Weber Kettle Thread!

I got a 22.5 Weber Kettle charcoal grill a while back, and I'm just starting to learn the subtleties and all the tricks to really do some good grilling. I used to just fire up a whole chimney (or God forbid, build a pyramid and light it with lighter fluid) and have at it, but I've recently gotten to learn all about direct vs. indirect grilling, temperature and airflow control, and some other tips, so I thought I'd share and give a place for others to share too. (But at the same time, I don't really want to restart the gas vs. charcoal, lump vs. briquette debates, etc.)

I'll start:

I grill with the top vent wide open and I use the bottom vents to control the temps. That lets me put a cheap oven thermometer right under the top vent, so I can see the temp without opening the lid.

Charcoal rails are awesome - it allows me to set up pretty much any configuration for direct or indirect grilling.

I only need about 1/3 of a chimney for most cooks.

Vegetables (especially sliced beets, carrots, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts) are super, super tasty off the grill.

Steaks and burgers get high direct heat. Most seafood and veggies get medium direct heat. Everything else is indirect.

It's never too cold outside for grilling.

Anyway, that's all for now. Happy grilling, folks and can't wait to hear others' tips and tricks.

 

I've got the same BBQ, it is a great unit.
I'm in Canada so I'm severly challenged when it comes to southern US style smoking techniques, typically we grill on high heat in these parts. My attempts at low and slow BBQ so far have all ended in total disappointment, it's just one those things I can't seem to pick up, so this past winter I've tried to learn this style of cooking and get some much needed education on techniques.

One thing I'm really excited to try this summer is the 'charcoal snake' method, if you search for that there's a few popular videos, looks like a simple and effective way to get a slow and steady burn.

Also looking at the Maverick ET-733 thermometers, they look like a quality unit.

Just a couple of things for those of us people where low and slow BBQ just dosn't come natually.

PS, -40 is too cold for this guy to BBQ

 

The Webber Kettle is really a grill, not a BBQ unit. If you are really interested in doing real BBQ (and serious about it); I think you would be better off with an actual BBQ smoker.

The Kettle grill can be modded for a passable substitute, but that is about it. It just doesn't give you the fine control, in my opinion.

Sometimes it is just best to use the right tool for the job...

 

*sigh*

 

Well, you can always go this route with the Weber:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/SMOKENATOR/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

The chimney, Thermapen, and a $5 pair of welding gloves have been the three most invaluable [email protected] things I have gotten to use with the Weber kettle.

And, as for the chimney, I take a lit can of Sterno and put it under the chimney for 2-3 minutes, and the coals take off. No need for the newspaper and all the burning bits that fly around.

 

A can of sterno! Brilliant! I do love the chimney method. What we do is fill both coal bins and light one bin worth at a time in the chimney. It makes for two evenly lit bins.

For cooking, we put the bins on the circumference of the grate they sit on and put a steel baking pan in-between them. The pan catches drips and keeps the ash clearer from getting gunked up.

We also have the flip up grill to cook on. If we need to add coals or wood or just mess with them, there's hinged places for easy access without lifting the whole thing.

Hard lump > briquettes, because I say so. And a bin does seem to last longer.

 

The Weber Performer is a great grill that makes lighting those coals easy - with gas. I've used the crap out of mine.

 

Webers are awesome. I grill all year round and on a Weber grill (Kingsford briquettes in a chimney) exclusively for over 35 years. Teriyaki Pork Roasts, Pork Tenderloins, Steaks, Burgers, Sausages, whole turkey and turkey breasts, chicken, and chops are all fantastic.

I plan on getting a Weber Smokey Mountain this summer to do real smoking but I have had good luck with grilling/smoking ribs, beef brisket or pork shoulder on the Weber using direct heat with whatever wood chips you want (mainly hickory in my case) for about 20 minutes (about 10 minutes on each side) until crusted then removing from the grill and double wrapping in heavy duty foil and putting in the oven for 6-12 hours depending on the meat at 225F. (5-6 hrs for the ribs)

I have heard great reviews for the Smokey Mountain.

