An old issue -- cleaning up the trays and pans

[Smokeville]

Hello all;

This cleaning up issue has become critical as I am now smoking stuff 4-5 times a week. Fish is easy, but cleaning up after smoking 30lb of pulled pork is a chore. I've tried spraying the trays and pans, etc., with different oil sprays, but nothing seems to help. It takes a lot of elbow grease to get rid of the burned on drippings. And, I don't like using the dishwasher all that often, as the cycle takes nearly 2 hours and the smoke film on the bottom of the "V" pan leaves a bit of a film on the dishwasher filter.

Are the non-stick jerky trays durable enough for everyday use? And is there any way of making the "V" pan easier to clean. I'd love a non-stick "v" pan!

Thanks, Rich

[Wildcat]

The non-stick Jerky Racks will not last long. I never have that much of a problem. I spray the racks with Pam before the cook and place a high temp screen on them. After the cook I soak everything in very hot soapy water for awhile. Then I knock off practically all of the food particles. Then I take an SOS pad to the drip tray and get most of the smoke residue off of it, then place everything into the dishwasher.

[Uncle Pigfat]

A kitchen brush and sos pads work pretty well.  Not procrastinating and not letting it harden on even more is a good choice.  I try to get my stuff soaking as soon as everything is cool enough to handle with a bare hand.  I don't think there's a way to make the process quick an painless, though.  I don't put a whole lot of effort into cleaning the v pan.  As long as the grease and food clumps are gone, it can stay a little sooty like the rest of the cabinet.

[Smokeville]

The non-stick Jerky Racks will not last long. I never have that much of a problem. I spray the racks with Pam before the cook and place a high temp screen on them. After the cook I soak everything in very hot soapy water for awhile. Then I knock off practically all of the food particles. Then I take an SOS pad to the drip tray and get most of the smoke residue off of it, then place everything into the dishwasher.

Ditto! That is pretty much what I'm doing now. I'm trying to find a way not to have to do it quite like that 4-5 times a week!

When you said "high temperature on them" what did you mean?

With thanks, Rich

[classicrockgriller]

The high temp jerky screens that YardandPool sells will help in the clean up of the racks.

They will take temps up to like 500*.

As a word of warning ..... you need to keep you v-tray fairly clean.

Don't continue to use it over and over with out cleaning it.

The opening CAN become clodded and you COULD have a grease

fire and that is not good.

Something I use that works reall good is Dawn Power Dissolver.

Scrape V-tray as good as you can then spray it Dawn Power Dissolver

on, let it set 20 minutes and use a stiff brush. If you have to, repeat

that application.

[hal4uk]

Have you considered a MAPP torch? 
Burn that stuff off?  Turn it to ASH...  ?

Does anyone know if the parts can TAKE that heat?
(MAPP is considerably hotter than propane)

[Quarlow]

Its pretty hot alrighten ;D. I could see people burning holes in their v-trays.

[F1D2]

I built two wooden soaking trays for this purpose. Add some dish detergent with water and let them soak for an hour or so and the clean up is easier. Pictured is just one of the soaking trays and I don't concern myself with the smoke residue on the drip pan, just the grease.

[beefmann]

i agree with r1d2  on this  issue, a container to hold the  trays , water , a dish soap with a degrease agent and  let soak

[oakville smoker]

This is a serious problem
I put teh pressure washer to mine a couple of weeks ago at 2200 psi and I could not get some of the stuff off
Oven cleaner seems to work the best for me

[Mr Walleye]

Smokerville

I too have found the best way is soaking them. The V-pan is usually the toughest and I will sometimes soak it for a day which makes it fairly easy to remove. If you are doing a lot of smokes you may want to consider having more than one V-pan that way you can leave one soaking. V-pans are only $13.99 at Yard & Pool. Here's a link....
http://www.yardandpool.com/Bradley-Smoker-Replacement-V-Shaped-Drip-Tray-p/driptray.htm

Mike

[Habanero Smoker]

PBW (Powdered Brewery Wash)

I have never tried this stuff, but one member highly recommends it. I always meant to order some, but never got around to doing it.

[JDNC]

I put everything in a plactic bucket outside..spay every thing with spray oven-cleaner.  Wait for about 30 min and spray off with water and all is like new!  I may have a few spots that I spay again, but that's it. ;D

[Quarlow]

I put everything in a plactic bucket outside..spay every thing with spray oven-cleaner.  Wait for about 30 min and spray off with water and all is like new!  I may have a few spots that I spay again, but that's it. ;D

I think I will neuter mine. Sorry I just had to do it. The devil, you know.  :D :D :D

[leftcoast smoker]

I have 2 different ways of doing mine and comes up like new each time,
1st one is to fill the sink with 4 or 5 inches of hot hot water and add dishwasher detergent and let it soak for half an hour or so then wipe it down and rinse works good for lightly soiled (fish etc...)
next way for more heavily soiled and stuck on is this degreaser I found at our local princess auto, its made by saftey kleen and I was having problem cleaning the residue off the v tray I tried everything including BBQ cleaner  and still had to scrub, I went out to the shop and grabbed my spray bottle of degreaser and as soon as I sprayed it on you could actually see it immediately run off and I do mean run off, left it as new, quick but thorough rinse and dry and they are as good as new