Maintaining a smoker?

[TheFied]

What do you guys do to maintain your smoker? I have a cover that I use during rainy season and winter. This cover has a felt liner on the inside.

I sometimes hose mine down and try to clean out all the "gunk" out of it. A couple of days after I grill or smoke, I empty the coal pan/tray that I have.

Do you guys hose yours down? I see some rust spots. Should I hit it up with some of the black furnace paint?

 

[UTEE]

Anywhere that might get grease or ashes gets cleaned out after every use. Sometimes by hose if there's enough build-up.

For rust spots, a wire brush and then the high-heat paint takes care of it for a couple of seasons. Repeat as necessary.

And definitely continue to use your cover, it helps a ton.

 

[TheFied]

Do you spray that furnace paint on every other year? Any recommendations on using that stuff? Clean it up pretty good?

My dad also told me to hit up any rust spots with a wire brush.

 

[UTEE]

Yeah, I use the black high-heat paint (I think Rustoleum makes it) to touch up any rusty spots about once every other year. It comes in a spray can, so it's easy to apply.

As always, the key to any good paint job is preparation, so I'll hit the rusty spots with the wire brush first to knock off any loose rust, and then moisten a cloth with IPA and rub it down to get the dust off. Wait for it to dry, and then tag it with the black spray paint. Very easy, and usually only needs to be done every couple of years, especially if you're using a cover.