Wire brush warning

I used to use wire brushes. I now have been using easy off and hosing down. Any stubborn baked on food or grease I use a handheld wallpaper scrapper with the blade on one end and roller on the other end for a smooth glide. I still always aggressively hose down both sides.

I'll definitely pass the word to those I know who use wire brushes and especially the old worn out bristles.

Absolutely agree. I have caught the wires on my grills/smokers before they have gotten into the food (I hope) I went to using a commercial brush/scraper from RD, they are expensive, but have really heavy bristles and dont brake off. I also found that a spray bottle of water while the grill is still hot works very well. Let the steam from the water clean, scrap at the same time, works pretty good.

I like the Billy Bar:

http://amazingribs.com/BBQ_buyers_guide/grill_grate_cleaning.html

HTH

Thanks for the heads up

Thanks for posting. That's something I've never even though about. And thanks loco_engr for posting the link - billy bar + block of oak = peace of mind.

that is scary glad his son is ok

Crumpled up tin foil, even if it did end up inside you its not as sharp as steel brushes

This seems to be coming up a lot more lately. I got rid of my brushes a little while ago and have been using a few different things like wadded up foil, grill bricks (with a wet rag after that), and today I just got one of those pro type deals with the really stiff wires and butcher block handle. It was pricey, but I'm all about eliminating unnecessary risks to zero, especially when there is really nothing to gain from sticking with cheaper grill brushes.

I've heard too many bad stories, some of them first hand accounts on this site, to dismiss this.

So with the pro type brushes, is there absolutely no way the wire will break off?

Yambor44 said:

So with the pro type brushes, is there absolutely no way the wire will break off?

Click to expand...

If I'm not mistaken it looks like the bristles aren't glued in - it's like a long bristle doubled over so both ends of the bristle come in contact with the surface to be cleaned. The one I got kind of looks like this:



I haven't used it yet as I just got it - it may be overkill for smaller grates like Webers, but it seems like it'd be good for getting a deep clean on expanded metal grates for bigger cookers. It was $24, which is a lot, but I think it'll be around for a very long time and probably end up costing less than using multiple cheaper brushes over the long run

Someone in another thread recommended grill bricks. I got one and it worked really well - it does wear down quickly, but they're only a couple/few bucks each and they really get the job done. I go behind them with either a damp or oily rag in case any grit from the brick is left behind.



Wadded up foil will get a lot of the stuff off a grate, but these bricks are good for getting the stuff that foil doesn't, esp. if you're cooking something with a sugary sauce or teriyaki or something like that.

I would guess that a lot of the better quality grill brushes are probably fine and won't shed, but when it comes to feeding other people and the risk of a small piece of metal getting into someone's system, "probably" doesn't do it for me, especially, as I've mentioned, there's really no loss in using something else.

A good source said to get a welder's brush. ??

I started using the welders brushes.. the bristles are very very heavy and it would be much more difficult to not notice one of them.. it would be like chewing a hard fish bone.

I use a welding brush also

I've been using high quality welding brushes for over 30 years to clean my grill grates.

Beware of some of the Harbor Freight and Home Depot brushes. I've had the bristle wires come off of them.

2X aluminum foil. Was kitchen manager at a large rest. years ago. Had a guy call in saying he had a staple in his food that it was lodged in his throat. Turned out to be a bit of chewed aluminum foil from his to go order. Never even had staples in my kitchen, for obvious reasons.

Thanks to everyone. When I first read this thread (or another one like it recently) my honest first reaction was that everyone was being a bunch of old nellies and that people have been using wire brushes for years. But the more I've thought about it and as I've read a bit more, I can't actually see any good justification for using a regular BBQ wire brush anymore when there are folks out there who have had very real and very serious complications, and given that there are much safer alternatives out there. The sign of my conversion came last weekend when I handed three different grill brushes to my son as he was walking toward our trash dumpster and said "chuck 'em out."

I had a wire brush leave wires on a grate stuck in some of the cooked on residue and quit using them. I have a large commercial stainless sink in my cook shack that I soak my grates in and then use a large sponge with a scotch bright pad on one side. Easy, safe and clean!

I only use weber brushes. Never seen a loose bristle.

I like this. It can reach the back of my smoker even when I am steam cleaning.

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