To help all those budding pellet grill people, I have put together a rather comprehensive and complete guide to cleaning a pellet grill.
From owning a few different brands, I have come up with a cleaning routine that is pretty generic and can be used for any pellet grill, whether you have a RecTec, Traeger, Pit Boss, Yoder, Green Mountain Grill, Z Grill, Camp Chef etc…(there are so many brands floating around now!)
So I put together a quick bulleted list that makes the whole dreaded cleaning thing as simple as possible.
It’s not that I am a clean-freak (definitely not), it’s more that I have had some issues, and I now know these could have been prevented them, with a little maintenance, so now the below is just part of the routine.
Seasoned pellet grills are good, un-maintained pellet grills are not. I think you can get the seasoned grill and keep it clean from causing any issues of accidents (seasoned is like with a coating of vapor smoke residue).
I remember a fish smokehouse owner I talked to years ago, he reckons it took 3 years for the wood in the smokehouse to get to the right ‘seasoning’ – so the fish was to his liking.
One mate always goes on about not cleaning so there is more ‘flavor’, I think it’s a bit of pellet grill abuse and I am waiting for the day (it will be soon) – when his grill just doesn’t work anymore (and I know the feeling).
Of course, most of the time I hear the company that sold the pellet grill is blamed, but honestly half the time it’s the owner who doesn’t look after the pellet grill properly (I am guilty of this, but I generally learn from my mistakes, generally).
As many will know, since the wood-fired pellet grill burns so efficiently, there isn’t much ash left. I find it works out to be half a cup to one cup of ash per 40lb bag of wood pellets. but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a bit of TLC needed along the way.
So now I have a simple routine, its easy and doesn’t take long. Here are my cleaning and maintenance rundowns!
Guide to Cleaning a Pellet Grill
- After Every Cook Basic Clean
- End of Summer Clean or When Pellet Bag is Empty
- Before Summer Spring Clean
First off, before you start getting stuck, in, remember this is going to be greasy and filthy for end of summer clean. I like to stick the pellet grill on the corner of the lawn that doesn’t get much use or a gravel area is good too.
I also try hard to avoid any moisture underneath the heat deflector, since that’s where all the electronics are. I use damp sponges but don’t go making a swimming pool down there.
Pellet Grill Cleaning Guide Breakdown
So here is a pretty simple routine I have developed after quite a few pellet grills, and hopefully, this covers all your bases to keep that wood fire smoking nicely.
If you have your grease bucket lined, it will make the end of season clean a lot easier too.
TIP – Pellet Grills don’t like dampness or moisture so keep this in mind when cleaning, especially with hot soapy water.
TIP – Lining the heat deflector can make clean up a lot easier too
TIP – Pellets naturally will breakdown, they say about 6-12 months. This is another reason why you need to clear it out at the end of summer or once a year minimum.
TIP Found that leaving pellets in for over a month can deteriorate there heat level. Best to remove and store somewhere dry – airtight containers aren’t really good either since moisture can build up inside.
For the end and start of summer BBQ season, I make sure there aren’t any pellets in the hopper.
After Every Cook Pellet Grill Clean
- Burn Off (Optional)
- Grill Clean
- Ash Removal
- Temperature Probe Clean
1. Burning Off the Grill after Grilling
Depends on how much gunk/food residue is left, I like to give the grill a good brush down, then fire up to max temperature for 5 minutes. Then a follow up brushing and turning off/cooling down sequence.
2. Grill Cleaning a Few Options
You can just go for a wire brush (check that you pellet grill grill can handle an abrasive brush, some can, some can’t) or get a specific tool that is a bit more thorough, design specific.
TIP If you don’t have either of these tools, you can use a scrunched up bit of tin foil to clean in between the grates.
If your not into cleaning the pellet grill after each cook, a minimum of cleaning after each 40 lb of pellets should be done.
3. Ash Removal After Each Cook
Once off and cool I take the ash out, do a quick check inside to see if there is any grease build up.
Even though there won’t be much, I like to always empty the ash after a cook.
