DIY Network

Cleaning and Maintaining Your Grill From "Grilling & BBQ" episode BBQ-103

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Figure A Figure B Figure C Figure D Figure E Figure F Figure G Figure H Figure I

If you're a serious barbecue enthusiast, you may have made a considerable investment in your cooking equipment, and it pays to take care of it. "Fast Eddy" Maurin, a barbecue grand-champion and professional firefighter, gives advice on maintaining your grill to ensure safe and effective use. Here are some of his tips:

• Keep your grill surfaces clean by using a grill brush. There are a variety of brushes suited for different surfaces and applications. Brass-bristle brushes are especially good for cleaning porcelain-coated grills since they won't damage the porcelain. Use a stainless-steel brush to clean cast iron, and use the steel brush in combination with a scraper to clean your grease pan periodically (figure A). Excessive buildup of debris in the grease pan is unsanitary and can develop into a fire hazard.

• Once you've cleaned your grates, condition them with spray cooking-oil ( figure B) to help prevent rust and to prepare the surface in advance for the next time you cook.

  
  Safety alert: Only spray oil onto a cold grill. Spraying onto a fire or hot grill will cause the oil to ignite.

• If the lava rocks in your grill have begun to crack and collect grease (figure C) residue, it's time to replace them. You can replace them with new lava rocks, or you may consider replacing them with porcelain briquettes. These disc-shaped "rocks" (figure D) are less porous than lava rocks so they are easier to keep clean, and they radiate heat more efficiently. Arrange them in a staggered design in the floor of your grill to cover the greatest surface area.

• Clean the burner assemblies on your grill periodically. The burner assembly includes gas valves, venturis (the metal conduits that carry gas to the burners) and burners themselves. Spiders and insects tend to nest inside venturis when they are not in use, and the openings can become clogged. Use a venturi brush to clean the openings and pathways of the venturis (figure E). If you won't be using your grill for a period of time, use venturi covers (figure F) to prevent insects and debris from getting inside.

• Keep the gas outlets on your burners (figure G) open and free of debris to ensure that gas is being delivered to all of the entire burner surface for even heating. When the grill is ignited, you should see blue flames evenly from all of the openings across the entire span of the burner.

• If you live near the ocean and salt-air, be aware that you'll need to take extra care to clean the outside of your grill regularly to prevent it from rusting. Wash the outer surface periodically with fresh water and dry it off immediately. Grill-cleaning kits will help you keep your grill clean and free of damaging residues.

• If the outside of your grill does become rusted, you may want to repaint it. Sand of the rust and residue and spray-paint the grill with a specially formulated high-temperature grill paint (figure H), available from your in the barbecue-supply department of home centers and department stores.

• The most important accessory for keeping up the appearance of your grill is a grill cover. This will protect your grill from the elements when it is not in use. Typically, the covers made by the manufacturer of your grill will be of higher quality than generic ones, and they will fit your grill precisely (figure I).

DIY Grilling and BBQ Quick-Tip: Cut down on the mess in your charcoal grill by lining the bottom with aluminum foil. When it becomes stained with grease residue or worn out, simply throw it away and replace it with new. When using aluminum foil in cooking, note that it has a shiny side and a dull side. The shiny side is heat-reflective, while the dull side absorbs heat more readily. If you're baking a potato, wrap it shiny-side-out for slower cooking, or dull-side-out for faster cooking.

Web site resources for gas grills, general BBQ information and Brazilian BBQ (Churrasco):

Information and supplies for gas grills and accessories

BBQ gift packages and accessories

One of the most popular sites about BBQ on the Internet -- great general information.

A site dedicated to Brazilian BBQ (Churrasco)

About.com BBQ information, including a list of associations

RESOURCES :
Skewer Cooking on the Grill
Model: 1558671226
Author: Bob Simmons and Coleen Simmons
(1995)

Bristol Publishing Enterprises
Website: www.bristolpublishing.com

National Barbecue Association
National Barbecue Association
Douglas , GA 31533
Website: www.rbjb.com/rbjb/nbbq.htm

Barbecue Supplies (Barbeques Galore)
Barbeques Galore
Website: www.bbqgalore.com

The Great Barbecue Companion: Mops, Sops, Sauces, and Rubs
Model: 0895948060
Author: Bruce Bjorkman
(March 1996)
Crossing Press

The New Grilling Book: Charcoal, Gas, Smokers, Indoor Grills, Rotisseries
Model: 0696210290
Author: Kristi Fuller
(April 2000)
Better Homes & Gardens Books

National Agricultural Library (USDA)
USDA's national agricultural library
National Agricultural Library
Website: www.nal.usda.gov

Memphis Barbecue, Barbeque, Bar-B-Que, Bar-B-Q, B-B-Q
Model: 0925175161
Author: Carolyn S. Wells

Finger Lickin, Rib Stickin, Great Tasting Barbecue
Model: 0894802089
Author: Jane Butel

Workman Publishing Co. Inc.
Website: www.workman.com

Weber's Art of the Grill : Recipes for Outdoor Living
Model: 0811824195
Author: Jamie Purviance
(1999)

To order this title from Amazon, click here.

Chronicle Publishing Company
Website: www.chroniclebooks.com

On the Grill : A Complete Guide to Hot-Smoking and Barbecuing Meat, Fish, and Game
Model: 1558218068
Author: A.D. Livingston

Jerk: Barbecue from Jamaica
Model: 0895944391
Author: Helen Willinsky

The Cook's Encyclopedia of Barbecues, Grills & Outdoor Eating
Model: 0754808025
Author: Christine France

Weber's Big Book of Grilling
Model: 0811831973
Author: Jamie Purviance
Chronicle Publishing Company
Website: www.chroniclebooks.com

The Gas Grill Gourmet: Great Grilled Food for Everyday Meals & Fantastic Feasts
Model: 1558321101
Author: A. Cort Sinnes, John Puscheck
Harvard Common Press
Website: www.harvardcommonpress.com

Better Homes and Gardens Gas Grill Cookbook
Model: 0696000628
Author: Shelli McConnell (Editor)
Better Homes and Gardens Books
Website: www.bhg.com

GUESTS :
Fast Eddie Maurin
Kansas City Firefighter/Barbecue Grand Champion
Information private