Smoker cleaning

[PapaSop]

After last smoke noticed I was getting some black flakes off the top. Time to clean… Going to order some of Walton’s smokehouse cleaner. Question is that is says to rinse with hot water. I have an LP smoker so not wanting to do that. Has anyone used this product for this type of smoker? I guess I could cover the burner unit. Thoughts?

Jonathan could be a topic for future podcast or livestream.

[twilliams]

PapaSop i got the cleaner as well, have not used it yet. Got another 200lbs of venison to do then its clean time. I have been told to use kitchen rubber gloves and a respirator in a well ventilated area as it is very caustic.

[processhead]

I think draping the areas you want to protect is warranted. If you want to avoid rinsing or just can’t rinse sensitive areas, you don’t have a lot of options.

Sometimes if I am trying to minimize the mess, I just apply the cleaner to the sponge or green scratch pad and spot clean small areas. Wipe down the area with a wet towel and move on to another spot.

I have had good luck using Greased Lightening on smokers and grill grates. It is caustic but not quite as hazardous as commercial cleaners.

[PapaSop]

twilliams
Thanks for the info. If it’s caustic I’ll steer clear. This is not a big unit so could probably get by doing a smaller area at a time as processhead said. Thanks guys.

[craigrice]

PapaSop dawn dish soap a brush and hot water make sure you clean the temp. probe also

[s.a.m]

I clean my grates with zep 505 and a pressure washer, takes longer to hookup the washer than to clean the grates!

[Bob Stehlik]

PapaSop I’ve used the smokehouse cleaner on my grates and doors. I dilute it 50/50 with water and spray on. I also do it in a $6.00 kiddie pool on a hot day and just rinse with the hose. For the inside I just scrape it down with a cheap plastic putty knife or old gift cards used as scrapers and then vacuum out the residue. By scrapping you won’t have to re-season. I do both of my Traegers this way and haven’t had any issues.

[JoeB]

Bob Stehlik got to say a smoker is a smoker. IT’s A FIRE PIT. Knock off the loose stuff Chemicals in it, in my option not good. Clean the racks scrap off the sides but Don’t use chems On the walls. Chem’s will be there for a very long time. IT’S A FIRE PIT!!!

[mdseaside]

I have a cheap electric pressure washer that was given to me and I run a hose from hot water in the garage and use like a low pressure steam cleaner. No soap no chemicals. Works great.

[YooperDog]

PapaSop I use 50/50 vinegar and water along with a Scotch Brite pad. Scrub the areas and fresh water wipe down. Plastic scraper any rough areas.

[processhead]

JoeB said in Smoker cleaning:

Bob Stehlik got to say a smoker is a smoker. IT’s A FIRE PIT. Knock off the loose stuff Chemicals in it, in my option not good. Clean the racks scrap off the sides but Don’t use chems On the walls. Chem’s will be there for a very long time. IT’S A FIRE PIT!!!

The following may not apply to the level of cleaning Papasop wants to do:

I would agree before you put food back in the smoker you want to remove any remaining cleaning residue.
If you are going to be using cleaners in a smoker, you need to be able to either rinse down or wipe down the loosened residue. You also want to make sure the smoker is designed so that it can be rinsed down in a way that doesn’t just flush the runoff into some enclosed area of the smoker that traps it.

A smoker with a stainless interior is probably going to have electric or gas controls, sensors, and elements you will need to protect before applying cleaners or rinse water.

IMO, some smoker designs just were not really intended for heavy duty cleaners or spraying with water. Consult the manufacturers instructions before you attempt any aggressive cleaning methods on your smoker unless it is a really basic design like a stick burner.

A smoker with a smooth stainless interior design is going to be a lot easier to clean down to the bare metal which is one of the reason for using stainless steel. Contrast that with a black iron/ carbon steel pipe or box smoker interior where you probably don’t want to do much cleaning at all, just a little scraping or brushing of heavy residue and excess grease.

Cleaning the grates is a good idea for any smoker design. Normally you can remove the grates and clean them separately from the smoker, so you can use just about any method to get the grunge off them. Just make sure to thoroughly rinse any cleaners from them and maybe re-season with some food grade oil before putting food on them.

[JoeB]

Last year a neighbor cleaned his almost new Masterbuilt 40” electric smoker. He used the dove spray on the inside walls and rinsed with hot water. After it dried he plugged it in and the GFI popped. Long story short. Grease/ cleaner migrated in back of the heater element. Had to take apart, clean and replaced element. Not a happy smoker! Any residue on the element terminals will look like a current leak and the GFI will pop. Time to replace. New element!!

[JoeB]

processhead said in Smoker cleaning:

JoeB said in Smoker cleaning:

Bob Stehlik got to say a smoker is a smoker. IT’s A FIRE PIT. Knock off the loose stuff Chemicals in it, in my option not good. Clean the racks scrap off the sides but Don’t use chems On the walls. Chem’s will be there for a very long time. IT’S A FIRE PIT!!!

The following may not apply to the level of cleaning Papasop wants to do:

I would agree before you put food back in the smoker you want to remove any remaining cleaning residue.
If you are going to be using cleaners in a smoker, you need to be able to either rinse down or wipe down the loosened residue. You also want to make sure the smoker is designed so that it can be rinsed down in a way that doesn’t just flush the runoff into some enclosed area of the smoker that traps it.

A smoker with a stainless interior is probably going to have electric or gas controls, sensors, and elements you will need to protect before applying cleaners or rinse water.

IMO, some smoker designs just were not really intended for heavy duty cleaners or spraying with water. Consult the manufacturers instructions before you attempt any aggressive cleaning methods on your smoker unless it is a really basic design like a stick burner.

A smoker with a smooth stainless interior design is going to be a lot easier to clean down to the bare metal which is one of the reason for using stainless steel. Contrast that with a black iron/ carbon steel pipe or box smoker interior where you probably don’t want to do much cleaning at all, just a little scraping or brushing of heavy residue and excess grease.

Cleaning the grates is a good idea for any smoker design. Normally you can remove the grates and clean them separately from the smoker, so you can use just about any method to get the grunge off them. Just make sure to thoroughly rinse any cleaners from them and maybe re-season with some food grade oil before putting food on them.

[PapaSop]

Thought I’d better take a look at the owners manual to see what they recommend ( yeah, one of those guys, still have manuals for stuff I no longer have ). So this is for the Masterbuilt Pro Temp XL, LP version.

Mild detergent on all removeable pieces. Interior just wipe down with damp cloth. " Do not use a cleaning agent ". Dry thoroughly.

Guess that says it all. Will have to scrape a little with a plastic putty knife. Some build up in a few places.

[JoeB]

Yep that said it all.