Weber Q1200 in a fireplace?


 

Bob H.

TVWBB Hall of Fame
For the winter time, would it be safe to use the Q1200 in a brick indoor wood burning fireplace? It should have
adequate ventilation. Some days are just too cold to motivate me to cook outdoors in the winter. Your thoughts
please?
 
Well, I'll bite. After almost 40 years in the fire service, I don't think I would recommend it or try it. Been to a lot of chimney fires for a lot of reasons, not cleaned, closed dampers, built on wood floors, cracked flues, animal nests, etc. I don't think your grill would generate enough heat to create a good updraft so you would end up with the smoke from the grill in your house. That would imitate many calls where the damper wasn't opened before lighting the fire. Besides, there is also the issue of carbon monoxide being generated. If you feel your cold chimney generates enough draft to pull the grill exhaust up and out, then you might try it, but only if you have a functioning CO detector close by. The idea sounds very tempting, but I think it would be too dangerous for occupants.
 
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I would not worry about a chimney fire. The grill could never generate enough heat to get a draft going. I did use my electric Q140 in the house once under my exhaust hood that vents up through the roof. It worked fine. I think the gas Q would be fine like that as well. Certainly no worse than all the burners going on the stove in re to CO emissions. Honestly though just as easy to get a Lodge CI 2 sided grill for 2 burner use.
 
Larry:
Definitely wouldn't start a chimney fire. I'd be more concerned about the CO emissions and smoke from whatever is getting grilled. We also had several CO calls over the years due to long burner or oven use on gas stoves without using an exhaust fan. We would just suggest to the occupant to use an exhaust fan for oven or burner use to prevent false calls in the future with big red trucks coming to visit.
 
Dan, I doubt the CO emissions will be worse than from a gas cook top. I would just place it on the kitchen cook top if there is a good range. But honestly a pan will do the same job. lol
Not sure why using a Q1200 over a pan indoors anyhow. Some of my best steaks came out of a cast iron pan on a kitchen cooktop. Unless you want to use some wood for smoking.
But I agree a great vented range hood with a properly sized duct is necessity. When I rebuilt my kitchen a few years ago I made sure of that.
 
If you try it let us know how it works out. I would never have thought of trying it.
 
In the event that something went horribly wrong, could an insurer refuse to pay a claim due to negligence? And let's face it, there have been times where an explosion--big or small--has occurred right at ignition. To say we think it would be fine and we doubt CO emissions would add risk would not be strong enough cases for me to make the attempt. You asked for thoughts, and my thought is I would not do it, lol.
 
too bad the pictures in these threads don't work anymore: https://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?36168-Indoor-cooking&highlight=fireplace I forget what exactly he was doing.

Have you considered something like a charcoal go anywhere, jumbo joe, or smokey joe? Not saying you won't smoke out your house though :) I haven't had a wood indoor fire since I put a pool table close enough to my wood burner, it gets warmer than I like, but I remember starting the updraft with rolled up newspaper held high in the flue like a torch. Once the air got flowing it seemed to be GTG.
 
It was a pretty common practice just a few years ago. I was browsing old Montgomery Ward catalogs and there were multiple grills designed for use in a fireplace. CO isn’t an issue as it’s already got a chimney.
 
It was a pretty common practice just a few years ago. I was browsing old Montgomery Ward catalogs and there were multiple grills designed for use in a fireplace. CO isn’t an issue as it’s already got a chimney.

Actually CO and smoke can DEFINITELY be an issue. A chimney will not "draw" unless there is enough heat in the fire chamber and I seriously doubt a little Q will generate the heat necessary
 
We have had such a mild winter here so far that I decided not to risk trying the fireplace idea. Why tempt fate?
 
I don’t think I’d use the fireplace option, it’s just as easy to take two steps down and three steps out to the (snow covered) patio to the kettle or whatever for me.
 
Build a fire, let the coals burn in, get a camping grate. There are also companies that make adjustable racks for open fire cooking in your fireplace.

google 'fire pit and grilling guru'
 
One thing to remember is fireplace flues are not meant for cooking. Creosote and carbon buildup are hard enough on the flue and liner, add cooking grease and you may have a disaster just waiting to happen. Just sayin'
 

 

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