Cleaning the glass on your Pit Boss smoker is a necessary task if you want to keep your smoker in good condition. Not only does it make it easier to see what you are cooking, but it also helps to prevent the build-up of black gunk, grease, and soot. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps needed to clean the glass on your smoker. We will also provide some tips for keeping it in good condition between cleans. Let’s get started!
How to Clean The Glass On A Pit Boss Smoker?
If you have a vertical smoker, chances your pellet grill has a glass door. Cleaning it can be challenging, but it’s essential if you want to keep your smoker in good condition.
Cleaning the window of a Pit Boss vertical pellet grill (or any other brand) is not difficult, but there are several steps involved. Here’s what you need to do:
- Move the grill off the patio
- Use a non-abrasive brush
- Use Hot Soapy Water
- Never use chemicals
- The right cleaning technique
- Use elbow grease
- Repeat if necessary
The process for cleaning the glass window on any grill is pretty simple. But we’ll cover the steps in more detail below. We’ll also provide you with some tips on how to keep the glass clean after every cook, so the buildup doesn’t become a problem.
*This page contains affiliate links to products I recommend. If you purchase something from this page, I may receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.
Cleaning the Window of The Pit Boss Smoker
There are several different ways to clean the glass on a smoker. If you’re having problems cleaning the window, this video will walk you through the process of how to do it. I’ll also provide a detailed guide below to help you clean your smoker the right way.
Move The Grill
Before starting the cleanup process, move the grill onto the grass or place a mat underneath it. Once you start cleaning it the soot, and drippings will fall off the grill. So you don’t want to clean it on the patio, driveway, or other surfaces that can be damaged.
Use Hot Soapy Water
Depending on how dirty the glass is, you may be able to use hot soapy water. Regular old dish detergent such as Dawn will work fine. If the glass doesn’t have a lot of buildup, you may be able to clean it with an old rag, sponge, or paper towels.
Create a mixture of water and Dawn Detergent to create a foamy soap mixture. Then spray the entire glass with the soapy mixture and let it sit for 30 seconds or so before scrubbing. The window should come clean with a little effort.
If the glass has been neglected and there’s a lot of smoke buildup on it, you will want to use a green kitchen pad like this. It will remove most of the smoke build-up. That said for a grill that has a lot of baked-on build-up, you may have to use a razor blade to remove the gunk.
A razor blade like this works great. Scrape the glass with the blade before using soap and water, and it will remove most of the buildup without using a lot of elbow grease.
You’ll likely have more buildup if you’re using stronger pellets such as hickory, oak, or mesquite. Subtle pellets such as apple, cherry, and fruit-flavored pellets don’t put off as much smoke. And it’s not as difficult to keep the glass clean when using these types of pellets.
Use A Non-Abrasive Brush
When cleaning any part of your grill, opt for a non-abrasive sponge. This will prevent it from leaving scratches on your grill.
I recommend using something like this, it fits in the palm of your hand, and is perfect for cleaning grills or smokers with glass doors. It has two types of bristles, so make sure you’re using the softer side that won’t leave any scratches.
An abrasive brush will remove the gunk, but it will leave small scratches on the grill that will make the glass harder to clean in the future.
Avoid Using Chemicals
Avoid using oven cleaners, Windex, or any other glass cleaners on the window. Even though most people clean their stoves with oven cleaners, and pellet grills are similar to ovens, you should avoid using any type of chemicals in the grill.
Using chemicals will work, but most people don’t want to use harsh chemicals on their grill. If you’re having a hard time getting the gunk off the grill, consider investing in a food-safe cleaner such as the Traeger All-Natural Grill Cleaner.
It’s the same cleaner I use for the grates, inside and outside of my Pit Boss. Just spray it on and the buildup melts off. You’ll still have to do some scrubbing, but it will make the cleanup process much easier.
The Right Cleaning Technique
As mentioned above, there are several ways to clean the window on a grill. The cleanup process you choose will depend on how dirty the glass is.
Use a damp cloth with a putty or butter knife to clean the nooks, crannies, crevices, and corners of the window.
Use Elbow Grease
Regardless of whether you’re using warm soap water, vinegar, and oil, or a food-safe cleaner, you’ll still need to put in some elbow grease. Unfortunately, there isn’t a magical method that will remove all the grime without having to scrub it.
Repeat If Necessary
If after the first cleaning, the glass isn’t completely clean, you will want to repeat the process until the window is free of all the build-up.
Tips for Keeping The Glass Clean In A Smoker?
Once you get the glass clean, the easiest way to keep it clean is to not let the build-up occur in the first place. Below are some tips for keeping the window clean so grime, grease, and smoke don’t build up on the glass.
Regular Cleaning
One of the easiest ways to keep the glass clean is to clean it after every cook. Waiting until it’s time for seasonal maintenance or a once-a-year deep cleaning means you’re going to have a lot of gunk build-up that will be much harder to clean.
The longer you wait, the more difficult it’s going to be. Even if there isn’t a lot of smoke and grease buildup, you will still want to give the window a quick wipe down after cooking on your grill or smoker.
This doesn’t require much time and is the best way to keep your grill or smoker clean all year.
Types of Pellets
As mentioned above, stronger pellets such as oak, hickory, and mesquite put off more smoke than subtle pellets like apple, cherry, and fruit-flavored pellets. In addition, low-quality pellets that contain binders, excess ash, or sawdust will cause more buildup.
Not only that, but they will have a dramatic effect on the quality and taste of the food you cook in the smoker.
Just by using high-quality pellets, you can decrease the amount of buildup on the glass of the door.
Airflow
Poor airflow can cause a lot of condensation, smoke, and grease to build up on the window over time, even when using high-quality pellets.
If you notice that your smoker is starting to produce more smoke than usual or that there’s an excessive amount of moisture in the cooking chamber after each cook, you will want to check for airflow problems.
Check the chimney for any soot buildup and ensure it is adjusted properly. A properly adjusted chimney will ensure the direction of the airflow minimizes the amount of smoke and grease buildup on the window.
Final Word
Cleaning the glass on a smoker can be a pain, but it’s worth the effort. You’ll enjoy your cooking more, and you won’t get any nasty surprises when opening up your smoker to see what’s happening inside!
The easiest way to keep the window clean is to clean it after each use. This will prevent a build-up of soot and grime from getting into the nooks and crannies around the glass, which can be hard to remove.
If you’re not willing to clean your smoker after every use, then we recommend doing it at least once a month or so. This will keep things looking good for longer!
Related Articles
Sources
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/mes-door-glass.242044/