Temperature ranges and control on a Kettle


 

David

TVWBB Pro
For the first time ever, I'm using a kettle, as all my previous years were with a box type grill and wondered how much coal etc. to use in the kettle. I fired it up with two baskets nearly full of coal to do the rec. first burn with all vents fully open an the temp ran up to about 600 where I started playing with the temp. With the bottom vents fully shut down, top open it would not go below 400. I'm sure with two full baskets I had too much fully lit charcoal to get it back down easily. Even fully shut down it took a long time to quit burning.

The question is directed toward indirect cooking as for direct I'll open it way up. I see the recommendations in the weber owners manual, but then I don't follow that for the wsm, I figure there's a better method. So if I wish to smoke or low cook how much charcoal and what method should I play with to begin. By the way, this is a 22" OTP grill. Does the minion method work here like the WSM with just a few lite coals in the basket, one or two baskets? Throw in any suggestion you might have. I'm thinking that the kettle will be use for shorter cooks up to the 2-3 hr range, the "set it up and leave it alone WSM" for bigger jobs.
-
Second question, since the bottom vent control is also used to assist the clean-up of ashes, does anyone put a mark on the vent handle to mark where open an closed are or just learn via practice?...............................d
 
The minion will definitely work. To slow cook/smoke one rack of ribs I bank the coals on one side (some use fire bricks as a barrier), and I add 1/3 chimney of lit on the unlit pile, and place the ribs on the opposite side from the fire. I barely crack the bottom vent and have the top vent mostly open but may slightly close it where most of the vent hole is open.

I don't have marks on the kettle but I do on the mini wsm. For me it's about not getting on the ground to see the vents. I can see them in the kettle without getting on the ground so I'm good.
 
About how many unlit coals do you use under the 1/3 lit. Also, about where can you keep temp range using this? Is this enough charcoal to last for a cook of 3 hours or so with a less than 275 temp? Thanks for the quick comeback............................d
 
I use a charcoal chimney to start charcoal. http://virtualweberbullet.com/chimney.html For the kettle I use about 1/3 of a chimney and, once fully lit, I pour it onto the pile of unlit banked onto one side. You can go 6+ hours at about 250* this way. Long enought to do ribs. I hope this better explains it.

IMG_0709-1_zpsd678e3ba.jpg
 
A lot of times I use just one basket, not allthe way full, I put 5 or 6 unlit coals on the bottom of the basket and put a small amount of lit coals on top of that from a chimney, the chimney is probably a quarter or less full, that can keep me around 300 for a long time.
 
Here is a picture of a typical low and slow like I have done on a kettle. I much prefer using my WSM or mini for true smoking applications because of the better control they offer, but I don't shy away from using the kettle for things that take less than a couple of hours. I just fill up the space behind the fire bricks so that the charcoal has plenty of depth for temperature control reasons. Just like the WSM or mini, it is always easier to control the temps if you catch them on the way up and start feathering the controls to get them stable. Using this amount of KBB my Performer will run for well over three hours at 275. I shut it down when I finished and save the remaining coals so they don't go to waste anyway.

IMAG0954_zps4bcecbec.jpg
 
I use a charcoal chimney to start charcoal. http://virtualweberbullet.com/chimney.html For the kettle I use about 1/3 of a chimney and, once fully lit, I pour it onto the pile of unlit banked onto one side. You can go 6+ hours at about 250* this way. Long enought to do ribs. I hope this better explains it.

Sorry, I had that part down. Was wondering how many unlit coals you put down first. Looks like about a chimney or so you used.
 
Here is a picture of a typical low and slow like I have done on a kettle. I much prefer using my WSM or mini for true smoking applications because of the better control they offer, but I don't shy away from using the kettle for things that take less than a couple of hours. I just fill up the space behind the fire bricks so that the charcoal has plenty of depth for temperature control reasons. Just like the WSM or mini, it is always easier to control the temps if you catch them on the way up and start feathering the controls to get them stable. Using this amount of KBB my Performer will run for well over three hours at 275. I shut it down when I finished and save the remaining coals so they don't go to waste anyway.


I agree. My intentions is to use the wsm for longer smoking jobs and the kettle for shorter jobs, ie chicken breasts etc. I don't like heating up the wsm for a two hours cook so that's why I need to learn about temp control on the kettle, though I know I have to do it a few times to get the feel of the kettle.....
 
