Post by Wayne Copeland on Jul 7, 2005 20:44:16 GMT -5
I have seasoned four pits, soon to be five. I have talked to my brother, David Klose and just about everyone in between on their ideas for seasoning new pits. When you buy a new pit, the steel is coated with an oil that is used in the manufacturing/cutting process. There will also be metal fragments, welding slags, etc inside the pit. Once you get your new pit home, the first thing to do is go into the house and put on some old, dirty clothes and rubber boots. Then take the pit to the nearest high pressure car wash. Open the pit doors, firebox doors and exhaust stack covers (if attached). If you can raise the trailer tongue or the end of the pit opposite its drain plug (if so equipped), do so as this will allow the detergent/metal fragments/oils to drain much easier. Now is the time to remove the metal grates if they are removable, and place them away from your vehicle. If the car wash has an engine cleaner degreaser mode, select it and apply the foam to the ENTIRE insides of the pit, doors, stack and firebox...as well as the grates. Do not get the spray on the outside of your new pit or it will stain the paint finish. Let it sit on the metal for at least 15 minutes, then switch on the soapy water and start hosing it out under pressure. Don't forget to do the grates as well. I HIGHLY recommend spending a few extra quarters to keep up the soapy wash for as long as your arms can stand it, or until you are fairly certain that you have the entire unit as clean as it is ever going to get...and don't forget the insides of all the doors! After it has had a good washing and rinsing, and you are equally soaked, replace the grates and take her home....now, let the pit dry out overnight with the doors open to thoroughly dry out...it must be completely dry before seasoning. If you can't get the smoker to drain well, put a fan on it overnight!!
Now you are almost ready to season that bad boy. Some folks recommend peanut oil, vegetable oil, PAM, etc. to season a pit. I don't like the way oil comes out of my sprayer, and I certainly don't like all the clean up, so I go to the grocery store and buy cans of Pam, Mazola, or whatever is on sale. You can apply oils with a paint brush but that takes too long and is hard to get into some corners, under angle iron, etc. I THOROUGHLY coat the inside of the smoking chamber and stack, then apply the same material to the inside of the firebox. After it has had a few minutes to get into the pores of the metal, I add a chimney of lit lump charcoal and close it up. Depending on your ambient outside temp, you should get the pit's internal temp to 200 degrees...you may have to add more charcoal, depending on the size of your pit/firebox. Keep the temp at 200 for an hour or so, then check the insides well to see if there are any dry spots on the steel that you missed coating with oil. If you see any, spray them down. It wont hurt anything to spray a light coat of oil all over the interior again, as it will burn down once you add your wood.
At the two hour mark, start adding smaller pieces of hardwood (oak, hickory, maple, cherry, apple, pecan), being careful not to let the temp get over 225 degrees. Keep adding the charcoal and wood for another 6-8 hours. After 8-10 hours at a low temp, you should be ready to cook on your new pit.
WARNING:When seasoning a new pit, always keep the stack damper wide open, as you want as much draw through the barrel as possible, without the burbling effect you get with a closed/partially closed stack. You should also never season with green wood and/or softwoods like cedar, spruce, pine, etc...this will ruin the pit forever. I also like to season a new pit twice before cooking on it...this just helps close the metal's pores that much more.
David Klose, of Klose BBQ Pits in Houston, recommends applying peanut oil to the exterior of the firebox after cooking...this is suppose to keep the paint pliable and will not crack out on the box, which should also keep it from rusting prematurely....Just Food for Thought
Now you are almost ready to season that bad boy. Some folks recommend peanut oil, vegetable oil, PAM, etc. to season a pit. I don't like the way oil comes out of my sprayer, and I certainly don't like all the clean up, so I go to the grocery store and buy cans of Pam, Mazola, or whatever is on sale. You can apply oils with a paint brush but that takes too long and is hard to get into some corners, under angle iron, etc. I THOROUGHLY coat the inside of the smoking chamber and stack, then apply the same material to the inside of the firebox. After it has had a few minutes to get into the pores of the metal, I add a chimney of lit lump charcoal and close it up. Depending on your ambient outside temp, you should get the pit's internal temp to 200 degrees...you may have to add more charcoal, depending on the size of your pit/firebox. Keep the temp at 200 for an hour or so, then check the insides well to see if there are any dry spots on the steel that you missed coating with oil. If you see any, spray them down. It wont hurt anything to spray a light coat of oil all over the interior again, as it will burn down once you add your wood.
At the two hour mark, start adding smaller pieces of hardwood (oak, hickory, maple, cherry, apple, pecan), being careful not to let the temp get over 225 degrees. Keep adding the charcoal and wood for another 6-8 hours. After 8-10 hours at a low temp, you should be ready to cook on your new pit.
WARNING:When seasoning a new pit, always keep the stack damper wide open, as you want as much draw through the barrel as possible, without the burbling effect you get with a closed/partially closed stack. You should also never season with green wood and/or softwoods like cedar, spruce, pine, etc...this will ruin the pit forever. I also like to season a new pit twice before cooking on it...this just helps close the metal's pores that much more.
David Klose, of Klose BBQ Pits in Houston, recommends applying peanut oil to the exterior of the firebox after cooking...this is suppose to keep the paint pliable and will not crack out on the box, which should also keep it from rusting prematurely....Just Food for Thought
