Burnt on Carbon BBQ grill

[Cat_Driver]

Anyone have any secret way of getting off burnt carbon on a BBQ Grill parts, grates and spill plates. I tried heating the drill to high temp that's didn't help. I don't want to sand or use tools as the stainless steel will scratch.

So far I tried BBQ cleaner and Oven Cleaner OFF, Carbona, Goo Gone, and ZEP Heavy duty.

I've let it soak in plastic bags for 5 hours in one case, other I let soak 30 minutes to an hour.

I'm sbout to start using Carb cleaner.

 

[bunyip]

Brass brush will(should) clean the grill, softer than steel and shouldn't damage it, our old weber q is heavily stained from years of smoke and I can't get it off, but it is aesthetic only so I don't worry.

 

[RickB]

Best way to keep them clean and shiny is to not use them.

 

[RNeumann]

Wrap grates in foil- nothing special. Replace and light BBQ with lid closed. It will begin to smoke (think LOTS of smoke if it’s dirty). In 1/2-1 hour the smoke will stop and all that is left is some ash. Basically the self clean oven. I was shown this trick about 25 years ago by an old plumber friend- been using it ever since.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Put the grates in your self cleaning oven next time you clean it. Warning, just an idea never had the problem. We always burn the grease off before turning off each use.

Ron

 

[CADplans]

I have a round rod (about 3/16") grate, it will accumulate the thick black stuff .

I take the corner of a STOUT stainless spatula and drag it between two rods,, while pushing HARD,,
the black stuff comes right off.

I use charcoal, and built a hot fire one time to get the black stuff off.
The hot fire was successful, but the rods were rusty after the hot fire, clean of black gunk, but rusty,,,
SO, no more hot fires for me,,,
We grill at least 5 times a week this time of the year,, so I get LOTS of black gunk,,,:dance1:

 

[om21braz]

A hot water bath and Bar Keepers friend work well for me. Fine enough abrasive unless yours is mirror finish stainless.

Bar Keepers Friend cleansers | Once Tried, Always Used

 

[Jim Nelson]

I have a Big Green Egg , actually 2 of them, and do most of my cooking on a cast iron grid. The grids are well seasoned but you still get build up especially if you do a lot of low and slow. BGE says to use heat to burn off this and the coating that accumulates on the inside of the ceramics. This works fine with the ceramic coming out nice and white but you have to re season the cast iron.The base on my original egg cracked, which I attributed at least partially to the high heat cleaning,I used to be a lot more **** about keeping everything bright and shiny. I have evolved to scraping what I can off the grid with the back of the cleaning brush, then when it eventually gets real thick I use my cordless multitool with a scraper blade in it and that makes quick work of the crud build up and no re seasoning.To clean the ceramic dome I wad up a ball of aluminum foil and scrub it occasionally which keeps the carbon from dropping onto the food. Works for me.

 

[jaxs]

Some of you might refuse to eat my smoked meat after seeing the smoker. I use brass wire brush to loosen then wipe with paper towels to remove creosote as needed. Using chemical cleaner on smoker,dutch oven,cast iron skillet or briar pipe is sabotage.

 

[RickB]

Some of you might refuse to eat my smoked meat after seeing the smoker. I use brass wire brush to loosen then wipe with paper towels to remove creosote as needed. Using chemical cleaner on smoker,dutch oven,cast iron skillet or briar pipe is sabotage.

I will not get offended if someone refuses to eat stuff that comes out of my smoker. All the more for those that will.

 

[jaxs]

I will not get offended if someone refuses to eat stuff that comes out of my smoker. All the more for those that will.

:thumbsup::licking::yes:
On a serious note,I do understand that the mere sight of certain things can turn people off. While my teens were in high school,wife bought thin sliced deli meat intending us to use 1-2 slices and lots of lettuce and tomatoes on sandwiches. Our son would stack half a pound on without veggies which upset the daughter. One day when boy wasn't home,while putting up groceries,daughter used a smashed toothpick to brush green food color on edges of meat. Of course the boy told his mom that meat was spoiled. Daughter was overjoyed,,,,,,,,,,,until it was discovered no one injoyed the meat eventhough we knew it was fine. Wife threw it out and threatened to put the whole bunch on bread and water if it happened again.

 

[jaydee325]

Anyone have any secret way of getting off burnt carbon on a BBQ Grill parts, grates and spill plates. I tried heating the drill to high temp that's didn't help. I don't want to sand or use tools as the stainless steel will scratch.

