Putting the rig away

After the boil

The half hour after the crowd leaves decides how long the gear lasts. Washing, drying, oiling and where the burner sleeps.

The pot

Warm water, plain soap, a soft brush. Boil residue lifts easily while the pot still holds some heat, and sets like paint if you leave it overnight. Skip the dishwasher even if the pot would somehow fit: the hot cycle dulls aluminum and the racks were never meant to take forty pounds of kettle. Dry the metal completely, inside the rim and under the handles, before it goes into storage.

The oil

Frying oil has more than one cook in it. Let it cool all the way, strain it through a fine mesh back into its jug, cap it and keep it dark and cool. When it finally darkens or smells sharp, its last stop is a sealed container in the household waste, never the drain: pipes and cooking oil end their friendship at about fifty feet.

The burner

The frame lives outdoors during the season, but rain is how paint bubbles and fittings seize. Park it under a porch roof or drop a cover over it, and close the tank valve when the rig is idle. Before the next cook, look the hose over and listen at the connection while the valve opens: a line in good order is quiet.

The small stuff

Baskets and racks dry fast if they hang; they rust slow if they nest wet inside the pot.
Cast iron pieces get their wipe of oil while still warm.
Thermometers ride in a drawer, not in the pot, where the dial takes a beating.
Leftovers go to the fridge the same evening; the stockpot is not cold storage.

Off the rack