It is a sad day when you finally break down and decide to get your grill ready for the winter. For me, it usually happens the first time the snow starts to fly. I usually end up trying to take care of my grill and drain the water out of my boat engine so I don’t crack the engine block the evening of the first freeze. My hands get all frozen and I chip a tooth trying to hold my flashlight between my teeth while they are chattering away….but anyway, I digress.

There are just a few things that you should really do to make sure that your grill is ready for the winter and ensure a smooth transition to delicious barbeque when it starts to warm up in the spring.

• Start by thouroughly cleaning your grill. I start it up and set it on high so that all the food gets burned off of the grill. I let it run for 15-20 minutes and then let it cool down (usually while I am draining my boat engine ). Then I take my wire brush and scrape all of the leftover food off of the grill surface. I take a old rag and a bucket of hot soapy water and clean every surface of the grill both inside and out. I even wipe down the propane tank and hoses as well.
• Let your grill dry completely before storing it. There is nothing worse than taking your cover off of your grill in the spring and finding it completely rusted. Help avoid that by storing the grill completely dry.
• Refer to your owners manual that came with your grill (or find a copy on your grill manufactures website). Some manufacturers recommend that you wipe down parts of your grill with a light coating of oil to help avoid rust. But others don’t recommend it at all. Make sure that you follow your manufacturers recommendations so you don’t void your grill’s warranty.
• Take the opportunity to fix anything wrong with your grill. Make sure all hoses are not aging and have no cracks. Clean all the burnt food off of the elements in the grill and if they are cracked or rusted, order new burners from your grill manufacturer. Fix handles, temperature guages, etc. anything that will slow you down from a running start in the spring.
• If possible, store your grill inside in a dry location. A garage, storage room, closet, or even a shed is perfect. If you can’t store it inside, storing it in a covered location to keep the rain and snow off the grill is much better than nothing
• Purchase a good grill cover to keep the dirt, rain, snow, etc. from accumulating on the grill. If you are using a grill cover from last year, make sure that it is still in good condition and has no tears or holes. If there are problems, buy a new cover. It is much better to spend $30-$40 on a new cover than $300-$400 on a new grill next year because your grill is rusted out.

Taking good care of your grill during the winter months will provide years of extra life to the grill and ensure many seasons of fond family memories.

Did I miss anything? Post a comment to fill in the details.

Related posts:

1. 5 Tips for Troubleshooting Low Flame Output on your BBQ Grill Several questions have been asked on my Weber Technical Support...