Stainless steel smoker tube rusting

[KabBBQ]

My relatively new stainless steel smoking tube is covered with rust. It's not falling apart but one would never know it was supposed to be stainless. I use it with wood chips (instead of wood chunks) and it usually sits on the cooking grate above charcoal. On occasion I've also put it in the charcoal in the SnS.

Is this expected due to the high heat? Should I just use a foil pouch instead?

[tstalafuse]

I personally would say your smoke tube is just fine if it is doing the job. Use it until it completely falls apart and then change to whatever...

[HawkerXP]

+1

[02ebz06]

I'd toss it and buy a new one someplace other than where you got that. But that's just me...

[Purc]

There are many grades of stainless steel and that may not be 304 type but I would use it until it fails or look a higher quality one if available.

[smokenoob]

that is pretty stained stainless! I question wether it really is stainless. Name brand or Amazon from overseas?

[KabBBQ]

Char-Broil, from Lowe’s.

[jfmorris]

I've bought a few questionable items off Amazon that claimed to be stainless, but didn't specify grade. I am waiting to see if my new swimming pool step hand rail rusts or not! I bought it knowing it was a risk though. With the rust you show, I have to wonder if it was really stainless at all. Certainly wasn't 304SS, which would take the heat better.

[jfmorris]

smokenoob its salt water, but at 3000ppm. The 30+ year old stainless ladder in the deep end has been dangling into the water for 8 years since I changed to salt, without issue. The new questionable stainless Chinese made hand rail doesn’t go into the water, but will get wet hands touching it. It extends above the water and out about 3 feet, and drops into two sockets I mounted in the pool deck, just like the ladder does.

[smokenoob]

your new one should be fine if it stays out of the water, enjoy swimming weather!

[smokenoob]

An annual Fritz SS polish will keep it nice too!

[gboss]

High heat definitely promotes oxidation reactions, and it's stainLESS and not stainfree. Also, cold working without annealing can reduce the corrosion resistance of steels, stainless included...That being said, that tube looks worse than I'd expect.

[Bkhuna]

What he said.

[KabBBQ]

Char-Broil brand, purchased at Lowe’s the old fashioned way of going inside, picking off the shelf, standing in line, and paying with cash. Who does this now? Not even me!

[texastweeter]

Stainless will still rust if exposed to high heat or certain chemicals.

[Carolyn]

The stainless burner tubes on my little 2 burner CharBroil gas grill started rusting almost immediately. Nothing else on the grill had that problem.

[bbqLuv]

Looks well-seasoned to me.