Cleaning the kettle

[freshme4t]

My new to me performer was pretty nasty when I got it last week. I followed the official Weber recommendation of using soapy water and a steel wool pad on the inside of the kettle but only got so much of the grime off. I went through a bunch of pads and a good hour of elbow grease just cleaning the inside yet still have plenty of work to do. I was thinking about picking up a cup brush off amazon for a few bucks and throwing it on my 18v cordless driver. If I get a fine brush bristle steel brush and don't apply too much force, is there any risk of damaging the finish?

https://www.amazon.com/Forney-72797-Brush-Crimped-Shank/dp/B00YIZV2V4/

[cwestsmokin]

Razor blades!!

[Cellar2ful]

Don't use that on the porcelain lid or bowl. That bell brush can cause damage to your porcelain finish. Use a razor scraper. Just follow the steps in this guide.

http://weberkettleclub.com/weber-grill-restoration-interior-and-exterior-kettle-cleaning/

[Madpap]

I tried to scrape with plastic scrapers and wash. Razor blades cut the work in half and do a much better job.


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[freshme4t]

Don't use that on the porcelain lid or bowl. That bell brush can cause damage to your porcelain finish. Use a razor scraper. Just follow the steps in this guide.

http://weberkettleclub.com/weber-grill-restoration-interior-and-exterior-kettle-cleaning/

Thanks for the guide! This looks promising!

[1buckie]

What you see here MIGHT be as much as 50 years of hard crusty junk....




Softened w/ apple cider vinegar & a twice around the bowl with a razor scraper at a low angle & it looks like this:




Some of the shit peeled off like sheets of plastic or the like....



Do not chop at it.....stay at a low angle scrape away....take your time......

[crowderjd]

+2 on the apple cider vinegar!  @1buckie got me to use it, and I've used it ever since in my kettle cleanups...I have found it especially useful in getting gunk off of ash pans. 

[Joetee]

I cleaned my bowl right down to the metal only to find that my intake vent would no longer seal closed because the crude built up and pushed the three wings up. I now just do the normal sweep and let what ever built up alone. To much air means to hot for slow cooks.

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[HoosierKettle]

If it's going to be cooked on, I don't bother with any more than a quick scrape with a plastic scraper. Put some hot coal in its belly and let er rip. One cook will undo all of your cleaning efforts. And I wouldn't get a wire wheel near my kettles.


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[kettlebb]

If it's going to be cooked on, I don't bother with any more than a quick scrape with a plastic scraper. Put some hot coal in its belly and let er rip. One cook will undo all of your cleaning efforts. And I wouldn't get a wire wheel near my kettles.


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This all day long.


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[JEBIV]

I am not real big on cleaning just ask the Mrs.

[LiquidOcelot]

shit apple cider vinager.... using that next time I have 1/4 inch of "seasoning" on the bowl

[1buckie]

The good thing about apple cider vinegar is that it won't make you damn near pass out like regular white vin.......I've worked with heavy duty solvents for 45 years & I still hate that shit.....
When you start up the kettle, it stinks up for all of a minute or two & then bakes off & there's no smell left....

@LiquidOcelot   @crowderjd   @freshme4t


@Joetee
Take those vents apart once a year & bend them ever so slightly downward, clean & put back together.....just make sure they set in the right order....they are numbered 1,2,3 but if that's unreadable, just look at how they fit together....# 1 will be the lowest fitting angle if I remember right....