The Best Way To Clean Your Smoker And How Often You Should Be Doing It

Whether you're using your BBQ smoker to make a classic Old Fashioned cocktail even better or firing it up to make 3-2-1 method ribs, it's a go-to piece of outdoor cooking equipment that brings real versatility and range. Unfortunately, cooking with your smoker tends to get it filthy. Leaving your smoker dirty not only risks your food getting contaminated, but could compromise the long-term survival of your investment via corrosive ash or prolonged dampness. With proper care, however, you can maintain a clean smoker without too much hassle.

If you use your smoker year-round, you should be cleaning it every six months. If, on the other hand, you live in a climate where you use it only during the warm months, plan on cleaning it before you put it in storage and when you are setting it up for its first use in the springtime. We've discussed why you should clean your grill after every use, and your smoker is no different. It needs a quick, light cleaning after every cook, and a deep cleaning biannually.

You don't need fancy equipment or chemicals, either. The biggest factor in achieving a clean smoker is elbow grease. You can use a brush or bench scraper (more on that in a moment) to physically scrape off creosote and burnt-on ick from your lid and grates, and maybe a shop vac to suck out (cold!) ash and scrapings. But you definitely don't want to use harsh chemicals on the inside, where food goes. Things that are helpful to have, but by no means required, are a power washer and an angle grinder with a brush attachment.

The use of wire brushes is controversial when it comes to cleaning smokers. If you don't have an angle grinder with a brush attachment, a wire brush can be a quick(er) and efficient way to lift baked-on crud from your grates. On the other hand, some folks have argued that wire brushes can shed wire bristles, which can then end up in your food and ultimately get lodged in someone's stomach. A wad of aluminum foil or some (unsoapy) steel wool is a perfectly cromulent alternative. If you opt to use a wire brush because of its effectiveness, go back with a nylon brush to ensure that you catch any stray bristles that might be left behind.

Another "hack" to avoid is the controlled burn. While some Redditors have claimed that cranking their smoker up to max heat and letting the resulting fire blast away any grease residue is effective, à la a self-cleaning oven, this is a dangerous practice. You risk the fire getting out of control and catching surrounding structures, making your home or patio go up in flames. 

In terms of the outside of your grill, a general all-purpose cleaner should be sufficient to keep the metal looking good. When you oil your grill after cleaning with cooking spray or your fat of choice, you can season the outside of your smoker as well to prevent rusting. Remember that cleaning a smoker may seem like a lot of work, but it's an effort that will pay dividends in lots of tasty food and no worries about equipment failure or nasty tastes due to accumulated filth.