Cleaning question for a Weber Kettle...

[JeffJ]

I do a terrible job of catching drippings when I cook. Adding the Drip n Griddle has corrected that however, I have a build up of sludge in my Performer. This build up bent my ash-sweep fan blades pretty badly. I have replacement blades the problem is the sludge. It is so hardened that I can't even come close to scraping it out.

Does anyone have a trick up their sleeve for this? I seem to recall Jon Solberg cleaning out his kettles with ammonia. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

[CRO]

Clean it out by scraping with a putty knife and finish off with a wet soapy rag.
Your Drip n Griddle will keep it spotless.

[Deaf Arty]

I'd recommend a razor scraper -- the kind you remove decals from your windshield with. I used one on my 22" to get decades of guck off, and it worked really well. peeled off like orange peel. The blades in those scrapers are replaceable. You'll probably use two or three for the job, and they flex enough to match the curvature of the bowl.

[Jerod Broussard]

1. Don't force the ash sweepers. Cause I know the sludge didn't expand and bend the sweepers

2. Like above, some sort of knife to scrape the bad stuff.

[FireMan]

Yup on the putty knife.

[Steve R.]

Maybe some oven cleaner to soften it up?

[HawkerXP]

http://weberkettleclub.com/weber-grill-restoration-interior-and-exterior-kettle-cleaning/

You might enjoy looking at what these folks have to say.

[JeffJ]

Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.

[DWCowles]

Sounds like a job for the hammer and chisel

[Mr. Bones]

FWIW, when I rescue a kettle that's all caked up inside, I start by buildin a medium fire, say 225°-250°, with a large pan of water on th cook grate, an steam th insides fer several hours, with vents set to both maintain temp, an retain steam...

YMMV, it softens up decades of crud, in my experience.
Dependin on th gunk, it might take doin this, scrapin, an repeatin several times...

Good Luck, be patient, whichever way ya choose, an don't damage yer kettle.

[JeffJ]

Interesting - soften it up with a bunch of steam.

[Mr. Bones]

JeffJ
Yup. Works wonders in a microwave with caked on gunk, as well...
My Ma showed me this trick, c. ~25 yrs ago

[HouseHomey]

That's why Bonsey is da man!!!

[jfmorris]

I've used a razor blade scraper on the inside of my kettle very successfully. Got the tip here:

http://weberkettleclub.com/weber-grill-restoration-interior-and-exterior-kettle-cleaning/

I thought I needed new blades for the vent mechanism, as they were not sealing. Using the razor blade scraper got rid of all the crud that they were riding up on, and its all as good as new now.

[JeffJ]

Yeah, it seems like the razor scraper is the way to go.

[HouseHomey]

You lost me at "Cleaning."

[jgg85234]

First, I'm not sure whether the Weber kettles are as thick as they were way back when, so this might do more damage than good on a newer kettle. My 1988 Weber 22" kettle didn't get cleaned for the first 20+ years of its life. The grates got cleaned regularly, but I never did anything to the interior. When I finally did decide to clean it, I first removed the ash sweepers (the bolt came undone easily - no rust). I then put a wire brush attachment on my drill and proceeded to attack all the gunk. When I was done, it wasn't scratched, and the bottom of the kettle looked just like a new one. So, I think they were ready for pretty rough treatment. Mr. Bones can certainly use this method

Best regards,
Jim

[Mr. Bones]

Thanks, Jim!
Agreed, thicker metal on older kettles...
Too Fraidy Cat to do this to some of my kettles, esp 50+ yrs old. No do-overs.
Might try it on a newer CL $20 find, though it would still pain me terribly if I effed up a perfectly usable Weber...

[grantgallagher]

i usually go through the hassle of taking it apart and busting out the power washer. im always amazed what you can take off with the turbo nozzle.