Residue after Seasoning, and other questions

[smokiepokie]

First time user, first time poster, first time everything 

I followed the rules and seasoned my #1.  Lovely sheen, yay!  I get that's what I want on the inside, but do I need to wipe it down afterwards?  The residue feels a little tacky to the touch.  I read another thread about it and I guess that's what I want but it seems as though it'll burn the next time I use it.  Should I wipe or no wipe?

Other random questions:
1) I've read in a post (I've read so many posts in blogs/forums that I don't recall if it's from this forum or others), that some people bring their smoker up to a certain temp before putting the meat inside the smoker.  Is that the standard MO or do you put the meat in, turn it on, and walk away?

2) I was surprised how hot the sides and the door became during the seasoning process.  The back and the latch were cool to the touch, but not the rest of the smoker.  Is that normal?  For some reason, I thought I could put this on the ground and that I didn't have to worry about it if someone accidentally bumped into it.  Now, I feel as though I need to put it on a table or cart because if someone accidentally ran into it going around the corner (I have a small patio), they could burn (or lightly toast) their leg.

3) After each smoke, do you just leave the door open to cool down the smoker?  Again, that seems a little dangerous; yet, the thing is built like a tank so I don't know how else you can cool that sucker down. 

Feel free to provide any other sage advice, especially with making a brisket. 
 
Thanks!

 

[stout]

i never wiped down anything. that's just all future flavor. the only thing i clean are the racks themselves.
and of course foil the bottom of the box and top of the wood box

i put the meat in then turn it on and walk away. the only time i let the box warm up first was when i did fish and only because i was doing it for a short while and wanted smoke to be flowing so to speak for the entire time it was in there.. otherwise always i've always started with a cold box

i don't leave the box open to cool when done.. i seal it back up wait a while usually a few hours but not timed or anything just later that evening really and cover it back up..i also keep a small pyrex ramekin that i cover the smoke hole with when it is off (don't want it full of bugs)

i never noticed the sides or front getting so hot on the outside as to be unsafe to the touch but maybe i just haven't paid enough attention

 

[old sarge]

Sticky is good.  It will set up. As for the box being hot to the touch, mine was like that during the seasoning process as well.  There was nothing in the smoker to absorb the heat.  I have not noticed anything but a slightly warm to the touch exterior when the smoker has meat in it. I do not pre-heat.  Cold meat in a cold smoker. I pull the foil from the smoker as soon as the smoker has cooled, clean the racks, and lock it down till the next smoke. No special cleaning.

 

[smokiepokie]

Leave the residue -- got it!  Cold meat, cold smoker -- makes my life easier so that's the answer I was hoping for!  Thanks for the all info, Stout and Old Sarge!  I'll definitely cover that hole and I like how simple the cleaning process sounds.  I read the posts, but once I got the smoker, I thought "Geez, could cleaning this mini-tank be that easy?"  I guess it is. 

 

[LarryD]

I followed the rules and seasoned my #1.  Lovely sheen, yay!  I get that's what I want on the inside, but do I need to wipe it down afterwards?  The residue feels a little tacky to the touch.  I read another thread about it and I guess that's what I want but it seems as though it'll burn the next time I use it.  Should I wipe or no wipe?

No wipe...  When you get enough residue buildup that it gets flaky then use a putty knife or similar and gently knock it off.  If you've foiled the bottom of the smoker (highly recommended) before you do your smokes then you can knock the loose stuff right into the foil so it's easy to throw out.

1) I've read in a post (I've read so many posts in blogs/forums that I don't recall if it's from this forum or others), that some people bring their smoker up to a certain temp before putting the meat inside the smoker.  Is that the standard MO or do you put the meat in, turn it on, and walk away?

Most people do NOT pre-heat their SI's before use.  Most of the recipes assume it's not pre-heated, too.  I do have a buddy that pre-heats for salmon and the process works wel, so it's not a hard and fast rule.

2) I was surprised how hot the sides and the door became during the seasoning process.  The back and the latch were cool to the touch, but not the rest of the smoker.  Is that normal?  For some reason, I thought I could put this on the ground and that I didn't have to worry about it if someone accidentally bumped into it.  Now, I feel as though I need to put it on a table or cart because if someone accidentally ran into it going around the corner (I have a small patio), they could burn (or lightly toast) their leg.

Was it in the sun by any chance?  I've never had any of the sides or top of my smoker get hot enough from smoking that I couldn't hold my hand against it without pain or injury.  However, it's stainless steel and the sun will get it quite hot... definitely enough so that I wouldn't choose to hold my hand against it.  I believe only the bottom is non-insulated, though there you have the benefit of the drip pan.

3) After each smoke, do you just leave the door open to cool down the smoker?  Again, that seems a little dangerous; yet, the thing is built like a tank so I don't know how else you can cool that sucker down. 

If I'm going to do some back-to-back smoking then I might leave the door open for just a bit.  Otherwise I just close it up and don't worry about it... as long as it's turned off it will get back to ambient temperature eventually and there is no risk to the unit.

Feel free to provide any other sage advice, especially with making a brisket. 

 

Only open the door twice...  once to put the brisket in and once to take it out.  Use one or more good probes to watch for the target internal temperature.  Even when (especially when) you hit the stall, do not open the door.  This is when all of the magic happens.  Go for a walk, drink a beer, do the laundry, take a nap...  whatever...  you have hours to go do anything except mess with the smoker.  If you find this disappointing then this is the wrong smoker for your hands-on cravings.    By definition, since you're not opening the door, you're not foiling anything during the smoke, either.

 

[SconnieQ]

Some excellent advice from LarryD. No "cleaning" necessary. If you get some loose flaky stuff on the sides or the top, usually after many smokes, I like to use an old plastic credit card, or plastic putty scraper from the hardware store. Hard scraping with metal is not necessary. Just remove the loose stuff. And wipe any greasy stuff on the bottom with paper towels.