Cast Iron Grates - Rust

BisonStew said:

Is a good oiling enough to save these grates? How do you guys clean grates that have gotten this bad? I've never let them get this bad in the past but even when I've seasoned then in the past, the moment I start brushing them to get the daily gunk off the rust appears. Is that normal? I typically oil them before each cook and rust " disappears". They are cast iron not porcelain.

Thanks

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This is not bad at all. I've seen much, much worse. I'm sure others have their own way. Here's mine:

Try some steel wool to remove the rust. If the steel wool, doesn't work, try a steel brush or use a steel brush attachment on your drill and get rid of the rust. If you've got a propane torch, you might want to blast it with the torch first, then hit it with steel wool or wire brush.

After the rust is gone, wash the grates and work on seasoning the grates. I like to heat the grates up to around 300 degrees, then use lard (get a small container at the market) to season. Use tongs and paper towel to get the initial layer of seasoning on the grates. Now get it just to smoking and turn it off and let it cool down all the way.

When it's cooled down all the way, repeat the process again. Heat up, apply lard, smoke, cool down. You can use a cheap silicone basting brush from the dollar store to brush the grates with lard after the initial paper towel application.

Do this as many times as you can (at least 6 times) and you'll see the grates turn an nice jet black. Over time, your grates will be able to hold the seasoning better and you won't require as much attention.

When you're ready to cook, get the grates hot, apply a little lard again with your silicone brush and cook away. After cooking, pull the food, set a timer for 10-15 minutes and let the grill burn off the grates. Brush the grates, then hit the grates with another layer of lard while the grates are warm. This will prevent any rust forming in between cooks.

Here's a pic of the grates on my Weber Q320 with cast iron grates. It was 10x more rusty than yours when I got this grill.
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Burned on food and grease are not good, and cast iron grates are more expensive than standard grill grates so replacement is not the best option. The quick answer is to cook often, clean food bits after each cook, and then re-oil... not re-season, just touch up with oil to prevent rust. But that is hard to keep up with and in many grills humidity will eventually get in.

I would treat those like cleaning and re-seasoning a cast iron skillet. Spray those grates with oven cleaner and put them in a plastic bag for a couple of days, (meaning 48 hours). I use black garbage bags and lay then in the sun. Remove and scrub with soapy water. I like using a brass brush as they get into the nooks and crannies of a grill. After cleaning, re-season in several heat/oil cycles. Heat the grates, oil them let them cool completely. Repeat this at least 3 times. Here is an example of how well this works.

After you get em cleaned and seasoned the key to keeping them seasoned is to brush em with oil after each cook...While they are still warm they take the oil real well...I sometimes even use an olive oil spray on em when done cooking...

thirdeye said:

Burned on food and grease are not good, and cast iron grates are more expensive than standard grill grates so replacement is not the best option. The quick answer is to cook often, clean food bits after each cook, and then re-oil... not re-season, just touch up with oil to prevent rust. But that is hard to keep up with and in many grills humidity will eventually get in.

I would treat those like cleaning and re-seasoning a cast iron skillet. Spray those grates with oven cleaner and put them in a plastic bag for a couple of days, (meaning 48 hours). I use black garbage bags and lay then in the sun. Remove and scrub with soapy water. I like using a brass brush as they get into the nooks and crannies of a grill. After cleaning, re-season in several heat/oil cycles. Heat the grates, oil them let them cool completely. Repeat this at least 3 times. Here is an example of how well this works.

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Those Griswolds have been found to cause cancer, heart disease, alzheimer's and canker sores. If you want, you can send those to me. I will pay for the shipping since I am a nice guy. I will dispose them... in my kitchen.

Yep. Clean and Season.
And like all cast iron, clean after use (NO detergents ever!) and reseason.
The baked seasoning will hold back the rust.

And remember: If your cast iron is rusting, you are not using it enough!

How big are the grates? If they're small enough to fit in your oven, then you can cheat a bit. Once you've got the rust scrubbed off, oil them lightly and bake them in the oven for an hour at 400 degrees or so. Do this a few times to get a good solid layer of seasoning on them.

Then, just take good care of them while cooking like the others have said. If you're going to go a bit of time between cooks, store the grates in the house where they're not exposed to any excessive humidity outside.

Springram said:

Those Griswolds have been found to cause cancer, heart disease, alzheimer's and canker sores. If you want, you can send those to me. I will pay for the shipping since I am a nice guy. I will dispose them... in my kitchen.

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Heheheeee, I dont' know about that.... but I do know some bad Griswolds that have been linked to crack.

I think my Weber Q grill are coated,looks like yours are also, I would only pick stainless if I had a choice

Nothing wrong Cast Iron grates just treat them like any other cast iron cook ware and it will be fine.

Like others have said, key is to brush and oil after each use while still hot / warm