WH?Y is beer a BBQ cleaner?

I’m speaking of gas grill but any cooking grid - people use beer like crazy. Why does it work well, or is it just the first thing (usually) on hand?

Any tips for maintaining a SS cooking grid (w/ beer or not) I appreciate. Got a set of heavy SS grids.

I think the carbonation helps clean the grate, and the beer will just burn off. You can probably get a similar effect with soda water.

I’ve never heard this, but beer is pretty acidic with a low pH, so I guess it could be effective at eating away some deposits on grills…. seems like there would be much cheaper and more effective ways of doing it though. I don’t think the carbonation has anything to do with it.

Back when I was a juvenile deliquent, we used to go around spraying people’s cars with bottles of soda because it was said to eat away the paint on cars. It was the acid in the Coke that did this allegedly.

I’ve never heard of this either. To clean the grill I just superheat and then scrape with a stiff wire brush. Works every time and no beer sacrificed, regrettably Cthulhu is not pleased.

My LaJolla friends clean their grill with Remy Martin Louis XIII. Well, not really, but they just might under the right circumstances.

Originally posted by StefanSD
I’ve never heard of this either. To clean the grill I just superheat and then scrape with a stiff wire brush. Works every time and no beer sacrificed, regrettably Cthulhu is not pleased.

Originally posted by StefanSD
I’ve never heard of this either. To clean the grill I just superheat and then scrape with a stiff wire brush. Works every time and no beer sacrificed, regrettably Cthulhu is not pleased.

Well I have seen people use not only beer but cola and soda as you have mentioned. It is just as effective as a cleaning product, This blog can give them more information http://www.swisscubancigars.com/blog/