Charcoal grate fell off of tabs during last butt cook


 
Status
Not open for further replies.
D

David Woody

New member
Charcoal grate fell off of tabs during last butt cook. I was using my performer with fire brick rather than the metal basket. I had loaded a good amount of Kingsford and some apple wood chunks and then about 20 lighted coals on one side using the Menion Method. Of course the food grate hinged door would not close completely. When I tried to balance my heat sink a 5” X 9” meat loaf pan filled with water it would just slide off the hinged door as it was not completely closed. This has happen to me before on many prior occasions with my old silver “one touch” kettle. Usually I just let the kettle come up to temperature and after 20 minutes I can usually close the food grate hinged door by rearranging the coals and maybe just pushing slightly down on the door which usually results in moving the fire bricks ever so slightly or just use another firebrick as a heat sink rather than a pan of water.
When I attempted to push the door down just a little this is when the charcoal grate fell off one tab. Luckily most of the charcoal briquettes did not fall off the grate and with the help of removing all the fire bricks was able to get it back on the tabs and a successful cook. Cleaning the grill I noticed that the tabs are pointed further down than my other kettle. Is this a common problem with the performer? I really like to use the pan rather than a fire brick because I have found I can make ever so slight adjustments to temperature control by where I place the pan in relation to the heat source. Has this ever happen to any of you? When really loading up on the charcoal what is another solution for this problem? Also have noticed a big difference in the way my performer reacts to certain adjustments verses my old one touch silver kettle. I assume it must be I have used this silver kettle so much and know what it likes versus the new “toy” the performer which have only used about 20 times. I do love the table top, but hate the ash collector because you can not see the bottom vents with a mirror without removing the ash bucket. The charcoal starter is ok. On the lid holder, wish they had put a regular clip in side the lid as well. Also the temperature gauge is ok if you want to know the temperature at the top of the lid. I would personally like to know the food grate temperature which can be a difference between 100 degrees at the beginning of a cook to 30 degrees after cooking an hour with the lid on. Also it would have been nice if Weber would provide a port or insulated hole for thermometer probe wire at grate level on the side near the table top. So if you Weber engineers are listing? Here is my wish list for my next kettle.
David
 
Dude - you need a WSM.

As for the therm port - a DeWalt cordless drill, some masking tape and a silicon grommet and you're home free!

Keep on smokin!

Pat
 
thats just gonna happen. did it once to me. once because i now know not to do that ! you can always bend the grate tabs up a bit if needed but forcing the issue beyond its design will get ya a fail.
 
some of yer wish list items are what folks do as mods. each person like it done their way. if weber did those and then charged us more, we would complain about that. so read up and do yer own mods. thats what makes it fun. i don't use any ports for my remotes. i just lay them over the lip and carefully put the lid on.
 
Wow, Dave, that was almost like reading War & Peace. Hit enter occasionally, huh?
icon_smile.gif


If the charcoal pile is too big to allow the hinged grate to close, use less charcoal, or spread them out a little farther.

Re the bottom vent settings: while cold, look down inside the kettle, move the one touch handle to see when it just begins to crack open the vent, and when fully open. Then use a Magic Marker, and mark the ring just above the one touch handle. Mark it for fully closed and fully open. Closed usually is between the first and second hole from the left, and open is usually two more holes to the right. You can also mark 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 if you choose.

If you really want the lid open wide, you could use the thermometer pointed end to hook the lid on the slide aside bar, like my brother in law does, but I neither approve nor endorse this practice - actually, it annoys me. Plus, it destroys the thermometer fairly quickly.

Re the port: order the eyelets from BBQ Guru, and like Pat said use tape & a drill, and install a port from your probes.

I wonder if the Weber engineers are listing to port, or to starboard?
icon_wink.gif
 
Thank you for all your comments regarding my recent dilemma. Pat your suggestion for the silicon grommet is definitely the way I will go. I just hate drilling a hole in my new toy, but a necessary evil. Do you recall what size grommet you used (hole size) ¼”? I don’t like running a wire through the lid vent. I wonder if they make a cap for the grommet hole when not using the probe. Masking tape would work, but like to keep neat.

George, I did bend the charcoal grate taps up slightly, but did brake the porcelain on one tab. This has really helped as I could not push grate off the tap. Also I am a tinker so I enjoy trying to mod. something. Still I think Weber should always try to make it better.

Doug, Will definitely try to hit enter more often, better yet try not to ramble off the original subject. Agree with you would never hang lid on thermometer, but still believe the lid hook would have been nice as it gives you more room although really do like the lid holder on the Performer. I like options. As I love to keep the lid on as long as possible and really tinker with vent adjustments to maintain a constant 225 ~ 275 degrees on very long cooks I much prefer to see what my opening is and if I have an ash build up.
Thanks again for your valuable information.
David
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

 

Back
Top