Weber SmokeFire - anyone get it yet

[mike guy]

I’m not sure it’s the quality of the materials or assembly at hand here. It’s a design flaw of cooking greasy food over a flame rich oxygen rich heat source.

 

[RCAlan]

FYI... Weber is recommending using a drip pan to catch the grease runoff during low and slow cooks on the SF.. Here’s the YouTube link to Weber’s response.


Is it a long term fix?? Who knows, but at least it’s a start.

Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[kstone113]

FYI... Weber is recommending using a drip pan to catch the grease runoff during low and slow cooks on the SF.. Here’s the YouTube link to Weber’s response.


Is it a long term fix?? Who knows, but at least it’s a start.

Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

This is comical. I do realize most likely a lot of the people who got it are new to Pellet grills so like opening the lid for an extending period is something you learn so that has value.

But the whole point(as babybackmaniac said) of their design is to avoid having a drip plan. This is basically admitting(in my humble opinion) that their engineers failed at least somewhat to be nice.

I am so happy I wasn't in the market this spring b/c I would of fell for it b/c I love Weber.

And RCAlan - I am sure you know but this isn't "responding" to you...you're just the messenger, I"m saying in general back to Weber. If I would of gotten that grill, I would of returned it.

 

[schlotz]

Weber has got themselves in a sticky situation. They do need a good solution to shore up their reputation in regard to the shortcomings of their SmokeFire unit. Unfortunately those type of permanent fixes (if even possible) take time. Early purchasers are not happy and have made it publicly known which could in turn stifle sales going forward. It's pretty evident that Weber's careful crafting of words used here points to their awareness of the issue. For most who are aware of the grease fire that Justin (babyback maniac) pointed out on the very first use of the unit, Weber's recommendation of now adding multiple aluminum pans for drip trays certainly reaffirms the obvious need for a dedicated grease management system which is totally missing from their design and BTW is something their competition does have. Maybe using the pans (a kludge IMO) will temporarily calm the first buyers but I doubt it will do much to convince potential buyers despite Weber's name on the product. And don't forget, other problems with this unit have also been brought to light.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Looks like the biggest Grease issue is they ran it to the center, where the fire is. If they slanted the grill floor to run Grease toward the sides, as others do, there would be little to no issue...JJ

 

[RCAlan]

This is comical. I do realize most likely a lot of the people who got it are new to Pellet grills so like opening the lid for an extending period is something you learn so that has value.

But the whole point(as babybackmaniac said) of their design is to avoid having a drip plan. This is basically admitting(in my humble opinion) that their engineers failed at least somewhat to be nice.

I am so happy I wasn't in the market this spring b/c I would of fell for it b/c I love Weber.

And RCAlan - I am sure you know but this isn't "responding" to you...you're just the messenger, I"m saying in general back to Weber. If I would of gotten that grill, I would of returned it.

I had posted this idea yesterday on another site...
Kstone113,I thought of a mod/design fix for the Weber SmokeFire...

For those that have the Weber SF Pellet Grill and if I had one and really wanted to keep it, the Modifications I would definitely do to solve/fix the grease fire issues are these.

1. I would use a heat diffuser plate similar to the style/design that is used in the Pit Boss Pellet grills... They’re actually the length of the cooking chamber and sits at the bottom of the cooking chamber and directly on the Fire Pot... To give you an idea, here’s a picture of what a Pit Boss Heat Diffuser looks like...

2. I would then modify the diffuser plate to have it slanted downwards on both sides to channel the grease flow away from the fire pot. I would then have 2 exit holes at the opposite ends of the grill and attach a grease bucket their to collect the grease runoff. I also would still use the OEM Weber SF heat diffuser and place it inside the modified diffuser plate and centered covering the fire pot. I know those that don’t have Pellet Grills may not have a clue of what I’m trying to describe, but those that have one should.

3. I know the Pit Boss Heat Diffuser Plate dimensions wouldn’t fit inside the Weber SF, but the idea/logic is to have a diffuser plate that is able to channel the grease flow runoff away from the fire pot... and I’m sure any local Machine Shop could do it if given the dimensions of a Weber SF grill. If done correctly, there would be no need to add a drip pan to collect the grease runoff and the Flavorizer bars can still perform their intended functions as well as high temp grilling and searing. Is it extra work to modify it?? Yes... Can it work? Yes. I’m just thinking outside the box and something the Engineers at Weber should have thought of in the first place. To bad I can’t patent this idea... Weber Engineers should make/copy my idea and call it their Grease Runoff Plate for the SmokeFire v2 remix... If there is one...

Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[sandyut]

Weber's recommendation of now adding multiple aluminum pans for drip trays certainly reaffirms the obvious need for a dedicated grease management system which is totally missing from their design and BTW is something their competition does have

this is laughably silly for Weber to miss. Or shameful stupidity. Why do they think all the others have a drip tray/grease management system...hmmm, grease, flames....hmmm wait....hmm yeah the SF wont catch fire because...wait...look it actually does catch fire. OMG the grease drains TO THE FIRE source.

and the fix is an aluminum baking pan...for a $1000 investment you too can by a drip tray at your local grocery to "make it perform better" total fail.

 

[noboundaries]

Harry Soo has an interesting review on YouTube using a fan's SF smoker grill. He did brisket, pork butt, and steak at appropriate chamber temps. The pellet feeder issue was apparent, as was an ash issue. The video is worth a watch.

 

[kstone113]

Harry Soo has an interesting review on YouTube using a fan's SF smoker grill. He did brisket, pork butt, and steak at appropriate chamber temps. The pellet feeder issue was apparent, as was an ash issue. The video is worth a watch.

I watched his video and didn't see any issues. But even though he cooked a lot, he didn't have any LONG low smoke where a lot of grease would go down. I think that's why he was ok.

