Smoke/Creosote layer flaking off

[rickd972]

Question for MAK owners; though probable for all stainless smokers?

I've been "out" for quite some time and have not used the MAK for about 5 weeks. Uncovered to fire it up tonight and had all kinds of flaking coming off from inside and underneath lid (sliding part). Never seen this before with my charcoal; but it is a ceramic so a bit different inside. This is a newer unit; probably 10 cooks on it; but the first time I've seen this.

Is this common? or perhaps common with SS as it has a smoother finish? Last cook was a 15 hour brisket.

Momma says shrimp needs to be on gasser tonight until I clean it up.

TIA

[CHNeal]

Looks like the normal flaking you will see after a cooker that’s had a bit of love sits with no heat. Happens a lot to a few of my kettles that only see real long ( 16 hour) cooks then sit for weeks / months.

[rickd972]

So I need to cook more!

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

Normal, though sometimes annoying (happens on my PKGO too which is aluminum and charcoal but more neglected). Anyway, I scrape the stuff off the lid every few cooks so it doesn't fall on food. I tried to talk MAK into switching the hinge bolts to quick removable pins for easier cleaning. Maybe one day they will.

[Jessterr]

I have the same problem with several of my cookers, although generally the flakes are much smaller. It’s especially frequent with my WSC, which is also SS inside the lid, have to deal with that every time I use it. I just followed the advice that several members offered here to just brush it off and not worry about it, just the nature of the beast. I use a very stiff nylon brush, sometimes a light going over with a Scotch Brite pad, then brush it away and load and light.

[Panhead John]

3” putty knife will work for getting it off, works great on the lid of my kettle. It’s probably just normal soot buildup, no big deal.

[rickd972]

Thanks all. Very different from my ceramic, will plan more time in future.

[GolfGeezer]

Yup, happens every year on my MAK. I also tried to convince MAK to make removing the moveable hood very easy. So, I remove at least once a year to scrap the stuff off with a plastic putty knife. I remove the bolt and bushings holding that part on to get to the non-movable portion. When remounting, I place the moveable part, in the closed position on the body, the insert screwdrivers through the holes. This makes it fairLy easy to align the bushing and bolts on one side, then replace the nut loosely. Do the other side, then tighten. Not quite straightforward, but fairly easy.

[Santamarina]

I hit my cookers with a pressure washer now and then to keep the big stuff off.

[holehogg]

Hard bristle scrubbing brush works for removing too.

[rlozinak]

I see the same on my Traeger. I use a 3 inch scraper to get it off.

[jfmorris]

I have an old offset made of stainless, and the inside of the lid can get like that at times. I knock all the loose stuff off the inside of the lid with a wire brush, then take the grate off, dump any loose hunks of the black stuff off in the grass, and get to cooking. Sometimes I just hit everything with the hose nozzle to knock it off, and the fire dries it all out again. Not that you can do the hose bit with a pellet cooker.

I think it is worse with stainless, but see that on the inside of my kettle at times as well. It's just carbon build up. Nothing harmful, but you don't want it falling on the food. If you brush it, then dump the loose crap that falls off the grate and diffuser, you ought to be able to have it off in a couple of minutes and get to cooking.

[GolfGeezer]

My "hack" for getting the flakes out on my MAK is to use my leaf blower. It also helps blow out the "fine" from pellets (I empty the hopper after every cook). Of course, you have to be careful as those flakes are very light - gotta make sure the blower is aimed away from the house 😎

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

I use a pressure washer to clean my MAK a few times a year. Just prop the wheels on the hopper side up a bit to enhance drainage away from the auger tube. Then I wrap the ignitor in plastic and stuff the firepot area with plastic bags. Hit it with a leafblower after and it's good to go.

[Spinaker]

Yep totally normal. I get this on the inside of my ceramics. Just scrape and move on, no big deal.

[jfmorris]

I actually keep a plastic scraper on the table under my Performer for knocking some of this crud off the kettle dome. I've not had to do it yet on the SNS Kamado, but probably need to. I also need to take the top vent off and soak it, as it is getting pretty caked up - the SNS top vent, not the Performer... on that one I just brush the holes out periodically.