On the day of the St. Joseph Fall Festival, the enticing smell of grilled chicken will drift over Cabot. The crew at a long charcoal pit will cook a lot more than the 600 chicken halves they cooked the first year.

“For the last four to five years, we've done 1,900 halves on a Sunday,” said Bob Weleski of Cabot.

Weleski has cooked the festival chicken since the event started at the church 47 years ago.

Jim Boldy of Cabot has been cooking with him all those years and is one of the many people who work together to make the 2,400 to 2,500 meals served that Sunday.

Weleski's wife, Katherine Weleski, is already working on the Sept. 10 festival.

“She pretty much runs the kitchen,” Weleski said.

Before cooking the chicken, Weleski and a few other volunteers clean about 38 grills.

“We store them with a little oil and fat on them so they won't rust,” Weleski said. “The day or two before the picnic, we steam clean them. The day of the picnic, we burn them off.”

To do that, they place the grill grids over the charcoal pit and heat them. Then they use a stiff brush to remove any bits of anything left on the grills.

To clean both sides of all the grids takes five to six hours. Weleski said steam cleaning is an extra precaution.

“We just like to play it safe,” Weleski said. “If anything gets on them, it will burn off right away.”

He doesn't grill a lot at home. When he does, he skips the steam cleaning step.

“I usually turn it hot and burn it off,” Weleski said. “I just use a real stiff brush on mine.”

Adam Martin and his father, David, are co-owners of Martin Sales and Service, 1635 N. Main St.

When people buy a grill at their fireplace and grill specialty store, Martin said they always ask how to clean it.

He said food leaves a residue on the grill cooking grate or grid.

“Leave the hood of your grill totally open. Turn on the burners nice and hot. It will actually bake and burn that residue onto the cooking grids,” Martin said.

Five minutes is usually enough.

Some people prefer to wear fireproof gloves for the next step: scraping the grill. A brass brush works well on the cooking surface.

“When you're scraping it, a good long-handled grill brush will give you a nice long reach,” Martin said.

Some grill brushes can be turned to clean between the individual grids. He said blade-shaped or flat cooking tools can knock the charred residue from the grids if the bristles cannot fit between them.

It is fine to clean the grates before using the grill but Martin said the very hot grill will have to return to the appropriate temperature before cooking.

He usually recommends scraping the grates right after cooking while they are still hot.

“I do this method after every time I cook,” he said.

If eating the freshly grilled food interrupts cleaning the grill, he said the grill can stay on as long as the hood is open.

“We specialize in carrying USA-made products that hold a lifetime warranty,” Martin said.

These grills are built to a higher standard, and a well-made product allows for a bit more error if there is neglect.

Special cleaners for the grates are on the market but Martin does not believe they are needed.

“Some people want their grill to look like brand new,” Martin said. “I think it's unnecessary. It's a grilling tool. When you are grilling, it's going to smoke. Staining and discoloration is the by-product of normal use.”

Pollen, dust, dirt and other things from treetops and the sky fall on grills out in the open on decks, patios and driveways.

“They make many cleaners to clean the outside of your stainless grill. (A) home remedy that a lot of customers use is lemon water,” Martin said. Lemon in the water prevents streak marks on the stainless steel.

“Even just a damp cloth is totally fine,” he said.

Martin recommends covering the grill once it is cool after cooking.

“It just keeps them nicer,” he said.

Based on the company's experience from 38 years, Martin said, “Cleaning your grill is much simpler than what most people believe it to be.”