Deep Cleaning

I have not let my SM066 get to that point, but I think you should first start with a non-scratch hard plastic paint scraper and get off whatever stuff you can from the smoker box. I guess then I would maybe heat up the smoker (only to 100F or so) and try a damp/wet coarse rag (like terry cloth) to see what else you can get off. I would not use any oven cleaner-like product, but some grill makers, like Weber, sell a cleaning compound that doesn't cause your cooker to retain those noxious chemicals.

If your cooking grates are chrome rather than stainless, your scrubbing options are limited to preserve the plating. If they are really bad, you might want to spring for the SS grates. They are pricey, but you'll never have to worry about the surface finish again.

CS customer service may have other advice, they are really good. If you're new to smoking, understand that the smoker will never be really "clean" - it will have a burned-in layer of smoke and grease that will actually enhance your product, and can be minimized when necessary by wiping with a damp rag after each smoke. I myself clean my cooking grates after every smoke, but that's just me.

Good luck, and please report back on what does/doesn't work.

I have no idea what the cooking history is. Here's a shot of the inside.

I had to do a thorough 'stripping' of my 066 a few years ago.  Rodents up through the drip hole set up housekeeping. While scraping etc like Jay suggested is pretty much the norm, I needed to take it back to naked steel:  hair, droppings, urine, it was a mess.  I scraped, then heated it up and easy off the full interior.   I keep the racks clean so there was really nothing glued to them but they too got a thorough scrubbing.  Them little buggers had scurried everywhere inside.

Looked good when finished and I rinsed the entire interior with vinegar. Re-seasoned and made a plug for the hole when not in use.  No more problems and no damage.  It looks wonderfully used inside again and smells great.  And like Jay,  I heartily recommend the stainless steel racks.

No stranger to scrubbing, oldsarge. I just wanted to be sure that a good thorough cleaning would not hurt anything. It shouldn't, being stainless steel. Of course it will need re-seasoned.

You must be a vet with that handle, I too served - USAF from 1955 through 1982.

You should be fine.  But that type cleaning really is not necessary unless the situation warrants it, otherwise stick with what Jay said.. US Army 1970-1995.

Yes, it's not that bad - it's mostly smoke residue and Dawn dish soap seems to work pretty good on it. I figured if it cleans oil from birds, it should tackle smoke stains on stainless steel. It will be after the holiday before I can tackle it in earnest, though.

Thanks for the info!

From your pic, the grates need some work, but the rest looks pretty normal. I understand wanting to clean up someone else's mess though. oldsarge is right that you need to neutralize the caustic stuff like easyoff with a vinegar rinse, if you go that route.

The racks spent the night with Dawn dish soap. Was happy to see that they were stainless. The smoker interior was cleaned with Dawn and a bit of elbow grease. Not sparkly, shiny like new, but if it makes the sausage taste better, I'll be happy.
After cleaning and rinse, inside surfaces were wiped down with vinegar.
Am doing a "season" burn at 275℉ now.

Smoke on!

Wow! That's cleaner than my SM066 has been since it was new! Good job!

Thanks Jay, OldSarge.  I try to keep stuff clean - knowing it will get dirty in use.