Scratches from interior cleaning - did I damage my smoker?!

[TShepp84]

After my first successful smoking session this weekend, I decided to give my new MES a clean-up. I mixed up apple cider vinegar and water and sprayed away. I was able to use paper towel for the most part, but there were a few thicker stubborn spots that I couldn’t quite make progress on so I grabbed my green scour/scrub sponge from the kitchen and hit the areas. They cleaned off alright, but then I noticed I induced a bunch of micro scratches and looks like the nice finish from the interior has been scrubbed right through. Did I damage this badly? I am mainly worried that I wore off a protective coating or something. Help??

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

No, I don't think you damaged the interior.
Those are just surface scratches.
However, you did destroy the smoke patina that develops after repeated smokes.
Follow the seasoning procedure in your manual to put the seasoning back on.
For what its worth, most of us here try not to clean off the patina from inside our smokers.

 

[TShepp84]

No, I don't think you damaged the interior.
Those are just surface scratches.
However, you did destroy the smoke patina that develops after repeated smokes.
Follow the seasoning procedure in your manual to put the seasoning back in.
For what its worth, most of us here try not to clean off the patina from inside our smokers.

Yeah, after I stopped cleaning I almost kicked myself from taking off the nice thin layer of “seasoning” which actually was pretty consistent throughout. Now the inside looks like a dalmatian. Dammit new guy!

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Yeah, after I stopped cleaning I almost kicked myself from taking off the nice thin layer of “seasoning” which actually was pretty consistent throughout. Now the inside looks like a dalmatian. Dammit new guy!

It happens. You'll never see those scratches again after a few smokes.

 

[GATOR240]

Just keep on smoking, you're fine. As SHS said above , most of us do not try to clean off the smoke film. Just give it a light scrape when it looks like there is peeling black paint (it is creosote), as you don't want it in your food.

 

[GATOR240]

I forgot to add that I always clean my grates after every smoke, whether I feel like it or not, usually not.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

I forgot to add that I always clean my grates after every smoke, whether I feel like it or not, usually not.

Yep.
I clean my grates and water/drip pan after every smoke.

 

[HalfSmoked]

That a boy guys - what clean your smoker? grates yeah.

Warren

 

[old sarge]

Cleaning a smoker is like cleaning your favorite briar pipe. Gotta start all over again.

 

[BandCollector]

If you ever have the desire to clean the inside of your smoker again use the Scotch Blue pad instead of the green one. The blue is less aggressive on the finish and is usually used to clean glass so it will not damage the interior finish.I learned this from a fellow member who is a professional window cleaner and this is what he recommended for the glass door and interior. Unfortunately I cannot remember his name.

I hope this helps,

John

 

[HenryB277]

as stated it will be fine

 

[dr k]

I knock off flakes from the ceiling and walls with a grill brush with no pressure before changing out the bottom foiled pan. Any wet grease spots are soaked up with paper towels on the wall so no mold grows and above the heating element legs so unburnt grease can 't sit on the nonheating legs to possibly short the element. If I have a sticky stuborn grease spot, I can wet a paper towel with standard distilled white vinegar to remove it. The entire smoker inside that has a flat black dry spray paint look never gets wiped down. I clean the rack(s) that hold food and remove the ones not being used.