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Cleaning your grill/grate - looking for advice

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  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
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    Chunky and dirty
    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

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  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
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    Dirty
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

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  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,348
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    Once every year or so I'll gather the grates from my various grills and soak them in one of those big plastic concrete mixing tubs that you can get at Home Depot or the like for 10-15 bucks. After a good long soak (usually overnight at least) they scrape/brush pretty clean.
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




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  • Jeepster47
    Jeepster47 Posts: 3,827
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    @grege345 ... crusty?

    Washington, IL  >  Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max

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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    Jeepster47 said:
    @grege345 ... crusty?
    Greasy and neglected. 
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  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262
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    grege345 said:
    I like my grill grates like my women.....

    Biting my tongue, it's bleeding.
    Phoenix 
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    blasting said:
    grege345 said:
    I like my grill grates like my women.....

    Biting my tongue, it's bleeding.
    That was definitely a softball. I held back my response as well. 
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  • luckyboy
    luckyboy Posts: 284
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    Before a cook I rub my grate with olive oil and after the cook I clean the grate of any baked on stuff and wash with soap and a scotch brite pad.
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  • bluebird66
    bluebird66 Posts: 2,727
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    I just use some crumpled up foil.
    Large Egg with adjustable rig, Kick Ash Basket, Minimax and various Weber's.
    Floyd Va

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  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
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    RRP said:
    SciAggie said:
    swordsmn said:
    Personally, I soak my AR grids then scrub with a scotch brite?
    Where do you soak them? My large grate doesn't fit in the sink. If it seems a dumb question I apologize. 
    Not a dumb question at all!!! To keep SWMBO happy rather than to scratch up the expensive sink just go buy yourself an inexpensive replacement metal garbage can lid. Don't bother trying to buy one at a big box store, but go to an owner owned mom & pop hardware store. I have never paid more than $5 and have bought and given several as gifts! Turned upside down they make great, shallow soaking/washing vessels. Then whatever soap you use is up to you, but this Dawn has little "creatures that eat like" your 15 year old teenage son all night which makes scrubbing in the morning a breeze!
     
    Thanks for this tip! I cleaned my grid this morning and it was super easy. Great food and easy clean up make for a happy life/wife!
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
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  • dougcrann
    dougcrann Posts: 1,129
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    What is this "clean your grate" you speak of? 
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  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,824
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    luckyboy said:
    Before a cook I rub my grate with olive oil and after the cook I clean the grate of any baked on stuff and wash with soap and a scotch brite pad.
    Seriously?  Every cook?
    NOLA
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  • dougcrann
    dougcrann Posts: 1,129
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    I have never, beyond hitting it with a brush, before I knew better, and now the wood paddle cleaned the grate on our Xl. When I did the high temperature burn last time I put 5he daisy wheel on the grate. Both came out clean, after a quick wire wheeling and rattle can paint job the DW looks like new. I honestly don't understand you folks that do a complete cleaning after every cook. I would be cleaning the thing daily. A quarter inch of ash on the bottom ain't gunna hurt air flow....
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  • gerhardk
    gerhardk Posts: 942
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    If it doesn't look clean enough to you maybe you need to bake a pizza or two.  I look at it as a seasoned Egg>

    Gerhard
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  • YEMTrey
    YEMTrey Posts: 6,829
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    grege345 said:
    I like my grill grates like my women.....
    Over-used and dirty?
    Steve 
    XL, Mini Max, and a 22" Blackstone in Cincinnati, Ohio
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  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,674
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    PLEASE GET RID IF THE BRUSH. 
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    Sometimes, If I'm lazy (which is frequently) and there's a horror-show on my grill grate (like a chunk of pig fat or fish skin), I'll blast it with my weed burner and burn it right off. 
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • leeman13
    leeman13 Posts: 30
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    What about the cast iron grate? Is a wire bbq brush ok to use on it?
    -lee.
    LBGE in Waterloo, ON
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  • CDPlaya
    CDPlaya Posts: 81
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    leeman13 said:
    What about the cast iron grate? Is a wire bbq brush ok to use on it?
    What is the benefit of cast grill vs stainless steel?
    "One Job at a Time, One Day at a Time" 
    " Stop and smell the Roses " Life is too Short
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    leeman13 said:
    What about the cast iron grate? Is a wire bbq brush ok to use on it?
    Eating a wire is eating a wire no matter which grate you cook it on. No Bueno. 
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
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    CDPlaya said:
    leeman13 said:
    What about the cast iron grate? Is a wire bbq brush ok to use on it?
    What is the benefit of cast grill vs stainless steel?
    Sear marks. 
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  • victor1
    victor1 Posts: 225
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    I don't spend a lot of time cleaning.  Usually just brush down with a spun grill brush / pad when hot and that seems ok.   No longer using the wire brushes as they can be dangerous.  Wire is probably ok if you are also washing and rinsing, but don't do that too often.  Crumpled up foil is good as many have pointed out. 
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  • Terrebandit
    Terrebandit Posts: 1,750
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    Is this level of cleaning really necessary from a food safety standpoint?  I just scrape the gunk off, with a wire brush, and cook. Never been sick doing this. The grids just seem to stay dark all the time, but that seems ok too me. 
    Dave - Austin, TX
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  • gerhardk
    gerhardk Posts: 942
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    Terrebandit said:
    Is this level of cleaning really necessary from a food safety standpoint?  I just scrape the gunk off, with a wire brush, and cook. Never been sick doing this. The grids just seem to stay dark all the time, but that seems ok too me. 
    I think there is no food safety issue with the grill the way I use it.  When I am finished cooking I shut the vents and put the cap on top, there is plenty of heat left in the egg that it will dry whatever crud remains on the grill so making it hard for bacteria to grow and leaving toxins in their wake.  When I light it the grill it gets hot enough to be sterile, I brush it and start cooking.  I haven't experienced anything bad over the years I have followed this procedure.  If you are working in a commercial setting you would have follow different procedure even if it only changes the optics.

    Gerhard

    Gerhard
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  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
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    For the sake of conversation I'll make a few comments. I started this thread because for me, the egg is a different beast from other cookers I have used. I have access to a large offset smoker - I doubt the grill has been cleaned ever and I don't worry about it. With that cooker however all that is ever cooked on it is ribs, hams, brisket, or sausage.
    on my old gasser I did like many and just pounced on the grill with a brush when it was hot. With the egg I'm cooking bread one day, and then ribs, then roasting in stoneware, I find with this variety I prefer a clean grill. I also find I am having fewer issues with a variety of food sticking. YMMV I have enjoyed seeing the different ways others see this issue.
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
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