Offset outside care

[boisblancboy]

For those of you that can't store your offset inside and have to cover it do you ever coat the exterior of the unit in oil?

 

[keithu]

Here in Oregon the winter is cool and wet, and the air stays humid because it rarely drops below freezing. The one time I tried to use a grill cover in the winter I had massive mold growth inside the unit.

My current smoker I leave outside but under a patio cover so it doesn't get directly rained on. I keep a spray can of black grill paint handy and hit potential trouble spots on the exterior every 2-3 cooks. If I even think an area of paint is burning through I hit it with a couple of layers.

The interior requires more care. I clean out ashes immediately the day after a cook, and spray down firebox interior surfaces with spray cooking oil. The cook chamber is well seasoned from regular use and doesn't require anything but scraping out grease accumulations with a plastic scraper.

I know this sounds like a lot of work, but really it's only about 5-10 minutes once per week. Well worth it, and there isn't one single spot of rust anywhere on my smoker.

 

[bluewhisper]

My offset used to be out in the weather but now it's under a patio roof.

The firebox paint was scorched long ago and now there's superficial rust but I'm not worried because it isn't a structural problem - no rust-through or rusting welds, etc. The cooking chamber paint is failing after a few years of UV exposure, but again, I'm not worried about looks and there's no structural problem.

Like you, I keep the ashes cleaned out of it because it's bad to let wet ashes sit in it = rust big time (learned that with an old Weber).

 

[SmokinAl]

My Lang sits out in the weather, but I do have a cover for it.
There is some superficial rust on the firebox, but I just spray it with Pam, & keep it seasoned like a Cast iron pan.
As said above I always clean out the ashes from the firebox before putting the cover on.
Al

 

[boisblancboy]

Thanks for the tips so far guys. I was thinking while during a cook would there be an issues if I coated the exterior with cooking oil? Kinda like Al said, season it like a cast iron pan.

I’m hoping to get a Yoder Cheyenne soon.

 

[keithu]

The only issue I see is that the oil can get tacky and attract dust and whatever else is blowing around outside. If you use oil on the outside it would be best to apply hot so it cokes on like the coating on a cast iron pan. Remember that cast iron seasoning isn't just wiping on a bunch of oil, heat makes the coating adhere to the metal.

This is why I think spray paint is easier for the exterior. Spray it on when the cooker is cool, and within a few minutes it's dry.

 

[griz400]

Mine is under a pavilion and I keep it covered .. although my grill covers have vents in em .. like a screen mesh on the sides .. btw .. black paint is your friend ....

 

[chopsaw]

Mine is under a pavilion and I keep it covered .. although my grill covers have vents in em .. like a screen mesh on the sides .. btw .. black paint is your friend ....

Thats a good point about vented covers . Left covered for long periods can sometimes be a bad thing .

 

[boisblancboy]

Well I’m hoping the outside storage of the cooker will be temporary as I want to get a garage built next year. If I were to coat the outside of it with oil how hot would I need to get it and it’s there a particular oil I should use?

 

[phatbac]

I rub mineral oil on the FB of my smoker and this keeps the paint from peeling and rust from forming. I did garage keep my smoker until recently (since i moved to house w/o a garage) and now i keep Betty under a canvas cover.

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)