Oil Absorbent DE to clean smoker?

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CivilTrojan

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I need to clean some grease out of the bottom of my pellet smoker and was wondering if anyone had ever used Oil Absorbent DE (link below) to help with this. I have some laying around so that’s what made me think of it and the bag says NSF on the front, but I don’t want to put something in there that could leave harmful chemicals behind.

Thanks for all and any help/advise.

The link to the product so you know what I’m talking about: https://epminerals.com/products/oil-absorbent-de
 
im pretty sure you can eat DE and it won't hurt you so I think it will work fine for cleaning a smoker. I know people also use it as an additive for gardens and as an absorbent.



I have used it in an industrial capacity for filtration and the only concern we ever had with it from a safety perspective was that the dust can be harmful if breathed in on a daily basis just due to the fine nature of it.
 
GK02 said:
im pretty sure you can eat DE and it won't hurt you so I think it will work fine for cleaning a smoker. I know people also use it as an additive for gardens and as an absorbent.



I have used it in an industrial capacity for filtration and the only concern we ever had with it from a safety perspective was that the dust can be harmful if breathed in on a daily basis just due to the fine nature of it.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I think I will try it next time! Due to impatience, it’s already been cleaned and unfortunately made a bit of a mess. :doh:
 
So kosher salt and flour will work the same and make cleaning easier?
 
CivilTrojan said:
So kosher salt and flour will work the same and make cleaning easier?
Click to expand...


Kosher Salt is more coarse then Flour. :roll: (flour will make a mess) So it will break up any gunk. Its great for absorbing oil/liquids. Its basicly what most old school cast Iron pan cooks use to clean their pans. I have a Cast Iron pan i been using for 20 years. It has never touched water/soap. A quick douse with Kosher salt, and rubbed with a SS scrubber, then bake in the oven to cook off any bacteria.
 
Diatomaceous Earth is the fossilized remains of microscopic sea creatures known as Diatoms. it is used by organic gardeners because the razor sharp characteristics will slice open the soft underbellies of slugs and cutworms and other slithering offenders. The silica content of DE will further add to the dehydrating and eventual death of these pests.

I know that breathing it can cause problems for the respiratory system. And I can see no reason at all why a person would want to eat the stuff.

It works as an absorbent of liquids but it seems it would be a huge mess in a smoker situation.
 
Be careful if you consume it, there are a few kinds of D.E., the food grade one is the one obviously consumable, used to put it in with the chicken feed, there is also a D.E. grade you put in swimming pool filters which is not consumable.
 
I just use a plastic putty knife and dollar store orange bbq spray but, I have never had to clean out the bottom for grease just maybe the drip plate
 
CivilTrojan said:
I need to clean some grease out of the bottom of my pellet smoker and was wondering if anyone had ever used Oil Absorbent DE (link below) to help with this. I have some laying around so that’s what made me think of it and the bag says NSF on the front, but I don’t want to put something in there that could leave harmful chemicals behind.

Thanks for all and any help/advise.

The link to the product so you know what I’m talking about: https://epminerals.com/products/oil-absorbent-de
Click to expand...

CivilTrojan said:
So kosher salt and flour will work the same and make cleaning easier?
Click to expand...

Salt is an abrasive.
Flour works as an oil absorbent. If you put enough flour on, you should be able to vacuum it out of the smoker. I'd use a vacuum with bags for easy cleanup..

Just one more "food safe" option.
 
I used to clean oil spills on my garage floor with oil-dri soaked with aviation gas. Made a slurry and push it around. then swept it up. Av gas is nice because it evaporates completely/no residue. Now I have a house with an attached garage so I don't clean this way any more.

A slurry of oil-dri and av gas should work great in a smoker. I would keep it well away from the house, though. :mrgreen:
 
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