Thanks... It's basically when it gets to the point of the soot flaking off that I figure it is time to take action. Don't want that nastiness flaking off and adhering to my gorgeous rack of ribs or pork butt, etc....
Used to my old vertical propane smoker where I could give it a quick rinse with the garden hose after every 50 hours or so of smoking.
So I've resorted to a stiff bristled brush to scrape off the soot every few cooks and calling it good.
I understand the point of it being seasoning/character/etc, but something about 8 year old grease buildup would make me think twice about attending a cookout at DBB's