Is this what a "high" setting on the Q100 should look like?


 
R

Rick Moore

TVWBB Super Fan
Hi everyone - it has been a long time since I was last here. I assume this is still the best place in cyberspace for everything Weber! I bought a Big Green Egg a few years back and have been using that almost exclusively - and my Smokey Joe for portability. I have had my Q100 since the 2007 timeframe and haven't used it in years. Literally. Well, I need to use it this weekend so I've been working on her the last few days. I have cleaned her vigorously, Easy Off'd the grate to (try) to get rid of all the rust (some is being a little stubborn) and have removed the burner and regulator to inspect and clean them. I used a needle to clean all the holes in the burner that were clogged and used a shopvac on the end to suck any debris out. I used the same needle on the orifice on each side of the regulator to make sure all was good. After all that, this is still all I get in the pic. After about 20-minutes, she limped to just under 500 degrees but that was it. I have read many posts on here where 600 is the high temp they get. I could probably deal with 500 but on low, a stiff breeze blows the flames out. I mean the flames are barely coming out on low. So the question is, is this the normal high "look" of the flames or is this a regulator issue? I'm using the 1 pound welding torch cylinders so it isn't the hose issue.

Thanks in advance for any input!

 
And I guess while I have your attention :) I'll add the photo of the grate after an overnight "soak" in Easy Off - and an additional quick spray tonight. Big spot of rust is being too stubborn. I think this also has to be replaced. Or do you think multiple Easy Off applications will finally get to the bottom of this?

 
That's a good flame, real consistent all the way around. It should turn more yellow, as it's not a hot flame as seen. Perhaps you have some air blockage, the more air, the hotter the flame. You need to season that grate, it's cast iron and if not seasoned (oiled) it will rust big time. Get it warm, rub some Crisco on it, call it good
 
Thank you Chuck and I hear ya - but man, I don't know how to get more airflow to it! The drip tray and the drip tray holder are not installed in this pic, the lid is open - I mean this was a bare bones burn after the major clean simply to get a pic. Other than forced air (obviously not realistic), I don't know how to get more to it. As for the seasoning - my understanding was you need to get the rust off before adding the oil/fat. I have re-seasoned lots of cast iron skillets in the past but I haven't heard of doing that without rust removal first. I gotta assume this grate is the same, no?
 
that's a decent flame. did you clean out each hole with a drill bit ? as to the grate, scub it down with a stainless steel brush, wash it and let it dry. then treat it with whatever oil you like, I use pam. after every cook, I give the grate a good brushing and a good respray.
 
Your burner flame looks fine. YOur grate just needs seasoning. Once seasoned use it and reoil occasionally. Keep in mind hood temp on the Q will be a bit misleading. Remember the grate itself is the cooking medium and it is VERY heavy and will hold a lot of heat before it starts giving it up to the air inside the grill. Just use it.
 
Also check the screen on the part of the burner that goes over the regulator. It can be cleaned with a toothbrush. I would use a push pin and clear out the orifice as well. Your flames look similar to my q100s, it can be q bit misleading. As LM said, the grate itself retains a lot of heat so it's not like the flames need to be touching the grate or meat.
 
Rick Moore said:
I don't know how to get more airflow to it!
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Check where your regulator goes into your grate. There's a screen there and a vent. The vent is adjustable, yours might be closed too much and the screen might have a spider nest built into it. I suspect it's the adjustable vent, because you have good height in your flame and it's consistent all the way around. If you had a spider web / nest, you wouldn't get the height nor the consistency. You want more of a yellow flame, the blue flame is too cold
 
Ehhhh opposite Chucko. Blue is WAY hotter than orange. Orange/yellow means the flame is burning too cold and sooty
 
LMichaels said:
Ehhhh opposite Chucko. Blue is WAY hotter than orange. Orange/yellow means the flame is burning too cold and sooty
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wow, just wow

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If a gas burner is set correctly (correct being the operative word here) it should be a clean blue with only tiny whisps of orange yellow at tips occasionally. Taken right out of instructions from any gas grill. Also have you ever used a torch? Flame is supposed to be blue/blue/white if orange the torch smokes and leaves too much soot because orange means not enough oxygen in the mixture. The OP's burner is doing just fine.
 
I would get another grate. My Q is also from 2007 and I finally bought a new grate off Amazon last year. It already has a bad rust spot and Weber is sending me a new one under warrarnty.

I tried to reseason it several times with Crisco but I think the rust was thick and just too porous. On mine the porcelain had failed and it just soaked up the Crisco and then burnt it off. It would be rusty the next day. Mind boggling but did it over and over and always was rusty within days.

You can try to reseason (at least a heavy wipe of oil or spray of Pam) but I think yours looks like the porcelain failed too.

I also cleaned my burner holes last year with a tiny drill bit. The holes had a little bit corrosion/rust here and there and thus was slightly larger after cleaning up with the bit. Now I think I have some uneven burn, possibly worse than you. I have some areas with more orange tipped flames than other areas. I didn't like it so just ordered a new one 5 minutes ago off Amazon. I figure if Weber was going to send me a new grate then I could spring for the new burner.

I know about the screen - where are the little orifices people talk about? And some other adjustable thing? My tube had about 2 tablespoons of chunky rust that came out when I cleaned it last year.
 
Oh yeah, in case you didn't know it... I'm told (by Weber support) that our regulators have a safety mechanism to prevent excessive burning. It is only active when you initially open the valve on the tank. You have to wait 1 minute before opening the Q regulator to let gas flow, otherwise the regulator will not send a full flow of gas. You will get lower than expected temps and struggle to cook. Sure sounds like what you are complaining about.

I am lazy and just leave my tank valve open all the time so I don't have to wait when I go to start the Q.
 
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