BBQ covers are they necessary?

[Anna N]

I HATE dealing with a BBQ cover. I have no room in my tiny area to properly hang the damn thing so it gets folded and stashed on top of the gas meter! Do they do anything to protect the BBQ from the elements or are they just like the toaster cosies of the 50s and 60s? Just curious.

[bandregg]

I suppose it depends on the quality and type of grill you have. If any of the parts are rust proof then it would do to keep them out of the elements. More importantly, if it's a charcoal grill we're talking about ash and water when mixed form lye which will rust the grill racks and pans.

[highchef]

I suppose it depends on the quality and type of grill you have. If any of the parts are rust proof then it would do to keep them out of the elements. More importantly, if it's a charcoal grill we're talking about ash and water when mixed form lye which will rust the grill racks and pans.

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and it happens to me all the time, but in the ash pan. which brings me to ask, is that lye/ash good for plants and/or compost piles? I know NO chemistry, or plant 'management', but there must be a good use for the ashes dry or otherwise that I empty daily. If you know, please share.

[Anna N]

I suppose it depends on the quality and type of grill you have. If any of the parts are rust proof then it would do to keep them out of the elements. More importantly, if it's a charcoal grill we're talking about ash and water when mixed form lye which will rust the grill racks and pans.

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Nope it's a gas BBQ - cast iron. Nothing fancy at all. Stays out in the elements all winter long with temperatures in the minus 20s. I just wondered if the covers for these things were merely decorative or actually functional.

[Angela Alaimo]

I suppose it depends on the quality and type of grill you have. If any of the parts are rust proof then it would do to keep them out of the elements. More importantly, if it's a charcoal grill we're talking about ash and water when mixed form lye which will rust the grill racks and pans.

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and it happens to me all the time, but in the ash pan. which brings me to ask, is that lye/ash good for plants and/or compost piles? I know NO chemistry, or plant 'management', but there must be a good use for the ashes dry or otherwise that I empty daily. If you know, please share.

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Yes. You can put wood ashes in the compost pile. No idea what exactly charcoal briquets are made of, but it is in the realm of possibility that the pH of both (wood ashes and briquets) are somewhat similar. So just don't put too much at a time and mix the ashes in.

I throw a few bagfuls of ashes from the fireplace in my compost every spring.

And put those eggshells around your roses--they like the calcium.

[D. B. Brown]

I would guess that a cover is good for keeping your grill clean, free from dust, leaves, bird-droppings, etc. But then again, you may have to clean the cover, if the 'appearance' of your grilling area is important to you.

As far as corrosion, I have my doubts.

I have a SS Weber grill, and almost wish I had gone with Weber's outstanding porcelain coating instead.

I purchased a Weber Genesis for my mother when they FIRST came out ( must be 15-20 years ago. She lived on an island in New England. Her grill was never covered, and that porcelain cover ( when cleaned ) is still like new. However, the 'frame' is rusted away to dust.

[Sugarella]

And put those eggshells around your roses--they like the calcium.

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.... and the ashes from your grill too, for that matter. Burned organic material is highly acidic and roses love it.

As for the grill cover I have no clue but I'd definitely cover it in winter at least, just to keep the ice from scraping the exterior.

[highchef]

I've had the porcelain weber for years, but we do not have snow. Hurricanes, yes, but I always lock it in the garage in those events. It is my 3rd weber in 25 years. The first was brought to my mom's to cook. Her grill, in a word, sucked. When she died I brought it to the camp in Cameron. It's somewhere in a marsh down there, and I'm sure whoever finds it will still find it useable. I bought a new one to use here at home with a 'self starter' which I always forgot to turn off, and constantly had to refill the gas tank on. Now I just start with the chimney and use the side area to place trays etc. I did think about buying a cover for it (it cost a bit more) but never got around to it. It cleans up nicely, and a cover would only float around the porch, looking for a place to live, before getting buried under something and forgotton. I know this. So I can only attest to the staying power of the weber kettle grill. But if I lived in Montana, I'd seriously think about buying one. Maybe SnowAngel could contribute more.

Thanks for the reassurance about depositing the ashes. I'll move them around so no one thing gets too much, and I'll work them in under the mulch.

edit: the 3rd weber is picnic size, just for camping. Works well. Called a mini kettle maybe???

Edited July 16, 2006 by highchef (log)

[C. sapidus]

We have had a Weber Spirit for at least a decade. The cover developed some large tears last year, and this spring the grill started rusting for the first time. We got a new cover, and all of the rust went away

Not really

Moisture is necessary for rust to form. When iron is exposed to moist air, it reacts with the oxygen to form rust. If your grill is made from iron or non-stainless steel and the cover keeps the grill drier, then you will see less corrosion. If the grill is made from stainless steel, you probably don’t have to worry about rust.

Further explanation for the chemically inclined.

[Daddy-A]

I look at a grill cover the same way I look at covers for cars. I think they're more for show (and add-on sales). "Wow. Arne's grill has a cover on it. Must be really fancy!"

