Easy way to clean MES 30

[deepholedriller]

Okay so I have been away from home for the last several months on account of my employer sending me to the furthest reaches of god's green earth. Anyway well I was away my neighbor (really nice guy who is a retired chef) asked if he could borrow my MES 30 to use well I was away, reluctantly I agreed as I have known him for years and had no reason why I shouldn't trust him.

Upon returning home 2 weeks ago and deciding I wanted to smoke some ribs I went over and got my smoker back from my neighbor, he informed me he used it quite a bit and thanked me for letting him use it. When I got it home and opened the door it was a total disgrace, it looked as if someone had coated the inside with a 1/2" of roofing tar and the top vent is so gummed up I can't even get it to close, can someone say pi**ed off.

Can anyone tell me what I can use to help get my smoker clean again and back to its former glory?

Thanks all for your help and insight!!

 

[deepholedriller]

Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas or tricks that might help me???

I have been going at it all afternoon with hot soapy water and a scrubbing pad, it's getting better but killing my elbows in the process !!

 

[smoke happens]

Make your neighbor do it.....

Sorry, that's not helpful, but a retired chef should know better.

Simple Green is useful too

 

[deepholedriller]

Thanks for the tip smoke happens!!

My neighbor did offer to clean it but I would just as soon he didn't!!

He is also VERY aware his smoking privileges with my MES 30 have been permanently revoked!!

 

[old sarge]

You might try Dawn Power Disolve.  It is sort of a mild oven cleaner.  Easy Off for grills might work as well, depends upon what the smoker cavity is lined with. But then you would have to deal with the smell of oven cleaner.  I have heard of heating up a bowl of ammonia so that the fumes can do the work; I have also heard that it is very messy and not always successful.

 

[grasshopper]

I get mine at menards. It is called fireplace glass and soot remover, by meeco's mfg. It really does the job. It is VERY caustic with a lot of fumes. Comes in a spray bottle and I use news paper. I do mine outside with a fan. www.meecomfg.com. Not tonight though as it is 10 below zero in Minnesota. Good luck.

 

[netbbq]

Might want to try a non caustic natural cleaner and a full water pan and try to steam it then scrub with a plastic scrubbie. For the vent, use your torch for the amznps and heat it up. That will free it up. Should be left wide open anyway.

 

[dad of four]

Take an old terry-cloth towel (The bigger the better)

Fold it to the size of the cooking rack

Soak the towel with water

Place it in the MES, close the vent

Crank it to 275 for a good hour

After an hour, turn off the MES, and then with rubber- hot gloves grab the hot-towel, and start wiping away the grease, etc.

The towel is gonna be piping hot, so use rubber hot-gloves

If you don't have these, you can use another wet-towel.  Just don't burn yourself!

 

[beernuts]

The inside I clean with a good dose of Dawn dish detergent. I use a 3M scrub brush to get the crud off after the soaking. It's safe for stainless and glass. Keep a bucket of water close to rinse the scrub brush. Then, if you have the glass door, use rubbing alcohol and the 3M scrub brush and that comes clean too....