Barbeque smoker maintenance is sometimes low on the priority list because many of us that live in the northern part of the United States hate to think of the end of the barbeque season. The smoker barbeque season does come to a close at about the end of October. It's prudent to think about how we will store the smoker until next season.
Many of us "Q" aficionados have a lot of money invested in our smokers. A good smoker barbeque chef will always take care of that investment by executing the proper steps for maintenance of the smoker.
SMOKER
I know that a number of barbeque chefs continue to cook during the cold weather but I'm not one of them. It's not my idea of a good time to be outside checking the smoker when the temperature is in the teens and twenties. That said, inspect your smoker and do a little preventive maintenance by following these steps.
First, make sure that it is clean. This should be done as a matter of a good home maintenance practice but, if you have not, clean it out. Be especially vigilant to look out for any large accumulations of grease. If found, clean them out. To prevent this in the future be sure to use drip pans when cooking.
Never let ashes stay in the smoker. Always remove ashes once they are cool. This is another practice that should take place every time the smoker is used. If the ashes get wet it will cause the formation of an alkaline solution that reacts with metal damaging the smoker. Wet ashes will cause premature death of any smoker. If ashes remain use a vacuum to clean them out before putting the smoker away.
Check the smoker for dings, gouges, scrapes, and scratches. If compatible with your smoker, sand the area and use a little high temperature paint to repair (on the outside of the smoker only). Do the same for rusty areas.
Lubricate any hinges, wheels, doors with a little WD40 lubricant. Tighten any bolts or screws that have come loose over the season.
Finally, use a cover for you smoker, especially if it is stored outside. If you don't have one, make one from some tarp material and make sure that it is tied down securely. The wind can get pretty blustery during the cold weather months.
If you do these simple preventive maintenance steps, next years barbeque season will have one less worry for great smoked "Q" cooking.
Barbeque Smoker Maintenance SMOKER