Should I clean my smoker?

[chargriller]

I was just wondering if you should clean your smoker, mine is all greased up and has some charcoal ash in the bottom.

If I was to clean it up I would think it might rust.

Is there a proper way to clean a smoker?

I have not cleaned it much, just to clean out the ash, I just put a cover on it after 3 months.

I dont really care what the inside looks like, as long as the food taste out of this world.

 

[parrothead]

If you feel the need, then clean away. My cookers get the pressure washer treatment every once and a while. Then get a small fire going to dry her up real quick.

 

[JudgeTex]

And then after it dries, brush a thin layer of vegetable oil in any of the spots that no longer look "seasoned" and build a low heat fire. Keep it going for a few hours, gradually increasing the heat.

I think dishwashing liquid and water works fine for cleaning (it's what I use).

 

[rbinms33]

Usually, after I take all the meat out of the smoke chamber, I'll spray off the grills and rinse out the water pan while the meat rests. This way I don't have to clean up the science experiment that grows in there after a week.

Also, when you rinse/sweep out the ashes in the fire box, spray it down with some vinegar or lemon juice. Wood Ash = High Alkali....Alkali neutralized by Acid.....Lemon Juice/Vinegar = Acid. Won't stop all the rusting, but it will slow it down.

And don't worry about the rust on top of the fire box. I've tried painting and it doesn't work for me. I just spray vegetable oil on the whole smoker while it's going and let it soak in. Be careful because depending on how hot it is, you might have a flameup. That serves as my "paint" though.

 

[dapittboss]

The best thing to do is just use your smoker every two or three days, then nothing bad will ever even have a chance to happen. Come on, it's really simple, isn't it?

 

[nucleargeek]

I clean out the ashes, rinse out the water pan, scrape off the grates, throw away the foil lining the bottom of the cooking chamber, and call it done.

 

[Bigdog]

I clean out the ashes, rinse out the water pan, scrape off the grates, throw away the foil lining the bottom of the cooking chamber, and call it done.

Same here Vance, except that I also lightly scrape any loose, hanging stuff off the walls and roof of the smoke chamber every once in a while.

 

[grillnputt]

Is it ok to just line the bottom of the grill with foil and put the charcoal or hardwood on top of it? Or will this affect the temps or flavor?

 

[brdbbq]

Just one question "Would you beat a dead dog to death ? "

 

[kcquer]

There is a "Roadmap" thread on cleaning you can check out too.

http://www.bandera-brethren.com/index.p ... opic&t=809