Rant: took me 3 hours to fix a tiny grease fire in my backyard smoker

I was smoking a brisket last Saturday in Nashville and left the drip pan too full. Grease caught fire under the firebox and I spent 3 hours taking the whole thing apart to clean it out. The smoke ruined the meat and I had to start over from scratch at 9pm. Why do pitmasters never talk about how annoying grease buildup really is? Has anyone else had a grease fire ruin a whole cook like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

evand657d ago

Used to think keeping a smoker clean was just for aesthetics but this changed my mind completely. Your mileage may vary but I check my drip pan every hour now.

nathang677d ago

Got a buddy who never cleaned his smoker for like three years. He kept saying it "added flavor" and all that. One day he fires it up for a big party and the whole thing catches fire from all the grease buildup in the bottom. Flames were shooting out the sides and he had to throw the whole smoker in the driveway and let it burn out. His pork butts were ruined obviously but the worst part was the smell. That rancid burning grease stuck to his house and clothes for days. He finally gets a new smoker and now he cleans it after every single cook like his life depends on it lol.