Weber kettle

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dv242

Newbie
Original poster
Aug 22, 2015
20
18
My charcoal grill needs to be replaced and I'm looking at a Weber Kettle as a dual purpose unit. Can't afford the BGE or I would get one. Want to do some grilling yet be able to load it up for a smoke now and then. Is anyone else using the Weber kettle grill for smoking? Is it hard to control the temp or maintain it for a long smoke?

Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks.
 
 
My charcoal grill needs to be replaced and I'm looking at a Weber Kettle as a dual purpose unit. Can't afford the BGE or I would get one. Want to do some grilling yet be able to load it up for a smoke now and then. Is anyone else using the Weber kettle grill for smoking? Is it hard to control the temp or maintain it for a long smoke?

Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks.
I have a weber 18" kettle I made a mini for it smokes great and I use it as a grill.Just smoked a 8 lb. hotel style Turkey breast 3.5 hrs.

Richie

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/240932/first-turkey-for-2016-in-the-mini
 
Last edited:
I learned to smoke on a Weber with no legs.

With a Weber you can simply pour charcoal and grill, or carefully arrange fuel to get an offset effect. You can spike the charcoal with wood and blur the line between grilling and smoking.

The Weber is expensive, but an excellent return on investment.
 
I've got a 22.5 kettle and an 18.5 WSM, the best of both worlds.  I've smoked successfully on the kettle, and I've grilled on the WSM.  However...the kettle grills effortlessly and the WSM smokes along without any drama.  These were less than 500 bucks total and I can cook anything I want.  JMHO

Mike
 
Yeah, you can smoke on a Weber kettle with no problems. It's all about controlling the heat & smoke.

To a point. Would I want to smoke a 18lb brisket on a 18" or 22" kettle? No. On a 26" maybe, on the Ranch? No problem. Basically, there is a Weber kettle grill that will fit your purpose. It just may require more effort on your part.
 
When it comes to low and slow on the Weber Kettle you need to ignore what they tell you in the Weber manual. By using good quality briquettes in a minion or snake arrangement you can keep the cooking temperature at a steady 110-120 C (230 - 250 F) for 6 or 7 hours with minimum attention. 

Below are photos from a comparison I did recently between different types of briquettes.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/171812/coconut-briquettes



By keeping tho top vent 3/4 closed and the bottom vent slightly cracked open you can keep the internal temperature very low and stable. Here is the heat profiles taken with my temperature logger for the 6+ hours of the test.


You can also use an automatic temperature controller to take away the manual maintenance. I use an IQ-110 when I want to be completely hands-off


The Weber Kettle is a very versatile unit.
 
Wade, those shots are Weber porn with a twins fetish. Sick.

It's funny, I learned to smoke on a Weber, by controlling the air flow through the top vent, with the bottom vents wide open. The fuel was all maple and if I removed the lid it would become a campfire.

But the offset is the other way around; the exhaust runs wide open and control is at the intake.
 
 
It's funny, I learned to smoke on a Weber, by controlling the air flow through the top vent, with the bottom vents wide open. The fuel was all maple and if I removed the lid it would become a campfire.

But the offset is the other way around; the exhaust runs wide open and control is at the intake.
I find that it needs a combination of both to achieve fine tuning. As you know the temperature control is all about finely managing the flow of air (oxygen) over the fuel. With the top vent 3/4 closed you still get plenty of air/smoke flow through the Weber cooking chamber but it makes the control through the bottom vents much more responsive.
 
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