Cleaning pit cooking grates

Jeff_in_KC

Jeff_in_KC

somebody shut me the fark up.
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I need to clean some pit cooking grates today. I gathered once before when we discussed it that putting grates in your oven and putting on the oven cleaning setting is a good way to clean them. I have a couple of questions for anyone who's done it:

1. Can I put the porcelein (sp?) coated grates from the BSKD in there?

2. Should I pre-treat them with oven cleaning spray first and then put them in?

Thanks!
 
I've never had grates require that much work to clean. A few strokes with a brass brush when the grates are cold removes any stuck on bits of meat, spray or sauce. The remaining smoke residue prevents sticking.

If you decide to "clean" your grates in the oven, I would remove as much loose stuff as possible, and would NOT use chemical cleaner during a cleaning cycle.
 
I've heard people have bought a cheep mortar pan from Home Depot for about 5 bucks. You can soak in hot water with a grease cutting cleaner then hit them with the hose. Be sure to rinse really well then oil them with Pam or any cheep cooking oil in spray form.

I clean my grates by firing up my pit as hot as I can (Lang 84) and hitting it with the hose or power washer. It seems to steam clean the grates down to the bare metal. I then use a spray bottle with peanut oil and hit the entire inside of the pit.

Rich Decker
 
I usually just scrub them up but I sometimes put them in the oven when I do the self cleaning. It cleans them up well, but leaves a white residue.
 
ggeilman said:
I usually just scrub them up but I sometimes put them in the oven when I do the self cleaning. It cleans them up well, but leaves a white residue.
Click to expand...

Well hell, then you have to scrub off the white residue! :roll:
 
You clean your grates? I thought the build up of stuck on food was what seasoned them to be non-stick? :)
 
Jeff_in_KC said:
Well hell, then you have to scrub off the white residue! :roll:
Click to expand...

No, it rinses off fairly easily with a wash cloth at most, just an ash residue.
 
I just put them in the fire box over a very hot fire then hit them with the brass bush.
 
I use a drywall taping knife and a wire brush. I also have a weed burner I use to burn the pit poop as my daughter calls it before scrapping. I only use the weed burner when the grates are really bad because I am always worried about warping my grates. You can also use a power washer with no soap do this at home and your Mrs will kill you.
 
Oh and be careful about what you put in your oven on self clean mode. Alot of people do not read the directions on self cleaning there ovens. Most wracks should be removed when self cleaning such as crome or stainless steel wrack because they will dis-color if not start to flake. Cast iron and expand metal are safe.
 
I read somewhere once and actually tried this but would not recommend it to anyone. I placed my grill grates in trash can liners and poured in amonia. Cleaned that chit right up but damn near passed out doing it. I prefer to spend a little extra time at the end of a cook and heat the racks up over a fire, scrape with a wire brush.
 
I think there is any substitute for heat and a good old brass brush.
 
If you wanna use chems just use easey off. I would never even use a mild dish soap on the inside of my pit.
 
The grodier the better I always say.

I get the best results with the grates hot and I use a green scruffy pad. When they are really bad I hit em with the power washer first.
 
If you are going to clean the inside of your pit I would simply use steam. Just run up your pit to 300 to 400*, open up the door and spray some water with a spray bottle. The steam created will clean the inside of the smoker. This is how Lang suggests to clean the inside of their smoker. Of course a pressure washer would make easy work of it too.
 
leave them grates alone.. they never did anything to you. :twisted: the oven broiler pans a re porclin coated, so im sure its ok to put them in the oven on clean, the white stuff is ash and wipes right off, just like the stuff in the oven.


I rarley clean my grates.. only if they get really gunked up.. In the BYC, the grate is in 4 pieces. I move them ALL to the far right, right next to the firebox, then let them heat up while I preheat the pit, which is up to 300-400 degrees. Hit the grate with a brass brush and spread them back out. If they are really bad, they go in the firebox for a few minutes and then get brushed. to clean the pit, i do like sawdust.... heat the pit to 400, then hit it with the hose on spray.. the stem runs all the grease out the drain, i let it dry and spray it down with fresh oil and reseason a bit.
 
Cleaning grates is the perfect use for that gasser you have sitting in the corner and stopped using once you where enlightened to the wonders of charcoal and wood. Fire the sucker up on high, insert the grates and let them cook for about 15 minutes; all clean after that...
 
Pit grease also makes very good hair gel.
 
I've been scrubbing mine out with hot soapy water and a scouring pad (when not in the oven)!
 
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