Flame Broiler and Slide Cover

[JeepSmoker]

Has anyone here had to replace the flame broiler/deflector and slide cover on their Lockhart?

Mine rusted out in 2 1/2 years. Can't find it listed ANYWHERE! Looks like the set for the 820 series might work from a measurement standpoint???

 

[Mike From R.I.]

Call customer support 877 303 3134 option 2 they'll have it under warranty.

 

[Cowboy1955]

I agree with @Mike From R.I.

 

[Freedbyjc]

Has anyone here had to replace the flame broiler/deflector and slide cover on their Lockhart?

Mine rusted out in 2 1/2 years. Can't find it listed ANYWHERE! Looks like the set for the 820 series might work from a measurement standpoint???

 

[Freedbyjc]

When you get your new one….
To help protect your investment… IMMEDIATELY AFTER finishing your initial burnoff or any subsequent cleanup burnoff, WHILE THE DRIP TRAY AND SEAR PLATE ARE STILL HOT ....The raw steel of your flame broiler plate/heat diffuser/drip tray should be treated/seasoned to prevent it from immediately rusting. And ... it’ll need to be retreated/reseasoned regularly to keep it from rusting and make it super slick and easy to clean. You do it ALMOST like you would season cast iron pans.



During treatment or seasoning of the drip tray and sear plate steel, the process of heating the steel up to a high temperature and then adding the oils causes the oils to physically bond and seal the surface of the steel so it won’t rust … it also makes the surface of the steel slick so it’s easier to clean as things do not stick to it.



I treated/seasoned my smoker’s raw steel with spray Pam canola oil right after the initial burn off. As it was still very hot (400-450-500°), I liberally sprayed the steel drip tray and sear plate with a vegetable spray oil (corn, canola or any vegetable oil will do BUT higher the smoke point the better) to coat all the steel surfaces. Slide your sear plate plate to one side, spray underneath it and then slide it back and forth to coat all those surfaces too.



You can Use any vegetable oil you choose but know your choice of oil SMOKE TEMPERATURE to ensure your smoker temperature is hot enough to do the job and actually polymerize (bond) it to the steel or all you’ll do is greasing it up and probably creating a firestarter.



As the Smoke temperature of the oil dictates, Run it up to 400-450° and then season it well and close and keep the lid closed... Again, The steel temperature needs to be higher than the smoke point of the oil you are using. Ramp the temperature dial down to 200° slowly and then turn the dial to OFF like a normal shutdown procedure. Let it cool completely.



As it cools, the oils will bond to the steel (polymerization) to keep it from rusting and making it easier to clean in the future. I also occasionally retreat/reseason after a periodic deep clean by doing a "high heat burn off" and reapplying oil to all the steel surfaces.



Sure, the boo birds will tell you It MIGHT season it self ... over time. That last bit is usually forgotten. Unless you do a lot of smoking and your meat drips, copiously, on every square inch of the steel, the drip tray and sear plate will rust very quickly. And even then food oils will burn away and they do not bond to the steel.



That’s why your smoker was coated with machine oils at the factory...so you would not open the box and see very rusty steel plates. Once you burn off those oils, that steel is now completely exposed to the moisture in the air and it will start to rust immediately unless you season it quickly to seal out the moisture.



Simply ...

While it’s still extremely hot from the initial burnoff, spraying the steel with vegetable oil chemically bonds the oil to the steel (polymerization) and keeps the moisture from reaching the raw steel and thereby causing rust.



Please don’t use bacon or bacon grease on your initial seasoning of the raw steel ... due to its salt content it will CAUSE the steel to rust ... not prevent it.


Mine after 6+ years