grill.

I'm not sure how else to help ya. Especially since you didn't answer many of the questions I asked. I still believe you're trying to flip things too early. That, and the leaner meats (boneless breasts & pork tenderloin) have less fats to render out. With that said, I'd be curious to know if you have the same sticking issues with burgers/steak. Because they will stick until they're ready.
Just as an FYI, which doesn't add anything to the thread --- I found the SS grates (stamped, not rod) to be 'stickier' than my CI. The CI retains heat a lot better
 
Mcarbo just to throw this out there have you tried calling weber customer support and telling them the problems you are having. I am sure they have seen it and heard it all before and will help you get through this issue 1-800-446-1071
 
Dave O said:
Mcarbo just to throw this out there have you tried calling weber customer support and telling them the problems you are having. I am sure they have seen it and heard it all before and will help you get through this issue 1-800-446-1071
Click to expand...
I haven't yet, Dave, but I think I might do so next week after perhaps another run at the grill with some burgers.
 
MCarbo, you described what you're doing wrong to a T (at least to me) " the grates were scraped clean after the other night's chicken disaster, and then liberally oiled with canola. Fired up the grill until the thermometer read 530 degrees. "
Get the grill HOT. Scrape the grates leave no disaster on there. THAN oil the grates and IMMEDIATELY after oiling them put the food on. Your sticking will be over. Period. You can try calling Weber support but seriously I doubt it's the grates or the grill. The issue is clearly (no offense) operator error or unreasonable expectations or a combo of both
 
LMichaels said:
MCarbo, you described what you're doing wrong to a T (at least to me) " the grates were scraped clean after the other night's chicken disaster, and then liberally oiled with canola. Fired up the grill until the thermometer read 530 degrees. "
Get the grill HOT. Scrape the grates leave no disaster on there. THAN oil the grates and IMMEDIATELY after oiling them put the food on. Your sticking will be over. Period. You can try calling Weber support but seriously I doubt it's the grates or the grill. The issue is clearly (no offense) operator error or unreasonable expectations or a combo of both
Click to expand...
No offense taken. That's why I came here with questions in the first place. I'll give your suggestion a try and report back.
By the way, how have some of you found is an easy way for oiling a 500 degree grate?
 
Use a long set of tongs works good for me.

MCarbo said:
No offense taken. That's why I came here with questions in the first place. I'll give your suggestion a try and report back.
By the way, how have some of you found is an easy way for oiling a 500 degree grate?
Click to expand...
 
MCarbo said:
No offense taken. That's why I came here with questions in the first place. I'll give your suggestion a try and report back.
By the way, how have some of you found is an easy way for oiling a 500 degree grate?
Click to expand...

I have an old clean hand towel. I rip them in half and roll them up like a jelly roll. I use butcher twine and tie them like a roast. I keep a small bowl of canola and this towel ready to go. I get the grill hot, give it a good brush down and give the grate a good wipe down with that towel. Caution is needed but a little care and you'll have great results
 
MCarbo said:
No offense taken. That's why I came here with questions in the first place. I'll give your suggestion a try and report back.
By the way, how have some of you found is an easy way for oiling a 500 degree grate?
Click to expand...
Don't feel bad, I can relate to your frustration! I think it still might be worth called Weber at 800-446-1071 to ask for their expertise. Some of their advice will reinforce what you're reading here.

To be very specific about oiling the grates...bring the grill to 500*F, then use a grill brush to scrub the grates. Pour a good amount of vegetable oil into a small bowl. Grab 2-3 paper towels and a long pair of tongs. Wad the paper towels into a ball and grasp with the tongs. Wearing a grill glove or mitt, dip the paper towels in the oil and swab over the grates. Do this 5-10 times!

Quoting from Cook's Illustrated magazine: "To prevent sticking, we first super-heated the grill, then brushed it very clean, and finally coated it with five to 10 layers of oil to build up a thick layer of polymers that prevent the protein in the fish from bonding with the grill grates."

For added insurance, spray the surface of the meat with Pam non-stick spray before placing it on the grate.

As I said earlier, I'm right there with you...have had this problem for years with pork tenderloin and chicken breasts...any lean meat will stick like this, and these are the techniques to solve the problem.

And don't clean the grates AFTER cooking...repeat the above process BEFORE cooking.

Good luck!
 
MCarbo,this may seem like a silly question,but are your grates cast iron or porcelain coated cast iron? My 6 year old Genesis has PCI grates,but I still coated them with Crisco,then let them bake on high heat for about 45 minutes. I have very few sticking issues. If they are regular,not coated,cast iron,try treating them like a CI pan. Liberally grease them and turn the burners on high for 45 minutes to an hour. It can't hurt and just might solve the issues.
 
M,also,I don't clean my grates until I'm ready to cook again. Heat it up for about 15-20 minutes and scrub like crazy! HTH
 
Phil Perrin said:
MCarbo,this may seem like a silly question,but are your grates cast iron or porcelain coated cast iron? My 6 year old Genesis has PCI grates,but I still coated them with Crisco,then let them bake on high heat for about 45 minutes. I have very few sticking issues. If they are regular,not coated,cast iron,try treating them like a CI pan. Liberally grease them and turn the burners on high for 45 minutes to an hour. It can't hurt and just might solve the issues.
Click to expand...
Not a silly question, and I don't know. They look and feel like cast iron, but I'm not certain.
 
M,when they were new,were they black or gray? Black is CI and a dark gray would be the PCI. Either way,treat 'em like regular CI and season for about an hour and that should resolve your issues.
 
FYI the Genesis comes with the new formulation Porcelain CI grates. I have used this type, bare CI and the shiny porcelain CI grates. I use the same process no matter what. Heat, clean, lube, cook. I even cook very delicate fish like flounder with no real problems using this. As for spraying PAM on my food. I would not. If I want my food oiled directly I will use actual oil. I don't want propellants soaking in to my food
 
It was 85 degrees today here in south FL, so what better time to fire up the grill? The grates were dirty from last use, and I fired up the grates and once hot I scraped 'em clean. A canola oil rub followed and on went the burgers. I'm happy to report the grates were as slick as a con man selling swamp land here in FL. I suspect the burgers themselves had something to do with this, as they have a higher fat content than chicken breasts. Still, I'm happy with the results and hoping I've turned the corner with this issue.
My only concern is the paper towel application of canola oil on a 500 degree grill, can be a bit dicey. :p They're quite flammable, hehe.
 
I kind of skimmed through this thread, and two things come to mind.
Why 500 degrees?
Yes/maybe for steaks, but not needed for chicken or even burgers, IMO.
How long will oil remain on a 500 degree grate before burning off?
I'm thinking a couple of seconds, at most.
Maybe try indirect to see if food sticks to a cooler grate, then sear.
Not a gas person, so take it all with a grain of salt.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top