Can I use bottom section only of Weber smokey mountain as grill?

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nickm62388

Fire Starter
Original poster
Mar 9, 2015
69
12
Jamison,PA
I'm going to poconos this weekend and never used my Weber smokey mountain as anything but a smoker. I want to take just the top and bottom part to use as a grill. I want to Try to grill chicken breast and maybe boil a pot of water on the bottom section of the wsm..I've never cooked over charcoal so close to the food, any tips and how long would chicken breast usually take to cook being only a couple inches above the charcoal? I will not be using the big middle section, just bottom and top for the lid.
 
Yes you can.  The trick is to give yourself a little more height away from the flame.  Stop in at HD and pick up 4 fire bricks for a couple of bucks each.  Before you load the charcoal basket put the bricks on end at four points around the inside of the basket.  Fire up a chimney of briquettes, dump them in the basket, then put one of the grates on top of the bricks. 

I wouldn't mess with the lid.  It doesn't fit the bottom bowl like it does the top of the barrel.  If you have a Kettle lid, it works on the bottom bowl, but then why would you need to take the WSM if you have a Kettle.

I used to cook all the time on my Kettles without the lid.  Take a meat thermometer to check IT.  If it isn't windy, and depending how hot your fire is, breasts can be done in as little as 15 minutes, to as much as 30-40 minutes.  165F IT and they are done.     
 
Ok so scratch the lid......I don't have a basket, the Weber smokey mountain has a bottom tiny grate and then a ring where the charcoal goes in....but I'm just gonna light a chimney til it's ashy and white and drop it in, and throw the chicken breast on the grill, and put a pot of water on hoping it gets hot enough to boil for mac and cheese
 
Well, you can definitely use the Weber Smokey Mountain smoker as a grill but it works better to smoke meat. I would suggest you to try a grill or a smoker griller combo.  Else it will be a little difficult on he maintenance part. As a chef i keep using different smokers, so this would be my advice. 
 
Use ours like a grill all the time. No problem at all. We also use it as a fire pit occasionally when one is required due to fire regulations.

For your chicken breast create an offset fire. Shove the coals to one side so you can do an indirect grill. Color eh breasts to an internal temp of 165. You'll be good to go.
 
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