How to Clean and Maintain your Pellet Grill Smoker

How Can You Effectively Keep Your Smoker Clean?

Keeping your smoker in perfect condition doesn’t always have to be a puzzle, with these few effective products, anyone can do it! With a plastic spatula or scraper, you can remove any built-up residue without damaging any surfaces. For stronger stains a solution of baking powder and water plus some elbow grease will do the trick, add vinegar to the mix and you just created a natural degreaser which can be used on the grates and the interior of your BBQ. For an even deeper clean, Simple Green BBQ cleaner is formulated to cut down grease and wash away ash while being safe and natural. All things considered, keeping your Smoker is essential.

How Does the Model of Pellet Smoker You Choose Affect Maintenance?

Not all pellet grills are created equal when it comes to maintenance. As pellets are burnt, ash is created which can clog up the burn pot and affect your temperature or even create a fire when mixed with grease. This is why most pellet smokers come with an ash exhaust/pan. Unlike other pellet smokers, which usually come with a bucket that sits beside an ash/grease pipe. The Webber Searwood 600 features and ash drawer that sits underneath the smoker. The position of the tray allows ash to fall directly in it without needing human intervention. The drawer slides smoothly and is easily accessible. The Searwood also comes standard with a convenient pellet chute making it way easier to empty all you unused pellets after a cook.

How Does This Simple Trick Make Cleaning Your Smoker 100% Faster?

Tired of scooping out a messy mix of ash and sticky grease by hand every time you BBQ? Have no fear, Super Shop Vac saves the day! Instead of manually cleaning which becomes redundant and is time consuming, you can simply vacuum everything in seconds. A Shop Vac can reach in places where you couldn’t before. By using a lined liquid bag inside your Shop Vac, you can even suction up liquid grease without making a mess.

“Maintenance today, flavor tomorrow”

How to Smoke the Perfect Brisket

How to Choose the Perfect Piece of Meat?

The first step of any smoked brisket is choosing the meat. In Canada, beef is graded using the following criteria: marbling, muscle content, animal age, and fat color/texture. Essentially, all beef is divided into categories: A, AA, AAA, and Canada Prime (lowest to highest quality and price). I usually recommend AA or AAA, since Canada Prime is rare/expensive and A is of lower quality. A brisket, the pectoral muscle of a cow, has two parts: the leaner, thinner Flat, and the fattier, thicker Point. You can choose to buy either cuts or a full brisket, depending on your time available and your preference.

What is the Best Way to Season and Prep Brisket for Cooking?

Many techniques exist for the crucial steps of trimming and seasoning. This is the way I do it. The night before cooking, put your brisket in the freezer for 20 minutes to harden the fat for an easier trim. With a sharp knife, remove the silver skin from the lean side and trim fat to about ½ inch. Slice off thin edges to remove browned meat and give the brisket a more aerodynamic shape. For classic flavor, use coarse salt and pepper. I apply mustard as a binder so seasoning sticks, but you can also try other spices or premade blends. My last brisket used Montreal Steak Spice. Finally, leave the brisket in the fridge overnight so the seasoning soaks into the meat.

What’s the Secret to Cooking a Perfect Brisket on a Pellet Grill?

For a perfect pellet grill brisket, use some high-quality wood pellets that are made for beef, like oak. Cook low and slow for a maximum amount of flavour and tenderness. To start, using a meat thermometer, smoke your brisket at 225°F for 6–8 hours until the internal temperature reaches about 165°F, then wrap it in butcher paper and continue cooking to 195–205°F for about 2–4 hours. Finally, let it rest, slice it pencil thin, and serve. Here, I served it in a rye bread sandwich with mustard and cheese.

“A perfect brisket is the result of a perfect combination of meat, seasoning and smoke”