Getting rid of the ash is always a good idea after each cook, and some pellet grills like the Campchef’s have simple pull out knobs for ash removal.
4. Clean Probe In Pellet Grill
The internal temperature probe, once cooled, should have a wipe.
A small amount of vinegar & water, with a scourer or scrubber, is an easy technique to keep the probe clean.
The residue from the smoke, can build up on the probe – had this before, and it plays around with the temperatures, so worth keeping that probe clean I reckon.
Don’t go crazy making it sparkle, it seems to always have a bit of coating – but you just don’t want anything chunky on it build up.
End of Summer Clean
This is the yearly maintenance clean, when I know the pellet grill isn’t going to get any used until the days get longer again next year, normally with a decent gathering to kick things off of course.
- After Every Cook if I forgot – above first
- Remove Pellets from Hopper
- Remove Broiler Plate & Grill – Inside Clean
- Empty grease catcher/bucket
- Check the grease chute, poke with a wooden stick if need be
- Vacuum/hoover ash from fire burn pot (wet & dry vac is the best option)
Checklist for this Job
- Hot soapy water to wipe down inside
- Stainless steel – dedicated spray if you want (Remember wipe with the grain on stainless steel)
- For the painted part, a round motion they say
- It’s gonna get messy
Make sure those air intake holes are clean in the fire burn pot when you suck out all the ash
1. After Every Cook Clean First
Hey, everyone forgets so if I didn’t do a burn-off, I crank up the heat and get off the filth a bit before cooling down (if you get the timing right when the grease it warm but not cold, it makes removal a lot easier for this annual clean.
2. Remove Pellets from Hopper
I once left pellets in the hopper for 6 months, they went a bit mushy from the dampness, best to take out definitely every year.
Some grills have a slide-out chute, some don’t. You can just scoop them out, then turn the auger to empty all pellets.
3. Remove Broiler Plate & Grill – Inside Clean
This is the most work, I don’t aim for a spotless finish. Just that there isn’t any build-up around that could cause issues. It’s kinda common sense, you want the firepot, grease chute and chimney clean.
Depends on the metal or build of the pellet grill, but sometimes a putter brush or wood spatula can help to do some scraping.
The edges where the grill grate sits is a spot I sometimes forget.
Wipe what hasn’t gone into the grease catcher/bucket
4. Empty Grease Catcher/Bucket
Empty, easier if lined. Tring to find an eco-friendly alternative to aluminum foil, don’t like the stuff personally
5. Check/Clean the Grease Chute
I like to give the grease chute and good poking with a wooden stick if need be, depends on what has been cooking.
As I mentioned above, if their pellet grill is warm (not burning hot, but not cool), it can make this a lot easier too.
6. Vacuum/Hoover Ash From Fire Burn Pot
Wet & dry vac is the best option here, some pellet grills have those handy removal systems and some don’t.
Now there can be some harder build up around the pot, so make sure you do give it a bit of a scrap. Just remember to be careful around the ignition elements too.
I have read if the igniter metal you should be regularly cleaning it to extend the life.
Summer Spring Pellet Grill Clean
So if you did the above End of Season Clean, you should be just about ready to go. If you didn’t, you don’t care much for your toys and need to do the end of season clean.
When summer rocks around,
I like to screw the auger empty, in case there is any pellet crumb etc. I heard this from a pellet rep, makes sense to me.
Also,
- Check for dampness
- Do a test, turn the temp up
- Check that electronics are working
- Make sure chimney chute has airflow
Can’t really think of much more, common sense prevails – but since my pellet grill is quite different to the charcoal or egg and has quite a bit of tech. It does need that bit of TLC.
Closing Notes
If you don’t have the stuff you need, here are some Amazon links so you can get it sorted:
BBQ Grill Brush this thing makes super quick work, an essential for easy BBQ cleaning.
Ash Bucket /Deflector Liner prefer recycled foil, at least it’s not single-use throwaway problem maker, or buying habits choose the future for the kids.
Portable Wet/Dry Vac this little beast does the job, couldn’t believe the price too.
If you know of any hacks, look forward to hearing from you.
