Kettle Maintenance?

[RiversideSm0ker]

So I wanted to ask how others maintain their Weber Kettles? I have had a couple of instances of some pretty nasty flare ups doing vortex chicken. The last one was on Sunday night. Flames were spouting about 2' or higher from my kettle. I let this batch run about 10 minutes longer than usual and when I went to take it off the grill it was inferno. Thankfully the chicken is still edible but not the skin. Serious char unless you like blackened chicken. Then I guess you are all good. So obviously I am getting some grease buildup either in the bowl of my kettle or in the ash catcher. How do you guys usually deal with the buildup? Do you try to use something to degrease it or do you just let it burn off from time to time while there is nothing on the grill to get crisped by the massive fire? With the insane prices on meat I can't afford to have a big flare up if I'm cooking anything let alone some outrageously overpriced beef. Thankfully, chicken is still 92 cents a pound at my Sam's but the rest is just crazy for pork and beef.

G

 

[chef jimmyj]

You have a Vortex and the Sides of the bowl, under the Chicken ignites? Small amounts of grease can be wiped out. Greater buildup can be removed by soaking with Simple Green and hose it out. Set up the Vortex and line the rest of the bowl with Hvy Duty Foil. Cleanup is a breeze...JJ

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

I can’t say that I’ve ever had that problem with my kettle, but I do clean out the bowl and ash catcher after a couple of cooks. I would think any grease from the food would burn up when it drips on the coals.

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

That was my theory about the grease pretty much just draining to the catcher or simply vaporizing under that intense heat but the flare up happened twice now while doing batches of chicken. I love my vortex chicken but I don't love burnt vortex chicken. I may just have to babysit if I am going to run it over 45 minutes. I absolutely love my Weber kettle and I am still in the kind of learning mode with what I can and can't do with it. It's only been six months but most things are a piece of cake with my kettle.

G

 

[Fueling Around]

I have an older kettle with the 3 wheel lower vents.
Don't have a vortex.
I sweep the ash every cook.
Thinking.
Your flare up is with the cover off? I don't cook without the cover

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

This flare up actually happened with the lid on.
G

 

[SlickRockStones]

I abuse my 22 most of the time and just let grease drip. If there’s a pan near by, maybe, but not always. Never had a Vortex fire though. My 26 w/SnS always has drip pans so her insides are never fouled up. Her sweeps are beautiful and get regular brushing to remove excess ash. She also enjoys a fine soak in Dawn DWL and a douche. The 22 gets blasted with degreaser and scraped. Oven cleaner and garbage bags in the sun for the grates.

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

I'm thinking that I just need to clean it a bit more often to clear up the excess grease that all of that chicken is creating in the bowl. I'm also going to try a bit different layout for my next cook to see how that works out. I saw somebody on YouTube use a certain setup with the vortex and some foil that is supposed to up the heat output. The way the foil was arranged might actually prevent grease flare ups as well. I will let you all know on my next cook.

G

 

[gmc2003]

If I notice any gunky build up on the inside of the kettle. I use a narrow flexible plastic scraper to knock it off. Then just run the fins back and forth until it falls into the ash catcher.

Chris

 

[cmayna]

Is the flare up because the chicken or a part thereof, is positioned over the vortex? If so, yes for possible flare ups.

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

Is the flare up because the chicken or a part thereof, is positioned over the vortex? If so, yes for possible flare ups.

No, the chicken was well back from the flames of the vortex. It has to have been started by the fat dripping off en mass from these pterodactyl thighs. There has to have been enough build up to ignite from the intense heat in my kettle. It's happened once before as well. Same scenario too, with chicken thighs.

G

 

[chef jimmyj]

375 to 400°F is plenty hot enough to cook Chicken and get a crispy skin. Filling the Vortex can drive the Kettle temps higher than 400 and the fat can flash over. Experiment to find how much charcoal you actually need to get the job done...JJ