If you've not used your BBQ over the winter, chances are it will require a clean before you start cooking up a storm in summer.
Grills/Griddles/internal Parts
The most important thing to do before you start cleaning is to disconnect the gas bottle if your BBQ is a gas model. Once this is disconnected, you can remove all internal parts such as grills, griddles, flavourizer bars, lava rock racks, etc. The grills, griddles and flavourizer bars can be washed indoors with hot soapy water and left to dry. We would recommend replacing your lava rocks every year, depending on how often you use your BBQ.
Once all internal parts are clean , then wipes down the sides and lid with warm soapy water. Any old charcoal and ashes should be removed, you can use an old dustpan and brush to remove these. Remove the drip tray and clean this. We would recommend to line the drip tray with tin foil and a layer of sand, this will help soak up excess fats and juices that released during cooking.
Gas Burners
The gas burners on a gas model should stay mostly clean throughout the year as the lava rocks/flavourizer bars protect them but it is wise to clean them annually to keep them in optimal condition. You can remove the burners or leave them in place but it is important to make sure the gas is disconnected. The gas holes should be cleaned with a pipe cleaner to remove any debris and if any surface rust appears use a soft brass wire brush to remove. Refit the burners ensuring that the neck of the burner fits over the valve outlet securely.
When you have cleaned all the parts it's time to reassemble your BBQ, you can always refer to the user manual for help on where to place everything.
Gas Leak Test
If your BBQ is gas we would suggest you perform a gas leak test before use. To do this ensure all control knobs are in the off position, connect the gas regulator and hose and brush on some soapy water on the joints and connections, switch on the gas and if you can see bubbling anywhere this indicates you have a leak. You can tighten up all the components and try again or refer to the user manual.
How to Clean Your BBQ After Each Use
Once you have given your BBQ it's start of the season clean, it's now time to get cooking! At the end of each cooking session, turn up the heat on your BBQ and leave the heat on high for 5 minutes with the lid up, this will loosen off any cooked on food and make cleaning easier. After 5 minutes, turn off the gas burners off and with a BBQ cleaning brush simply brush over the grills and griddles to remove the cooked on foods.
Replacing Parts
Because of the nature of the BBQ's and the high temperatures that they achieve, you will find that in time parts such as covers, grills, griddles, lava rocks, etc will need replacing. Throughout summer we stock a range of parts and accessories for our BBQ's. To help identify which part you require we would need to know the make and model of your BBQ, this can usually be found on the front panel. In some cases we may require the serial number to identify the year of manufacture, this is normally on one of the legs of the BBQ or underneath the side shelf.
New Parts & Accessories
For Outback BBQ's a list of manuals and parts can be found on our website.
For any other models, please e-mail us with information and we assist you to get the correct parts.
