On Mon, 25 Aug 2014 21:18:43 +0100, bigwheel
> wrote:

>Your working way too hard. Dump and rinse the water pan but otherwise
>leave it totally crudded up till you get ready to cook next time. When
>you get ready to rumble burn the gunk off and give it a wire brushing. I
>use a propane flame thrower to burn off the grates or you can just get a
>big hot fire going in the pit and if something wants to burn..let it.
>That oven cleaner will remove paint be careful. Its also a hazardous
>substance. Stick with fire.

Got it.

I got started cleaning because the fat and ash had formed a 1/4"-plus layer
down where it doesn't get real hot. And the lye will strip paint (and skin), but
the gel brush-on means it doesn't take much, and I'm not in danger on inhaling
that stuff like with sprays. And the lawn didn't mind the mess being washed into
it:-)

I'm ahead of you on the water pan. I use commercial-grade one-way aluminum inset
pans for those water bath food server things. They are not real cheap, about a
dollar a piece, but heavy-gauge aluminum. They get used as oven pans first, or
for veggies on the coals. And because the know they'll get thrown out if they
don't clean up nice and easy, they do clean up nice and easy. And once they get
beat up and dirty, they get used up as water pans... It gets too bad -- out it
goes!

And a tip I got from my mom: when a cast-iron pan or griddle gets dirty, heat it
well, scrub it with table salt and newspaper or paper towels and a trace of oil,
(using gloves because the lot should be smoking hot), rinse. Gets the dirt off,
but leaves the pan seasoned.


Thomas Prufer