Foiling Drip Trays (pellet-poopers)

[Chris__M]

A small debate is going on over on pelletheads, and I thought I would see what the few Traeger users here think.

When I first bought my Lil Tex, Jackie instructed me to foil the drip tray, and change the foil after every cook. I followed these instructions religiously, cursing my lack of dexterity and high winds, on occassion.

About a month ago, I'd had enough and thought "what's the worse that can happen?" I stopped foiling, and since then, I simply take the tray out and give it a good scrape with a wallpaper scraper, if I think it needs cleaning.

I've had no problems, even after the massive overnight pork cook a couple of weeks back, where the tray was absolutely covered. I let it cool, lifted out the tray, and scrape-scrape-scrape - good to go again.

I do still line my grease bucket, but there I use cheap disposable foil pudding basins, that fit the bucket perfectly.

What do other people do - still lining the tray?

[British BBQ Society]

I must admit to lining it every time, nothing to do with the clean but I tend to fill anything whether it be traeger or FEC to capacity, problem i have found is slow dripping fat getting solid and forming a peak rather than the slippery surface of the foil, I dont want to create a barrier for the fat.

[Banjo]

Another foiler here....but then I foil line everything I use to cook with indoors or out

Its a genetic thing...I have a very underdeveloped 'scrub at greasy things' gene