Cleaning - how much to do?

[Waltz]

I have just (for Christmas) received a 6 rack DBS and have seasoned it and used it a couple of times.  After the second use I figured I should give it a clean and started wiping down the inside but then thought perhaps I was just negating the seasoning process by wiping off the smoky deposits and stopped.  I can imagine though that when hot smoking fat could drip onto the internal surfaces and if not cleaned off would eventually go rancid and start growing nasty bugs. I would be interested in what more experienced users think is a reasonable cleaning regime?  Any advice gratefully received.

[NePaSmoKer]

Just clean your racks, v-tray, water bowl and bottom pan. Leave the inside walls of your smoker get dark and crusty. Also every few smokes take the screw from the top vent out and clean around the vent, any gunky stuff with warm water.

[Quarlow]

Well Waltz I have not had to wipe the walls yet but I do clean throughly my racks and v-tray. I did give a slight rub to any spot that starts to flake off and then it will season itself again. If you have a real mess from something I would just wipe that off but do as little as possible to the sides. I am sure others will chine in on this.

[KyNola]

Waltz,
One other item to clean.  Clean the door seal and where it touches the smoker when the door is closed.  Use rubbing alcohol to remove the residue that will gather there.  Otherwise you run the risk of the seal sticking to the smoker and you ripping the seal off of your door when you go to open the door.

[Waltz]

Thanks for all the advice so far guys.  I was expecting to leave it a few days and check back to see if anyone had responded but I was online and thought I would check.  What a helpful bunch of people!

[watchdog56]

Yep very quick board to get response's from especially when you are smoking.

[MPTubbs]

Seems like someone is allways here scanning for new questions to be answered.

Great group of pepole we got here!

[classicrockgriller]

Waltz, if you spray down your racks  and v tray with a spray oil (like Pam)

before you smoke, your clean up will be easier.

I also take my racks and v tray and spray with Dawn Power Dissolver

and let it sit for a short while and the stuff just about rinses off.

[drano]

Clean the inside?  NOOOOOO
I don't use mine that often, maybe 6 to 9 times a year (but did a rack of ribs and 3.5 lb chunk of brisket today--family agreed they were outstanding). 
Anyway, I've never cleaned the inside of mine (an '04 model).  I clean up the racks, V tray and water pan by soaking in water to clean them up, then run them in the dish washer for good measure. 
The tower gets the puck crumbs brushed off the puck channel, and thats it.  My vent has so much gunk stuck to it, I can barely move it (but I always smoke w/ it wide open, so stuck has no affect on me).  And I have never wiped off the door seal. 
That said, I agree w/ others who recommend cleaning the door seal and the vent to keep it turning easy. 

get smokin
drano