plate setter clean up

daffy1909 · February 20

had my egg since xmas,have done 10-12 cooks so far,cleaned out ash a few times,just wondering whats the best way clean plate setter???getting quite the build up!

Chubbs · February 20

A hot egg

Mama Roneck · February 20

Make pizza

Buckdodger · February 20

Chubbs said:

A hot egg

+1...Clean out ash, start your lump or after you finished a cook open bottom vent all the way, top vent open all the way and let her rip. I take out the thermometer on the dome to keep it from getting pegged. Should do the trick.

cortguitarman · February 20

If it is really caked on, I would just do a clean burn with it in the egg. I wouldn't make pizzas if there is a ton of gook on it.

For future cooks, you may try using a drip pan or wrapping the platesetter with foil. The foil wrap is super easy to clean up.

JohnInCarolina · February 20

I'm just curious as to why it's necessary to clean these things at all?

Charlie tuna · February 20

This is my method:

1) i use a piece of standard thickness foil across my plate setter and onto the one edge of my egg which protects my probe wire when used. I form some sides on the foil to catch the drippings. Since it is "ON" the plate setter any liquid is going to burn off and not puddle up.

2) When finished you can see the burnt grease on the foil.

3) I use my tongs to wrap up the foil, and set it on the shelf for a minute to cool off.

4) Throw the wrapped up foil in the garbage

Costs about a nickle for the foil....

lousubcap · February 20

Just be aware that, depending on your OEM gasket, when you crank up the temps in the BGE you can/will toast your gasket. Mothership will send you a replacement gratis (at least during the first year of ownership I'm told). After the gasket goes you have several after-market options or you can run "commando" if you are able to manage temperature control without it. FWIW-

daffy1909 · February 20

thanks everyone for the tips!!!!going to try them tonite after my cook!!doin burgers and jalepeno poppers!!! =D>

Skiddymarker · February 20

JohnInCarolina said:

I'm just curious as to why it's necessary to clean these things at all?

John is right, if you use a drip pan, the setter will only gook up near the legs, which are holding up the cooking grid. For a legs down setter, like pizza, the upper surface of the setter should never have anything on it.

When doing a clean burn it is best to pile whatever will take the heat in and "de-gook" it.

pgprescott · February 20

I just use a putty knife and scrape the gunk off the setter.

Plano_JJ · February 20

I always cover mine with foil when doing an indirect. This plus a clean burn and it looks brand new.

njl · February 21

Like anything else egg related...clean it with fire.

I suggest removing the the dome thermometer before any clean burns. No sense running it up to 1000F and hoping it doesn't need a recalibrate.

BYS1981 · February 21

unnecessary to even clean it, imo.

Max232 · February 21

I put my medium plate setter in my oven on clean cycle, came out like I had just picked it up from the dealer, and it was gnarly and solid black. Disclaimer, swmbo was not thrilled with the plan for a few hours.

Solson005 · February 21

Mine was looking pretty gross after cooking indirect for the holidays and doing wings for some football watching even with a drip pan so I just flipped the platesetter over to have a pizza cook and it looks almost new. You certainly can do a clean burn but there is no need to. A high heat pizza cook or two will get it the side of the pizza stone that is dirty and the egg itself pretty clean on its own.

JohnInCarolina · February 21

Again, it's not clear to me why it's necessary to clean these things when they get gooked up. Are people worried about cross-contamination of cooks or something?

SWVABeanCounter · February 21

This is just the way I'm wired, but my thought is a clean machine is a happy machine.

Charlie tuna · February 21

Well, i am not worried about cross contamination, but i have some standards about food safety and some of my cooking does not taste as good with a smoky taste included. If it was a REAL BIG problem to keep it clean, i might say "the heck with it". But after three years, i have a system that works, and i have the facilities at hand to make it easy. Kind of stay after it.

henapple · February 21

I haven't cleaned my ps since "72"...

Skiddymarker · February 21

JohnInCarolina said:

Again, it's not clear to me why it's necessary to clean these things when they get gooked up. Are people worried about cross-contamination of cooks or something?

Not cross contamination, just taste. If a pork butt has spooged all over the setter and the temp is held at 250 to complete the low and slow, there will be fat and other stuff on the setter if it is not covered with foil or large enough drip pan.

If you decide to spatch a chicken or do some wings at 400 indirect, it could take an hour or two to burn off the butt drippings. If you put the wings or chicken on early, they could take on the taste of burning butt spooge - not really a good idea.

henapple · February 21

@skiddymarker...did you say "butt drippings"?

Charlie tuna · February 21

"Butt smooge" -- OK ---- what part of the butt is this?? Just grease? Just my two cents, but if it easier to maintain something, why not just clean it or cover it as you go?? Like cooking on the egg, many ways to do it, but do it !!

Skiddymarker · February 21

@Henapple - and here I thought you would be on about "spooge", and it was butt drippings, you never cease to amaze! :))

Fred19Flintstone · February 21

JohnInCarolina said:

Again, it's not clear to me why it's necessary to clean these things when they get gooked up. Are people worried about cross-contamination of cooks or something?

Aside from asthetic reasons, I believe that built up gunk could add an unpleasant smoke to your food, especially baked goods, as it burns off. This is only speculation because my plate setter and my stones I use for indirect cooks are protected by drip pans or foil.

henapple · February 22

Skiddymarker said:
@Henapple - and here I thought you would be on about "spooge", and it was butt drippings, you never cease to amaze! :))

I love the medicine commercials that say the medicine may cause "anal leakage". Really?

Eggcelsior · February 22

Skiddymarker said:

JohnInCarolina said:

Again, it's not clear to me why it's necessary to clean these things when they get gooked up. Are people worried about cross-contamination of cooks or something?

Not cross contamination, just taste. If a pork butt has spooged all over the setter and the temp is held at 250 to complete the low and slow, there will be fat and other stuff on the setter if it is not covered with foil or large enough drip pan.
If you decide to spatch a chicken or do some wings at 400 indirect, it could take an hour or two to burn off the butt drippings. If you put the wings or chicken on early, they could take on the taste of burning butt spooge - not really a good idea.

If you wait a couple of hours to clean off butt drippings, you're going to have a bad time.... The burn certainly won't be the charcoal. Plus, I've heard of chicken tenderloins, but never using a chicken as a loin cloth. I would postulate that this practice would greatly increase one's risk of salmonella poisoning. Plus, who does that?

You Canadians are weird.....

Eggcelsior · February 22

Mr. Tuna, you know I was just being silly, right?

No hard feelings @Skiddymarker :D

Charlie tuna · February 22

I am not a Canadian, but i know a lot of them, and never found many any "WEIRDER" than us Americans..... But i think the egg works in eother country. And Canadians can bake!! They bring their own flour when they come to the States!! :)]

Eggcelsior · February 22

Charlie tuna said:

I am not a Canadian, but i know a lot of them, and never found many any "WEIRDER" than us Americans..... But i think the egg works in eother country. And Canadians can bake!! They bring their own flour when they come to the States!! :)]

Indeed. Us Americans are quite weird. I cannot recall ever seeing a "People of Walmart - Canada"

:-S

xraypat23 · February 22

clean burn! just as white as the day you got it, same with the inside of the egg! say goodbye to your stock gasket thou, and burp it once in a while to keep it from fusing shut

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