I keep my Amerique fairly clean, but sometime back, I neglected to remove the foil from the smoker. Busy? Lazy? No excuse. Well the rainy or monsoon season started here in Arizona and the rodents were heading for high ground. Got 4 in three days. I set traps behind the smoker and the gas grill so the dogs cannot get to them. All 4 caught behind the smoker. I pulled my drip tray and it is full of foil and droppings.
Opened the door (no rodents) and pulled the racks, brackets, and the foil. The floor got a dose of oven cleaner as did the first 4 or so inches of the cabinet walls. Wiped and rinsed and reasoning as I poke this out. Without the Easy Off, my wife wouldn't consider ever again eating something prepared in the smoker.
Besides removing foil and stray drippings the same day or the next at the latest, I fashioned a plug out of a bolt, large washer and JB Weld to hold them together. From here on out, the bolt is going into the drain hole when not in use. And the drip tray is going into the smoker.
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