# keeping your pit/smoker clean and sanitary



## Chipforbrains (Feb 13, 2020)

Hi everyone!
I have a question about clean and sanitary pits/smokers. How does one keep the pit/smoker clean of bacteria and growing stuff inside if you don't use it regular? I clean mine thoroughly before each use but, I'm loosing the seasoned pit taste. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks :)


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## drunkenmeatfist (Feb 13, 2020)

Here is a recent article from Texas Monthly on the subject. Seems like "seasoning" might be something that has grown a bit out of control. 









						Your Filthy Barbecue Pit Is Not “Seasoned”
					

Pitmasters should stop using the term to justify cooking in dirty smokers.




					www.texasmonthly.com


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## gary s (Feb 13, 2020)

I'm an RF guy  after every smoke I throw in a couple more split and get it pretty hot, Then I take my water hose and spray it out real good. Then when I get ready to smoke again While firing it up I go over the grates and inside the smoker with my weed burner. You can go out there right now raise the lid and Ahhh smoker heaven

Gary


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## mike243 (Feb 14, 2020)

I will take sanitary over seasoned pit taste lol, I really don't need previous cooking odors to flavor what I am cooking this time. I might pick a different wood or different seasonings . You wont ever get rid of the smoke smell without a lot of elbow grease. I use a small electric pressure washer to clean my grates and then a high temp run to dry stuff off in the pellet smoker, the electric gets a scraping or a bath once in awhile. grates cleaned every time. I have seen some pictures of grates that look haired over/never cleaned but sauces can get baked on and very hard to remove. that is probably 1 of the reasons I don't sauce much while cooking on the grates.


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## sawhorseray (Feb 14, 2020)

On my SQ36 offset I take any loose stuff off the inside of the CC with a putty knife and wipe it down with a rag, the grill gets wire brushed and torched. My Pro 100 I clean the SS shelves with SOS in the kitchen sink, haven't touched the inside of the cabinet in 15 years, smells delicious. RAY


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## JC in GB (Feb 14, 2020)

Not sure what kind of pit you have.  I have a gravity fed charcoal smoker.  I will scrape the bottom of the smoker with a putty knife every third smoke to get any grease buildup out of the bottom.  I also wrap the heat baffle/grease ramp with aluminum foil and change that every third smoke. I scrape the grates with a putty knife and hit them with a small mist of cooking spray before every cook.  Depending on what I have been smoking I will then do a clean burn of my pit at 350 F for an hour once about every 5 cooks.  Once the burn is done, I scrape out any crusty leftovers then spray the walls and grates with a light coating of cooking spray.  Lastly, I leave all smoker doors open so as not to trap any moisture.  Ready for next cook.


JC


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