Are they going to stop corrosion? Nope. But do they protect your investment from direct contact with the elements? Yup. Whether or not that's a good thing depends on you and the type of "elements" your grill will face.

I have a stainless steel Jackson Grill and keep the cover on it when I'm away from the house for extended periods (out of sight out of mind, savy?) The rest of the time I leave it off. I have a cover for my Weber Bullet (came with) that I rarely use.

A.

[pork]

And put those eggshells around your roses--they like the calcium.

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.... and the ashes from your grill too, for that matter. Burned organic material is highly acidic and roses love it.

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I am fairly sure that as soon as those ashes get wet they produce lye, which is strongly basic, not acidic.

[slo_ted]

My Weber has never been covered. It has lived in the elements, such as they are here in central California, for 27 years without rusting.

[=Mark]

It's been my experience that unless the burner is stainless it will rust regardless of wjether it has been covored or not. I'm sure an argument could be made that grill covers trap moisture in the grill...

[Parmhero]

I just bought a new Weber kettle to replace the one I've had for the last 16 years. The old Weber kettle is seriously rusted--the front leg is falling off, the ash slits are corroded stiff, and the cover is flaking paint. The top surface grill on which you grill the food rusted through until the metal pieces broke, and I replaced it with a new grill surface, which also rusted after one year. So I bought a cover for $8.99 for the new Weber (22.50inch classic) and I'll let you know how well it protects a year from now.

[C. sapidus]

My Weber has never been covered. It has lived in the elements, such as they are here in central California, for 27 years without rusting.

Ah, yes, California. The land where old cars never rust. I wouldn't cover a central Californian grill, either. 'Round these parts we get 40 inches or so of annual precipitation, not all liquid. Covering our grill won't stop corrosion, but (in my experience) slows it down a bit.

I have a stainless steel Jackson Grill and keep the cover on it when I'm away from the house for extended periods (out of sight out of mind, savy?)

Yes, corrosion would be the least of my concerns if I had a stainless steel grill.

I am fairly sure that as soon as those ashes get wet they produce lye, which is strongly basic, not acidic.

Pot ashes produce potash, which is the water-soluble fraction of wood ash, according to Wikipedia. Wood ash contains potassium hydroxide, chemically very similar to lye (typically sodium hydroxide).

Happy grilling.

[ellencho]

I'm sort of meh on the subject of the grill covers. While I do still use ours on our weber grill and smoker, moisture still accumulates on the bottom of our smoker after a period of rain and also where the top portion of the grill or smoker fits into the body. I suppose since our area is so pollen-y during the spring and summer, it does serve a purpose in keeping excess dust from accumulating on the enamel finish. I just wish someone would come up with a cover that was spider and spider web repellant. I hate having to dodge bird poop and spider webs just to get my grill set up.

[snowangel]

My Trusty Old Kettle has survived very, very well for 25 Minnesota winters either on the patio or deck. There have been a couple of times when we could hardly find it for all of the show, but it still looks and works just fine. For some odd reason, hail avoids it, but makes a bee-line for the siding and roof!

[Genny]

We have a stainless gas grill. The cover isn't so much for rust corrosion but to keep the thing from getting so dusty and generally crappy looking. Also, as it is set in a place that gets the direct afternoon Arizona sun, the cover keeps it from searing the flesh off your skin when you initially start to cook.

Form or Function? Mostly form, a little function.

[Anna N]

Thanks for all the input. Since I have a cover I guess I will keep on using it but I doubt I would rush out and buy one if I didn't already own it. I've seen these BBQ cover in a box and they seem at least more convenient but I am not about to spring for one of those either!

Edited to add link.

Edited July 19, 2006 by Anna N (log)

[jayt90]

I just bought a new Weber kettle to replace the one I've had for the last 16 years. The old Weber kettle is seriously rusted--the front leg is falling off, the ash slits are corroded stiff, and the cover is flaking paint. The top surface grill on which you grill the food rusted through until the metal pieces broke, and I replaced it with a new grill surface, which also rusted after one year. So I bought a cover for $8.99 for the new Weber (22.50inch classic) and I'll let you know how well it protects a year from now.

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Four years ago I bought a cheap Weber knock-off for $60. Never a cover on it, it survived the winters outdoors until this year, when the legs failed and the lid handle fell off.

I'll be replacing it with a real Weber.

[Angela Alaimo]

And put those eggshells around your roses--they like the calcium.

←

.... and the ashes from your grill too, for that matter. Burned organic material is highly acidic and roses love it.

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I am fairly sure that as soon as those ashes get wet they produce lye, which is strongly basic, not acidic.

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You know, I was scratching my head, thinking that wood ashes are basic, but then scratching the other side thinking well how could that be? Oughtn't they be acidic?

Which means my confusion was right all along, somewhat. Thanks!

[Lan4Dawg]

The Fuss gave a smoker to me several years ago (1996?) and one of the first purchases I made was a cover for it. The cover lasted up until last year when it finally just disintegrated (there was more black electrical tape than original material). In the few months the smoker has not been covered it has noticeably deteriorated and I plan to get a new cover ASAP (due to lack of space the smoker remains on the patio exposed to the elements).