Weber Kettle, amazed at ease of cook and results

[raymo76]

So I’ve been in the meat smoking hobby since 2002. Didn’t listen to the advice of the salesperson who was pushing me to try a bullet as my first smoker. I picked up the BBQ Galore cheap offset smoker.

In 2011 I upgraded to a Lang 36 and have been rocking that ever since.

2 years ago I finally picked up a Weber Kettle. Recently I got the bug to try and smoke something in the kettle.

Yesterday I proceeded to neatly put some briquettes around the kettle, 2 deep and 2 high. Poured in a half chimney of lit briquettes and spread about 5-6 chunks of hickory on top. I set my intake vent to the little smoker marked position and dialed my exhaust vent down to about 50%.

Let me preface this by saying I am a stick burner at heart through and through. I love conquering the fire. No lump charcoal or briquettes make it into my firebox. Compared to burning sticks the kettle was about as set it and forget it as I would have ever dreamed of.

The briquettes were a mixture of Kingsford Professional and Cowboy briquettes. I’m not a big fan of using electronics in my cooks so I just figured the thermometer may have been 50-75 degrees off. I wasn’t too worried. I maintained 320*F on the thermometer pretty steadily without fiddling.

A tri tip I had in there I cooked for 5 hours and it was damn good. I’m going to see if I can duplicate the easy cook with some other cuts of meat.

The 5 hour cook only ate half the fuel I put in.

I’m just astonished at how well the cooker handled and how well the meat came out. When I got my Lang I went full stick and never looked back. Now I’m just blown away.

I know we like pictures around here but this was about the cooker, not the food. The food was awesome LOL.

Happy cooking all.

 

[noboundaries]

The Kettle should be EVERYONE'S first grill. So versatile and easy, no matter how you use it.

 

[SmokingUPnorth]

I Love both of mine. And there are a ton of toys that go along with it as well.

 

[3montes]

Check out the SnS insert for that kettle with the water reservoir which really coverts a kettle to a smoking machine. I have a Weber with one and it don't get much use but the few times I've used it it really performed well. I'm much like you and have always been and always will be a stick burner first. I do use briquettes to start my wood however. I too do not use electronics. I used oven thermometers inside my smoker at one time so I knew when the chamber was at 250 and what the therms mounted on the door read. When my door mounted therms read 200 I know my cooking chamber is running 250.

I cooked on a Weber for years until my kids bought me an old Brinkmann Smoke N Pit for fathers day. That was the late 90's. I modified that thing and cut my teeth on stick burning on that thing for about 4 years. Man it was a struggle managing temps in that but it taught me a lot. At the time I didn't even realize how much I was learning. Then I found a used patio offset made from 1/4" steel and bought that and it blew me away how much easier it was to manage a fire. Since then I've had several trailer smokers vertical and horizontal a Santa Maria and now I'm down to just a trailer mounted horizontal conventional offset which I plan to be buried in. I've fed thousands of people over the years at weddings, grad parties, groomsmen dinners and just plain old parties. I'm still doing some of that but not as much as I once did.

It all started with a Weber and that old Brinkmann but there's nothing that compares to the satisfaction of a smooth running stick burner.

 

[yankee2bbq]

Gotta love the Weber Kettle!

 

[millerbuilds]

The Weber Kettle is the most versatile grill a outdoor cook can have. If I had to cut down to only 1 outdoor grill/smoker it would be my kettle. Also, the Vortex is a must have accessory for the kettle, I waited for years to buy one and should have only waited minutes!

- Jason

 

[gmc2003]

I've been known to fire up a kettle once or twice.

Chris

 

[SmokinAl]

I think just about every one of us has had or still has at least one kettle. I still have two.
Al

 

[clifish]

I've been known to fire up a kettle once or twice.....a day!

Chris

FIFY

 

[JLeonard]

love the kettle. Amazing what you can do with it.
Jim

 

[mr_whipple]

I love my weber kettle. I have a slo 'n sear for it and just bought a rotisserie. It always produces great chow.

 

[clifish]

for those with a 22" what slownsear do you have (link?) I find the kettle baskets to be a little too large to use both. I initially bought a knock slownsear and it took up almost 50% of the kettle

 

[raymo76]

I bought my brother a deluxe slow n sear maybe a year ago. He loves it. To be honest though if this ring/snake method works so well for an occasional smoke I don’t see the need to buy one.

I plan to see if I can duplicate the ease of cook and quality of food with other cuts. If I really like it I might have to open my mind up to other possibilities besides just stick burning… no! Can’t stop feeding the fire every hour, that’s just how it’s done!

 

[mr_whipple]

for those with a 22" what slownsear do you have (link?) I find the kettle baskets to be a little too large to use both. I initially bought a knock slownsear and it took up almost 50% of the kettle

Slow ‘N Sear® Deluxe

Turn a “basic” Weber kettle into the most versatile outdoor cooking machine on the market – indirect slow cooking, high heat searing, roasting, baking…you can have it all with Slow ‘N Sear!

snsgrills.com

Now the pic is a bit misleading. The tray to the right of the slo n sear is another accessory and I don't remember it's exact name, but again, it's not included with the deluxe.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

another accessory and I don't remember it's exact name

That is the griddle/drip pan with rack. It is actually a pretty niffty accessory.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

I have 3 Weber kettles, 2 22" that are set up for different purposes and a Smokey Joe, and one day will probably add the 26". Everyone should have and use at least one...

 

[clifish]

what does everyone think of this type with the water reservoir on the outer ring?

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

what does everyone think of this type with the water reservoir on the outer ring?
View attachment 639624

I guess you could always get one and see how it works out.

 

[raymo76]

I have 3 Weber kettles, 2 22" that are set up for different purposes and a Smokey Joe, and one day will probably add the 26". Everyone should have and use at least one...

When I was a newly wed I only had a Smokey Joe for a grill and my Lang for smoking. It was like that for a year +. Prior to buying the Smokey Joe I was borrowing a small Weber Q.

 

[JCAP]

I pretty much want to have one of everything in my arsenal but that's not happening in real life. But that's the beauty of the kettle. It's a super diverse cooker and I love it.