WSM Cleanup questions

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graphicsman

Meat Mopper
Original poster
May 25, 2011
160
10
Nashville, TN
Ive heard of placing alum foil on the water pan for better cleanup.  But as long the lines for the wall do you guys clean or scrub it down??  Ive heard rumors that in the trailers a well used smoker adds flavor but i didnt know if the rule applies with the WSM.  Do you guys scrub down your crates too?
 
I usually brush them a little while they are hot to get off the majority of any crud off. When I am getting ready to do another smoke on the WSM I put the grates in my Weber gasser and turn all three burners to high and it burns anything off and they are ready to go. Wastes a little gas but works really well. I have not cleaned the walls since I got it over 2 years ago. I do brush out the dome lid each time as I don't want any flakes falling on the food.
 
Like Willie I don't clean the walls, but clean the grates & use sand in the pan covered with foil.

I brush the grates while they are hot, then the next day wash them with Dawn.
 
I love my 22.5!! I feel like im cheating....I do not wash anything but the greates..Scrape off the heavy junk then hit it with hot water, dawn and a rinse off with those. Worked great. I DO clean up the water pan along the top rim. It can get a lil messy at the waterline even with the foil.

Hope it helps!!
 
My WSM maintenace is:
  • Scrub grates with wire brush before and after each smoke while they are hot
  • Foil the water pan. After everything is cooled down I dump the ash into a 5 gallon bucket lined with a kitchen bag, then dump water on top of ash, and ball up the foil and toss that in as well, wipe out the water pan with two paper towels - done! I can do this 3 times before the 5 gallon bucket fills up, then just tie off the top of the kitchen bag and dump it into the garbage.
  • 1x per month scrub racks with simple green and a good scrub pad to get them real nice and clean!
  • 2x per year - lightly wire brush the inside walls of the WSM to knock of heavy residue, but not remove the seasoning.
 
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