Home BBQ maintenance and cleaning

[Adamxx]

Hi folks, that time of the year, when our bbqs get a work out after the winter .

Although I use mines the whole year, even on Xmas day etc, and occasional snow days.

Looking for tips on doing the pre and post grilling cleaning and occasional monthly or yearly / quarterly maintenance.

Not how to bbq as that has been discussed a few times.

Know that it may depend on type of grill.

I have a Weber gas, with cast iron oven and grates, ( Love cast iron grates, tried others but never again.

Since I bbq regularly, nice to not spend too much time doing it, also concern about heath.

Thanks in advance for your feedback and time .

 

[johnd5050]

I have owned my Weber grill for over 10 years. It is under a covered patio in the back of the house.
This is what I was told to do when I purchased the grill. After cooking, scrap of any food, grease off the grates with a wire brush.
Turn the grill on and let the residue on the grates burn off. After the grill cools,wipe the grates with an oily rag, brush the grate with avocado oil to prevent rust. (Avocado Oil smoke point is 500 degrees F)
You have cleaned and prepped for the next time.
Maintenance: Check igniter, gas leaks, gas hose deterioration.

 

[themaxx]

Annually, dismantle the burner assembly & gently clean the burners, heat distributer plates, ignitor, thermometer probe, etc with a brass wire brush or open mesh grit cloth. Gently scrape away the carbonized deposits around the insides of the burner box and inside the lid. If you can get a food-grade degreaser, apply to a damp cloth and wipe down all surfaces inside and out. Gently scrape the grates and apply cooking oil. Reassemble and fire it up. You're now good for the year.
Always thoroughly preheat prior to use, and after you're done grilling, continue to run the BBQ with the lid closed at high heat to burn off anything that may have stuck to the grates and burn off excess grease.

 

[Greytop19]

Annually, dismantle the burner assembly & gently clean the burners, heat distributer plates, ignitor, thermometer probe, etc with a brass wire brush or open mesh grit cloth. Gently scrape away the carbonized deposits around the insides of the burner box and inside the lid. If you can get a food-grade degreaser, apply to a damp cloth and wipe down all surfaces inside and out. Gently scrape the grates and apply cooking oil. Reassemble and fire it up. You're now good for the year.
Always thoroughly preheat prior to use, and after you're done grilling, continue to run the BBQ with the lid closed at high heat to burn off anything that may have stuck to the grates and burn off excess grease.

Repeat of Post #2 in different words...lol Anything additional will be beneficial

 

[boomboom]

Same as #2 but I use a wooden scraper not a wire brush. The heated grill burns slots into it over time which cleans the sides as well.
I switched to wooden scraper after reading about a young lad getting a wire caught in his throat. His mom was a paramedic I think from northern Ontario. She developed this after that incident. Within 2 weeks, had friends up to the lake & he got a wire in his mouth. Fortunately, he felt it before swallowing his burger. I switched the next day to the wooden scraper 5yrs ago.
I also vacuum & wash out the BBQ every spring & re-season the cast grills.
I too BBQ all year.

 

[Erosboy]

Over the years I have spent countless hours burning myself with caustic chemicals, gotten covered with god knows how much grease, ruined how many deck boards? I found a guy who comes and clean the grill once a year. In between cooks I go with over the grates with a wire brush. yeah, I know I'm endangering myself but the other shit doesn't work. And frankly, I use my gas grill less and less. Charcoal is so much easier in regards to cleanup

 

[Twister]

Mice clean up my BBQ over the winter, come spring the fat and meat droppings are cleaned up and I'm left with mice shit. I spray some oven cleaner and then pour boiling water and then let it burn off.

 

[Adamxx]

I have owned my Weber grill for over 10 years. It is under a covered patio in the back of the house.
This is what I was told to do when I purchased the grill. After cooking, scrap of any food, grease off the grates with a wire brush.
Turn the grill on and let the residue on the grates burn off. After the grill cools,wipe the grates with an oily rag, brush the grate with avocado oil to prevent rust. (Avocado Oil smoke point is 500 degrees F)
You have cleaned and prepped for the next time.
Maintenance: Check igniter, gas leaks, gas hose deterioration.

Thanks John, Must confess that I have been researching it for years and have experimented with a few approaches.

Two items regarding your method, as I used to use wire brushes in the past , but ceased a few years ago due to the health concerns . Someone else has elaborated on this further down.

