I don't always use a drip pan.....

[EricD]

Not a big fan of Dos Equis either. But that's not what this post is about.
I don't use a drip pan for every cook.  So, needless to say I've got some crud in the bottom of my kettle.  I was thinking I'd leave it there as 'seasoning'.  Kinda like seasoning a CI pan.
I usually do a spring cleaning of my grills once a year, and start of the season with shiny clean stuff.  But then I started overthinking and wondering if the 'drippings' are tainting my cooks.  I think I have a decent pallet, and I haven't noticed any off flavors, but on the other hand I haven't cleaned it since the spring.  I don't remember what the ribs tasted like in april compared to the ribs from last week.
Hence, my quandry!  What is your maintenance schedule for the kettle? And how often?
Thanks

[1911Ron]

I would think the only down side to drips in the bottom would be gunking up the sweeps and if any gets in the ashpan would make a mess.

[Matt_T]

I know I may be in the minority here but I clean out my daily driver every 3-4 cooks which ends up being once week give or take a few days. Cooking grate gets a scrub down after and before each cook nothing major just the gunk and build up - it stays pretty clean after all I am eating off of it each time I cook.

For the clean out I use a plastic scraper on the inside of the bowl and get all of the ash and gunk off the sweeps. Heavy build up tends to happen at the level of the charcoal grate and that plastic scraper makes quick work of that. Its not new and shiny by any stretch of the imagination but its clean-ish. In the last step I use a paper towel to brush out the bowl and clean off any fat/grease residue and loose ash. The lid has never been touched and is still looking good. 

[Harleysmoker]

I use a drip pan, or more often just a piece of aluminum foil on the charcoal grate under the meat any time I'm cooking indirect. Especially when cooking chicken. I don't want all that grease dripping down into the bowl and going into the ash bucket or ash pan.

When cooking direct like steaks, hamburgers, the grease drips on the coals and burns up.

As far as cleaning, I have a 4" paint brush I use to sweep the charcoal ash off the sides of bowl and bottom that the ash sweeper don't get, but I only do that occasionally. I have a plastic putty knife I use to scrape drippings like cheese from burgers that may drip on the bowl. The aluminum foil with the grease from the last cook gets the ash bucket emptied on to it, or shake off the charcoal baskets into it, roll it up and into the trash can. My bowl has a little build up on it but I'm not scraping it down completely, just the loose pieces that tend to flake off, same as the lid.

The outside of lid and bowl gets cleaned with Windex and paper towels maybe once a month if that or if company is coming over.

[ramsfan]

It's just easier to use a cheap disposable drip pan every time you cook, then you won't ever have to worry about cleaning it again. Simple.

[LaTuFu]

I know I may be in the minority here but I clean out my daily driver every 3-4 cooks which ends up being once week give or take a few days. Cooking grate gets a scrub down after and before each cook nothing major just the gunk and build up - it stays pretty clean after all I am eating off of it each time I cook.

For the clean out I use a plastic scraper on the inside of the bowl and get all of the ash and gunk off the sweeps. Heavy build up tends to happen at the level of the charcoal grate and that plastic scraper makes quick work of that. Its not new and shiny by any stretch of the imagination but its clean-ish. In the last step I use a paper towel to brush out the bowl and clean off any fat/grease residue and loose ash. The lid has never been touched and is still looking good.

I do the same thing with a Lodge plastic scraper for cast iron skillets.  About the same frequency, too.

I try to use a drip pan as much as possible, or aluminum foil.

[Uncle Al]

I have been doing a lot of smokes on the kettle recently and have noticed a build up on the underside of the lid.  I did not think much about it until the last cook when some of it flaked off onto the food.  How often does everyone clean the underside of the lid?

[austin87]

I clean the lid when it it looks like paint is flaking off. It's not paint, it's smoke/creosote. I just use a ball of crumpled foil to knock it off.

As for the bowl, I'll lightly brush where the sweeps don't get when it looks built up and knock ash off the sweeps. Maybe once a month, instead of closing down the vents to save charcoal, I'll just let it ride and burn out on its own. This will take care of most grease buildup and the next cook I just brush any junk or crap out.

[austin87]

I do try to use a drip pan when cooking stuff that drips a lot (chicken thighs, sausages, etc.,) just to keep it clean and prevent clean up. I will use the same disposable drip pan 3-7 times depending on how nasty it gets.

[Metal Mike]

Dollar store TOILET BRUSH (only been used in grill...)

& ditto on the cleaning schedule expressed above

Lest I've used mesquite between, then it gets a once over & a burn away preheat (prior next cook)

[polishmartin]

I like to use a drip pan, made out of wide heavy alum foil every time.  Otherwise that buildup fills up between the bowl and sweeps, bending the sweeps out a bit, and ultimately preventing a tight seal around the holes.  Either way, stuff still builds up higher in the bowl, and a monthly putty knife job is called for. 

[Metal Mike]

Weber has drip pan built in...



disclaimer: this is a Rescue & I've not Restored the pan yet