It is a total fail their solution is just to add aluminum pans below.

RCAlan - yeah, that would work. And others have done that.

I was thinking though instead of that, why didn't they just have the grease in the bottom pit just flow to the sides and have two pull out trays. Or even 3 where the ash in the middle and grease flows to the sides and into a trap.

Whatever the solution is, it is hard to imagine us normal bbq'ers noticing these flaws and the "paid" engineers didn't think of this or at least notice in testing. I just don't see how they won't of seen these issues during testing.

 

[Alphonse]

My view is that Harry's latest review was an attempt to protect his personal brand since he had effectively loaned it to Weber with their media event in November. He and others were sucked in by Weber's excellent PR show where they'd been members of an elite group of invitees. They obviously were duped into praising the grill before it was released and learned some hard lessons.

This video he just released tarnished his brand further in my opinion. He would be far better off just staying quiet and letting it go. His attempt to justify spending 12 C notes on a grill that doesn't work properly is simply dishonest. By the way, taking meat off the grill and finish cooking it in the oven is comical at best!

 

[RCAlan]

I watched his video and didn't see any issues. But even though he cooked a lot, he didn't have any LONG low smoke where a lot of grease would go down. I think that's why he was ok.

It is a total fail their solution is just to add aluminum pans below.

RCAlan - yeah, that would work. And others have done that.

I was thinking though instead of that, why didn't they just have the grease in the bottom pit just flow to the sides and have two pull out trays. Or even 3 where the ash in the middle and grease flows to the sides and into a trap.

Whatever the solution is, it is hard to imagine us normal bbq'ers noticing these flaws and the "paid" engineers didn't think of this or at least notice in testing. I just don't see how they won't of seen these issues during testing.

You know creative minds think alike and You already know I don’t have a problem with pulling out a drill or a wrench... but for a $1200.00 grill that was flawed as it left the factory... I’ll pass. Just wanted to help those that have one and were willing to put in the effort to modify it.

Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[sweetride95]

All this Weber press has let Traeger off the hook a little bit.

 

[motsco]

weber has been crap for years now.
their gas grills suck - for less the half the price you can buy a low end gas grill that cooks the same and replace it 3 times for the price of a weber gas grill -

weber kettle is still a very nice rig, but it’s cheaply made now days. still a good charcoal grill.

as for the smoke fire - well it’s what you get. smoke then fire. weber is nice enough to let the public r&d it for them. lol. saves them money -

yes i am a very upset weber consumer since 2007. weber WAS great. now? lol


i remember everyone slamming rectec. but thier product was/is very good. and um weber read this:
customer service not from a 3rd word country- and caring about your product enough to back it 100%.

and yes i’m the guy who dosnt treat my rectec like it’s some kind of high end super car but has to baby sit my weber’s. when i should be hugging my rec tec and their customer support.

 

[RCAlan]

Ouch...

Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[forktender]

At least they picked the right name for these cookers.

What a shame, I just laid hands on the larger smoke fire and they seem to be very well built.
Most than you can say about most of Weber's new products which are made very cheap and flimsy. To bad another company decided to cut corners and charge for the name rather then the actual products.

 

[mike243]

Well I see a lot of folks who haven't bought 1 or cooked with 1 that have no first hand experience kicking them, you will always hear the bad of any product vs the good, there's a reason hearsay isn't reliable proof in court lol. They will get the kinks worked out or will stop making them,

 

[negolien]

I know alot of people who don't eat tide pods too but that doesn't mean they are wrong t ol point it out. Just sayin.

 

[mike243]

Totally different concept , I don't like chevy and only own ford but I don't bash them cause everybody makes junk at some point, eating poison well some times the gene pool needs cleaning I reckon.

 

[AZBBQ]

Count me as one of the pre-orders with high expectations.

Here is my review I posted on weber.com which was followed up with some back and forth email exchanges over about two weeks.

Where to start with this smoker. There is no way the production unit is the same units that Weber claimed to have run truck loads of pellets though in testing - or they are lying. Not sure what since their customer service wont respond.

I want to really like this smoker but it is hard. No doubt the food turns out great and has a good smoke flavor. When cranking this up it grills unlike any other pellet cooker out on the market today. The concept is great, the execution not so much!

Here is my issues:

The grease drains flat out do not work. The bottom of the smoker gets so clogged with ash (which isn't supposed to be in the bottom of the smoker by the way) that none of the grease goes into the drain pan. Instead it starts on fire in the bottom of the cooker. This is the number one complaint as to how in the world this passed QA. You cant have a grease fire after one cook!

The right side of the grill is hotter than the left when grilling above 400 degrees.

The hopper is absolutely horrible, the pellets do not slide down and you get a low pellet warning with you still have 10+ pounds of pellets in the hopper. There is no way on earth this final design was tested.

The app is a joke. You cant adjust any temperatures, only the probes. Funny thing is when you set a timer on the probes and they go off nothing even happens, no alarm or anything. So what is the point of that?

Like I said I really want to like this cooker because of how the food turns out and the ability to grill on it. Sadly to say its not ready for prime time, I wish it was!

Did I reach out to Weber for help trying to correct these issues and get their thoughts? Yes, now at 5 days and counting with zero response from them what-so-ever... What happened here Weber? I currently own 3 other Weber grills and this is not what I expect from you.

Well well well... Looks like Weber is starting to listen at least a little. Just got this order confirmation for some type of free "hopper pellet slide". I guess we will wait and see how it turns out.

 

[RCAlan]

Keep everyone posted if you get an email from Weber about some type of retro fit kit to deal with the grease runoff issues to help prevent grease fires... Strange, You would’ve thought that would have been there first priority.

Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi