Noob Question: Cleaning

[Dan CANADA]

So I purchased a Weber OTP as I felt like I needed some charcoal in my life. Brought the new BBQ home, put it together, and I was off and running.

After doing a little bit of a burnout, I decided to try and cook my first meal, hamburgers.

Well, things worked out pretty well and I ended up with delicious cheeseburgers. I grilled them direct until they were just about done and then moved them to the side with thick slices of cheese.

Some of you may now realized my conundrum.....

When I returned to take the burgers off of the grill, the buns were nice and toasted and the cheese was melted. Unfortunately, the burgers were not the only thing that received melted cheese. I now have gobs of runny cheese down the inside of my used-to-be-pristine BBQ. Not only did the cheese run all down the inside, but when I closed the bottom vents the long part ran right through it and is now also covered.

I have two main questions as the result of my experiment:

1) How do I clean this damn cheese? I will obviously let it cool and then try to scrape/pick some of it off, but then what? If this was on the Genesis, I'd just go wide open throttle and let it go thermonuclear to burn away the cheese. Do I take the same approach with the OTP?

2) How do I prevent this from happening again? Use less cheese? Always use a drip tray? Don't melt cheese indirect?

Thanks in advance!

TLDR: Cheesed up my brand new OTP and now wondering how to de-curd my grill.

 

[Frank H]

1. let it cool and then try to scrape/pick some of it off,

2.go wide open throttle and let it go thermonuclear to burn away the cheese.

3.Use less cheese. Always use a drip tray. Don't melt cheese indirect.

I think you answered all your own questions , brother !

 

[Grant]

Usually burgers are basically done by the time I throw cheese on them so I throw a piece of foil down and slap the burgers on top before putting the cheese on. Makes for super easy cleanup.