Best way to clean\season expanded metal grates?

Czarbecue · Oct 14, 2017

I had Tyler Shirley fab me some grates for my Bandera and they are wickedly stout. Only thing is they were fresh off the fabrication floor so there’s metal dust and fuzzies all over. I tried taking a green pad to it and the expanded metal just tore that thing up. Can I just power wash it and throw it in the smoker? I have 14 of these grates so the simpler the better...

blazinfire · Oct 14, 2017

Czarbecue said:
I had Tyler Shirley fab me some grates for my Bandera and they are wickedly stout. Only thing is they were fresh off the fabrication floor so there’s metal dust and fuzzies all over. I tried taking a green pad to it and the expanded metal just tore that thing up. Can I just power wash it and throw it in the smoker? I have 14 of these grates so the simpler the better...

well 14 grates would be a pain. I have 3 24x24 grates in my vertical offset. I take a weed burner before every cook and burn the crap off the grates and scrap it with a spatula.

Most people would just leave it there, but I take shop towels and wipe the grates down because you know there's actually some black residue from burning the crap off. From there I just cook on it. Makes it easier than trying to clean it in the sink (not gonna happen grate is bigger than my sink) or trying to scrub it down every cook.

Haven't got sick yet so I can say so far it hasn't effected safety of food. But if your talking about just cleaning them before seasoning take them to a car wash or something and soap and water. For seasoning you season it just like you would a pit. spray it down with oil and heat it up in the cooker

Stlsportster · Oct 15, 2017

I use a long handle brush with wire bristles. I get them nice and hot, spray down the inside of the smoker and let all the gunk steam loose, then hit them with the wire brush.

Now when I first got this smoker the grates were dirty and rusty. I bought a cheap wire brush attachment for my cordless drill. I think it was about $4 at lowes. Gave it a good brush and then sprayed them with Pam and fired it up.

Czarbecue · Oct 15, 2017

Stlsportster said:
I use a long handle brush with wire bristles. I get them nice and hot, spray down the inside of the smoker and let all the gunk steam loose, then hit them with the wire brush.

Now when I first got this smoker the grates were dirty and rusty. I bought a cheap wire brush attachment for my cordless drill. I think it was about $4 at lowes. Gave it a good brush and then sprayed them with Pam and fired it up.

So the wire brush would be sufficient to take care of the metal dust? I’ve been using brush to take off surface rust on my WIP Bandera so I guess I can do that too. Didn’t even think of that.

Stlsportster · Oct 15, 2017

I would use the wire brush and then hit them with a hose. Then season them up.

slim2061 · Oct 15, 2017

Use a large magnet to remove the metal shavings and dust.

dwfisk · Oct 15, 2017

If it were me, I'd have them sand blasted to clear metal the first time then season with cooking oil (I use spray canola). After they get gunky from cooking a weedburner and oil work best for me.

Nuco59 · Oct 15, 2017

Another vote for car wash- degreaser, hot water, soap, high pressure...and not on your driveway- what's not to love?

I'd dry them off- leaf blower or air compressor- to get it done quickly. Pam spray the hell out of them and get them seasoned before they can start to rust up on you.

JohnH12 · Oct 15, 2017

blazinfire said:
well 14 grates would be a pain. I have 3 24x24 grates in my vertical offset. I take a weed burner before every cook and burn the crap off the grates and scrap it with a spatula.

Most people would just leave it there, but I take shop towels and wipe the grates down because you know there's actually some black residue from burning the crap off. From there I just cook on it. Makes it easier than trying to clean it in the sink (not gonna happen grate is bigger than my sink) or trying to scrub it down every cook.

Haven't got sick yet so I can say so far it hasn't effected safety of food. But if your talking about just cleaning them before seasoning take them to a car wash or something and soap and water. For seasoning you season it just like you would a pit. spray it down with oil and heat it up in the cooker

I like the car wash idea but then my driveway wouldn't have all those Picasso like abstract markings.

Cook · Oct 15, 2017

I would say just simply power wash. You obviously already have access to a pressure washer. I'd spray it with water and just see if everything loose comes off. If so, I'd go ahead and use a degreaser...let it sit a few minutes and then power wash clean. Pat dry with a towel, spray with lubricant of your choice, and put on the pit or in a hot oven for an hour or two.

I wouldn't worry with it after that...but alot of people are a good bit more OCD than I am.

jimstocks53 · Oct 15, 2017

There's been some chatter about the dangers of cleaning grills with wire brushes and ingesting tiny slivers of metallic razor. I suspect the risk isn't high given generations of using such cleaning tools but I'd suggest erring on the side of caution and blowing or high pressure washing grill surfaces after using a wire brush. Or better still find an alternative.

Czarbecue · Oct 15, 2017

I’m going with the car wash and throwing it in the oven after a cost of Pam. Thanks for the feedback, brethren.

Best way to clean\season expanded metal grates?

Czarbecue

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blazinfire

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Stlsportster

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Czarbecue

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Stlsportster

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slim2061

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dwfisk

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Nuco59

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JohnH12

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Cook

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jimstocks53

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Czarbecue

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