IT’S GRILLIN’ TIME – Homeowner Rx
So the first official outdoor grilling weekend has passed. So how did you and your gas grill do?
Flame a little uneven? Igniter not igniting? Nasty flare-up? So if you didn’t do it earlier, now is the time to get that gas grill tuned up for the rest of the grilling season. So let’s get started!
Personally, I find that the cooking grates are always a good place to start. I’ll start by using my grill brush to remove as much baked-on goo as possible. Now, don’t tell my wife, but there have been a few times I’ve even snuck the cooking grates and other miscellaneous grill parts into the dishwasher. It actually works pretty good! But you might also consider the dishpan and soapy water method to keep the Mrs. on your good side.
As you start working on the grill box itself, don’t forget about under the hood. There have been times that the smoke film under my grill lid has been so thick that it looked like peeling paint. A plastic putty knife, some grill cleaner and a little soap and water will do the trick.
Once you get the top clean, then you head to the bottom. Down here it’s not quite as easy. Greasy brat/burger remnants, 8-month-old barbeque sauce drippings and maybe something indescribable left by some critter, all need to be removed. Here is where me and the putty knife get to work. As long as you are careful around the burners, ignitors and anything else fragile, you should be able to get it done fairly quick. And don’t forget to clean the funnest part! That nasty grease collector at the bottom.
Taking care of your burners is probably the most important part of this project. Everything from debris clogging the gas ports, to spider webs restricting the gas flow and even the burners themselves wearing out, can cause an uneven flame and hot and cold spots on your grill. I suggest using a brass bristled brush to scrub on the burners. You want to remove the gook, but not damage the metal of the burner. Depending on your grill, the burners can last anywhere from 5 to 15+ years. So clean if you can, or replace if you must.
Last but not least, the outside. If you want to show off your tuned up grill to your buddies, the outside has to be spiffed up as well. I’m a Simple Green, stainless steel cleaner, and sometimes even glass cleaner kinda guy to make everything shine.
So everything is cleaned, put back together, no parts left over and ready to go. Just hit the ignitor button and…did you remember a fresh tank of propane?
Now the last thing I want to mention is that you can never have too many grills. The other day my wife, Barb, made me count how many grills I have. Now beings that we are a big Weber grill dealer, all mine happen to be Weber. From the small gas Go-Anywhere, to the tailgatin’ “Q”, to my 18” kettle garage sale find, to my large charcoal Performer, to my favorite, the propane Summit Platinum. How many grills do you have? Can anybody beat my 5?
Just let me know with a response wherever you were reading this online, or give me a call at our store 260-747-3866 and let me know how many you have!
Happy Grillin’ Everybody!
Dave Umber, Owner
Umber’s Do It Best Hardware
Waynedale and
Georgetown North
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