# Kettle smokenator/charcoal basket mod



## fwismoker (Apr 18, 2013)

This should give me about 6 hours low and slow on the kettle.  I don't care for those little Weber charcoal baskets because you have to put one on each side and i like the idea of the Smokenator so i just came up with this.  Might work better than the smokenator because i put the expanded metal around the outside to get even air to the coals.  Going to cook a little chicken  tonight and  let you know how it does. 

I figure i'll be doing a good amount of cooking this summer on the kettle and saving the bigger smokes for the potbelly smoker.













smokenator charcoal basket 3.jpg



__ fwismoker
__ Apr 18, 2013


















smokenator charcoal basket 2.jpg



__ fwismoker
__ Apr 18, 2013


















smokenator charcoal basket.jpg



__ fwismoker
__ Apr 18, 2013


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## woodcutter (Apr 18, 2013)

I'm interested in how this works out. Good idea!


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## fwismoker (Apr 18, 2013)

Woodcutter said:


> I'm interested in how this works out. Good idea!


So far so good but tonight was chicken again and i wanted the grill in the 300 range.  In the next couple of weeks i want to do some ribs and i'll aim for 225ish and i'll see how long it'll smoke.       It definitely doesn't need much lit coals  to get hot, i did 14 coals but when i do ribs i'll try 10 or 11.


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## woodcutter (Apr 18, 2013)

I remember a post somewhere on the forum where someone made a circular style basket that made double wall all around the fire grate so you could light in one spot and it would trail around like the minion method. You could control heat by experience how deep you piled the charcoal. Wood hunks were placed every few inches and it would burn for about 20 hours. I'll try to see if I can find it. I love kettle grills!


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## fwismoker (Apr 18, 2013)

I know what you mean on the snake method...what i don't like about that concept is the heat convection and how the meat cooks. This youtube show's how the heat is supposed to circulate the best for even cooking.


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## woodcutter (Apr 18, 2013)

I found the thread. It has been a long time since I read it but it is interesting.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/125288/home-made-weber-kettle-charcoal-basket-s


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## fwismoker (Apr 18, 2013)

Woodcutter said:


> I found the thread. It has been a long time since I read it but it is interesting.
> 
> http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/125288/home-made-weber-kettle-charcoal-basket-s


Wow he didn't use much charcoal that's pretty cool.  What i'm going to try eventually with my set up is put food on both the bottom grate and the top.  I saw where people have done that with the smokenator and it worked well but the only different thing i'll do is put my water pan on the bottom.


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## woodcutter (Apr 18, 2013)

FWIsmoker said:


> I know what you mean on the snake method...what i don't like about that concept is the heat convection and how the meat cooks. This youtube show's how the heat is supposed to circulate the best for even cooking.



Interesting video. Please let me know how your next cook works out. ....Thanks!


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## fwismoker (Apr 20, 2013)

Update....   I'm not a fabricator in the slightest so i'm sure many of you can do this waaaay better than me but this concept is working very very well. I'm  using the Weber hinged cooking grate and  I needed the basket pulled up closer to the edge of the grill  so i drilled two small holes and put these  1/4" bolt w/ wing nuts to hold it closer. No i have more room to dump in charcoal and wood chunks through the Weber hinged opening.  I don't see any reason to take it down because if i want to cook with direct heat i can still leave the basket bolted up regardless...won't hurt anything or get in the way..  

It's easy for me now to get very even cooking, temps in the 240 range w/ water in it and 300 w/out water.   I wouldn't start w/ anymore than 12 lit coals. 













smokenator charcoal basket 4.jpg



__ fwismoker
__ Apr 20, 2013


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## woodcutter (Apr 20, 2013)

Looks like success!


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## fwismoker (Apr 20, 2013)

Woodcutter said:


> Looks like success![color= rgb(0, 0, 0)]Yep..sure was.   It's so nice to be able to low and slow w/ charcoal and sear in the same little kettle space.  Tonight was some reverse sear bacon wrapped fillets and on the sear i use a cast iron skillet w/ peanut oil over the coals.  If you reverse sear w/ the cast iron pan then move the Weber grate so the pan doesn't get in the way of the grate handles. [/color]


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## timberjet (Apr 20, 2013)

I think You better start planning to build A UDS. Same concept and miserly fuel consumption, yes really. Much more versitale. small meal, large meal. whole turkey, Need I say more. That said, the Weber kettle is right next to the uds. haha


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## fwismoker (Apr 21, 2013)

timberjet said:


> I think You better start planning to build A UDS. Same concept and miserly fuel consumption, yes really. Much more versitale. small meal, large meal. whole turkey, Need I say more. That said, the Weber kettle is right next to the uds. haha


It's funny you say that about the UDS....I'd be happy with a UDS and a Kettle grill all day long.  Both of those things can do what ever you need!


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