New Q1200 what to do after each cook?


 
G

Gregg Miller

New member
I was kind of surprised to see there was no info in the owners manual for what to do after each cook. Like, do you let it sit for 10 minutes before packing up? How to clean grates? Do you wipe the inside to get rid of grease that dripped down to collector? Grates seem to stay warm for quite a while so flipping the plastic shelves inward and packing it up too soon is a bad idea, assuming you can't clean the grates right away (on the road). I wiped the inside to get rid of most of the grease/juice with paper towels.

FWIW, the inaugural cook was perfect! Burgers, about 4 1/2 minutes per side on medium!
 
Welcome Gregg! When on the road I always start with a clean drip tray and leave it in place when I am done. With one or two cooks there is not enough drippings to flow out and it will catch any late drips while transporting. I throw a couple of paper towels on the grates when cool to keep the grease off the folding shelves and pack it up. Do the cleaning when I get home.
 
Gregg,
I suggest you buy some small plastic scrapers (I get mine from Ace). Use these to scrape down all the grease into the drip tray while the grill is still warm but not so hot that you can’t remove the grates. This takes just a couple minutes but will keep your Q cleaned yet seasoned for the next cook without fear of grease fires.

I use a soft pad grate cleaner to try to avoid scratching the cast iron. If you prefer to go with a wire brush, then I recommend Libman as a quality alternative to cheap ones that readily shed dangerous bristles. You might also try one of those wood paddle scrapers which burn in to the right shape.
 
Like Jon says, you want to go easy on those porcelain enamelled grates. I use a locally made wooden scraper. It is made of cedar so is soft and allows it to take the shape of the grates easily. It is also thin enough to go between the bars and clean in there.
A tip I got from an Aussi forum ( the Q’s are really popular down under) was not to submerge or soak the enamelled grates in water. If there is a hairline crack in the enamel the water will get under it and cause it to rust and flake it off. The grease on them keeps the water out and they last longer according to the post I read. Apparently Weber Australia even says that.


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One other thing is to stay on top of cleaning the burner tube. Weber sells a double brush that works well for this, but any decent brush should allow you to keep those little holes clear. A gunked up burner is a sure way for your Q to start underperforming.
 
Richard in NS said:
Like Jon says, you want to go easy on those porcelain enamelled grates. I use a locally made wooden scraper. It is made of cedar so is soft and allows it to take the shape of the grates easily. It is also thin enough to go between the bars and clean in there.
A tip I got from an Aussi forum ( the Q’s are really popular down under) was not to submerge or soak the enamelled grates in water. If there is a hairline crack in the enamel the water will get under it and cause it to rust and flake it off. The grease on them keeps the water out and they last longer according to the post I read. Apparently Weber Australia even says that.


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Was thinking about something like this, and am woodworker, so will probably make one this weekend
 
A spiral brush like this is helpful, too. I use this, dipped in water on a hot grate for doing a deeper clean from time to time. The steam really seems to help loosen some of the baked on stuff.


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I'm not recommending any particular brush, just an example, although this is a good one.

 
Also, I think the Q grates are porcelain-impregnated, not porcelain coated, and are very durable. I have both porcelain-coated and porcelain-impregnated and the difference is obvious. I'll get a picture.

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They are a bit dirty from sitting under the grill but you can see they have a smooth, shiny appearance, like they been dipped in a coating. The Q grates are pebbly looking. Porcelain is a glass-like substance and when applied over a rough surface makes it look...well...like glass. These are porcelain over cast iron. The Q grates are something else. If I were to drop this it would chip. I don't think the Q grates will chip like that.
 
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Ed P said:
Also, I think the Q grates are porcelain-impregnated, not porcelain coated, and are very durable. I have both porcelain-coated and porcelain-impregnated and the difference is obvious. I'll get a picture.

View attachment 46836

They are a bit dirty from sitting under the grill but you can see they have a smooth, shiny appearance, like they been dipped in a coating. The Q grates are pebbly looking. Porcelain is a glass-like substance and when applied over a rough surface makes it look...well...like glass. These are porcelain over cast iron. The Q grates are something else. If I were to drop this it would chip. I don't think the Q grates will chip like that.
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The new QXXX grates are porcelain coated and will chip easily unlike the old QXX impregnated ones. My Q120 and Q220 grates have lasted for years. My Q3200 started rusting after three years and were completely unusable at five.
 
Richard in NS said:
The new QXXX grates are porcelain coated and will chip easily unlike the old QXX impregnated ones. My Q120 and Q220 grates have lasted for years. My Q3200 started rusting after three years and were completely unusable at five.
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I did not know that. I didn't know whether to give you a Wow or a Like so I gave you a Wow! Thanks for updating me!
 
Ed P said:
I did not know that. I didn't know whether to give you a Wow or a Like so I gave you a Wow! Thanks for updating me!
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Yeah Ed, the new ones are shiny, as you said, like they were dipped in something. The old pebbly ones were much, much better.
I just bought a set of actual plain cast iron after market ones for a Q120 for my daughter. (No enamel) I am going to season them several times and if they rust I can clean them up and reseason them. No enamel chips in the food. If I could get the flat stainless steel Stanbroil ones like Bruce, Larry and others on here have I would go that route but it looks like they are no longer available.

Sorry Gregg, didn’t mean to hijack your thread.
 
I tried all sorts of things on my red q220. I came down to basically one thing that works. A stainless steel brushed painters brush. I clean my grate the next day after grilling and after cleaning it I spray it with pam. Then before grilling again, I wipe the grates clean with paper towel sprayed with pam. My grate is in great shape and it's a 2005 or 2006 model. I do a good cleaning when it needs it. As mentioned, keep a plastic spatula handy for keeping the inside lower bowl clean by scraping the sides of grease into the grease catcher. Just brush off the burner if the flames look funny. If they get bad or not as hot, clean out the holes using a oxy acet torch tip cleaner. Can find them at lowes or home depot. Now go through everything here and youtube because you can do a lot on that q.
 
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