# Cleaning/restoring The Bbq Hotplate



## Doc (16/11/04)

I've been using my BBQ as part of my three tier AG brewing structure. Needless to say water has been getting and sitting on the hotplate. There are a couple of rust patches on it now.
With summer coming on I want to start firing up the BBQ.
What is the best way of removing the rust and restoring the hotplate to BBQ action ? 
I've already done one clean with dish wash detergent, followed up with a rub down with olive oil. 

Doc


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## Duff (16/11/04)

Depends how deep the rust is. I have found that firing it up and giving it a scrub with a good BBQ cleaning tool followed by seasoning does the trick. Careful however that it doesn't start flaking, time then for a new hot plate.

Has to be ready for Thursday for the 1st Test against the Kiwis.

Who am I kidding, it will be over by Saturday :lol: 

Duff.


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## nonicman (16/11/04)

After you knock the rust off the plate (steel wool, wire brush), season the plate as you would a new wok, rub in oil, heat, allow to cool. Repeat oil/heat/cool three times should come up good.


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## Asher (16/11/04)

Doc,
I'd do as above too but I've been a recent convert to plain old vegetable oil insted of olive oil on the barby plate (for cleaning & seasoning anyway). It has a much higher burning temp than olive & tends to take longer to break down between barbies, so protect for longer...
Peanut oil - even better but expensive...
Canola oil - bad (gives you cancer )

Asher for now

Asher for now


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## GMK (16/11/04)

Agree with jleske...

But i heat my hot plate up real hot - then pour on the water - just enough to cover teh palkte and sizzle - clean off - leave on high for 10 mins - then pour the oil on - spread ever where - leave 10mins on high...bit more oil spread over - leave 5 mins...bit more oil spread over - leave 2 mins - turn off and let cool.

Olive oil burns at a lower temp than conolla/sunflower oil - i season mine with conaolla.

Hope thai shelps - and i get to join you at a BBQ one day....


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## nonicman (16/11/04)

Asher


> plain old vegetable oil insted of olive oil on the barby plate



I'd rather spend the extra penny and use peanut oil (anything other than "vegetable" or canolla). Not keen on whatever they choose to mix up and call "vegetable" oil (GE cotton seed and anything else that wouldn't move on the supermarket shelves if labelled correctly). 

Whatever you do, it will only work if you have a homebrew at hand.


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## sluggerdog (16/11/04)

I use lemon Juice on an extra hot plate, not so much for rust but cleaning the plate


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## Doc (16/11/04)

jleske said:


> Whatever you do, it will only work if you have a homebrew at hand.


 Thanks for the tips guys. 
Will give another work over this weekend with the advice.

Beers,
Doc


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## Bobby (16/11/04)

gmk has it spot on. it works a treat.


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## Plastic Man (16/11/04)

I feel a tad guilty after reading this thread.

I now realise my BBQ is neglected.........


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## fergi (16/11/04)

all are good suggestions doc but being a butcher we like to think we have the answer, so what i do is scrub the plate with boiling water and detergent,then pour boiling water on again to rinse it off,then when the plate gets nice and hot again pour on any cheap cooking oil about 1/4 cup brush it all over your hotplate then pour on 1/2 cup fine salt .work this all over the bbq and into the oil .let it burn in for about 5 mins then turn bbq off ,get a scraper and scrape all of the oil and salt off then give it one more boiling water clean with no detergent,wipe off dry,then pour on your oil of preference for cooking and it is perfect.well thats the way i do my bbq about twice a year.the salt soaks up all that crap on the bbq
cheers
fergi


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## Tony M (17/11/04)

Fergi would be right. If you have one of those stainless pans that is real greedy and hangs on to every bit of food offered to it, it can be tamed by heating up oil and salt (say 50/50) to serious smoking temps before draining and quenching. This shows it who is the boss and the eggs just slide off until the Head Household Cleaner drags out the steel wool.


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## Oats (17/11/04)

Fergi is CORRECT!
top o the class!

Salt will when applied to a hot BBQ surface and left (up to 15-20mins) will react with the rust and lift it off.

I have done it with the salt 1-2cm thick over the entire hotplate (used a lot of salt but hey the hotplate was fked!)

Came up a treat...then protect with oil (of your choice)

Cheers....and a beer or two is required to do this complex manly task!


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## sluggerdog (17/11/04)

Beers and BBQ's.... IS there anything Better?


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## nonicman (17/11/04)

The salt idea sounds great, what a forum, brewing advice and now barbie tips. If anyone should know how to treat a BBQ a butcher would be my first bet.


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## Trev (17/11/04)

> sluggerdog, Posted on Nov 17 2004, 01:10 PM
> Beers and BBQ's.... IS there anything Better?



Well, yes but it involves a member of the opposite sex together with the beers and BBQ, (oh shit - there I go again assuming everybody is straight and breaking all the rules of PC).

Oh - but I also forgot that to make the mix perfect you need some football/cricket depending upon season.

Trev


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## Bionic (25/11/04)

I second using salt... One of my Friends told me about it and I initially thought this was a wise tail or something (OR to much beer) But I gave it a go and it worked very very Good Id recomend it...
That reminds its yearly BBQ cleaning time. Stripping everything down cleaning all the burners ect,,,


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## SJW (25/11/04)

Go the salt, i just gave it a crack and it works a treat!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Linz (25/11/04)

What about the neglected Grill ,on the other side???


