• Grill Outdoors
• Don't Let Your Grill Get Lonely
• LP Gas
• When to Get a New Gas Cylinder
• Close the Valve
• Don't Overfill
• Don't Let Your Grill Blow Its Top
• Storing the Cylinder
• A (Fairly) Clean Grill is a Happy Grill
• Fire
  • Water and Grease Fires Don't Mix
  • Remember: Dry Leaves Burn
• Fireball Fryers
• Safety Goggles
• Raw Meat and the Potato Salad That Wouldn't Die

Safety:

A (Fairly) Clean Grill is a Happy Grill

Finally, if the grill has been in storage or out of use for a while, like over the winter, check the grill and gas lines for leaks, rust, and anything else that may need attention. You might even find spider webs in the burner.

The grill shouldn't be used until leaky lines are replaced, rusty parts are fixed, spiders are evicted and their webs extracted.

If you grill year-round, like I do, it's a good idea to give your grilling equipment a once-over twice a year.

I learned that grilling in winter allows grease to build up in the bottom of the grill. Normally, grease would drain into the grease trap, but sub-freezing temperatures don't let that happen. I got a surprise, one spring, when the winter's accumulation of grease caught fire.

That time, flames from the grease fire danced under the grill like a fireplace in a Christmas greeting card. The hamburger patties sizzled, popped, and quickly browned. I acted quickly, but they were charring around the edges before I got them off the rack and onto a plate. Happily, I didn't have any more trouble with that fire, beyond those exceedingly well-done burgers.

A smart way to avoid a repeat of that little incident is to remove most of the stuff that accumulates around the briquettes before spring temperatures rise.

And this leads into another important safety topic: fire.

Next: Extreme Safety: Above and Beyond the Call of Reason

Or: How to Grill

Copyright © 2005-2010 Brian H. Gill