Post smoke equipment clean up question

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randyrayd

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Mar 8, 2017
115
89
Sneads Ferry, NC
I'm not sure what generation MES I have, but it was branded "Cabela's Masterbuilt Sportsman Elite".  I'll post a pic at the end of this post.  

The first question pertains to the drain pan and reservoir at the bottom.  There is a tray that fills the bottom of the smoker with a hole which corresponds with a hole on the bottom of the smoker leading to a small grease/liquid reservoir under the smoker.  I think the reservoir is very small, but to date nothing has made it to the reservoir.  I'm using the water pan lined with foil and that catches most of the drippings.  I'm afraid the reservoir is too small and will fill with liquid and overflow, especially on a turkey or brisket.  What liquid/grease that isn't caught by the water pan goes into and under the drain pan at the bottom(not underneath) the smoker and then somehow seeps under the drain pan and somehow gets between the pan and the bottom of the smoker, but not making it to the reservoir under the smoker leaving a mess on the bottom of the smoker.Maybe this is something I'll have to live with.  

Issue two:  How to y'all clean the grates after smoking?  I can get them pretty clean with scrubbers and hot water, then dishwasher, but we have white counter tops and back splash and the area where I clean up ends up looking like black measles.

Third item:  I love the smoke smell, but our microwave and some storage containers smell like a BBQ joint and my wife isn't as enamored with the odor as am I.  Especially since I cut up a watermelon the other day and put it in a plastic container which previously had some smoked meat.  Although I thoroughly washed it with hot water and soap, we now have what smells like smoked watermelon. 

Sorry for the numerous question, but answer any or all with ideas.

Thanks,

Randall

 
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 To the SMF randy! 

Nice smoker it looks to new, You need to break that Bad Boy in first before worrying how to clean it first! 
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No cleaning required if you use it regularly, when you let it sit cold and empty for any long periods of time is when you need to worry about cleaning it and re seasoning it again before you use it.

Great pic, keep us all posted with your progress,
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 Smoke on, Mike 
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Thanks for the reply bigbore.  I'm not talking about a major cleaning, but the liquids and grease that accumulate on the bottom and the food that sticks to the grates.  I don't want a grease puddle on the bottom of the smoker going rancid.  I'm sure there's a bunch of smarter-than-me people that have some cleanup tips.  

My biggest issue is the liquids pooling under the pan and not going into the small pan under the smoker.  There's a tray on the bottom with an arrow that points to the hole in the trays.  Liquids are supposed to funnel through that hole and then go through a hole in the smoker box that lines up and should drain into the pan below the smoker.  The handle on the pan is visible and lines up with the trim.

Your right, though.  I've only used it three times, but generally smoke more than one item.

rd
 
1) I have a MES 30, got it about a year ammgo. To the best of my knowledge not a SINGLE DROP of grease has ever mad it to that little grease collector. In any event, I always have a big aluminium pan sitting under whatever I'm cooking to catch the drippings. Works like a charm.

2) As far as cleanup goes, I spray my grates with Pam before each cook. Then a quick and easy scrub under running water and into the dishwasher.

3) The easiest way to tell the Gen is by the location of the controls. Gen 1 controls at the back of the top. Gen 2 controls at the front of the top. After that, somebody else will have to help.

Hope this helps.

Gary
 
For general cleaning, vinegar works great and obviously not harmful.  If your smoker has a glass door inset it cleans the glass amazingly easily/well if you hit it after each smoke.

For your storage containers, I wouldn't use plastic at all - use glass containers as they do not hold smell like plastic will.  I got a nice inexpensive Pyrex set at Sam's Club that has plastic/rubber lids.  I put saran wrap over the bowl and then sometimes put the lid on it over the saran wrap.
 
Isopropyl alcohol works extremely well on the vent and on other areas that have grease and smoke residue that has not been baked on. You don't have to get the 99.9% pure variety that is mandatory when cleaning electronics and instead can simply use cheap rubbing alcohol that is sold in grocery and drug stores.

For the racks, I soak them in soapy water (I have a big sink in the garage) and then use the really stiff brush that I bought for cleaning my CI pans (an Oxo panini brush). It knocks the gunk off quickly.

If I really want them clean, I use my ultrasonic cleaner, which I described in this thread: ultrasonic cleaner. You obviously don't want to spend the money on a somewhat expensive gadget, just to clean your grill grates, but if you have some other excuses to get it, you will find that it makes short work of a lot of cleaning tasks.

I will also echo the other recommendations about using disposable aluminum pan to catch drips, hold the food when foiling, and in general making the whole smoke easier and cleaner. BTW, the ultrasonic cleaner cleans these "disposable" pans in just a few seconds, including all those impossible folds and crevices. I bought thirty of these a year ago at Costco for under $10, and that package has now become, literally, a lifetime supply because I am able to use the same pan half a dozen times, or more.
 
Great advice and thanks!  Glad to know that you haven't gotten any goo in the very bottom collector.  I've used the alum pans and foil in my Akorn, so will do the same with the MES.  I'm a little concerned about doing a brisket as I usually have a lot of stuff in the pan afterwards, but I'll be opening the MES to spray, so I'll just keep an eye on the liquids.

I think I'll do a quick brush down an the racks outside and maybe not get so much splatter on the white countertops.

Thanks again!!!

rd
 
3) The easiest way to tell the Gen is by the location of the controls. Gen 1 controls at the back of the top. Gen 2 controls at the front of the top. After that, somebody else will have to help.
I just saw a post referencing MES Gen 2.5.  What the heck is that????

Still learnin'.
 
The big plastic storage containers and hot soapy water... Outside! Will make the wiffe happy when it's time to scrub the racks. Gen 2.5 is the redesign of the total POS gen 2. You have a 2.5. Redesigned controller, vent back on top, oval water pan. Of course some call the Bluetooth units gen 2.5 but those are really the 3rd evolution...JJ
 
foil?? Hell, just give them a scrub and put it away. Next time out, just crank the heat and let her burn out. Why lose all the flavor? Pretty sure Aaron Franklin doesn't clean his grates.
 
The big plastic storage containers and hot soapy water... Outside! Will make the wiffe happy when it's time to scrub the racks. Gen 2.5 is the redesign of the total POS gen 2. You have a 2.5. Redesigned controller, vent back on top, oval water pan. Of course some call the Bluetooth units gen 2.5 but those are really the 3rd evolution...JJ
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Buy a dedicated tub the right size for the grates and a few inches of hot soapy water loosen it up pretty good. brush them off and rinse and no need for dishwasher.

Barry.
 
Thanks people!!  It looks like outside cleaning is the way to go.  Then the dishwasher.  Probably as the grates get dirtier I'll put them on the cranked up gas grill as suggested.  And now I know I have a gen 2.5.  

Thanks again.!

rd
 
It’s obvious that none of you believe in your smokers having character or having one that only a spelunker would find remarkable. 
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I just brush my grates and apply oil to them prior to the cook. After the winter cooks, I take a putty knife and knock the stalagmites, and stalactites, down to size then sweep the debris away, the same again prior to the winter cooks.

T
 
Yeah. That's just seasoning!
Seriously though, you will find your smoker doesn't need to be spotless. Just judicious use of foil and foil pans and most of the work is done.
Soak the grates in a tote or tubs like the busboy uses. I like lemon Joy and add a teaspoon of TSP. Hardly any scrubbing needed.
 
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