Unpleasant mold discovery inside my WSM


 
J

Jim Smithson

TVWBB Fan
Went out yesterday to prep the WSM for a butt overnighter. To my horror and disgust, the grill, empty water pan and even the sides of the main unit was covered in mold.
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It had been a long time since I used the WSM..probably since the fall. I believe the last use was for an overnight butt. Unfortunately, I recall taking out the meat and prepped it for dinner and stupidly never cleaning the smoker. e.g. pieces of meat and grease on the grill and grease in the pan. I use a clay saucer and empty water pan. there was considerable grease in the pan.

I sprayed the smoker main cylinder hard with the hose and a lot came off, then using a nylon scrubber and bleach, scrubbed the sides...everything cleaned easily and hopefully the bleach also disinfected it.

I cleaned the grill, but it was so nasty and still looked rusty, that I threw it away..local ACE has them in stock, so not worth the risk or elbow grease. The pan I have soaking in a bleach/water solution. The exterior of the pan was covered with foil, but not the interior. Typically the clay saucer is on top of the pan, but I believe I removed it to help get the smoker to a higher temperature. Memory is lacking. I am not certain this pan can be saved, but most likely it can. then cleaned out the charcoal area...which was just standard, no mold down there.

I setup everything with the now clean main unit and the middle grill sitting right on top of the clay saucer (wrapped in foil). The lid was clean, no mold. I hope everything is fine. Should I be concerned? I would also hope if there is any residue that it is dead with the 220F+ temperatures.

I just remembered that I have never run the smoker with just the clay saucer and not the metal water pan under it. I am not going to peek, but the temperatures are steady and the meat temp is progressing correctly.

comments welcome, thx.
 
I get mold within a few days on non-use. Doesn't bother me. I rinse it off. Not a concern.

I replaced the grates with SS ones some time ago.
 
I never clean mine up after use and, thus, fairly often make the same moldy discovery. What I usually do is spray the water pan out very well, but all racks in their normal positions, put the water pan on top of the top rack (right side up), and then burn a few scraps of cardboard down on the charcoal grate to simply burn it all out. I spray the cardboard down with some lighter fluid to get it going really well. I do this burn with the door open and the lid off. The flames will usually come a couple of feet off the top of the cooker. For about a minute or two, depending on how much cardboard you use. There are probably more thorough methods to clean it, but this one has always done pretty well.

Good luck.

Charlie M.
 
I got two ss grates from Weber CS when they were a regular item on their website (and cheap). When I contacted Weber last Fall, they quoted a new price of $54 plus $7 shipping. The Weber part number is 80730.
 
thanks. I will not be buying a $61 grill grate.

I was just surprised at the mold. I have left the smoker this way many times...maybe not for 4-5 months (even tho it was winter, but Atlanta winter). Not sure why the mold growth this time.

I have a one touch performer that is almost 20 years old (holy cow) and all that I have replaced is the grate once and the cover once. never had mold. However, the hot coals probably destroy anything left on the grill as it cools post cooking. Very impressed with that grill's durability.
 
The smoker had grease & crud in it , great food for all sorts of mold & bacteria.
Rinse off with a water hose ;if paranoid or if anyone in household is immuno-suppressed you can heat the grates in the oven , gas grill or just heat the WSM for 30 min before your next cook.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by John Ford:
just heat the WSM for 30 min before your next cook. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yeah, this. Just run it wide open for a while all your mold problems will burn away.
 
Very simple solution for this issue. Lots of hot, soapy water and elbow grease!

If the filth was really bad, follow this with a burn using maybe one chimney starter of charcoal. Just enough to get the WSM up over 250 degrees for 10-15 mins.

I always scrub down the water pan after each smoke and ensure I let the WSM heat up fully before adding meat. Given the relatively low temps we all smoke at, I think this is critical so as to avoid bacteria! I'll also sometimes take the grills and put them on my gas grill before a smoke. Let them burn off and hit them with a grill brush. Just a little extra insurance.
 
We've got a fair amount of humidity here in middle Tennessee, but so far, no problems. I usually have at least a couple of the bottom vents open though, and rarely put the cover on.
 
Personally, the mold wouldn't bother me. I'd just maybe run some charcoal through it to heat it up, then wipe it down. I'd much rather do that, and even deal with some leftover mold, than put bleach in my cooker.
 
Hopefully you can get that grate back.

Scrub off the large stuff and run a full chimney of lit coals in the WSM.
 
Same, whenever I get mold growing due to disuse or lack of a good cleaning I just fire it up empty and let it hit 300-350, no more mold problems.
 
I always wrap my water pan in aluminum foil, and then clean it later. I also burn my grates clean in my gasser. If i do get some mold, I usually just make sure things get hot before the food goes on. Figure it gives flavour, eh?
 
Yuk! Sorry for your mold problem. Must be all of that humidity in the south. I always keep my WSM indoors, after it's all cooled down, cleaned, etc. I never like keeping my BBQ equipment outdoors. I usually use a scrub brush, to clean the junk, off the inside of the smoker.
 
Had that problem once with mine when I left all of the vents open as I saw recommended somewhere. Since then, I've always stored my WSM outside, covered with a contractor's clean up bag,with the vents closed and I've never had that problem here in steamy Alabama.

As for how to rid the grill of the mold, a weed burner torch worked wonders!

Pat
 
I too have noticed this on my last couple cooks I've done. Like many others I just grab the hose, spray it out, and give it a quick scrub with a brush. I figure the heat from the cook should hopefully kill anything left.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by mike maclean:
I got two ss grates from Weber CS when they were a regular item on their website (and cheap). When I contacted Weber last Fall, they quoted a new price of $54 plus $7 shipping. The Weber part number is 80730. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Is this part number for WSM 18" SS or the 22" for the larger WSM and Kettles?
 
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