To those with stickburners: how often do you do a thorough cleaning of your pit?

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Waterboy12

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I cook on my Lang at least once a week if not more. I religiously clean out my firebox after every cook however the cook chamber doesn't get the same attention. I usually hit the grates with a wire brush after every cook to knock the big stuff off, but that about as far as it goes.

Ben Lang recommends steam cleaning before/after each cook....I don't do it. I'm usually pulling/slicing/chopping/preparing and I just let it go. Today I got up and wanted to fire the pit up and give it a good cleaning. I got temp up to around 300*-350* steam cleaned it and hit with a wire brush. Let it get back up to temp and went through the entire process again. She as clean as a shinny new penny, this is the first time since I've had it(a month)that it has been cleaned this thoroughly.

So the question still remains: How often do you give your cooker a thorough cleaning?
 
Firebox on every cook. I knock all the grates clean then scrape the big stuff out of the chamber when it's still warm after cooking.
That about sums it up ;)
 
I will at least brush the grates down after each cook if nothing else. If I do a large messy cook I will brush the grates, steam clean and spray a little more oil on and bring the pit up to about 300F for a couple hours. I'm not looking to make it shiny like it was new, my grates and inside are nice and seasoned black.
 
I clean the firebox at the start of each cook, bring it up to temp and then wire brush the racks a little. 2-3 times a year I will do a deep clean with steam and hit the inside of the chimney with a wire brush. If we are cooking lots of meat, especially pork butts I will drain and quickly wipe the lower RF plate down at the end of the cook.
 
I clean the firebox every cook, and the steam clean gets done twice to three times a year.
 
Firebox the next day after every cook. Wire brush to the grates while still warm and again with an oiled rag the next day. Walls and channel, clean up any debris and then give a wipe with an oily rag the next day (wipe down my tuning plates as well). I never have or imagine ever giving a complete clean unless it starts getting funky smelling or if I had a grease fire or something (which I don't expect since I never leave puddled grease in the smoker).
 
I brush off grates and cooking chamber and wipe with rag and clean out firebox of all ash within a day or 3 of every cook. Haven't ever done a steam clean as I kinda stay on top of it.
 
My Langs used to get a full cleaning each and everytime the cooker gpt used.

Now that I made a change and cook in pans there is so mess in the cook chamber to clean.
 
a clean lang is a happy lang

i cook on my LANG 60 at least 4 or 5 times a week i wire brush my grates after every use and steam and scrape the sear plate every other cook if i do a brisket or pork butt i do a through steaming i halve lined my firebox with firebrick and use a basket for my charcoal and wood so i empty it about every other cook
 
I don't get to use my cooker as much as I'd like...however...

I clean out the firebox the next day after each cook. Grates get scraped same day or next day if I forget - and I try to give 'em a quick brush before putting food on also, just to be sure.

I line the bottom of the cooking chamber with aluminum drip pans, so *most* of the drips get caught and thrown out.

I'd guess once or twice a year I'll do a more thorough clean out of the entire interior...but I haven't even had it a full year yet.
 
Why is it important to clean the firebox after cooking and not just wait to clean it before the next cook? Will the ash cause the metal to rust?
 
I clean mine right by the book either before or after each cook If I skimp its on the fire box on maybe a short/fast cook
 
This is all before every cook:


  • Clean firebox and wash it with the hose.
  • Spray the grates and the cooking chamber with the hose, water drains into a bucket.
  • I use a week torch to start my first so while I'm at it, I hit the grates with the weed torn to burn off the gunk.
  • After that I use a wire brush to fully scrape off the gunk.
  • Steam clean about once every 2-3 months.
 
I'm using an old Brinkmann offset (not a reverse flow) smoker. I have found that if I don't pull the baffle plate and change the foil out after every cooking, I have some interesting and very colorful molds waiting on me the next time I uses it, particularly in warm weather.
 
markrvp said:
Why is it important to clean the firebox after cooking and not just wait to clean it before the next cook? Will the ash cause the metal to rust?
Click to expand...

According to pit manufacturers like Dave Klose and the guy from Gator (is it Rich?), ash is definitely your enemy. Apparently ash, when combined with water, forms an acid that will eat the metal. I shovel/wipe out a much ash as I possible can, sometimes I use the shop vac, then I get a hose and very thoroughly spray it out, as I don't really know of a better way to get the ash out of the corners and around the brackets. I'll spray until it's clear water with no evidence of ash whatsoever, then spray a little more, and I leave the firebox open to air dry after that. I've had my current offset a few years now and no rust yet.
 
Get your smoker hot, around 300 degrees and spray with a garden hose.
You will be amazed at the steam produced.
This works well if you have a bottom drain on your smoker.
jon
 
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