cleaning

[DivotMaker]

I've only experienced the big chunk of black char once, after a long smoke on a pork butt.  Lots of fat rendered on that one, but boy was it good!  I can put up with a little extra cleaning for some really good pulled pork!  ;D ;D

 

[benjammn]

I did a smoke on a butt awhile back and it created that same black junk, I just used a bigger drip pan inside to deal with that situation. I have not put any foil inside my smoker at all. I just scrape up the excess and move on, making sure to clean the hole in the bottom. Only one time did I super clean my box since I had a bad smoke that left a bad creosote smell in it. My fault using too much wood. But now it is fine

 

[DivotMaker]

OK, the buildup in the #1 was getting out of control.  Today, I cleaned the racks and inside with EZ Off oven cleaner.  It took the creosote buildup off, but also stripped the seasoning.  My thermostat probe is nice and shiny, like new!  No worries; I re-seasoned for 3 hours, and the inside looks like new again!  I'll give it a test run with some baby backs tomorrow!  ;D

 

[benjammn]

I had to EZ Off my #2 once when I did way too much smoke, the whole thing reeked and just wouldn't go away.  Just reseasoned and everything is great now. I don't think I would use EZ Off again though, seemed rather harsh. Should look for something more enviro.

 

[DivotMaker]

I'm going to try to make myself scrub the inside down with hot water & dish soap after each use (or 2).  That way, I won't have to go the EZ Off route.  This time, however, called for drastic measures - had to bring the heavy artillery in.