Rusty grates

[scvinegarpepper]

My grates are severely rusty in my ECB b/c I haven't used it in ages. I really don't have the money right now to replace them. Living on student loans is rough near the end of the semester. What's the best way to remove it besides scouring the hell out of them with steel wool? Thanks in advance. ALSO, there is some rust on the inside wall of the drum. Do I need to get rid of that before cooking, i.e., is it harmful? Or is that ok as long as my meat doesn't touch it? Thanks.
-T

 

[coffee_junkie]

Get a wire wheel that will chuck up on your electric grill (assuming you have one) and go to town. If you have a second hand store in your area you might luck out an find both items if you don't have them already.
I would clean the entire smoker and re-season if it has been that long, could be some mold in there, that is never good. Use a good degreaser such as simple green or 409 and the wire wheel to get that off.

 

[scvinegarpepper]

That's an excellent idea. I do have a drill (I assume you meant drill, not grill). I've got a pretty decent pawn shop around the corner and they carry a decent amount of power tools so I may be able to find one there. Thanks for the tip.