2012 BBQ, Grilling, and Smoking Thread

As new as yours is, yeah, that would piss me off. If they're going to make them out of thinner gauge metal, you'd think they'd put a thicker coat of paint on them at the factory.

Both of my pits have rust on the outside, but I haven't cared enough to repaint them. Plus, the steel is thick enough that it'll be decades before they get to the point that they rust through. Hell, the very first grill I ever had made for me is at my dad's, entirely covered in rust. It's 26 years old and if you took a wire wheel to it and hit it with some high temperature paint, it would look brand new.

If you think the rust may return or, if you have time in the morning, see if you can find some Ospho. It's a great rust-killer and is safe to use on barbecue pits and grills.

FYI, you can purchase tannic acid and dissolve it in acetone, then apply it to rusty metal after you've cleaned off any loose rust. Or can also buy phosphoric acid, it will do the same thing. They both convert rust chemically into a form of iron that is stable and protects steel from forming more rust.

It should last a while, but chances are it'll rust again at some point. High heat contributes to rust as much as moisture does.

Indeed - rust is a chemical reaction, and while there may be a "max out" that I'm unaware of, the maxim is that every 10° increase doubles the rate/efficiency of a chemical reaction.

Ooh, I just pulled a Talkahuano!

No problem -- math is ok in the Green Room.

If what you bought is a rust converter, then it does have have either tannic acid or phosphoric acid. However, while they work well on rusty metal they do not do anything for bare metal without any rust on it. So it would be best to just remove the loose rust, and clean off any dirt, oil, or grease with a solvent cleaner (acetone). Let it dry, this will also remove any moisture. Then leave a surface with "smooth rust" and apply the rust converter. If you do sand down to bare metal, then use acetone to remove any dirt, oil, or grease from the bare, clean metal and paint it with a high temperature ceramic paint.

Use the converter/converter paint for areas that you can't get the rust off from, then apply the high temp paint after it's dried completely.

I was going to mention the temperature bit, but you already did.

You can also use anodes to keep the rust down to a minimum. But that will depend on how hot the smoker will get. Steel will melt at about 2800 degrees, aluminum will melt at about 1200 degrees, and zinc will melt at around 800 degrees.

So you could attach strips of either metal to the smoker and they will corrode before the steel rusts.

I made a separate post about it, but if anyone wants to get a cheaply priced smoker/charcoal grill, Tractor Supply has these on sale for $69.99 down from $199.99.



I bought one, I figured "What the Hell", at that price if I get 2 years, or even 3 years out of it I'll be stoked.

Ospho is great for rust, I've used it for forty years. It has phosphoric acid and a few other chemicals I can't recall off the top of my head. It works. You can get it at the hardware store or Sherwin Williams carries it as well, at least around here.

Rustolem is some pretty good shit and I would recommend not using it on the inside of it. I say that because you said something about having to reseason it frontline. I never paint the insides of my pits, I just season them.

I can afford a little rust on mine, it's near a quarter inch thick.

One of my purchases this year I hope is a little crackerbox welder. If I do manage to pull it off another little portable smoker/pit will be the first project.
I say first project since I sold all my vans I was planning working on for scrap.

BTW, those are some Cornish game hens and some pre-made veggie skewers I bought at the local grocery chain.

Some chicken I made on my improvised smoker. I made it by buying some quarry tile, and placing them on the rack of my gas grill. Then I bought some square electrical boxes with covers. I use them for the smoke box.

It works well, the tiles keeps direct heat from cooking the food and prevents most flare ups. The electrical boxes work great as smoke boxes.

But I do have a question. I'm assembling the smoker that I bought, when I do I just need to know what to do to season it. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

Ok, so I asked this earlier, but I can't remember what you said.
What is the difference between BBQ and Grilling, again?

Grilling: Fast cooking time with high heat.
Barbecueing: Longer cooking time with lower, indirect heat.

Today should be fun, barbecuing and grilling for a birthday party today. I already started the ribs last night, starting to prep the chicken, and also have brauts getting ready to go soon too. If I remember, I'll take pics of everything when it's done.

Ok... here's the pics from the food I made.

Those are Cornish hens.

Damn, ^that one^ may be the best yet. You know how I know? The leftovers made for an excellent sandwich. Just a couple of slices of brisket with a few pickles. The rub is so flavorful that no sauce is needed.

God, this thread makes me drool.

Hatch chile carnitas!





"Pork ribeyes", which I'd never heard of before today.

I know lump charcoal is better overally, but I rarely use it (mainly for steaks or other meats that need to be cooked really, really fast with a super hot fire). I mainly use actual wood or Kingsford mesquite briquettes.