Smokin-It User Forum!
Problems and Troubleshooting => Having a problem? Look Here First, or Post Your Question! => Topic started by: spopok on June 24, 2022, 08:47:56 AM
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I am new to this forum so this may have been discussed previously. Do you clean the wood box? If so how and how often? Any other cleaning tips not discussed in the manual?
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I never have. I dump it once in a while so that ash doesn't build up in it. I also cover the top of it with foil and change that periodically. Those two activities keep it in an otherwise maintenance free condition.
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Like Larry D, I cover the top with foil (and the bottom of the smoker as well).
I do a lot of jerky and fish, which tends to get more creosote building up on the inside top of the woodbox. If it starts flaking off, I'll take a wire brush to it and get the majority of the loose stuff off. I don't worry about getting it pristine however.
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I don't clean the wood box. Like others, I cover the top of the wood box before the smoke with AL foil. When I am done smoking, I pull the smoke box out (with mittens!), place it on a couple of bricks, pour water over the top and inside the box on the left-over wood/ash to extinguish. When the box cools a bit, I remove the foil from the top and the left-over wood. Then one more rinse of water through the box, and it goes back into the smoker for the next time.
In terms of cleaning, the AL foil on top of the wood box gets all of the drippings, so when I peal that off, the top of the box is basically clean.
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I never clean the wood box. Foil the roof and remove the foil from the roof and the smoker floor after we have eaten the food. Then hand wash the racks and ready for another smoke.
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I've been doing what Old Sarge does, and over some 3 years I had a nice "patina" on the walls and roof of the smoker. But when I opened the box up this spring, after a winter of being stored in the garage, I found a layer of mold/mildew had formed on the inside of the box. I assume that the humidity from the snow coming off the vehicles and onto the garage floor had caused the mold to grow, not sure why it hadn't occurred in the years prior? So I tried to remove the mold using oven cleaner... big mistake as it stripped all of the patina off the walls of the smoker. So now I'm back to the stainless steel. Not sure if there is a better way to remove any mold/mildew?
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I would not worry. Better safe than sorry. Just wood it up and season away.