Also since it is enamel cast iron, I wait until the grates are cool before using a bristle brush. In addition, Le Creuset does recommend a gentler method for their enameled pots.

 

[curvluvr]

Like Erosboy said, there are guys out there who will do a real good job of cleaning your grill. The fee is somewhere in the range of $150 or so.
I would rather clean my own grill and use that money to see my fav MPA. (I also use my Weber propane grill throughout the year.)

I don't bother to heat up the grill after cooking... I usually do it when I start it up the next time.
However, I'm super careful about heating it up thoroughly (past 500F) if I grilled bacon and/or chicken on the previous meal. I don't want an inferno charring my steaks.

Every spring, I'll get out my shopvac and I'll remove the burners and heat bars from the grill. I'll vacuum out all of the crud on the bottom of the grill,, and I'll change the foil in the drip tray. I'll scrape the sides of the grill box with a metal scraper to clean up any residue or soot. If you're more anal about it, you can use a degreaser to clean the side shelves.

PSA: I use a wooden scraper (the paddle type for BBQ's). Boomboom is right about the wire brush. Once I discovered that wire bristles can get stuck onto my grills, I purged my BBQ of wire brushes and switched to the paddle.
I scrape my grills with my wooden scraper every time I heat up the grill. My grills are stainless steel. I tried cast iron before, but didn't know how to maintain it properly.
Love my Weber.

 

[Adamxx]

Annually, dismantle the burner assembly & gently clean the burners, heat distributer plates, ignitor, thermometer probe, etc with a brass wire brush or open mesh grit cloth. Gently scrape away the carbonized deposits around the insides of the burner box and inside the lid. If you can get a food-grade degreaser, apply to a damp cloth and wipe down all surfaces inside and out. Gently scrape the grates and apply cooking oil. Reassemble and fire it up. You're now good for the year.
Always thoroughly preheat prior to use, and after you're done grilling, continue to run the BBQ with the lid closed at high heat to burn off anything that may have stuck to the grates and burn off excess grease.

Thanks TM, currently following a process similar to yours, regarding the copper brush, I tried it once as it is gentle on the grates, just the issue that they came put much easier than the steel, hence health concerns. Currently using a nylon brush when cool.

 

[Adamxx]

Annually, dismantle the burner assembly & gently clean the burners, heat distributer plates, ignitor, thermometer probe, etc with a brass wire brush or open mesh grit cloth. Gently scrape away the carbonized deposits around the insides of the burner box and inside the lid. If you can get a food-grade degreaser, apply to a damp cloth and wipe down all surfaces inside and out. Gently scrape the grates and apply cooking oil. Reassemble and fire it up. You're now good for the year.
Always thoroughly preheat prior to use, and after you're done grilling, continue to run the BBQ with the lid closed at high heat to burn off anything that may have stuck to the grates and burn off excess grease.

Thanks TM. Believe in the heating approach you use as I also do it before and after. Just that that I heat it for longer before cooking again. As I trust fire to kill and sanitize better than anything else.

 

[Adamxx]

Same as #2 but I use a wooden scraper not a wire brush. The heated grill burns slots into it over time which cleans the sides as well.
I switched to wooden scraper after reading about a young lad getting a wire caught in his throat. His mom was a paramedic I think from northern Ontario. She developed this after that incident. Within 2 weeks, had friends up to the lake & he got a wire in his mouth. Fortunately, he felt it before swallowing his burger. I switched the next day to the wooden scraper 5yrs ago.
I also vacuum & wash out the BBQ every spring & re-season the cast grills.
I too BBQ all year.

Thanks , started using the wooden scraper a few years ago, before were so common.

Just that I use the wooden paint stirrers, cheaper and does the job.

Now the hardware folks ceased keeping them out as they used to, maybe they caught on , making me ask for them.

Right on with the health item, and that is why I use the nylon brush with, wooden paint stirrer, and wipe the grates off with a paper towels (wearing a silicone glove) l, then use a natural bristle brush just in case.

 

[Adamxx]

Like Erosboy said, there are guys out there who will do a real good job of cleaning your grill. The fee is somewhere in the range of $150 or so.
I would rather clean my own grill and use that money to see my fav MPA. (I also use my Weber propane grill throughout the year.)

I don't bother to heat up the grill after cooking... I usually do it when I start it up the next time.
However, I'm super careful about heating it up thoroughly (past 500F) if I grilled bacon and/or chicken on the previous meal. I don't want an inferno charring my steaks.

