We designed SmokeFire to direct ash and grease downward, avoiding food as much as possible. Wood naturally produces ash while burning, so there is a possibility with any pellet grill that some ash is found inside of, and below, the cookbox.
Weber Engineers took great measures to uniquely design a pellet grill that directs ash down and into an enclosed system so that very little ash should ever reach the cooking grate area. You'll notice more than usual the first time your grill is used, and that is okay.
We recommend cleaning the burn pot and cooking chamber after the first cook by pushing the ash into the ash and grease drawer with the provided Weber scraper.
For those using other brands of fuel, we believe the grill will reach optimal performance using Weber premium hardwood pellets.