Riddle me this, regarding your unused grill grates

[addicted-to-smoke]

If you don't use frequently use them, they rust or grow mold if there's enough grease to prevent rust. (Maybe not; see below. But in GA it was a given. For me.)

Now let's say you want to press that extra grill or two into service. You need those grates because your daily cook grate will be used on your go-to cooker.

How much effort do you perform to scrape off the rust to an acceptable level, or burn off mold?

For example I picked up 2 machines last week. Both have rusty but usable cook grates. I want to throw hot coals in, and scrape off some rust, and grease them, with or without cooking food on them.

But why bother, when the cycle will just repeat after I ignore them and cook on my regular grill grate?

*********
a partial clue:

A third grill I just got is an AD code 26. Owner said it had just been sitting in his garage, unused, for like 2 years. The grate looks "ideal," lightly covered in grease but zero mold, zero rust. How??

Even if this is an SS grate (I don't remember when 26ers began coming stock with those) why isn't there mold? TN gets its share of humidity!

[JEBIV]

I know how you feel living in Ga. highly shaded back yard, mold is everywhere. I fire em up give them a good scrape and have grape seed oil in a spray bottle. If it is a grill I don't use often I try and remember to respray after the cook while it is cooling down helps a little. in the garage i don't think you get as big of a fluctuation in temps and maybe the humidity is lower due to less moisture available in the garage ?

[addicted-to-smoke]

I've just basically restarted grilling here in TN. Everything's on a shaded porch, which I value. In GA I had a grillzebo and they were also mostly kept in shade. One difference I've noticed so far is that here, we have this thing called "breeze" which frequently eluded the metro ATL. So that helps protect against mold.

I guess I'd generalize it into two categories: mold happens when neglected longer between cooks; rust just "never sleeps" and so on.

So you actually spray into a hot grill ?

[JEBIV]

I buy a food grade plastic spray bottle and poor the grape seed oil in it. High smoke point no accelerant. Breeze what is that? I only feel turbulence from spaghetti junction. LOL

[addicted-to-smoke]

If you can gain enough velocity to detect turbulence at Spaghetti Junction, then you're ahead of the game there!

[JEBIV]

driver 3 wood 7 iron and pitching wedge and i am there. I just can't see it

[MDurso]

Zero.  I through the food right on the rust of the grate.  Honestly.

[vwengguy]

Classic WKC logic going on here!


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[steveOH]

I have no rust issues with mine but I plan on replacing all of my grates with stainless when the time comes. I hate rust and a stainless grate will last forever.
I also only use a wood scraper I made and never a brush of any kind so I don't ruin the coating.

[addicted-to-smoke]

Zero.  I through the food right on the rust of the grate.  Honestly.

What'd you say, son? You say magnets stick to the hot dogs? They've been Fortified with iron, boy!

[bigredmf]

If you pulverize fortified breakfast cereal and mix it with a magnetic stirring mixer you will find the magnet is covered in iron filings!


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[TheDude]

Rust is a concern, with most of my cookers in storage for a while. Will probably invest in a lot of SS, when they come back out.

[varekai]

I just give mine a brushing, remember, some people BUY iron tablets, you're just adding it to your diet from the "source"....

[1ROW]

I move my one stainless grate from grill to grill. One grate to clean, easy peasy.

[MDurso]

Zero.  I through the food right on the rust of the grate.  Honestly.

What'd you say, son? You say magnets stick to the hot dogs? They've been Fortified with iron, boy!

So far, so good... Mmmm, mmmm good!