EditorsWinter has set in, and in case you are not planning to grill in the winter, you need to store your BBQ properly to prolong its life.
No doubt, during the summer, the barbeque grill is a favorite appliance for many of us. But when winter arrives, most of us don’t have any more plans for grilling and need to store your BBQ until the next summer. For this purpose, you need to know how to safely store your grill so you can jump right into grilling your favorite dishes next summer.
Preparing The Barbecue For Winter
How you prepare your barbecue for winter storage depends mainly on the type of barbecue that you have. However, it is always best to check out the manual for exact requirements and instructions for the particular barbecue that you have.
Cook-Off Any Excess
Cleaning is the first task to take up when you are preparing your barbecue for storage. To make the cleaning job more manageable, you can fire up your grill for up to 15 to 20 minutes on relatively high heat. If there is any excess food leftover from the last grilling session, then firing up the grill will burn it off. This will also make it easier to scrape off any remnants while you are cleaning.
Clean The Insides Of The Grill
To ensure that your grill is in perfect condition, you must clean the insides of the barbecue. The best time to do this is right after the previous step, but you need to let your grill cool down to warm, rather than a hot temperature. This way, the debris inside will be easier to remove. When cleaning the grill, the best way to do it efficiently is to use a wire brush. Once you have done this, you need to let the barbecue cool down completely before cleaning it with soap water. Remember to rinse the inside surfaces very well so that no residue from soap water is left lingering inside.
Clean The Outsides Of The Grill
Just as cleaning your grill’s insides is essential before storage, so is cleaning the outsides of the barbecue. Here too, you can use some warm soapy water to clean the outside. Be sure not to scrape too roughly as it may damage the exterior. If the exterior is made of metal, you can use a dry cloth to buff the exterior wall, adding a little shade. You can also do it next year once you bring it out for the summer grilling.
Cover For Your Barbecue
You must remember to cover your barbeque when you are not using it, especially when you are putting it away for storage. Investing in a good barbeque cover ensures that you prolong the life of the grill and not have to replace the whole grill in the coming years. Covering it up protects it from dust and other harsh winter elements. You can buy a generic cover that fits most types of grills, or you can check and see if the manufacturer of your barbecue provides any specific cover just for your particular model.
Store The Barbecue
Rust or mould is the biggest enemy of your barbecue, so to protect your grill from those and other winter elements, you need to store your barbecue indoors. That, however, is not always possible. You can store the grill in a garden shed in that case. But keep in mind that if you are leaving your barbecue outdoors for the winter, you must provide it with adequate shelter from the strong winds by keeping it well covered at all times. Rust might form on the grill, so you have to make sure that the grill and cover are both completely dry when storing it.
Kitchen Placed Outdoors
If you have an outdoor kitchen arrangement and your grill is placed there, your winter storage preparation will be minimal. In this type of arrangement, you also have the provision to use your grill in the winters. But if you don’t plan on using it in the winter, you need to make proper arrangements to store it well. In this case, you need to follow the steps mentioned above and clean the grill well so that no ash or food residue is leftover before you wrap it up nicely for the winter.
Charcoal Barbecue
If you own a charcoal barbecue and are wrapping it up for winter storage, you should focus on the cooking grill. You have to scrub it clean very well, making sure to clean all the ash out. Leaving ash inside the barbecue can be very problematic as water may seep in and cause a cement-like mixture by coming in contact with the ash. This mixture will stick to the grill and can be very troublesome to clean off once you bring the barbecue out in the summer. So clean away any residual ashes before you pack away your barbecue for winter storage.
Gas Barbecue
A gas barbecue is more complicated, so you need to consider a few additional cleaning steps when it comes to storing it for the winter. Since there are more components to a gas barbecue, you need to remove them while cleaning, such as the burners and cooking grids. The best way to clean them is by soaking them in soapy water. This will remove all the residue leftover residue from cooking. In this case, too, you can use a wire brush to scrub the grill for more effective cleaning. You must also keep in mind that storing a propane barbecue indoors can be fatally hazardous. So better not store it inside the house.
Most people love grilling in the warm summer days, and many still love to grill in winter if they have the setup for it. But for those who don’t, you must properly store your barbecue. This will ensure that you can get right down to cooking when the time comes next summer. So follow the tips on how to prepare your BBQ for winter storage to give your barbecue the prolonged life that it deserves. And if you are a vegan, check this link to find out more dishes you can try with your barbeque.
