How to remove fish taste and smell from little chief?

[pandemonium]

my beef jerky tastes like fish blaaaa i am not too happy, might have to put this smoker back on craigs list where i found it

 

[hell fire grill]

That could be a problem.

 

[richtee]

Spray with lemon juice and hit the car wash.

 

[hell fire grill]

Get the grates red hot and lick them clean = no more fishy taste.

 

[pandemonium]

goddamn fish!!!

 

[mballi3011]

Now Now it's not the end of the world. I would spay it down with alittle or alot of lemon juice and then get a good really hot fire and then see what that does. If that don't work try it again and if that don't work it's craigs list for it.

 

[oneshot]

Sounds like the car wash, use the degreaser setting and soak it down real good. Then wash it with the soap setting and rinse it really good to make sure ya got all the soap etc. out of it and then reseason it from scratch.
That should do it. Don't do anymore stinky fish!!!!

lol

 

[pitrow]

hmm... odd... I've done tons of fish in my lil chief and never had anything else taste or smell like fish. Sure the smoker itself kinda gives off a fishy smell the next time I use it, but it never seemed to make it into what I was smoking.

Like others, I'd say scrub it down real good with lemon juice and fire it up for a while. I might even go as far as using an oven cleaner or simple green, or something on it to clean it really good, then re-season it. But probably not.

 

[bigsteve]

Ughh. You have my sympathy. Fish and me just don't agree.


I would bury it in the backyard myself.

 

[meat hunter]

A good spray down with simple green or a brillo pad with lemon juice should be all it needs. Its strange that is should affect your jerky like that. I have done batches of fish in my big chief and loads of jerky and never had a cross taste in either. Most likely, someone who had it before you just never washed or cleaned it. Probably fish dripping on the bottom and they just left it like that. Dont chuck it, clean it and Im sure it will be fine.

 

[pandemonium]

i bought it used and he had cooked fish on it and it was still dirty from the fish and i didnt realize till i got home.if it was my fish that i had cooked on it it might be better, but this is nasty its like i am eating what they had for dinner PUKE HACK BARF!!!!

 

[meat hunter]

Oh man, that last line, eating what they had for dinner. My gag reflex is going into overtime LOL. Actually, you know what would really work good for cleaning it out? That orange goop, like gojo that mechanics use for cleaning their greasy hands. I use it whenever I get done cleaning fish and it works really well. Has the citrus in it plus that powdered pumice. If that dont do the trick, nothing will.

 

[tasunkawitko]

panda -

i've never had this problem and i always use the little chief for fish and jerky. the first few times i used it, i noticed a definite difference and found that i was putting way too many pans of wood chips on to smoke. it did result in a flavor that could seem a little weird. i cut down to two pans at a maximum and the flavors improved dramatically.

the other thing i would recommend, just for the heck of it, is a good scrubbing down.

 

[pandemonium]

actuallyi did only use 2 pans of wood chips, anyway i went out and stuck my head in the smoker and oh yeah its fishy, i think thats the only thing they made on it. so i began spraying the simple green and man alot of crap came off after several times scrubbing and respraying green and water it looks like new now lol the only bad spots left are the shelf holders i need a Brillo pad on them but i am gonna leave it laying down face up open all day tomorrow maybe the sun will help?

 

[forluvofsmoke]

I think you did the right thing using the Simple Green for a cleaner...not as acidic or caustic as alot of degreeser can be. Aluminum doesn't like harsh chemicals and the surface can be etched pretty badly if you're not careful. Once it's etched, it is alot harder to clean the next time...it's like spraying a primer coat on metal before painting...it makes it very sticky for bonding to other stuff by removing the polished finish from the surface and causing microscopic surface pits.

You're on the right track...airing it out well will help some. Before you start smoking on it again, go ahead and re-season it with smoke wood and it should be like new!

Eric

 

[pandemonium]

yeah i hope so man i was looking forward to some homemade jerky, just threw the first batch out and cooked the remaining meat and made cheese steaks so all wasn't lost.

 

[gnubee]

It sounds like the fish oils got in the nooks and crevasses of your smoker and then became rancid. I think your on the right track and have probably already got it lots cleaner. Sounds like the guy did a few fish smokes , didn't clean it and left it in the sun which would cause the leftover oils and crap to go rancid perhaps even a bit moldy. Yech!

Sunlight and fresh air will help to deaden any smell too.

 

[pandemonium]

yeah i am on the right track and am gonna try some more jerky tomorrow