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SMOKER MAINTENANCE
If you’ve got yourself a smoker, you’re probably enjoying a steady stream of incredible food, whether it’s fresh-
baked pizza or smoked brisket. But with each cookout, your smoker collects a little more grease and ash. To
keep your “grillfriend” at its best, ready to cook all your favorite foods, follow our cleaning guide below.
BETWEEN EACH COOK:
For quick cleanup between cookouts, you don’t
need to do anything too dramatic. In fact, our
patented Ash Clean-out system makes it as simple
as pulling a knob. Before you fire up the smoker
each time, just empty the ash into the cup, and
you’re good to go. It’s almost too easy.
Disposing of ash:
If the ash is completely cool, it can be wrapped up
in aluminum foil and tossed in the garbage.
Never dispose of hot ashes. Allow them to cool
before proper disposal.
Don’t forget about the internal temperature probe.
You’ll want to clean it between each cook. It’s
located in the back left hand side of the cooking
chamber, and is about the size of a pencil. Our goal
is to keep it looking silver. To do this mix a vinegar/
water solution and use a scouring pad. Often times
if your temperature does not read accurately it’s
because too much smoke has been built up.
Besides emptying the burn cup, you may want to
spot clean between cook sessions as well. This
can be as simple as wiping away grease spots or
food residue on the door or side shelf. You should
also scrape down the smoker grates with a wire
grill brush or spatula before you start cooking to
avoid a burnt taste on your food.
Pull out the grease tray and ensure the grease
tray is free from grease buildup. To avoid flare-ups
in the smoker, use a spatula to remove any grease
from tray. Ensure the drain hole and grease drain
are not blocked.
Tip: Scrape your grates with a wire brush after
every cook while the grates are still warm.
Don’t burn yourself if your smoker is still hot.
Cleaning meat probes:
Clean your probes after each use. Use warm
soapy water and a cloth or paper towel.
Do not
submerge wire in water. Not dishwasher safe.
If you take these small steps toward keeping your
pellet smoker clean, any deeper cleaning you do
will be much easier.
AFTER 50 HOURS OF COOKING:
You should give your smoker a deep clean roughly
every 50 hours of cooking. If you don’t cook on
your pellet smoker very often (you should fix that),
you may only need to deep clean your smoker
once every several months. Be sure to clean the
internal temperature probe and dump the ash cup
like in the step previous. If you’re a pellet head like
we are at Camp Chef, you’ll find yourself doing this
routine more often. Luckily, it’s quite simple.
Cleaning the exterior:
Safety first! Make sure your smoker is totally
cool, then unplug it from its power source.
Empty the pellet hopper to prevent your pellets
from getting wet or coming into contact with
cleaning substances.
Spray stainless steel cleaner on the painted or
stainless steel surfaces of your smoker. Avoid
spraying any plastic components. (You can also use
hot, soapy water-it just may not work as quickly!)
