Z grills with significant rust on inside

[diablo salts]

So I've had a z grills pellet smoker for 3 years now. The past year I had to buy a new cover due to wear and tear. I guess I waited to long and didn't give it enough TLC because it's started rusting on the outside and inside. The coating on the inside is completely coming off due to the rust.

What options to I have and fixing this? I planned on get some steel wool and removing all the rust but it seems to be a debate on if using high heat paint on the inside is safe.

Rust-Oleum High Heat BBQ Spray Paint advertised that it's non toxic and safe for interiors.

Would appreciate some direction from the knowledge of the board. Thank you

 

[DougE]

Paint for the outside. Rustoleum high heat ceramic seems to hold up well. For the inside, I'd wire brush the rust off, coat the inside with canola or other high heat vegetable oil and run it a few hours. Cool, recoat, run again. Basically seasoning the inside like you would season cast iron.

 

[diablo salts]

After ive seasoned the inside.

Whenever I do periodic cleaning of cleaning grease from the interior. Will it need to be reseasoned?

Also, does it change anything that it's an electric pellet smoker?

Thanks for the help

 

[bill1]

I'd say you're keeping it TOO clean inside...cook more chicken! Seriously if you're cleaning down to bare metal I'd always follow with a cooking oil spray. No need to re-season. Just go to cooking temp next time before adding meat.

 

[02ebz06]

After ive seasoned the inside.

Whenever I do periodic cleaning of cleaning grease from the interior. Will it need to be reseasoned?

Also, does it change anything that it's an electric pellet smoker?

Thanks for the help

First, I agree 100% with what DougE said.
Just paint outside, and season inside.
You can also protect the outside by periodically coating the outside with food-grade mineral oil to prevent rusting.

You should not have to re-season inside unless you are removing the grease with a degreaser product, which you should NOT do.
Shouldn't be any grease to clean inside other than on the deflector plate.
You can cover it with foil and then just throw foil and the grease away.

As for being electric, that is for the controller, auger motor, and fan(s).
Nothing to with condition of the inside of the cooking chamber.

 

[jcam222]

Paint for the outside. Rustoleum high heat ceramic seems to hold up well. For the inside, I'd wire brush the rust off, coat the inside with canola or other high heat vegetable oil and run it a few hours. Cool, recoat, run again. Basically seasoning the inside like you would season cast iron.

100%

 

[seenred]

Agree with the other guys...high temp paint on the outside after removing rust and a good cleaning. I wouldn't paint the inside - vegetable oil and heat to season. Reapply as needed.

Red

 

[diablo salts]

I am very thankful for the feedback. I was having a small anxiety episode thinking about how I may have ruined a 700+$ smoker.

 

[DougE]

After ive seasoned the inside.

Whenever I do periodic cleaning of cleaning grease from the interior. Will it need to be reseasoned?

Also, does it change anything that it's an electric pellet smoker?

Thanks for the help

If you clean it with a degreaser and strip the seasoning layer off, you will need to. Electric pellet smoker really changes nothing, I treat the cook chambers the same on all I have. I really see little need in doing any heavy cleaning on grates and cook chambers (don't tell my wife) unless you forget and leave a water pan in one and have a nice crop of mold growing in there next time you open it ......... been there, done that!

 

[diablo salts]

If you clean it with a degreaser and strip the seasoning layer off, you will need to. Electric pellet smoker really changes nothing, I treat the cook chambers the same on all I have. I really see little need in doing any heavy cleaning on grates and cook chambers (don't tell my wife) unless you forget and leave a water pan in one and have a nice crop of mold growing in there next time you open it ......... been there, done that!

Should I not be deep cleaning the grates throughly.


After 2 or 3 uses I would remove them and clean thoughly.

 

[DougE]

Should I not be deep cleaning the grates throughly.


After 2 or 3 uses I would remove them and clean thoughly.

Some do, but I'm in the camp that just scrape them off before each cook.

 

[civilsmoker]

There are two important places that should stay clean on a pellet, #1 is the burn pot and the area under the deflector. the quality of pellets you burn will determine the frequency. I vacuumed it each time I clean the drip pan (ie new foil) about every 120 lbs of pellets. A clean burn pot means it works and cooks reliably. The #2 spot is the drip plate. You don’t want it all full of grease when you go above the grease flash point…..ie nasty tasting burning grease….. really anything above 315 degrees, so any time I go above that temp, fresh foil and vacuum the pot to….. I have been putting two layers of foil lately and then peel one off at the mid point in the pot clean & can use roasting temps with out a full clean.…. All the other areas I just scrape clean and a brass brush when in vacuum….. I had my last pellet over 12 years and never degreased cleaned the interior, only scraped as above……

 

[diablo salts]

Final question

It was actually only the bottom of the z grill smoker that had rusted. The area with the fire pit where the auger functions.

Since this area is only separated by the drip pan. Do I need to oil this down to and season?