View Full Version : How to clean campground grill grates before use
Gambit McCrae
08-05-2014, 11:39
How would one propose cleaning campground charcoal racks before using them? Last weekend I brought my own light weight grates to put on top of the rusty ones at campsite. Would pouring light fluid on the grate and igniting it work?
rocketsocks
08-05-2014, 11:43
aluminum foil :D
perdidochas
08-05-2014, 11:45
How would one propose cleaning campground charcoal racks before using them? Last weekend I brought my own light weight grates to put on top of the rusty ones at campsite. Would pouring light fluid on the grate and igniting it work?
I would never intentionally put the lighter fluid on the grates and light it.
What are you afraid of? If the fire is hot, it will kill any pathogen on the grate.
Gambit McCrae
08-05-2014, 11:49
Im "affraid" of crapping my brains out like I did last weekend and the past 2 days. I just want to ensure a clean surface to cook on.
The hot fire would esentially 'clean' the grates. I'm generally more concerned about the rust at that point. Is eating rust harmful to your health?
Gambit McCrae
08-05-2014, 11:55
https://van.physics.illinois.edu/qa/listing.php?id=12540
Gambit McCrae
08-05-2014, 11:55
A quick search pulled this up ^^^^
Hikes in Rain
08-05-2014, 11:57
Rust is iron oxide; it won't hurt you. But mixed with all the dirt and soot, it wouldn't taste good, and would leave nastiness on your food. Bringing your own light rack, as you did, or cover the existing one with foil, as rocketsocks said, is really your best bet.
Just Bill
08-05-2014, 12:09
Im "affraid" of crapping my brains out like I did last weekend and the past 2 days. I just want to ensure a clean surface to cook on.
Sounds like you got a different problem.
Aluminum foil (a bit of aluminum foil, or a rock in a pinch) will clean it physically.
Fire will clean it fine, biologically.
Not cooking your meat to temp, maintaining good hygiene (personal and kitchen) or treating your water will solve your other problems.
A thought as well-
When I bring fresh meat- I freeze it all prior to leaving and wrap it in foil. Hamburger or pork products- use first day. Steak, second day. Ham Steak or other salt heavy item- maybe three days.
I don't take a chance with chicken or fish.
Dry ice is another good trick in this regard, and makes a nice chilled libation.
Personally I don't care what the science and facts are. I wouldn't eat food off a campground grate unless I was really in a pinch. When car camping we bring our own small grate and usually balance it over it the existing grate. Safe or not - no thanks.
Gambit McCrae
08-05-2014, 12:39
Personally I don't care what the science and facts are. I wouldn't eat food off a campground grate unless I was really in a pinch. When car camping we bring our own small grate and usually balance it over it the existing grate. Safe or not - no thanks.
This is my same feeling. I just bring my own and be done with it
rocketsocks
08-05-2014, 12:42
This is my same feeling. I just bring my own and be done with it
that's what I do too, bought one years ago after fiddling around trying to clean up somebody else's mess, got a few different sizes.
Just Bill
08-05-2014, 12:43
Tent stakes on rocks work too.
The worms can be fried with a little butter- cook up just like caramelized onions on your steak.
Yum!
Don't forget to pick some random mushrooms- they never make you sick.:D
rocketsocks
08-05-2014, 12:58
Tent stakes on rocks work too.
The worms can be fried with a little butter- cook up just like caramelized onions on your steak.
Yum!
Don't forget to pick some random mushrooms- they never make you sick.:D...and if your really lucky...escargots. I know this one campground where there's tons of Ed car gots slimin' around.
I wouldn't think eating a little rust off a campfire grate would hurt you. A hundred years ago people put iron nails in apples which were allowed to rust a little. Then they would pull the nails and eat the apples to help with iron deficiency. They also picked up iron in their diet by cooking on cast iron pots and pans.
So a little rust is probably good for you.
As someone else said food poisoning usually takes effect 8 to 12 after eating the bad food. What did you have for lunch that day?
Wise Old Owl
08-05-2014, 20:23
OMG - the owl concurs with Just Bill your upchuck issues have nothing to do with the grill.. Take a wire hardware brush instead. I suggest watching a little of Bobby Flay on burgers and avoid eating Bubba Burgers... - bit nasty if you know what I mean.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCz_BWpR56E
Tuckahoe
08-05-2014, 20:29
Im "affraid" of craping my brains out like I did last weekend and the past 2 days. I just want to ensure a clean surface to cook on.
Nomnomnomnom mmmmm iron oxide...
You do realize that your own kitchen sanitiation more likely to make you sick than a campsite grill, right?
MuddyWaters
08-05-2014, 21:54
Ashes and grease of yesterday, for burgers of tomorrow
Gambit McCrae
08-06-2014, 07:50
OMG - the owl concurs with Just Bill your upchuck issues have nothing to do with the grill.. Take a wire hardware brush instead. I suggest watching a little of Bobby Flay on burgers and avoid eating Bubba Burgers... - bit nasty if you know what I mean.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCz_BWpR56E
Never sid anything about upchuck...Diarhea all the way
memphistiger02
08-06-2014, 09:22
Yea I always use foil on those grills. People are crazy and not telling what is on it. If I was cooking directly on it I would make a huge fire under and let the flames rise up above the grate for a few mintes and then let it die down.
