Homebrewed Q
Take a breath!
Hello brethren, I need a little help. I purchased a Weber 22.5 OTG kettle off of Craigslist this evening, he was asking $30, I got it for $25, so I don't have a tremendous amount of money in it. This thing needs some TLC badly, felt I had to rescue it after seeing the condition it was in and hearing how it was cooked on and its lack of care. It has a "DI" code which tells me its a 2007, and it should not be in the shape it is in for being 6 years old. The lid has a couple of dents in it from a large piece of cast iron falling on the top of it. The dents are right under the top handle and another one about 5 inches away from the top handle, however they do not compromise the integrity of the seal or the top vent. It does have an added on thermometer on top near the top handle. The inside is completely covered in soot or creosote from repetitive uses and not cleaning it. 2 of the 3 arms on the bottom ash sweeper are bent up and away from the bottom surface, he told me that they got that way from him sweeping over the built up soot that was on the bottom, it does still work but would need to be bent back somehow once I get this thing cleaned out. The guy I bought it from told me to just do what he does and soak it with lighter fluid and burn it all out after every 5 or 6 cooks...........smdh......thats when this became a rescue and not just a purchase. So, with all of that being said, I need to know the best way to clean the inside of the bowl and lid, this is going to take more than soap and water I'm afraid, and I don't want to use any harsh, abrasive chemicals or burn it out with lighter fluid as he suggested. I'm fully aware that elbow grease will be involved and have no problem with that, plus my 10 yr old son will be helping me out as well. He'll get some valuable lessons on how to take care of grills so that they don't get in this shape. Thanks, I look forward to y'alls suggestions.
