Akorn smoker, grate is rusting

[newarcher]

Hi everyone.

I've had my Akorn smoker for this first season.  When I bought it, I put crisco all over the cast iron grate and did a nice small seasoning burn, it looked great.

Over the weekend I did some steaks at about 800 degrees which flaked all of the grease in the dome (so I cleaned it out so it didn't fall into the food--at first I thought it was paint coming off).  After it cooled, it appears that part of the grates is now rusting in a couple of spots.  I'm assuming that I cooked all of the crisco out of that part of the grate.

A couple questions:

1)  Since I scraped off all of that flaking grease in the dome, do I need to do another seasoning burn?

2)  What's the best way to deal with the rust?  Do crisco again with a short seasoning burn and then spray it with cooking oil after each cook?

Thanks

 

[daveomak]

archer, evening.....    At the temps you are cooking in the Akorn, nothing will work or last.... Not even through I cook cycle.....    800 degrees will carbonize any coating .....    Except maybe baked on enamel, which is a glass coating....   and that will be subject to scratches, cracking and flaking....   You could take the grate to a fabricator and have a grill made of stainless.....  probably 316 alloy....   I know 304 will oxidize... don't know for sure about 316....   It does have more silicon and nickel in it....    that's a question for a metallurgist....  

Dave

 

[asfastasitgets]

Your second option is how to keep the cast iron grates seasoned. It's just like using cast iron skillets and the like. You have to re-oil after use to keep them seasoned. 

In my Smokin-pro, I just spray them down lightly with whatever cooking spray is cheapest. You can do a rag and oil, as well, but I like the no-mess convenience of the spray.

 

[jirodriguez]

If you are doing high heat cooking - yes you will burn off any seasoning you put on the inside. That is why I keep my smoker and grill seperate, I use my WSM for smoking and a regular weber kettle for grilling.