Slo-go'en
08-06-2014, 12:12
I can't see how you can cook anything directly on those grates without it falling through into the fire anyway. They were designed for car camp grounds where you'd use the grate to hold your cast iron frying pan and pots over the fire with. These prefab fire rings with the grate made it into the back country because that's the Forest Service's standard issue fire rings, not that they would be practical to use there.
perdidochas
08-07-2014, 10:25
The hot fire would esentially 'clean' the grates. I'm generally more concerned about the rust at that point. Is eating rust harmful to your health?
Nope, unless the rust flakes are large enough to cut you. It's iron.
Hill Ape
08-07-2014, 15:38
i carry a stretch of aluminum foil anyway, folded longways down the middle, rolled loose, fits in kit
i wouldn't cook directly on their grate, for all of the above reasons
Treat a grill grate the same way you'd treat a cast iron skillet...apply heat and lard.
rocketsocks
08-08-2014, 10:29
Treat a grill grate the same way you'd treat a cast iron skillet...apply heat and lard.
But isn't that the problem for the next user, and the reason for cleaning in the first place. While rust in it's self does not cause tetanus, the micro Oolitic porous nature of it's surface can harbor the nasty's...namely Tetanus. But I agree burning out a knew skillet in a fire and treating is what I do as well, but that's at home and in a controlled environment where I can use hot water to rinse and heat and dry before storage, a grate left outside all the time...not so much.
I think you've already addressed this issue in your other thread: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?105550-Cooking-directly-over-wood-fire-make-you-sick/page2
As we noted in that thread the grills won't make you sick. You probably got sick from the food or other method. I'd go aluminum foil all the way though. It folds neatly in your pack and doesn't take up any space. When you're ready to cook, unfold and you're good to go.
If you get food poisoning any other way or you just have bad diarrhea and you don't know why eat some clean powdered charcoal. About a tsp or so should clear you right up depending on severity. ;)
You can cut an onion in half and rub it on the grate when the metal is a little bit hot. If the grate is in terrible shape it will not work, but it is perfect for removing a pesky layer of dust/soot/rust/whatever. Plus it helps season the food a bit! I learned this trick from my Turkish friends who are master grillers :D
I know it's an old thread, but maybe it will be a timely resurrection for someone
I have gotten better at cleaning them after use and spraying them with cooking spray. It seems to help a lot. When I clean them, it tends to show the places that there is iron or porcelain flaking off. I just make sure I scrape those areas to remove any loose chunks. I am hoping that by faithfully cleaning after every use, the porcelain and grates overall will wear better. Even with poor maintenance, I have always gotten many good years out of a grate. As long as there are no breaks in the grate, I keep using them.
It seems like the front right corner of most of my weber q qrills like all this types https://bestoutdooritems.com/best-campfire-grill-grate/ is the area that seems to deteriorate the quickest. I have one grill that has a small corner section out of it. That is the grill that I use for camping, but I am looking to switch to a newer electric Q that I recently acquired. I am not sure if I will keep the old gas Q100 for parts or replace the grate. It is otherwise a great Q100 that is a good ten years plus old.
Just some suggestions and one good video from Youtube, that I hope will help.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmIQVDvkvZs
Paleolith54
11-13-2018, 10:00
OMG - the owl concurs with Just Bill your upchuck issues have nothing to do with the grill.. Take a wire hardware brush instead. I suggest watching a little of Bobby Flay on burgers and avoid eating Bubba Burgers... - bit nasty if you know what I mean.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCz_BWpR56E
PSA: based on the fact that I had a bristle from a wire brush (used to clean my grill) lodged in my epiglotis, I urge folks in the strongest possible terms to use something else for grill cleaning. Foil works well.
I just rub the grating with a rock, maybe finish with a stick - good enough for my type
BAontheTrail
07-28-2019, 17:51
How would one propose cleaning campground charcoal racks before using them? Last weekend I brought my own light weight grates to put on top of the rusty ones at campsite. Would pouring light fluid on the grate and igniting it work?
ugh, I would strongly advise to never use those grates
Five Tango
07-30-2019, 12:43
PSA: based on the fact that I had a bristle from a wire brush (used to clean my grill) lodged in my epiglotis, I urge folks in the strongest possible terms to use something else for grill cleaning. Foil works well.
I quit using a brush after reading an article about issues like the one you described.I would like to give up on grilled food altogether based on things I have read about grilled foods and cancer.
PSA: based on the fact that I had a bristle from a wire brush (used to clean my grill) lodged in my epiglotis, I urge folks in the strongest possible terms to use something else for grill cleaning. Foil works well.
Omg....I know a guy who this happened to! He had to be rushed to the ER.
perdidochas
07-31-2019, 13:06
How would one propose cleaning campground charcoal racks before using them? Last weekend I brought my own light weight grates to put on top of the rusty ones at campsite. Would pouring light fluid on the grate and igniting it work?
Rust won't hurt you. I scrape anything noticeable off with a spatula, and then just make sure the grate is hot before putting anything on it. I don't really worry about it.
Kerosene
07-31-2019, 22:07
Pumice stone works remarkably well (see this product (https://www.amazon.com/Elaziy-Cleaning-Reusable-Ecological-Scaling/dp/B07GGCM6H1/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2AJJ5IZ0ZJVA6&keywords=grill+pumice+stone+cleaner&qid=1564625088&s=gateway&sprefix=grill+pumic%2Caps%2C208&sr=8-3) on Amazon). Of course, you likely won't have one in your pack, in which case I'd just use a rag or paper towel to wipe off whatever crud I could, and then use the d@amn grate. Hey, I eat the ramen I spill on the picnic table.