how clean for grilling grats?

[fxsales1959]

Monday mornning, just finished 12 hour brisket/burnt end on Sunday. Instead of doing what I get paid to do it's WSM cleanup time. Just curious how OCD y'all are on clean grates? I always scrpe while grill is still warm. In morning light spray with oven cleaner and clean with coarse steel wool ball. never get the edges shiny.
Any real OCD grate folks out there?

 

[smokerjim]

They look cleaner than mine,

 

[BigW.]

Those look great. I rarely get them that clean. Usually just scrape after I take the food off and call it good. Sometimes before food goes on I'll wipe off with some pickle juice or cooking oil.

 

[JLeonard]

Im with B BigW. Good scraping while they are still hot while stuff is resting inside and another good scraping while its heating up for the next cook. Give the kettle itself a good scraping about ever 3rd cook. In the spring I'll give em a good soaking with a grill grate cleaner and call it good.

Jim

 

[thirdeye]

I scrape mine when they are still warm, then again before building a new fire. I also have an assortment of smaller grates and grate toppers I'll use on occasion.

 

[gmc2003]

I give mine a good brushing either during the cool down or fire up stage. Basically just to get the build up off.

Chris

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

Since my 18.5 WSM never gets screaming hot, I'll throw the grates on my 22 Performer from time to time and burn the $hit off of them, and hit them with a grill brush. Other than that, I just rock on with them. Too many other things in this life to worry about than a spotless smoker.

 

[JIMSMOKES]

My pellet smoker I just turn to hi till it burns off. My grill I open and let burn to nothing then next cook grates get burned off as the fire gets going.

 

[DougE]

Basically just scrape them off once I'm up to temp at the start of a cook. I might actually wash them once or twice a year but that's about it.

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

With the V grates on the pit I use a metal tent spike that is flat steel with a 90* bend on the end. It fits perfectly in the channels to scrape off the larger bits just as I start the charcoal chimney. Once the grooves are heated up I use a steel brush to clean it further not only in the channels but between them.

About once a year I completely remove the whole grate and spray it down with Goo-Gone BBQ and oven cleaner. It is a foamy spray so I let it sit for 20 minutes then scrub it with a 3M pad then spray it down with water. It cleans it very well.

I also use the same Goo-Gone to clean the front glass of my vertical smoker. After a few smokes you can't even see thru it. After the Goo treatment it is as clean as new.

My wife gets it at TJ-MAX but it looks like HD also carries it.

 

[crazzycajun]

I clean mine after every grease fire rather it needs it or not

 

[DemonPit]

I fully clean mine after each use. Grates and heat plate get scrubbed, washed, and dried. Entire smoke chamber gets vacuumed out. Fresh foil gets put on heat plate to help with cleanup for the next run.

 

[Florida Chris]

Look at your local hardware store for one of these. Cement mixing tray. Find one that will fit your grates and add the cleaning solution of your choice. Maybe follow up with a pressure washer. $10-$20, and worth every penny.

 

[Smoke-Chem BBQ]

Look at your local hardware store for one of these. Cement mixing tray. Find one that will fit your grates and add the cleaning solution of your choice. Maybe follow up with a pressure washer. $10-$20, and worth every penny.

That's exactly what I use. Works great. And I've also used it to mix a lot of cement over the years.