Using Wire Brushes

[retired trucker]

My brush is a strong nylon bristle brush with a scraper on the end. I use it just before using the grill before it heats up. It keeps it clean enough that when it heats up it burns any left over gunk off. Clean enough.

Omar

 

[pvcollie]

I use something called a Billy Bar. Works great. You can Google it. I am not affiliated with those guys in any way.

 

[RevZiLLa]

These brushes are being made cheaply now. A few years ago, this never happened to me. Now I am sworn off the brushes and use a crumpled up piece of aluminum foil

 

[wayne77]

I use a wire welding brush for this very reason. Then follow with a damp cloth.

 

[Tricky]

The first time I read aobut this on this site I thought it was much ado about nothing. But the more I read the more I decided that it wasn't worth it. I chucked most of my cheap brushes and just keep one to use when certain neighbors come by uninvited for free Q . . .

 

[ButtBurner]

my wife bought me a Steve Rachelien grill brush for Christmas and actually has a warning on it about the bristles coming off

Im sure its for liability purposes

 

[Jason TQ]

I have been using aluminum foil in a ball. Doesn't work as good, but I'm not as worried about stray wires.

Yeah I'm the same with using aluminum foil. It's good for a once over.

 

[FC BBQ]

I tossed my wire brush after the first time I heard about this. Now I use a balled up piece of foil.

 

[Backyard Smoke]

Glad she is ok .

 

[mchar69]

Once I read about it on this website, I am ever Vigilant.
I have excellent eyesight, and look for pieces of wire on the grills,
mine or others.

 

[LoneStarMojo]

This is definitely an excellent heads up. I found a loose wire stuck to my grill after a cook 2 years ago and have been using the foil ball method since. I think I'll give that weedburner method a try as well. Safe grilling everyone!

 

[Friction33]

I just had to jump in and share an experience I had at a new local resturant that had just opened up. Within the first month I had visited twice a week for lunch. The food was pretty good and they had the best beer battered onion rings. While I was eating one of these awesome rings I bit down on something that didn't feel right. I pulled out a curly metal wire thingy about a quarter to a half inch long. It was off one the Brillo pad scrubbers ( like from pic) they use to clean with and apparently had come apart in the deep fryer cause upon further inspection the found a couple more. The manager comp my meal and took the evidence before I could snap a pic of it. No harm no foul but I will not be going back. So I guess these things can happen everywhere and I am very glad I didn't swallow it.

 

[Pitbull]

This is definitely an excellent heads up. I found a loose wire stuck to my grill after a cook 2 years ago and have been using the foil ball method since. I think I'll give that weedburner method a try as well. Safe grilling everyone!

You guys have to post some picturs of you using th foil ball. The grates on my pits would shred the ball in an instant, so I'm curious how you're doing it..

 

[dadsr4]

You guys have to post some picturs of you using th foil ball. The grates on my pits would shred the ball in an instant, so I'm curious how you're doing it..

The foil does shred. But the pieces tend to be large enough to see, and I would think anything that got into the food would pass through your system with no problem, as there are no sharp edges. I have totally lost track of the times I've discovered that my dogs have eaten foil while picking up after them.

 

[qnbiker]

I've been using Weber brushes for years and never had a loose bristle. With the cheap brushes, I used to find lots of tiny wire bristles when I cleaned the grease from the bottom of my gasser. I haven't found a single one with the Webers.

 

[1MoreFord]

I've taken to using brushes with an abrasive similar to scotch brite like the one in the link below. I find them in the cleaning section at Lowes. They're especially good on porcelain coated grates since the don't put scratches in the porcelain.

http://www.clagrills.com/partsphotopages/71448.htm

 

[THoey1963]

Not so sure about the foil. I've gotten some serious paper cuts while foil wrapping stuff. I would hate that to happen to the inside of a intestine.

When it comes down to it, just take the time to inspect your grates before throwing your food on. Be safe out there. Only takes one case of food poisoning or a brush wire to ruin all the other good food we have put out...

 

[dadsr4]

Not so sure about the foil. I've gotten some serious paper cuts while foil wrapping stuff. I would hate that to happen to the inside of a intestine.

When it comes down to it, just take the time to inspect your grates before throwing your food on. Be safe out there. Only takes one case of food poisoning or a brush wire to ruin all the other good food we have put out...

You might be amazed at the damage your gut just shrugs off. Based on the amount I've seen pass through dogs, foil's a whole lot safer than wire. I've seen the vet bills for that not passing through.

 

[LongTong]

Close Call

A while back, I was several bites into a TGI Friday's burger and was looking at the meat and saw a stainless steel wire in there. Thank God I saw it...The manager comped my meal but note my wife's. I feel the whole meal should have been comped for almost killing me...