Smoker clean-up (Help)

[watterboy]

Hi guys/gals,

I have a question I was hoping somebody could answer for me. I have a Cajun Injector electric smoker and I've slacked quite a bit on cleaning it. well, ok I've never cleaned it.....lol What is the best method to clean the inside of it without leaving any residue that might seep into my meats during the smoking process? Thank you all in advance for any pointers.

Chris

 

[pgsmoker64]

I don't clean mine often either...

I work at a pharmaceutical company and we have to clean our vessels to food grade levels.  We use Simple Green.  It works pretty well and no residue.  Just need to rinse it well and you're all set.  Make sure you let it dry well before plugging it back in...

Bill

 

[vtmecheng]

Simple Green is good stuff.  A little known fact about it though is that it can actually react with some aluminums, causing corrosion.  I know that may sound strange but this was an issue we had on a program I used to be on.  Our "product" was all Al 2519 and if we left the Simple Green on bare metal it would corrode.  Most smokers are steel and won't have issues but it's something to keep in mind.  I need to clean my smoker soon as well, my last rib cook left a lot of grease residue.

 

[daveomak]

Chris, morning and welcome.....  I run my MES on max temp for several hours to help "burn off" the residue that accumulates during smoking .....  The remaining residue should be "dry", not sticky, and create no off tasting food... To reduce creosote build up, I use the AMNPS from Todd... no creosote when using that great device.....    Dave

 

[roller]

I get my elec. smoker hot then turn it off and start wiping with rags and paper towels till it is clean..And it takes awhile because I do not clean very often either..You do not want to clean it spotless...just get it down to where it want catch on fire...

 

[frosty]

I use Smple Green on other things, but never thought of using it on my smoker.

With my MES 40, I have had good luck and not much build up of creosote.  I wipe the excess out when I see it, and haven't had any problems.  Other than that, just a quick wipe is fine.

 

[watterboy]

Thank you to everybody that has replied. I appreciate all the input!

 

[roadkill cafe]

Bucket of hot water, Dawn and a light duty (blue back) dollar store scouring pad. I only wipe out any heavy stuff. Leave the seasoning. Window on the MES 40 is a PITA but the Dawn cuts it. Grids and removable parts get Easy Off in a large, plastic trash bag then hosed sparkling clean.

Steve

 

[sound1]

On my MES, I fill the water pan, close all the vents and turn the temp up to as high as it will go.  Let the steam soften the crud for a couple hours, unplug the unit and then all you need is a bucket of water and a sponge to wipe and rinse it out.