Rust? Or something else?

[LuFins Dad]

Karla was given a portable propane grill from someone. The grill was brand new but several years old. It was opened, but then placed in the garage. The hardware is still in the shipping plastic bags. It’s been sitting in our basement for a couple of years. I finally pulled it out tonight to prep it for the tailgate festivities this weekend… I pulled it out of the box to discover the heat plate was very rusty. I cleaner it as well as I could with a wire brush but couldn’t get everything.

Then I went to the hardware and discovered the plastic bags are covered in the same brown crap…

Is that likely just rust that dripped off the heat plate or is it possible that it’s something else that leaked into the box? Again, this was kept in a garage to our knowledge?

[Mik]

Probably dripping from condensation. I wouldn't worry about it.