4
PREPARING TO USE YOUR GRILL
Before cooking with your grill, the following steps should be
closely followed to both cure the finish and season the interior
steel. Failure to properly follow these steps may damage the
finish and/or impart metallic flavors to your first foods.
• Brush all interior surfaces including grills and grates with
vegetable cooking oil.
• Build a small fire on the charcoal grate or pan, being sure not
to lay coals against the walls.
• Close lid, position dampers at approximately one quarter turn
open. This burn should be sustained for at least two hours.
Begin increasing the temperature by opening the dampers
halfway and adding more charcoal. Your grill is now ready for
use.
Rust can appear on the inside of your grill. Maintaining a light
coat of vegetable oil on the interior surfaces will aid in the
protection of your grill. Exterior surfaces of the grill may need
occasional touch up. We recommend the use of commercially
available black high temperature spray paint. NEVER PAINT
THE INTERIOR OF THE GRILL!
Please see information regarding Uncoated Cast
Iron Grates below.
First Time Use:
Before using a cast iron grate or other cast iron cooking tool,
wash it thoroughly with a mild dishwashing liquid to remove the
protective wax coating applied for shipping. Rinse with hot water
and dry completely with a soft cloth or paper towel. NEVER
ALLOW TO DRAIN DRY OR WASH IN A DISHWASHER. Now
season the grates to prevent rust and sticking.
Seasoning:
A solid vegetable shortening is recommended for the initial
seasoning. Spread a thin coating of solid vegetable shortening
over the entire surface, including all corners, with a paper towel.
Do not use salted fats such as butter or margarine.
Preheat grill for 15 minutes; carefully place grates in the grill.
Allow the grill to heat grates for 1 to 1 ½ hours. Allow the fire to
burn out on its own, and leave cooking grates in grill until they
are cool. Your cast iron cooking grates are now ready to use.
To Prevent Rusting:
Re-season your grates frequently, particularly when new. If rust
occurs, it is an indication that the grates have not been
seasoned enough or the seasoning has been burned off. Clean
with a heavy brush. Reapply vegetable shortening and heat as
indicated above to re-season the grates.
Maintenance:
Do not do a burn-off after you grill, but rather leave the cooking
residues on the grates to keep a protective coating on the cast
iron. Do a burn-off just before you grill. The more you use your
cast iron grates, the easier the maintenance will be.
Store in a dry place. If you store your grates for an extended
period of time, apply a light coating of vegetable shortening,
then wipe dry with a paper towel.
GRILL MAINTENANCE
Frequency of clean up is determined by how often the grill is
used. Make sure coals are completely extinguished before
cleaning inside of the unit. Thoroughly rinse with water and allow
to air dry before using again. Wipe out the interior of the unit with
a cloth or paper towels.
When finished cooking, and the unit has adequately cooled,
clean out all remaining ashes. Ashes collect moisture, which can
lead to premature rusting and decay. Periodically coating the
interior surfaces with vegetable oil will aid in the protection of
your unit. Also, occasional touch up of the exterior paint will be
required. Black, high-temperature spray paint is recommended.
NEVER PAINT THE INTERIOR OF THE UNIT.
Cooking Surface:
If a bristle brush is used to clean any of the
grill cooking surfaces, ensure no loose bristles remain on
cooking surfaces prior to grilling. It is not recommended to clean
cooking surfaces while grill is hot.
Building Your Fire
1. Stack charcoal briquettes or wood into a pyramid-shaped pile
on top of the charcoal grate. We recommend using 4 pound
(approximately 60 briquettes) to start your fire, adding more
as needed.
2. If using lighter fluid, a chimney starter, electric starter, or other
type of fire starter, light your fire according to the
manufacturer's instructions.
3.
Always light the fire with the grill lid open.
Leave lid open until briquettes are fully lit. Failure to do this
could trap fumes from charcoal lighter fluid in grill and may
result in a flash fire when lid is opened.
4. Never add charcoal lighter fluid to hot or warm coals as
flashbacks may occur causing injury.
5. You are ready to begin cooking when the pile of briquettes
ashes over and produces a red glow (approximately 12 – 15
minutes).
6. Depending on your cooking method, either leave the
briquettes in a pile or spread evenly across the charcoal grate
using a long-handled poker.
COOKING TIPS
WARNING
Always open lid
BEFORE
opening the ash door to
check fire or fuel.
Always open the ash door slowly. Never attempt to look
inside the grill while opening the ash door when the
grill is in use.
Failure to follow these instructions could result in
injury.
Unburned gas can accumulate and cause a flash fire if
the lid is not opened first.
