Hello.  I've just ordered a Fast Eddy PG500 and expect to receive it within two weeks or so.  I'm now finalizing plans to prepare it for use.

I think I've got the basics.   Foil the ash tray, warming tray and drip pan to help keep things clean / make cleaning easier.  Burn off any residuals / contaminants per the Operating Manual.

Next comes actual seasoning.  Cookshack recommends using a light coat of vegetable oil.  I've searched some threads on this site.  Some use bacon.  Some Pam / High-temperature Grilling Pam.  Some what I'd call "exotic/sophisticated" - like onions and lard.  My thought on seasoning is to just keep it simple - one iteration of something like Peanut Oil / Canola Oil to just jumpstart / get the ongoing seasoning process started.

Next come two ideas I'm considering.

First, season the drip pan with several iterations of something like flaxseed oil.  This would season the pan like cast iron - put multiple hard coats onto it to help make clean-up even easier.  Maybe avoid the use of foil and just scrape / re-season it from time to time.

Second, I've noticed many PG500's that have been used a while appear to have leaks around the doors - especially the bottom right door.  I'm considering something like strips of BGE felt / Nomex strips around the inner doors to help seal off the leaks and keep the areas outside the doors from being harder to clean up.  I won't actually decide until I have the PG500 and can inspect the door areas better before I decide.

Those are my thoughts and ideas.  I would really appreciate anyone's opinions on what I'm thinking, and any other preparation ideas that make sense.

Thanks !

Not directly related to preparation but i would highly recommend a visit to covers by Mel.
I went thru 3 other covers before I finally went with Mel and I really wish I had gone there first. 

My PG-500 arrived in January of 2013.  I went through more than one lightweight cover—the PG-500 corners poke through.  Then I bought one from Mel.  My grandchildren will be using it.  But it's HEAVY.

Regarding oil-based seasoning:  I wouldn't bother with it.  I discovered that seasoning won't stick to the stainless steel.  It won't stick to my SS griddles or frying pans.  It's stainless!  I saw a youtube video that demonstrated a way to "season" a SS frying pan with onion that worked but had to be renewed.  (Bentley has a recipe for onion seasoning.)

Drip pan:  It won't season (see above).  I quit foiling mine—grease got under it anyway so it was a waste of time.  Now I just scrape it into a plastic bag held by an appropriately sized waste basket.

Warming drawer:  Meh.  Don't foil it.  Put a disposable pan in there when you want to use it.

Stopping door drips:  That may work.  there's some kind of silicone sealer that you might use.  Run a bead on the pit, cover it with waxed paper and close the doors to shape the seal.  I wish that mine would stay cleaner on the outside so I don't have to explain to guests that my outdoor kitchen would pass a city inspection.

Have fun with it.

MysticRyhthms and pmillen,

Thanks for the great insights.  I'd forgotten about covers by Mel - but now I recall the thread.  Fortunately I have not ordered my cover yet, so I'll check it out !  The grill will sit out on my open patio, so I'd planned on a cover.

Good points on seasoning / not seasoning , drip pan, warming tray and sealing the doors.

Good to have some guidance from people with experience with this grill !  This forum has paid for itself already 

Mel may still have the PG-500 dimensions from other orders.  If not, you can copy the drawing from the Cookshack web site and send it to her.

The cover doesn't have to extend much past the warming drawer.  If it clears the ground by a few inches the mice won't be able to crawl up it to get inside.  I think they went in through the grease drip.

Excellent point about the ground clearance.
I had intended to request my cover be about 6 inches short of the ground but I forgot to mention it in my emails with Mel.

Not directly related to preparation but i would highly recommend a visit to covers by Mel.
I went thru 3 other covers before I finally went with Mel and I really wish I had gone there first.

Mel does great work. Highly recommended.

Next comes actual seasoning.  Cookshack recommends using a light coat of vegetable oil.  I've searched some threads on this site.  Some use bacon.  Some Pam / High-temperature Grilling Pam.  Some what I'd call "exotic/sophisticated" - like onions and lard.  My thought on seasoning is to just keep it simple - one iteration of something like Peanut Oil / Canola Oil to just jumpstart / get the ongoing seasoning process started.