Every spring, I'll get out my shopvac and I'll remove the burners and heat bars from the grill. I'll vacuum out all of the crud on the bottom of the grill,, and I'll change the foil in the drip tray. I'll scrape the sides of the grill box with a metal scraper to clean up any residue or soot. If you're more anal about it, you can use a degreaser to clean the side shelves.

PSA: I use a wooden scraper (the paddle type for BBQ's). Boomboom is right about the wire brush. Once I discovered that wire bristles can get stuck onto my grills, I purged my BBQ of wire brushes and switched to the paddle.
I scrape my grills with my wooden scraper every time I heat up the grill. My grills are stainless steel. I tried cast iron before, but didn't know how to maintain it properly.
Love my Weber.

Thanks man. your process is very close to what I follow, except I also heat it up after cooking.

Reason being , I have the grill close to my back door, so I can easily access it in all weather, however, when I started using the current approach, I also did not heat it up after cooking, and my SO complained about the smell , and had concerns it might attract mice , so I started doing a little burning after cooking, buts just enough, when it touched 500.

Now she thinks I use to much gas .

 

[Conil]

Last year someone forgot the meat in the BBQ and it burned and all this brown smoke caked on the stainless steel cover . What's the best way to remove this? Can I use steel wool? Thank you

 

[curvluvr]

Thanks man. your process is very close to what I follow, except I also heat it up after cooking.

Reason being , I have the grill close to my back door, so I can easily access it in all weather, however, when I started using the current approach, I also did not heat it up after cooking, and my SO complained about the smell , and had concerns it might attract mice , so I started doing a little burning after cooking, buts just enough, when it touched 500.

Now she thinks I use to much gas .

I would only do an afterburn if I cooked a lot of fatty meats (chicken, bacon), which have the potential to catch fire on the next time.

 

[Caspertheghost]

Annually, dismantle the burner assembly & gently clean the burners, heat distributer plates, ignitor, thermometer probe, etc with a brass wire brush or open mesh grit cloth. Gently scrape away the carbonized deposits around the insides of the burner box and inside the lid. If you can get a food-grade degreaser, apply to a damp cloth and wipe down all surfaces inside and out. Gently scrape the grates and apply cooking oil. Reassemble and fire it up. You're now good for the year.
Always thoroughly preheat prior to use, and after you're done grilling, continue to run the BBQ with the lid closed at high heat to burn off anything that may have stuck to the grates and burn off excess grease.

This - Personally, I always take it all apart and clean each of the grates and heat bars with scrubbing and cleaners. Check the burners etc. The heat bars can degrade and crumble over time (not good to be heating up crumbs of metal as you cook food...) so every couple of years I replace them (about 120 bucks for new set). Plus power wash the stainless frame and cover etc. Put it all back together and it looks (and cooks) like new. Extends their life at least 50%!

 

[johnd5050]

Thanks John, Must confess that I have been researching it for years and have experimented with a few approaches.

Two items regarding your method, as I used to use wire brushes in the past , but ceased a few years ago due to the health concerns . Someone else has elaborated on this further down.

Also since it is enamel cast iron, I wait until the grates are cool before using a bristle brush. In addition, Le Creuset does recommend a gentler method for their enameled pots.

I mentioned in my post that I use an oily rag to wipe the grate. I do that to remove any wire bristles and to prevent rust. The only suggestion for enameled pots will be to use a solution of water / baking soda or Bar Keepers Friend

 

[johnd5050]

Last year someone forgot the meat in the BBQ and it burned and all this brown smoke caked on the stainless steel cover . What's the best way to remove this? Can I use steel wool? Thank you

Try water/baking soda solution. Use a non abrasive pad to prevent scratches. Good Luck

 

[johnd5050]

Last year someone forgot the meat in the BBQ and it burned and all this brown smoke caked on the stainless steel cover . What's the best way to remove this? Can I use steel wool? Thank you

Try water/baking soda solution. Use a non abrasive pad to prevent scratches. Also try the below product available on Amazon and Canadian Tire. Use to clean kitchen sink etc.

 

[Ponderling]

Last year someone forgot the meat in the BBQ and it burned and all this brown smoke caked on the stainless steel cover . What's the best way to remove this? Can I use steel wool? Thank you

Barman's Friend rubbing cleaner and a nylon scouring pad. If that doesn't cut it consider bathroom oriented scrubbing bubbles. Both only on a cold top.