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## Bionic (26/11/04)

Wire Brush... Then when its clean I oil up a brush and oil it


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## Jez (26/11/04)

I followed fergi's instructions yesterday & coated all the bbq hotplate & grill with peanut oil yesteday, heated it up then chucked salt all over evrything (lost abit down the cracks on the grill).

Watched the salt turn black in a few spots, scraped it all off after 5 mins & couldn't believe how clean the plates were - this is probably the first time I've properly cleaned the barbie in the 2 years I've had it. Because of my neglect it had caked on burnt food etc & I thought it was nearly unsavable.

Gave it a final coat of peanut oil & now I'm ready to go!!

Jez


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## Mark_W (11/12/04)

Well thanks to this thread I went out and did a complete clean of the barbie including a new ignition switch, oiled trolley, new fat absorber etc.

What I can't believe from all the "SO CALLED EXPERTS" is that not 1 of you mentioned the most important part of getting the bbq spotless....... copious quantitys of home brew liberally applied (into a glass and then drunk of course)... my bbq now looks a treat... hope it looks as good tomorrow :lol: :chug:


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## Doc (20/11/05)

Salt and Peanut oil have just done the job for me again.

Thanks again Fergi.

Beers,
Doc


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## OCC (20/11/05)

good things take time ah doc....


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## PostModern (20/11/05)

A bit late, but I don't recommend the salt. Where does it all end up? Rusting the frame, burners and drip tray. A BBQ salesman/builder/repairer I know from another forum would freak out completely every time someone mentioned using salt on the hotplate.


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## Doc (20/11/05)

OCC said:


> good things take time ah doc....
> [post="91864"][/post]​



I cleaned it up last year using this method, and have done so again today.
Looks fit for cooking on again :lol:

Doc


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## Jez (20/11/05)

I used the salt method last night.

works a treat. all the baked on crap just lifts right off.

as for the frame rusting, it's doing that already from sitting out in the elements but not enough to worry about.

Jez


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## im_hoppin_mad (20/11/05)

It is also important to clean your BBQ after each use making sure youhave burnt or scraped off all food and fatty residue. Simply use a scraperor newspaper to remove the excess residue and remember to turn offthe gas at the bottle.


ANNUAL MAINTENANCEAs much as we dislike hearing this, it is a good idea to clean your wholeBBQ annually. Here we go:

1. Take off the hood and remove the hot plate, grill and the drip tray.
2. Disconnect the gas hose leaving it attached to the bottle.
3. Remove the cast iron burners and scrape off loose flakey rust with awire brush.
4. Dispose of the drip tray absorbing material then clean it along withthe hot plate and grill with a bbq degreaser.
5. Use vegetable/canola/olive oil or a specific BBQ product to applyto all cast iron surfaces including grills, plates, burners and castiron rock trays.
6. Remove the operating knobs.
7. Clean the steel chasis of the bbq with hot soapy water and a scourerpad. If it is stainless steel you may choose to polish.
8. Replace all parts of the BBQ and attach the gas.
9. Close the hood.Your BBQ is now ready for a gourmet feast.BBQ cleaners anddegreasers A well maintained BBQ isa joy to cook on.\


i should know im a scrubber from penrith panthers main kitchen i clean the grills and hot plates lemon and salt it the best lemon acts like a acid and reconditions the grills and hot plates 

View attachment fuck_face.bmp


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## Darren (20/11/05)

have a question to you guys using salt to clean your BBQ's. Is the entire BBQ made of stainless? Would be heaps of salt and heat (particularly if you have a hood on your BBQ).You might as well drive the BBQ into the sea to give it a clean.
Add some oil to the plate BEFORE winter is the trick. No rust 8). Oil just scrapes off like it was used yesterday.
my 0.0002 cents


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## jgriffin (20/11/05)

I don't actually clean my BBQ after each use. I just leave the thick layer of grease, then next time, heat it up, and throw some water on. It causes the oil to lift off, which is easily scraped off. Then just oil it, and it's spotless.

The frame is another story though.


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## Fingerlickin_B (20/11/05)

My cleaning process (bearing in mind that it NEVER gets cleaned after use):

1 - Get it hot...REALLY HOT!

2 - Pour on el-cheapo dishwashing detergent and scrape with anything on hand. 

3 - Spray with hose. 

4 - Get it hot again. 

5 - Spray with hose again...by now all detergent has been dispatched by heat and hosing. 

6 - Chuck on a sh*tload of olive oil. 

7 - Once the olive oil has almost (but not completely) burned off, pour on the salt...and lots of it. 

8 - Scrape the burnt salt off. 

9 - Add more olive oil. 

10 - Cook those snags and onions. 

11 - Tell people b*itching about lack of salads and better meats they should have brought their own...this is a BBQ, not a bistro people!


This method is used for my dairy-brick and steel plate wood-fired BBQ...it would probably not be such a good idea for the guys using gas!

PZ. 

p.s. If you think that is a little too elaborate, you DO NOT want to be in the kitchen with me :lol:


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## nic0 (28/11/05)

If I have only ever used salt on the BBQ and I mix half a beer with it. And you don't make friends with salad!!!


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## Ducatiboy stu (28/11/05)

If it is really rusty, get some rust converter which is phosphoric acid and spray it on and leave for a while. Then clean using water, a wire brush and condition the plate with oil as per the various methods described above.


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