Just picked up a couple Redhead grills


 
Jim Weber said:
My life changing epiphany was when I traded into a WSM18 in early '20.... I never knew how good smoked meat was --- and how easy it was to make --- once you go thru the learning curve. Now its all about the SMOKE..... there isn't much that I eat that isn't smoked. I picked up a smoke tube to use in the WSM, but it never worked worth a damn - it kept getting snuffed out - so I started using it on my 2 burner with really good results and I proceeded to round up all the different (single) wood flavors to try/test/mix. Then I ran into a kettle - 2nd gen Performa w/gas start - for free (with a hose adaptor and a FULL 20#er) that I thought would be an easy flip..... Now that kettle is my goto 85%+ of the time. I wish I would have learned how to smoke 15-20 years ago.....

You need to get into the smoke game.... its easy and I'll help make the learning curve really easy for you! Get you started out with a tube on the gassers until you find yourself a nice kettle.... then you can decide whether to go WSM or pellet smoker.
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Sounds like an excellent idea. I definitely am going to take your advice on that! I'll have to do some research on it because it's 100% new to me. I might have questions for you also.
 
I always stayed away from charcoal because I had many bad memories of 'tasting lighter fluid' from the college days.... drunken grilling. It wasn't until I picked up the WSM and it came with a chimney that I realized you can sidestep lighter fluid altogether --- so much cleaner and more flavorful. The gas assist on the Performa is just killer.... too easy.

Its still drunken grilling --- just much better now.
 
Cody Bratton said:
Its funny reading that. I was hardcore charcoal only, no gas! Until I rescued my first redhead. I think I have used charcoal 3 times since restoring my E330 curbfind. My wife wouldn't let me bring the redhead home... So it gets its use at work lol
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Trying different things and finding what you like and what works for you is definitely the way to go. I try to always keep an open mind and try new things.
 
Jim Weber said:
I always stayed away from charcoal because I had many bad memories of 'tasting lighter fluid' from the college days.... drunken grilling. It wasn't until I picked up the WSM and it came with a chimney that I realized you can sidestep lighter fluid altogether --- so much cleaner and more flavorful. The gas assist on the Performa is just killer.... too easy.

Its still drunken grilling --- just much better now.
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I haven't used charcoal grills because I've always been busy and in a hurry. Now I'm slowing down my pace a little bit as I get closer to retirement and definitely want to try some new stuff.
 
Here is where you start......


And a bag of Bear Mountain Gourmet/Savory/Sweet blend from Safeway --- which ever they have. ~$20-25 all in gets you some nice smoke flavor!

This should get you going quick..... its really pretty easy once you figure it out.
tvwbb.com

Smoking on the Gasser

What is the best way to get a good smoke flavor on the Weber 435 gasser? I have tried a smoke box and pellets in a tube, but have not been very successful. Maybe I am not doing it right, not starting it early or long enough, or maybe that is just the way it is in the gasser. Just looking for...
tvwbb.com tvwbb.com
 
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Jim Weber said:
Here is where you start......


And a bag of Bear Mountain Gourmet/Savory/Sweet blend from Safeway --- which ever they have. ~$20-25 all in gets you some nice smoke flavor!

This should get you going quick..... its really pretty easy once you figure it out.
tvwbb.com

Smoking on the Gasser

What is the best way to get a good smoke flavor on the Weber 435 gasser? I have tried a smoke box and pellets in a tube, but have not been very successful. Maybe I am not doing it right, not starting it early or long enough, or maybe that is just the way it is in the gasser. Just looking for...
tvwbb.com tvwbb.com
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Perfect! The thank you
 
That 2000 will be a smoking machine!!!! Those 13 bars will give you some really nice even low heat for hours at a time and you will be able to move it where ever you need it front-to-back just by switching burners..... A full sized grate raised (@ 90degrees) will give you LOTS of room to play with! You won't have any problem doing a rack or two of ribs on that really easy.

Start out with some chicken legs on one of the LXs to find out what you have been missing! We can chat later about rubs and prepping....
 
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Thank you for the advice I appreciate it! I'll be heading to Arizona for a little while maybe I'll try something on my Genesis ii over there. Also maybe I can find an old Weber over there.
 
Except (and IDK why this holds true), it's not really smoking. Oh it's "good" and good tasting but it ain't smoking. Gas burners do something to the air inside the grill. IDK what it is, but when it comes to "working" gas grills I fancy myself a Swiss Army Knife. On my original Genesis I did a pretty darn good job of smoking fish I caught from Lake Michigan (Coho and Brown salmon), ribs pretty much you name it. But nothing and I mean nothing comes out like it does from a smoker (whether it's a good pellet grill or a stick burner). There is something truly different when the fuel providing the actual heat is wood.
But give the tube a try, but watch out. If you come across a deal like I did on my first pellet grill ($199 for my Members Mark about 2 years ago), go for it. Believe me you will not go back
 
LMichaels said:
Except (and IDK why this holds true), it's not really smoking. Oh it's "good" and good tasting but it ain't smoking. Gas burners do something to the air inside the grill. IDK what it is, but when it comes to "working" gas grills I fancy myself a Swiss Army Knife. On my original Genesis I did a pretty darn good job of smoking fish I caught from Lake Michigan (Coho and Brown salmon), ribs pretty much you name it. But nothing and I mean nothing comes out like it does from a smoker (whether it's a good pellet grill or a stick burner). There is something truly different when the fuel providing the actual heat is wood.
But give the tube a try, but watch out. If you come across a deal like I did on my first pellet grill ($199 for my Members Mark about 2 years ago), go for it. Believe me you will not go back
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I'll definitely have to give that a shot. I know friends and family that really love them and have a lot good to say about them.

