If
the paint is peeling form the exterior of a bbq pit, I recommend going
to a large hardware store, and buying the best heat paint you can get.
Try for Rust-o-leum 1000 degree, or 1300 degree paints if you can find
them. Epoxy’s are TOXIC
and cannot and should not be used on food products like bbq pits, as
the paint breaks down when heated and gets inhaled, so to speak.
Not real good for you. You might not die right away, but it may be
harmful to you. Epoxy coatings are used on off-shore platforms.
Highly Recommended BBQ
Smokers
You might not die right away, but it may be harmful and toxic for
cooking equipment. OSHA, TEC, DOT, and FDA might roast someone over
slow coals for using such a thing on barbecue manufacturing.
I usually use 500 degree or 700 degree paint. As I understand it,
charcoal burns at 700 degrees laying flat and 950 degrees standing on
end, as there is more exposed surface burning with heat rising.
Hardwoods burn at roughly 1050 degrees, with mesquite the hottest at
1180 degrees, being a fibrous and porous wood.
Due
to the expansion and contraction of the surfaces of bbq pits made from
sheet metals and steel to ½" thick, I have found that the metal can
move as much as 1/8" during the heating and cooling process. The heat
dries out the paint, and the expansion tears it, causing it to flake.
Start
with the best paint you can find. I use 1300 degree paint on my bbq
pits, five coats, painted over a three day period and dried a week
before I will let a customer touch them.
Smoking out the pit should also help seat the paint just like you would
a new skillet, sherpa tin, shingle, siding that has fallen off the
house, or whatever else you might try to use to cook on, I have seen
weird ones.
Anyway wire brush the afflicted area good, wipe down with water and
allow that to dry, even lighting the pit with a LOW FIRE, say 200
degrees, to help expand the metal so the paint will seat deeply in the
pours, and spray or wipe the paint on while the pit is warm. This helps
bake it on, so-to-speak.
A few coats, with an hour in between, should help. Let the pit cool
naturally. Cold water or high humidity at this point only counter-acts
the steps taken to a lesser degree. Be sure there is a 70% humidity or
less for the base coat of paint if possible.
It will probably peel again as there are very few paints of the quality
needed for this application that the average person could afford.
You can also apply palm or peanut oil to the outside of the fire box
after it has cooled when you finish cooking, as this will help keep the
paint pliable, thus prohibiting cracking of the paint to a small
degree.
Personally, I used a gallon of nose-cone re-entry paint for the
space-shuttle tiles, no kidding. It is a ceramic fiber finish that is
the whitest WHITE you have ever seen.
The only drawback with this ceramic finish is you can’t touch it, as it
pulls all the oil and dirt off your skin and into the finish for
eternity. No wonder they wouldn’t let me touch the shuttle before.
You can imagine what the pit looked like after pushing it in and out at
the shop a few days. Total hand-prints. I had to black over it with
1300 degree paint. Why didn’t I just repaint with the nose-cone paint
you say? It costs $650 per gallon. That’s why!
Barbecue
Smoker Maintenance Articles
Routine Care - Before
you do anything, you will need to know how to take care of your smoker
or pit on a day to day basis. Most smokers and pits require little
maintenance, but of course the best results will come from a clean
barbecue! Here is the low-down on how to provide basic
maintenance for your barbecue smoker or pit.
Pit Painting - Is
your smoker or pit getting flaky around the edges ? David Klose gives a
good insight into what is involved in his tips for pit
painting.
Pit Curing - Before
you use your smoker for the first time it is essential to ensure that
your pit or smoker is cured properly before use. Take a look at these
tips for pit
curing by David Klose.
Barbecue
Smoker Articles
Barbecue Hygiene -
Read this article to find out how you can improve your barbecue
hygiene and what steps you can take to ensure that your meal
is safe for both your family and guests.
Barbecue Safety -
This interesting article explains how you can improve your barbecue
safety which is one of the most important aspects of any
barbecue and is well worth reading.