 

I have both, gas and wood. I love the smoke the charcoal gives. I like watching these guy.

 

As long as I double post, I may as well say something. Don't be afraid to use wood to add some smoke. In the spring charcoal will go on sale for 20$ per two 20lb bags of kingsford. Adding a water tray as you cook will make a world of difference (I use a bread pan).

 

I like these to start the charcoal chimney. Quick, cheap, easy, and store well.

 

I did a whole chicken on the Weber for the first time last weekend. I brined it first with a simple salt/sugar brine, and then put it on indirect heat. I thought I'd be able to get the temp up around 500, but that wasn't to be even though I used almost a whole chimney. The temp started around 425 and then slowly dropped until it stabilized at 350, which is pretty much what I do when I roast a chicken in the oven anyway. Turned out great.

 

I've been learning on the Weber kettle grill for a couple years now; just starting to try smoking with it, still have to get it dialed in, but I'm working on it. Indirect heat on the Weber rocks! I do marinated boneless, skinless chicken breasts all the time, sometimes wrapped with bacon (use a drip pan with bacon). Steaks, chops, brats, taters, veggies & even fruit (pineapple & pears are AWESOME!) are soooo much better when grilled! One of these days I'm going to have to try making pizza on the Weber. I'm gonna start using the Sterno method, thanks JonM!

 

Pears, eh? I like that idea, especially with some good cheese (and a good beer.) I'm gonna have to try that!

 

You can cook a turkey on a kettle. No problem. I've done several. Each one was almost exactly 20#. Brine it overnight.

 

Last summer, SWMBO grilled some nice wet-packed sea scallops. She did it over direct heat and, if I remember right, she did it with the grill cover off. They were friggin' awesome. Perfect level of doneness, and the grilling left a browned layer on the top and bottom that, no exaggeration, had a pretzely flavor. Man, that was good.

 

I see the end of the grate flipped up. Do you have to add a lot of coals during the cook?

 

Not much. It's about 3.5 hours to cook that turkey. I keep one basket full of coals, and I think I add coals once or twice.

I have a Weber Smokey Mountain, but the turkey cooks great in the kettle.

 

Adding coals once or twice isn't bad. I have a WSM too and, as much as I like smoked chickens, the grilled one was maybe a little better.

I'll have to try cold grilled chicken vs. cold leftover smoked chicken as the tiebreaker because cold leftover smoked chicken is AWESOME! Problem is, there was no leftover grilled chicken from last weekend. It was that good. I was seriously picking at the carcass with my fingers.

 

I was on some random post and on the newest threads to the right I caught a post about kamado cookers (which I want but cant afford). After scrolling through a couple of pages I again looked to the newest threads and found this one. Soooooooo happy. I am a twice or more weekly griller/smoker and do it all on my 22.5 webber kettle. Hopefully this thread keeps alive! Subscribed.

 

I always light my chimney of charcoal with the gas side burner from my gas grill. less than a minute on medium/medium high and it is going pretty well, a little longer to start the higher up coals and you have a great start going. Give it a try sometime. Definitely do not need the newspaper and oil, lighter fluid, or even the wax cubes.

 

I am a Weber fan as well. I have the 22" Kettle, 18" Jumbo Joe, 22.5" Smokey Mountain, and 14.5" Smokey Mountain. The bigger ones for the deck the smaller ones for the RV. I light them all with cubes and a chimney.

Today: ribs go on the 22.5" WSM at noon for supper tonight.


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Just saw this thread pop up and wanted to add to it. I wont bore you with what I personally have or do, but if you are looking at or own a weber smoky mountain, do yourself a favor and get over to:
http://virtualweberbullet.com/

Cant miss items include:
-how to properly light and maintain your fire for consistent temps
-roadside chicken recipe (grilling, not smoking recipe...works great on kettles!)
-how to make pastrami
-all the beginners recipes (they hold your hand thru it as you learn how to use your smoker).