Who makes the best pellet grill? I don't have experience with them but a lot of them don't seem very well built? I believe traeger has a 10-year warranty which is definitely nice. I've heard really good things about customer service from Green mountain but also heard of people needing to replace parts often. Has Webers latest generation pellet grill worked out the kinks?
 
Josh Dekubber said:
I haven't used charcoal grills because I've always been busy and in a hurry. Now I'm slowing down my pace a little bit as I get closer to retirement and definitely want to try some new stuff.
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Come to the Dark Side Josh, use the Charcoal force. Nothing better than a steak over Charcoal. Sorry gassers, just a fact (well, at least in my mind).

22” / 18” Kettle or Jumbo Joe (JJ) will do it all. 18” & JJ are efficient with Charcoal. 22” size is more veristile & a bit better for indirect/smoking. Any one of the Performers ups the game with 22” bowl, table & gas assist. Gas assist + chimney speeds up charcoal start up time. Performers are arguably the best all around charcoal grills. You can go even higher with the Summit Kamado but it’s more luxury priced. I haven’t because I’m still so happy with my 25 yr old Gen 1 Performer aka Stainless Steel Performer aka SSP. You can up your smoking game with a pellet grill or WSM. I haven’t but I did build a DYI Mini WSM out of a Smokey Joe. Honestly, my SSP does a better job smoking because of size & table but very it’s fun to use my Mini WSM. My only gasser is a Traveler for quick meals and griddle which is supper fun. I love it too. Some things just taste better on griddle like fish, veggies, breakfast, etc. Sometimes I use both Charcoal and gasser grills at same time.
 
Mike-GA said:
Come to the Dark Side Josh, use the Charcoal force. Nothing better than a steak over Charcoal. Sorry gassers, just a fact (well, at least in my mind).

22” / 18” Kettle or Jumbo Joe (JJ) will do it all. 18” & JJ are efficient with Charcoal. 22” size is more veristile & a bit better for indirect/smoking. Any one of the Performers ups the game with 22” bowl, table & gas assist. Gas assist + chimney speeds up charcoal start up time. Performers are arguably the best all around charcoal grills. You can go even higher with the Summit Kamado but it’s more luxury priced. I haven’t because I’m still so happy with my 25 yr old Gen 1 Performer aka Stainless Steel Performer aka SSP. You can up your smoking game with a pellet grill or WSM. I haven’t but I did build a DYI Mini WSM out of a Smokey Joe. Honestly, my SSP does a better job smoking because of size & table but very it’s fun to use my Mini WSM. My only gasser is a Traveler for quick meals and griddle which is supper fun. I love it too. Some things just taste better on griddle like fish, veggies, breakfast, etc. Sometimes I use both Charcoal and gasser grills at same time.
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I have actually been keeping my eye out for a 1st gen Performer. So I take it you like yours? 1st Gen Performer frame work looks similar to my old Weber gassers. I think it would be cool to have both side by side. I think it would be cool to incorporate wood slats into the bottom rack of the 1st gen performer.
 
Charcoal is wonderful. No charcoal on my deck, raised, wood, frame house. Errant spark not good. I know of 2 people who've used charcoal grills on wooden decks and had a spark get away and there went the house, deck and all. But, when I lay the patio behind the house of concrete I smell a possible WSK in my future to augment my other wood fueled cooking
 
I am definitely not a coal burner guy, but if I was, it would have to be a Summit Kamodo. I rehabbed one a few years again and I promised myself I would give it a run before I cleaned it up and resold it. It is a REAL step up from a kettle for sure. Like going from a Chevy Malibu to a Corvette.
 
Bruce said:
I am definitely not a coal burner guy, but if I was, it would have to be a Summit Kamodo. I rehabbed one a few years again and I promised myself I would give it a run before I cleaned it up and resold it. It is a REAL step up from a kettle for sure. Like going from a Chevy Malibu to a Corvette.
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It definitely looks the part. Looks thick and sturdy without compromise and cutting corners.
 
Josh Dekubber said:
I have actually been keeping my eye out for a 1st gen Performer. So I take it you like yours? 1st Gen Performer frame work looks similar to my old Weber gassers. I think it would be cool to have both side by side. I think it would be cool to incorporate wood slats into the bottom rack of the 1st gen performer.
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I love it. I did a few upgrades using things I liked from the latest Gen 4 Performer like bigger lid bale, electric start, modern ash catcher, and I raised it on bricks to get to better height of a Gen 4.

I’ve been fighting the urge to also get one of the anwesome older Genesis gassers. My wife has been a good sport up to this point, so another grill would be pushing it. So for now, my work around it to load up on accessories for my current grills that I didn’t know I needed until joining this forum. That stuff is easier to conceal and justify.
 
Mike-GA said:
I love it. I did a few upgrades using things I liked from the latest Gen 4 Performer like bigger lid bale, electric start, modern ash catcher, and I raised it on bricks to get to better height of a Gen 4.

I’ve been fighting the urge to also get one of the anwesome older Genesis gassers. My wife has been a good sport up to this point, so another grill would be pushing it. So for now, my work around it to load up on accessories for my current grills that I didn’t know I needed until joining this forum. That stuff is easier to conceal and justify.
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Well if I get a 1st gen performer now I know who to talk to about customizing and upgrades.

Yeah I can see Weberitis being contagious around here for sure!
 
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