Last edited:
mostly you need to just practice. i normally just fill the sude up and then dump some lit coals on top. wait about 10 minutes and then put the meat on. the real trick is to start shutting things down before you get to the temp you want. also do not try to micro manage the temps, it will drive you and the kettle crazy.
one big thing that i came up with is to foil the unused part of the coal grate. this prevents cold air mixing with the hot air and making the temps go crazy.
 
"Second question, since the bottom vent control is also used to assist the clean-up of ashes, does anyone put a mark on the vent handle to mark where open an closed are or just learn via practice?...............................d"

I forgot whoever posted that first, but that's one that I did. Use a Sharpie to mark the handle location in relation to the vent openings. Easy to see with a new one, just look down and mark 0 for closed 1/4-1/2-3/4 than fully opened.
I just made 5 lines on my OTG, I know the one on the left is closed and the one on the right is full bore, the other three are easy.

Tim
 
My Performer and two OTG's have marking on them already on the ash catcher. The marking on the left is for full closed and the one on the right with the two arrows is the full open position. I just "guestimate" from these.

IMAG1043_zpse8533e86.jpg
 
My Performer and two OTG's have marking on them already on the ash catcher. The marking on the left is for full closed and the one on the right with the two arrows is the full open position. I just "guestimate" from these.

Mine has that too, I just did not put two and two together. However, I found I put mine on the first round hole to the left it was closed, an the fourth hole over was full open. Number two an three were the one and two thirds......but thanks, dumb *** me had yet to figure out weber's way. One would have thought that was useful info for the owners manual.........................d
 
Good points already made, but one of the most critical things is the lid fit of your particular kettle, and a bad fit will mean that your fire can get away much easier. My OTG has best fit, my Performer not as good, and although I really like my big 26", I have no intentions of trying low-n-slow on it. It just doesn't have as good a seal around the lid, and I've already gotten out a tape measure and tweaked it a bit. So you might want to check your's out if you ever drop it or suspect it's a bit warped and out of round. (Of course, the problem can rather be the bowl.) The porcelain won't crack unless you really tweak it. Anyhow, fire bricks or a water pan will help as a heat sink if you need it, and be warned, things can get a lot smokier on a kettle than on the bullets. For that reason I don't use Kbb except for the lit, rather using lump or at least all natural briquettes as the unlit. You don't need much wood, either.
 
David you will get the feel of your kettle after a few cooks. If the temps do get away on you don't be shy to shut it down and choke the fire. I've dropped a 100 degrees in 10 ten minutes doing this. I do it whenever I cook a Prime rib. I get the temps up above 450, put it on for 20 minutes at that temp and then pull it back down to 350 by shutting eveything down. Then I open back up and go from there. I like using lump for my kettle but when I split the fire in other words pan in the middle and fire on either side I will often use briquettes but not KB.
 
Hi David, here are some other examples of an indirect cook using coals on both sides. Note the amount fuel that is being used. In these circumstances I am tending the grill with the turkey every 45 minutes to an hour and in the case of the half chicken using the Cornell recipe every fifteen minutes or so. Not a lot of coals but temps in 300-350 range.
I just use my ash catcher ring as a guide and remember one hole equals about 1/4 open on the vent. Depending on what I'm doing like in these photos my bottom vent is mostly between 1/4 and 1/2. The top vent is at least half closed possibly 2/3rds closed.

IMG_00033.jpg
[/IMG]
IMG_0005.jpg
[/IMG]
IMG_0011.jpg
[/IMG]
 
Gary, I pretty much figured out the ring holes are the easy way to guess the vents. I note that most are not keeping the top vent wide open like we do on the wsm. Planning on a short smoke over the next week or so. Got burgers coming up next as I'm getting adjusted to the kettle a little at a time. A tad different from my ole charbroil box type......................d
 
David - For the most part I try to follow the same basic practices I use for the WSM and mini WSM when using the kettle for low and slow. I still try to keep the top vent 100% open and adjust temps with the bottom. Problem is that sometimes that is not enough and I have to totally close the bottom and partially close the top vent also to get temps where I want them. I try to avoid that when at all possible.
 

 

Back
Top