Clean cooking grids?

CANMAN1976

Just wondering how anal you guys are about cleaning the black stuff of your grids before a cook.

Do you get every bit of black off or do you just give a quick one over and cook away?

Jamie:)

Carolina Q

Wait. You're supposed to CLEAN them?! I might knock some of the larger chunks that stuck from the last cook. But that's it.

Justacookin

fire up get hot take old aluminum foil and rub ready to go is what I do.

RRP

Brush and go, but if I do scrape I use a stainless steel putty knife. We have had some eggers who are into metallurgy explain that if you scrape a stainless grate like I assume you have on your new egg then if a ferrous metal such as iron or steel was used to scrape it will actually wear off in minute portions. Then in time will rust on the surface of the stainless and in time pit the stainless. That's part of the reason you see so many brass grill brushes sold!

jeroldharter

Grill Bricks

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/grill-brick-8-x-4-x-3-1-2-12-case/6823119.html

Mickey

For real?

RRP

RRP said:

Brush and go, but if I do scrape I use a stainless steel putty knife. We have had some eggers who are into metallurgy explain that if you scrape a stainless grate like I assume you have on your new egg then if a ferrous metal such as iron or steel was used to scrape it will actually wear off in minute portions. Then in time will rust on the surface of the stainless and in time pit the stainless. That's part of the reason you see so many brass grill brushes sold!

Guess I should make one clarification in case someone is using an older BGE that used black porcelain coated steel grates. Trouble with them was in time that porcelain would break off as cracks occurred allowing moisture in and then they would rust popping off more porcelain in a vicious cycle. So you're warned if the egg is an older one be real careful how vigorous you lean them!

CANMAN1976

I ditched my wire brushes after I heard those metal bristles can come loose so now I just scrap with aluminum foil before I cook but I'm not very thorough about it at all. 

When they say that black stuff that causes cancer are they referring to the balck crap on our grids or just the burnt parts of the food?

Skiddymarker

@Mickey - man that is ugly, but then what do you expect from a guy who wipes his Thermapen on his shorts....

I do brush mine right when the food comes off and maybe twice a year, hit them with the pressure washer. 

RRP

Skiddymarker said:

@Mickey - man that is ugly, but then what do you expect from a guy who wipes his Thermapen on his shorts....

minor correction...that's undershorts! Those Toy guys must pass a daily dress inspection even in retirement!

mimauler

I try to scrape them off after each cook while it's warm and definitely brush before the cook. 

fence0407

I'll brush the heavy stuff off. Usually while the grate is still hot, but I'm not very picky about it. Adds character to my next cook.

saluki2007

Mine is starting to look like Mickey's.  When I had my gasser, I would brush every time before I threw something on.  For some reason, now I don't care.  Adds character.

SGH

@CANMAN1976‌
I don't fuss over the grid at all. How ever I do go to the extreme on keeping the inside of the cookers clean and free of food debris and pools of rendering as they will impart a acrid taste on long low cooks as well as cause flare ups. It's just my opinion but I find that a some what cruddy grid cooks better than a spotless one. Kind of like a well seasoned cast iron pan cooks better than a shiny one does. Also food doesn't stick to a cruddy grate as bad as it does to a clean one. I feel that the heat sanitizes the grid good enough as to not cause any health risks. That being said there is nothing wrong with keeping it clean if you chose to do so my friend. Again I feel that the inside of the fire box and cooking chamber are far more important than the grid so this is where I focus my efforts. Also all the above is just my way of doing things. It certainly doesn't make it right.