Cleaning Your Smoker

[bigtrain74]

This may be a wierd question and could be solved by just some simple grill cleaner but I was wondering what people used to clean out their smokers.

I modified my smoker from a charcoal to a propane smoker and yesterday I cranked up the gas on the regulator and got it up over 500 degrees to see about burning off some of the crap...

Your imput would be great please!

 

[smokin' dick]

When I first got the WSM, I washed it out to sparkling newness after each cook. Two years later it is rather dirty. I do scrape off the flaky stuff with a piece of crumpled aluminum foil once in a while now. My off set gets scraped with a spatula if the grease gets too thick. The mini gets a scrape down/wipe down when it cools after a cook. Wash them? That would take off all of the seasoning we work so had to put on!

A couple nights ago it was steak night. Below freezing. Was about to heat up the indoor electric grill. But wait, that means I'll have to wash the thing. So instead, grabbed a beer and a sweat shirt and fired up the gasser. Scrape, brush and oil on the grates and I was good to go.

Easy does it best.

 

[fire it up]

Simple Green. I have been using Simple Green for a while now to clean almost everything, I'm not kidding, I love this stuff and it works so great.
Bout a year ago after I got my first smoker I was doing some reading on cleaning and couldn't believe how many people use it to clean their smokers as well. Though for my hands I use Dr. Bronner's all natural hemp soap. Amazing how well it takes all the black nastiness off my hands.

Saw a show where a guy at a competition continually rubbed his grates with half of onion, claimed it kept it nice and clean...

 

[geek with fire]

I use the wooden handle from a large hammer.....Whack Whack. Scoop up what falls off. If I want a more extensive cleaning, I'll spray everything down with some nonstick spray and crank up the heat. Brush the grill grates and call it day.

 

[bmudd14474]

What he said.

 

[alx]

Warm water and ammonia have done the trick for me.I power wash twice a year and before comps if really dirty.I soak my grills in ammonia and warm water and brush clean.

 

[dangerdan]

I usually have my wife take care of that for me...

 

[bbq engineer]

Snicker, snicker, snicker!

Mrs. Engineer probably wouldn't be caught dead with BBQ grease on her hands!

BBQ Eng.

 

[dangerdan]

Well, the post is lost now but the wife borrowed my smoker once. When I got home I noticed she had gotten it a little too hot (as she explained it had caught on fire) but hey, it was clean as a whistle....

 

[sdesmond]

I second the simple green. The stuff is amazing as well as biodegradable. It will clean your car, house, anything you put in front of it.

 

[sumosmoke]

Never used simple green but with it being a natural all-cleaner I'm sure it's very safe to use. I never used to clean out the ecb and it has a nice thick coating of black flaky stuff on the sides that got knocked off before each smoke. With the Lang, I keep that thing really clean and clean the grates and bottom baffle after each smoke. Fire up the temps to 300 and spray it down.