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Senior Member
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Location: Foat Wuth
Posts: 1,161
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomas Prufer
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 |
Hear you on those aluminum pans. I use a full sized model for a water pan in my big pit. They last a surprisingly long time. When our cast iron skillets get real nasty I stick them in the firebox of the pit and run a load of wood through it. Comes out like brand new..but do need to be re seasoned.
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