Why Camp Chef Ash Cleanout Stuck [Easy Fix Guide]

We all love the juicy, soft, and delicious smoked meat. But when it comes to taking care of the pellet grill, we get pissed off. If you don’t clean your pellet grill and empty the ash pot, the pellets will not burn better.

And if the fuel doesn’t burn cleanly, you will never gain the flavor of the cooking meat.

Fortunately, emptying the ash from Camp Chef is not that difficult. You don’t need to vacuum it to dump the ash port. It makes the dumping process easier by bringing a new ash clean-out system.

Due to this, it saves you time and effort. Just pull out the ash clean-out and dump the ash. 

But the problem with the system is- ‘Camp Chef ash cleanout stuck’ every new owner of Camp Chef talks about this issue. 

And this Camp Chef troubleshooting guide will let you know why the ash clean-out gets jammed and how to release it. So, stay in tune with us till the end. 

Why Is Camp Chef Ash Cleanout Stuck?

Clean-out ash port won’t come, or it gets stuck. This is a common issue almost every Camp Chef-Owner encounters for the first several cookings. Camp Chef uses a protectant or shipping oil on the raw steel. 

When you heat your Camp Chef Grill for the first time, the protectant starts peeling off. And all of those go down to the bottom of your grill. In other words, the shipping oils can pool at the bottom of the pellet grill and cause the clean-out port to stick together. 

How To Fix Camp Chef Ash Cleanout Stuck [2 Easy Ways]

Way 1: You can easily free up the clean-out ash port that gets stuck. Just take a rubber mallet and try to hit the bottom of the grill. Hit the grill in an upward motion or from the inside of the grill. 

In specific words, lightly tap on the ash release door with a rubber mallet from the underside of your grill. In this way, you can free the two pieces. You should do this for the first couple of cooks until all the oils dissipate. 

Besides, you can also follow the below steps to free a stuck or jammed Camp Chef ash clean-out port. And the best part is- you don’t need to hit the grill with a mallet. 

Way 2: First off, unscrew the knob from the nail pole. Now, grab a cat’s paw and slide it in over the nail pole. Once you tighten it down, it will create a big lever. Now, shake the cat’s paw a few times to pop up the retention back, and you can pull out the ash clean-out right.

Finally, remove the cat’s paw and set the knob back once you dump the ash clean-out. You can check out this tutorial to learn more about it. 

How Do You Unclog a Camp Chef Auger?

Wet or big-size pellets can get stuck while delivering the pellets to the burner. As a result, you may notice your grill auger making sound , and sometimes the smoker keeps shutting off. So, you need to unclog the auger then.

Unclogging your camp chef auger will take a lot of elbow grease. You need to disassemble the unit first, remove the cooking grate, and then you can find the auger. We recommend you watch the below tutorial to learn how to unclog a Camp Chef Auger. 

FAQ

How do you empty ash Camp Chef?

Camp Chef brings an exclusive ash clean-out system. Just pull the lever, and all the ash will then drop into your burn cup. It means you can easily discard the ash and be ready to grill right off the bat after dumping. 

How do I get my Camp Chef to smoke more?

Set the Camp Chef on smoke setting, use fresh & dry pellets, and place a smoker tube in the chamber to get more smoke out of your grill. 

Why is my pellet smoker not smoking?

Cooking at higher temperatures and using low-quality pellets are the common reasons for the grill not smoking. 

Conclusion

The new ash clean-out system on Camp Chef is a blessing for every griller as they don’t need to vacuum the ash port regularly. And the best part is- you can easily dump the ash and make the grill ready to cook all the time. 

But the problem is- Camp Chef Ash Clean-out gets stuck when you use it for the first time. Following the troubleshooting methods we mentioned above, you can effortlessly free up the ash clean-out system.