Hi I'm Paul, I have only recently found this forum and I am finding it interesting to read.
I guess my primary interest is Automatic Temperature control, specifically HeaterMeters.
I have a conventional hooded BBQ which I like using and I feel I turn out good food on.
It has a rotisserie as well which I feel makes it even more versatile, but a few years ago I purchased a 22 1/2" Weber Kettle looking to get the taste that my Dad used to get from his when I was much younger than my current 57 years.
According to the codes on the top vent, the one I have is a 2008 model (DZ)
It was brand new in the box when I bought it (Private sale) but I bought it in 2012 or 2013, so I'm not sure what it was doing before that!
Anyhow, on using it, I am finding that it is a real pig!
If I cook with it the conventional way (loading the baskets with coals and allow them to ash over as per instructions), I always had a sense that it was too hot then getting too cold... The instructions say that you shouldn't open it during the cook because you will lose the heat. so I didn't... but I just had a feeling that it wasn't right.
I only cooked chickens and one pork leg roast because I just was not confident in what it was doing. I was able to rescue my cooks but food never turned out on time.
I became interested in low and slow cooking and bought a Maverick ET-732 Digital Thermometer.
This confirmed my suspicions as to what was happening with my temps. It was a godsend because it confirmed my suspicions about what was happening with my temps.
I now could open the lid of the Weber when the Maverick told me the temp was below optimum and do things to reinvigorate the fire and I would know what was happening with the temp and make allowances for it before and after opening it.
I tried a low and slow cook and my snake went out part way through... maybe a foot around the perimeter ... well after it was away from the chimney load of hot coals I put on to start it.
My Weber doesn't look like the ones that you normally see.... such as my Dads was... the lower bowl of mine is not as deep and I don't think the lid is as high a dome shape either. (Not sure about the latter though.)
I have since been told that my model is called a Weber "Classic" (why they would call it that when it's not is beyond me), anyway my source tells me that they are notorious for this "fire going out" issue.
I currently restart my fire by fanning it.
Initially I did that manually, then I progressed to using a heat gun.
Now I use a http://www.looftlighter.com/
My Weber is almost unusable as it is.
I see my options as ...
1: Give up kettle cooking all together and only use my hooded gas BBQ.
2: Ditch the Weber I have and buy a new ( or replacement) one that is the style like the one my Dad had. (They are fairly easy to obtain on the second hand market here in Australia)
3: Make the one I have work.
Challenge accepted!!!
I choose 3.
If I go with Option 1, there is no challenge, I cook pretty well on the gas... but the taste is just not as good as on the Weber ... I guess Low and slow is still an option with it... but I have never tried it. Also, without making any changes, I don't get any temp logging or ability to keep records to learn from.
If I go with Option 2, I don't get logging, and possibly I may still have temp control issues... (just hopefully not as critical as I have... eg fire going out.)
If I go with option 3, I get logging and seeing as I currently restart my fire by fan and that works, I'm confident... [hopeful] that if I use some sort of Fan/Damper combination, I will have a good chance of making it work.
If in the end it doesn't fix it I can always go to option 2 and use the HeaterMeter with that anyway.
With Option 3 I can also use the equipment on the gas BBQ if I want to and so get logging for that as well.
If I can get my Weber working reliably, I would like to make an extension to allow me to cook larger pieces of meat.
Not as high as this one... http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/polish_don/2012-04-16195618.jpg ... but you get the idea?
I know this has been quite a long introduction, and I do apologize if you feel I have wasted your time in reading it, but I wanted to share with you where my major interest in this forum is and my thoughts around that ... not that I'm not interested in the other aspects of the forum as well, such as recipes and other mods and ideas.
I hope to share my progress and setbacks on here.
I'd be interested to hear from anyone with hints and suggestions, especially other Aussies with ideas of how they have dealt with getting the parts or a completed HeaterMeter to Australia, in a cost effective way.
Cheers,
Paul.
I guess my primary interest is Automatic Temperature control, specifically HeaterMeters.
I have a conventional hooded BBQ which I like using and I feel I turn out good food on.
It has a rotisserie as well which I feel makes it even more versatile, but a few years ago I purchased a 22 1/2" Weber Kettle looking to get the taste that my Dad used to get from his when I was much younger than my current 57 years.
According to the codes on the top vent, the one I have is a 2008 model (DZ)
It was brand new in the box when I bought it (Private sale) but I bought it in 2012 or 2013, so I'm not sure what it was doing before that!
Anyhow, on using it, I am finding that it is a real pig!
If I cook with it the conventional way (loading the baskets with coals and allow them to ash over as per instructions), I always had a sense that it was too hot then getting too cold... The instructions say that you shouldn't open it during the cook because you will lose the heat. so I didn't... but I just had a feeling that it wasn't right.
I only cooked chickens and one pork leg roast because I just was not confident in what it was doing. I was able to rescue my cooks but food never turned out on time.
I became interested in low and slow cooking and bought a Maverick ET-732 Digital Thermometer.
This confirmed my suspicions as to what was happening with my temps. It was a godsend because it confirmed my suspicions about what was happening with my temps.
I now could open the lid of the Weber when the Maverick told me the temp was below optimum and do things to reinvigorate the fire and I would know what was happening with the temp and make allowances for it before and after opening it.
I tried a low and slow cook and my snake went out part way through... maybe a foot around the perimeter ... well after it was away from the chimney load of hot coals I put on to start it.
My Weber doesn't look like the ones that you normally see.... such as my Dads was... the lower bowl of mine is not as deep and I don't think the lid is as high a dome shape either. (Not sure about the latter though.)
I have since been told that my model is called a Weber "Classic" (why they would call it that when it's not is beyond me), anyway my source tells me that they are notorious for this "fire going out" issue.
I currently restart my fire by fanning it.
Initially I did that manually, then I progressed to using a heat gun.
Now I use a http://www.looftlighter.com/
My Weber is almost unusable as it is.
I see my options as ...
1: Give up kettle cooking all together and only use my hooded gas BBQ.
2: Ditch the Weber I have and buy a new ( or replacement) one that is the style like the one my Dad had. (They are fairly easy to obtain on the second hand market here in Australia)
3: Make the one I have work.
Challenge accepted!!!
I choose 3.
If I go with Option 1, there is no challenge, I cook pretty well on the gas... but the taste is just not as good as on the Weber ... I guess Low and slow is still an option with it... but I have never tried it. Also, without making any changes, I don't get any temp logging or ability to keep records to learn from.
If I go with Option 2, I don't get logging, and possibly I may still have temp control issues... (just hopefully not as critical as I have... eg fire going out.)
If I go with option 3, I get logging and seeing as I currently restart my fire by fan and that works, I'm confident... [hopeful] that if I use some sort of Fan/Damper combination, I will have a good chance of making it work.
If in the end it doesn't fix it I can always go to option 2 and use the HeaterMeter with that anyway.
With Option 3 I can also use the equipment on the gas BBQ if I want to and so get logging for that as well.
If I can get my Weber working reliably, I would like to make an extension to allow me to cook larger pieces of meat.
Not as high as this one... http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/polish_don/2012-04-16195618.jpg ... but you get the idea?
I know this has been quite a long introduction, and I do apologize if you feel I have wasted your time in reading it, but I wanted to share with you where my major interest in this forum is and my thoughts around that ... not that I'm not interested in the other aspects of the forum as well, such as recipes and other mods and ideas.
I hope to share my progress and setbacks on here.
I'd be interested to hear from anyone with hints and suggestions, especially other Aussies with ideas of how they have dealt with getting the parts or a completed HeaterMeter to Australia, in a cost effective way.
Cheers,
Paul.
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