Need a little help?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

jminion1

Sous Chef
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
671
Location
Federal Way, WA
Here are the words from the man himself


GATOR PIT BBQ PITS are quality built BBQ pits and are made to last for years. GATOR PITS are made from heavy-duty thick steel. Most are 1/4" in wall thickness or thicker. With a little pit maintenance, your GATOR PIT barbecue pit will last a life time. To ensure your BBQ pit gives you years of good outdoor cooking always maintain it. For more information on maintenance and care contact us.

Curing your GATOR PIT BBQ pit: Always coat the inside of your GATOR PIT with a cooking oil. PAM makes a spray specifically for BBQ pits. This works well and is quick to do. However, I recommend bottle cooking oil. Olive oil is real good for this. Takes more time and is somewhat messy. I use a small plastic container and a paint brush and simply brush the oil on. You can also coat the exterior. The oil will dry after cooking a couple of times and put a nice protective coating on the exterior as well. After coating the interior place a small fire in the pit and let it burn out. The longer the better, however, you can cook on your BBQ pit after about 2 hours, if you are in a hurry.

Maintaining your pit: Your pit is painted using several coats of a high-heat BBQ paint (1000 degrees). I have yet to find a BBQ paint that will not eventually flake, rust, or need touch up. This is normal, especially, if you keep your pit out in the elements, which most of us do. It is recommended that you use a grill cover. Grill covers can be purchased just about anywhere that sells pits and accessories. Always clean your pit out after using. Get rid of old ash and wood that can causes premature rusting and possibly burn-out. If you notice rusting on the exterior, use a wire brush to remove the rust. Then use a can of BBQ spray paint and touch it up. BBQ spray paint can be purchased anywhere that sells BBQ pits and accessories.

If you have questions about curing or maintaining your GATOR PIT, please feel free to contact info@gatorpit.net .

Jim
 
I season a new pit a little different than suggested by most manufactures. Most steel has a coat of fish oil or some kind of rust inhibitor. I sure don't want any kind of chemical sealed into the steel let alone over spray by paint that may have sneaked in there. What I do is start a small fire in the morning and let it get to 350f VERY SLOWLY then let it cool down.Not only does that help cure the paint but also evaporates the evil nasty's that were used on the steel when shipping it raw. I then use a rag with bleach to wipe down the whole entire in side of the pit. Work quickly with a warm pit. I then use a 50-50 mix of grape seed oil and cheap cooking oil. The reason for the grape seed oil is that it has a much higher smoke point temp. A coffee can and a cheap new paint brush work fine. Start a very small fire and try to keep it no lower than 200f and no higher than 250f. After a few hours repeat the application of the oil to the interior if needed. If you do this right the first time you will never have any problems. Think of it as seasoning a cast iron pan. We all know you can't rush that.
 
Back
Top Bottom