Parts Explained 7 of 8
Cooking Grates, Drip Pan and Grease Path
The grates hold the food over the fire; the slide-out drip tray below the burners catches whatever fat and liquid the briquettes do not burn off. The grease path runs between them.
What are the grates made of, and what is safe on them?
The older Viking outdoor-grill guide deals with porcelain-finished grates, which it calls the burner grid. It asks for a stainless or brass bristle barbecue brush while the grid is hot, never steel wool or abrasive cleaners, which damage the porcelain.
The 5 Series guide calls them grilling racks: burners off, then straight away a brass bristle brush dipped in hot water, so the steam lifts what has baked on. Unsure of your generation? Brass suits both guides.
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Where does the grease go?
Down, in stages. Fat and juices fall through the grates onto the ceramic briquettes, which burn most of it off as the grill runs. What they cannot burn carries on down into the drip tray.
That only works while each stage is clear. Crusted grates, loaded trays or a full drip tray leave fat on hot surfaces, which the older Viking guide names as the cause of flare-ups.
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Why does the drip tray matter so much?
It is the last stop for grease, and grease that keeps collecting is fuel. The 5 Series guide warns that excess grease or liquid in the tray may create a fire hazard, and that the grill is never used without the tray properly installed.
Both Viking guides want it cleaned after every use. The older one adds the step people skip: let the drippings cool completely before the tray comes out. On a 5 Series, pull it until it stops, then lift the front edge.
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What does a wet winter do to it?
Rain on an uncovered grill ends up in the drip tray along with the grease. The 5 Series guide asks owners to check the tray after rain and, if the cover was off, to pull the tray’s drain plug and let the water out.
In a Woodinville winter that check follows every wet spell. Let the grill dry before its cover goes on.
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Follow-ups
How often should the drip tray on a Viking grill be emptied?
After every cook, as both Viking guides ask, once the drippings have cooled. Look again after rain if the grill stood uncovered, because water and grease end up in the same tray. A tray that will not slide fully home, or smoke from low in the grill, is worth a call to Woodinville Viking Repair, (425) 321-3414.
Can Woodinville Viking Repair supply new grates or a drip tray?
Yes, once the grill is identified: grates and drip trays have to match the model and generation they go into. On the $89 visit we name the grill, check the grease path and the parts around it, and quote a genuine replacement before anything is ordered. Woodinville Viking Repair, (425) 321-3414.