I would follow Cookshack's recommendation on seasoning.

Excellent point about the ground clearance.
I had intended to request my cover be about 6 inches short of the ground but I forgot to mention it in my emails with Mel.

Six inches may not be quite enough.  Those little vermin can stretch out and jump.

I've sent an inquiry to Mel and asked for pricing on a PG500 cover.  I'll post the reply here - might just report price relative to Cookshacks.

On the topic of height, if the cover is say 6 inches or more above the ground, is there any concern over risk of corrosion to the castors from rain, snow and the elements ?  I don't know if the castors have bearings or bushings - but am thinking there could be a trade-off here between the mice and the castors ?

In terms of 'seasoning'...   Not sure I'd do anything.   It's all stainless, so rust isn't a factor really.   Also, if you ever do really high temperature cooks , it's going to pretty much burn any seasoning off.   Not that it will hurt anything to season it, I just don't really see a large need.  I certainly wouldn't get very concerned about it.

I never really considered foiling my ash tray , or drip tray.  For the ash tray, if you do line it with foil, I'd just be careful about not letting the foil stick up where it might catch on something as you pull the ash tray out, if it were to catch on something, it might make more of a mess than you would like and would totally defeat any possible advantage there might have been in putting the foil down.

I don't use my warming tray much , in fact I'm not sure when the last time I used it was.  That area gets lots of smoke, and mine is almost certainly a permanent tinge of smoke colored staining.   If I did plan on using this much, I might really consider this being a primary spot to foil line... but again, if I did foil this, I'd be careful about how well it slide in and out with the foil on.   The reason I might consider foiling this area, is to try and keep the smoke staining on the inside of the drawer to a minimum.

My PG500 is inside my shed, so I never have had it covered, no need to.   

 I don't really try to keep my PG500 spotless, I could see where some high temperature gasket could potentially help prevent smoke from sneaking out causing staining.  I would just caution that some PG500s run very close to the edge in terms of pressure buildup inside them...  and if you start plugging every nook and cranny where smoke ( and/or pressure ) escapes, the only place left for it to go in addition to the exhaust chimney , is out the auger tube and then out through the hopper.    Don't forget about all the places near the ash tray and warming drawer, there is potential for smoke leaking out around those areas too.

 RE covers: Zero ground clearance may sound like a good idea. The drawbacks are - vermin potential and creating an air trap. The thermo mass of the pit can cause condensation problems. Cold @ nite, the

sun hits the cover and condensation forms. Then there is  the bottom wearing as the wind moves it around. That's why I make sure the covers on all my pits have a good 4"gap @ the bottom. The downside is

caster exposure. Casters are inexpensive if replacement is actually required.

The PG 500 has pointy corners that aren't cover friendly. I had my cover maker reinforce areas of concern - the material was doubled, on two of my covers. It's easily done when going custom..

RE door seals: One thing to consider is the self adhesive Nomex (felt like material) will absorb grease and oil. It may have to be changed when the saturation point is reached. Could be worth a try.

On the topic of height, if the cover is say 6 inches or more above the ground, is there any concern over risk of corrosion to the castors from rain, snow and the elements ?  I don't know if the castors have bearings or bushings - but am thinking there could be a trade-off here between the mice and the castors ?

My pit didn't come with castors so I can't speak to castor corrosion.  It has only the two wheels under the hopper and they haven't shown any degradation after more than five years of exposure to Nebraska rain and snow.

Mel responded to my inquiry within 24 hours on the cover.

Price is very reasonable - much better than the OEM vendor's price.  I'm going to go ahead and order.  I decided on a 4" gap from the floor to address points made about condensation and vermin.  4" may not be enough for the vermin, but I live in a large subdivision and have yet to see any of them in the area in the three years I've been here.  There's basically no food - no cornfields, no gardens and the like.

Thanks everyone for the tips.  I'm going to wait until I get my hands on my PG500 before deciding on the other topics.

4" may not be enough for the vermin, but I live in a large subdivision and have yet to see any of them in the area in the three years I've been here.  There's basically no food - no cornfields, no gardens and the like.

There's a chance that you have some around anyway.  They love bird feeders.  Put a few traps out around your foundation and see what you get.