To clean or not to clean

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ThaKaptone

Newbie
Original poster
Dec 8, 2024
24
26
Since getting my new Primo I have done some cleaning on the BabyQ and 6 Burner gasser(no brand name left on it).

Got me thinking. My Dad(RIP) would always just let the old wood fire and later on gass BBQ burn out or turn off and do nothing else. Next time we used it he would heat it up and give the hot plate quick scrape and away we go.

My father in law on the other hand would spend more time cleaning the BBQ back to almost brand new every time before packing it away for the night.

Both men were different cooks but I never had a bad meal on either and as t 50 I am still here to tell the tail.

Just wondering people's thoughts on this and if they have had the same sort of cross family conundrums

Not saying what is right or wrong😁😁

Just interested .



Tkt
 
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I can remember my dad grilling hamburgers and hotdogs (and the occasional steak) on a round charcoal grill with no lid. Don't know what the brand was, but probably came from Sears. This was in the 60s and early 70s.

As for smoking, it was always done on a cinder block pit with a grate. Burned wood in a drum and shovel the coals underneath and cooked whatever was on the grate which was usually a whole hog or half chickens.

I don't remember him doing much cleaning of the grates for either...
 
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If the smoker grates get pretty messed up I do a quick brush down. On rare occasions if they are really bad I'll throw the grates over on the gas grill and burn them off. Once a year I'll run a wire brush over the inside of the hood and sides to scrape off the carbon flakes. MAK pellet smoker here.
 
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I can remember my dad grilling hamburgers and hotdogs (and the occasional steak) on a round charcoal grill with no lid. Don't know what the brand was, but probably came from Sears. This was in the 60s and early 70s.
Yup!

Either Sears or the NEX...no name grill with the grate that moved up and down on a rod in the middle of the grill.If there was a flare-up my dad had an old plastic Mennen squirt bottle that he cleaned and filled with water.Some truly great food came off those grills!

As far as cleaning goes with my gas grill the grates get a good scraping after heat up and on occasion I'll remove any heavy build-up with a stiff brush.With my MES the grates get soaked in Dawn Power Wash and run through the dishwasher,outside of that it gets the same treatment as the grill with a stiff nylon brush and a plastic spatula on occasion.
 
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I’m a big believer in seasoned grills/smokers, I think they make better tasting meat overall. I’m more of a heat it up scrape it off with a wire brush and cook. However grease build up must be watched closely and not be allowed to get out of hand or else you will get to deal with a grease fire at some point and that is a PITA. I use my cookers year around and typically do a deep clean twice a year. Once in spring and once in fall. But if I do several big cooks for weddings or reunions, I will have to do a deep clean in between just to manage grease. I also use foil cover wherever I can and change it accordingly.
 
I'm like SmokinEdge SmokinEdge . Heat and a brush for the most part. Before and after the cook and don't let grease accumulate. I use a drip pan for almost everything. All of my grills look like they have been cooked on.
 
My gas grill grates get a wire brush after heating to 400-500 degrees. It gets heated and brushed that way before and after each use. The interior gets scraped when it looks like there is any possibility of anything flaking or coming off in to the food, and if there is any significant grease buildup. I've had the grease fire...you dont want that.

My MES30 grates that were used and the lower drip pan and water pan get soaked in an old farm sink I have in the garage then scrubbed and cleaned. The grates are the only things I meticulously clean, the other parts are non-food contact. The interior gets scraped when the buildup tells me it needs it. I started out cleaning it to the nth degree when I first got it, but that just made me not want to smoke food because it was too much work. I DO clean the meat probe with the scrubby side of a sponge and wipe if off again before inserting in to meat.

I have an old LP ported 6 burner Viking cook-top built on a curb on a cook station cabinet in my garage. I made the stainless curb is sits on and it also has a stainless cover I made that fits over it so it becomes a usable surface when not used. I use it mostly for frying or griddling stuff so it gets greasy. I cover the smoker which is parked next to it when not in use with cardboard to catch grease. I remove the burner grates and clean the stainless with a cleaner like Awesome usually a day or more after a cook, mostly because I cant stand filth! But I also feel like cooking residue from that is more likely to draw in mice than the smoker and grill parked next to it. They always meet their demise in my snap-traps with super stinky cheese they cant resist, but the less of them the better. In the country, you cant get away from field mice wanting in even without the temptation! Every now and then, depending on how much its used, I soak and scrub the cast iron burner grates.
 
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Glad to see it a bit of a mixed bag. I guess I should have said what I do, I am more of a heat and scrape clean type of person. I have never cleaned the inside of the lid (probably should). Job for this weekend. I just did they biggest clean of all my BBQs yesterday and have what looks newish compared to the day before. I think it helps flavour.

On a side note when my Dad would have trouble getting the BBQ to light he would ask me to get the 'jungle juice' from the shed. This was a cup of lawn mower file which he would throw on the fire to get it going. Who knows what effect it had on the food but as kids we loved seeing it flare up when the fuel hit

Ahhh the late 70's early 80's was so much more loose.👍
 
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My grill is an "Akorn, Jr." kamado-style (steel ...) grill with a cast-iron grate. Every morning after, I use a soft wire brush, soap and water to remove the "food gunk." Like everything else cast iron, it naturally develops "seasoning." But, just as with my [cast iron ...] kitchen skillets, I don't want "gunk." The grill gets a simple wipe-down. It takes five minutes max.
 
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On my Santa Maria pit with V-grooves I do not touch it after cooking. Before the next cook I let it warm up then use a metal scraper ( tent peg) to break off the buildup from the last cook. Then I use a brush to remove the stuff that the scraper did not get. It still leaves a good amount of seasoning for the current cook.

The V grooves lead to a drip pan but that is another thing altogether.

Once or twice a year depending on the buildup on the bottom of the grills I will remove them and spray them with Goo-gone for grills. It makes a foamy solution that breaks it down then hose them down. Clean like new.

My offset smoker is still too new to do more than scraping the grills with a brush.
 
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