So far I tried BBQ cleaner and Oven Cleaner OFF, Carbona, Goo Gone, and ZEP Heavy duty.

I've let it soak in plastic bags for 5 hours in one case, other I let soak 30 minutes to an hour.

I'm sbout to start using Carb cleaner.

Is this a gas grill? Don’t use carb cleaner. That is nasty stuff that should come nowhere near food. Actually, I don’t think I’d eat the food cooked on your grill seeing what you’ve already used.

One sure way is to clean after each use. Dawn dishwashing detergent will work in this case unless really baked on.

As suggested, a brass brush for the grill cooking grates is all I use.

 

[bunyip]

I don't clean mine after use as it prevents rust, clean before use.

 

[teejk]

I don't clean mine after use as it prevents rust, clean before use.

All that "carbon" is by design...it adds flavor (witness the Weber "flavor bars" that they have used for years). I have a big grill brush with a scraper on the edge and heavy brass bristles on the pad. I pre-heat, scrape the top of the grates then use the brush. No "junk" ever comes into contact with the food and even if it did I'm still alive after all these years.

 

[RickB]

All that "carbon" is by design...it adds flavor (witness the Weber "flavor bars" that they have used for years). I have a big grill brush with a scraper on the edge and heavy brass bristles on the pad. I pre-heat, scrape the top of the grates then use the brush. No "junk" ever comes into contact with the food and even if it did I'm still alive after all these years.

Exactly what I do. Scrape the drip pan once every blue moon.

 

[bunyip]

I do much the same except I wet the brush first, the steam seems to release a lot of the crud, the purists tell me I should use beer but 1. it's a waste and 2. water works just as well.
BBQ is a Ziegler and Brown and has a screw in disc in the base that catches the fat, unscrew completely and wash it out a couple of times a year, thew grease also lubes the thread that holds it in.
The disc is like half a hollow doughnut with a coarse screw up the centre, when closed it stops bugs getting in, just remember to open before using.

 

[Cat_Driver]

Is this a gas grill? Don’t use carb cleaner. That is nasty stuff that should come nowhere near food. Actually, I don’t think I’d eat the food cooked on your grill seeing what you’ve already used.

One sure way is to clean after each use. Dawn dishwashing detergent will work in this case unless really baked on.

As suggested, a brass brush for the grill cooking grates is all I use.

Yes it's a GAs grill
Solaire 3 Inch InfraVection Natural Gas Grill With Rotisserie On Standard Cart - SOL-AGBQ-3CVI-NG : BBQGuys

It's a Solaire grill I found on Craigs list. The grill lists out at $3,900.00 and was for sale for $200.00. I didn't believe the ad thinking they meant $2,000.00 but you never know.
Sure enough the guy wanted $200.00 and I couldn't get the money out of my pocket fast enough. I knew these grills were expensive but when I looked this grill up when I got home my jaw hit the ground.
Who in their right mind would spend 4L on a BBQ grill? . It was connected to his house gas line outside. I did a test and it worked fine.

I get using a grill with built up burnt racks on grill in fact on my smoker I never clean the racks for flavor, but since this isn't "my mess" on the grill I want to start fresh with a clean grill.

It's all stainless steel and the way the carbon is burnt into the grill racks is like black powder coat infused in the stainless steel metal.

I did several brushed and nothing will even scratch the carbon.

Some suggestions here are to bake the items in tin foil. The frill supposably gets up to 1,000 degrees so that might do it . I'm waiting for a part to connect it to my house, so I'll try the high heat. I was about to get out my acetylene torch.

 

[Cat_Driver]

All that "carbon" is by design...it adds flavor (witness the Weber "flavor bars" that they have used for years). I have a big grill brush with a scraper on the edge and heavy brass bristles on the pad. I pre-heat, scrape the top of the grates then use the brush. No "junk" ever comes into contact with the food and even if it did I'm still alive after all these years.

I agree 100% but this is a used grill and it's someone elses carbon, sorta like wearing someone elses underwear, just creeps me out. I want to get down to 100% clean then build it up with my carbon.

 

[Jim Nelson]

Are you sure the grids are stainless? My BGE came with coated grid, I think porcelain, that was a dark color and after a few uses looked flaky, I threw it out and bought a stainless, which I pretty much only use for jerky, and I bought a cast iron which I use for most everything else.I've seen those coated grids that people continue to use and they get pretty crusty and will not clean.The stainless will clean up pretty easily.

 

[RickB]

Cast iron. I’m done with cheesey *** wire grates.