In short, the weber is the best deal in smokers hands down if you know how to use it. I have had mine for over 10 years and it always delivers!

 

OK, since I mentioned it, here you go. NOT MY RECIPE!!! Totally copied and pasted, but I have been making this with 0 changes for years. You really dont need to marinade this as he mentions, just keep brushing on and flipping as it cooks. As with all chicken recipes, thighs are best!
(Ate leftovers of this last night.)


If you like the chicken from the roadside chicken stands then you'll like this. I've been making this for about 15 years now and it's pretty darn good.
ROADSIDE CHICKEN
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup veg oil
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1 TBS Sea or Kosher salt
1 TBS white sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp celery salt
Mix/shake till well dissolved. I put mine in a old worcestershire bottle with the shaker top. You can marrinate the chicken in the sauce for up to 2-8 hrs before cooking. If so discard marinade and make fresh for the cooking sauce. I apply the sauce every 5 min to both sides and turn every 5-10 min. Apply one final coating 5 min before removing from the grill. You can't put too much sauce on while grilling. It will build up a nice layer of flavors. I use the kettle but i think it would do well on the WSM (Larry used it) with no water pan and a high heat cook. I usally add one small piece of apple wood while grilling also. Hope you like it. Enjoy
EDIT: If you are going to marinate the chicken first, then leave the oil out for the marinade proccess. Make up a fresh batch for basting the chicken with the oil in the sauce.

 

Hands down, the best resource I've found for developing some serious bbq chops is meathead's amazingribs.com

http://www.amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/index.html

I've probably spent 20+ hours reading on that site and have barely scratched the surface. Just talking about it makes me want to go bbq something

Fair warning... only go check it out if you don't plan on getting anything productive done for the next few hours.

The guy has probably tested every major brand/style of grill and smoker out there... and his hands down favorite? Weber Kettle.

 

Heck, be sure you have eaten a large meal first too. Drool puddles are bad for your keyboard.

 

Yeah, I use my SQ-14 brewing burner to light my coals.

I only use the cubes when I'm camping and bring along the smokey joe.

 

Time for some Weber kettle pr0n. Local grocery store had some nice rainbow trout, so here they are with some carrots. Had savory long grain and wild rice simmering on the range while this was cooking.

 

I don't go too nuts with the cleaning, other than to clean out the ash and then scrape the grate with a wad of foil before and after each cook.

However, I did discover quite by accident that if you put a couple small pieces of dry hardwood in the coals, you get a really friggin' hot fire which acts like the self-clean cycle in the oven. The grate was sparkling like-new clean after that. (and I was making wood-fired pizza with the hardwood - I wasn't accidentally starting giant fires.)

 

You were purposely setting giant fires. It's okay. We all know it's why really we do this.

I was at Ace today and they had a massive Weber. The Ranch. I didn't know if it was for cooking on or bathing in.

 

Oh yeah! I've seen that thing too. My old neighborhood Ace had one for rental.

 

It's portable:




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Parmesan Crusted Pork Tenderloin Medallions.

I set them indirect around the pan to come to internal temp without getting much browner




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We did thick cut pork chops today. Nothing fancy. Lit both bins full of hard lump. Chops in the middle with some Cajun seasoning. A little Hawaiian BBQ sauce at the end. Delicious.

Mainly I'm just posting to get us above those krusty kamado guys.

 

I'll contribute... This is a repost from a couple of years ago. Just a reminder to give the veggies some kettle time. BTW, those carrots were parboiled before they hit the grill.

 

I agree, grilled veggies are awesome.

 

Never considered doing whole carrots, they look great. The wife and can't wait to grill some up for ourselves. Thanks for the idea!

 

Man, the food in this thread looks yummy. The grilled veggies are amazing but how long do whole carrots take? I could eat a pound of grilled asparagus without issue. In fact, I downed a 1/2 # Saturday night before my steak was touched.