Garage Sale Kettle - Questions


 
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Bob Hruska

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I recently bought a 18 1/2 inch kettle and love it - but it is too small to do a lot of food indirect. So, this weekend I spied a 22 1/2 incher at a yard sale.

It is in decent shape. It is grey, but when it gets wet it turns black. Kind of odd, eh?

A few questions:

1) The handles faintly say Weber on them, and all the parts look genuine Weber EXCEPT the top vent. It is plain metal, no Weber logo and no date code stamped on it. The vents are also held in place with threaded fasteners, not rivets. Are they replacements? Did I get a good clone of a Weber Kettle?

Vent picture

2) The cooking grate is not held up by any tabs or supports. It simply "wedges" into the crease that is slightly below the kettle rim. And it does not wedge very well - it will wobble and one side will drop down a couple inches if I move it too much. Is this normal?

Grate picture

I can fix the grate by adding my own tabs or something, and the vent is no big deal - I just wanted to know if this looks or seems familiar to anyone. The genuine Weber handles and the looks of it say it is legit - I'm just not certain and/or paranoid.

Any idea what vintage this thing might be?

Overall picture

It was $10 - so I can't really complain!
 
Bob

You're not getting responses so I'll give you some quick thoughts. First, and most important, I would e-mail Weber at customer service, describe the kettle as you did here, and ask for some historical data. My guess is they'll pass it along and you'll probably hear from them.

I tend to think you've got the real thing that has had some repairs over the years. My very vague memory is that the cooking grate did previously fit on a formed lip in the charcoal bowl. The tabs came latter. That set up is still used on the SJ. Certainly the top vent has been replaced.

I don't have time to search it, but here's a link that may take you to some Weber history

Your pics look good and I would be proud to have "old Betsy".

Paul
 
Bob,
Can't offer much help but i can tell you that I left my 22-1/2 in Kettle outside uncovered for years and that's the color it turned. Brought back a lot of memories of dumbness!!
 
I'll second what Pat said. My 30+ year old 18-1/2 inch kettle has turned that same gray color. Yours looks to be genuine. Oil those wooden handles with some mineral oil and they'll look almost as good as new. You can put a new plastic "foot" on the leg also, if you really want to get fancy.
 
Looks exactly like the one I got a few months ago for half of your price....

My handle on the lid was completely missing, but the vent looks just like yours, including the slot in the pivot. Mine does have the stamping on the vent, and the best I can tell, mine is a 1992 model. Check the bottom vents as well to see if there is any stamping on them.

If so, somewhere on the Weber Bullet sight, there is a place to check the dates. Yes, the kettles use the same date code.

BTW, I have found if you just rub the lid down with cooking oil, it will turn black just like the bottom.....

Bill
 
I have already heard back from Weber.....but the results are not complete. Anyway, here's the info so far:

"It does sound like a Weber, however I've never known of a grill that was grey and turns black when wet. Some of the older model grills did not have a date code or Weber stamped on the vents. They had started that in the early 90's. Well, as far as I know all the kettle grill had the tabs to hold the grate in place, but this grill could be a really old grill and the design may have been different. If anything this might be the grill that was known as the Plainsman made in 1963.Again not sure if it is the same grill."
 
Hey Bob,

I see you are just down the road..... I live outside of Hillsborough....

I looked at your pics again. The handles look just like the ones that were on mine. At least what was left of mine.

Even the grates, wheels, ash pan, pan clips, etc. I would say, since there are no date codes etc. on your vents, that it is older than mine. You could have a real antique there. Nice looking too.

Take a little veggie oil, put it on a rag, and wipe the lid and see if it doens't come back to life.... nice and shiney and black. Mine did for a while. Of course, after some use, and sitting out, it will start to go grey again. Just wipe it down to keep the color....

From what I see, the regular 22 1/2 kettle replacement parts fit ours just fine. I got a new charcoal grate and it dropped in with no problem. I think my next will be the cooking grate with the lift up sides.

I used mine at the competition I went to a few weeks ago along with my offset smoker. It did a super job.

Bill
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bill Moon:
.... I live outside of Hillsborough.... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
My son did a GI fellowship at Duke and lived in Hillsborough a few years ago. Many happy memories of that area, not the least of which my favorite (only) grandson was born while they were there.

Paul
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bill Moon:

From what I see, the regular 22 1/2 kettle replacement parts fit ours just fine. I got a new charcoal grate and it dropped in with no problem. I think my next will be the cooking grate with the lift up sides.

Bill </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

It already has the grate with flip up sides in it. The previous owner must have upgraded it. It "almost" fits properly, as I mentioned - which gives me more reason to believe that it's pretty old and their definition of 22 1/2" has changed slightly
icon_smile.gif
That or the flip up side grate requires tabs...

It's neat to see how interested we all are in these grills.
 
Bob, your kettle looks to be about late 70's vintage. It has the wooden handles and the old style bottom vents. The replacement wood handles are still available from Weber.
 
try the weber website. I would try using some vegie oil first. You might be suprized with the result.

If this is an antique I would leave the handles as is.
 
Re: the wooden handles, I am sorry to report that I called Weber CS several weeks ago looking for the same thing, and was told that they ran out a year or so ago . . .
 
On the color, I just wonder if the color change is oxidation of the paint - kinda like on a car - and if a light and gentle rubbing with some rubbing compound might bring back the color closer to the original.......

Just thinking "out loud" on the keyboard.

And isn't it a treat to find something like your grill that is indeed a bargain!

About a year ago, a neighbor tossed a Weber kettle to the curb - for no apparent reason! I dashed home to get the truck and drove back down the street, but alas, somebody already beat me to it! Moral of the story! Always drive the truck and keep an eye peeled for "toss aways!"

One man's trash is another man's treasured find!

Pat
WSM, OTS x 2, Performer stainless (closed for renovations), Smokey Joe and (in search of a reasonably priced used) Weber Gasser!
 
i was given an old 22 ots which i found out is a L 1989 model but is has that grey kinda look to it and the wood handles. it was kinda wobbly. got a leg kit and a new one touch system and all is well. i was gonna get a performer but when i found out how old it was i had to fix it up. now if i can just my hands on a 26
 
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