Kettle built, first cook tonight

[Darryl - swazies]

My first cook, is tonight I just got the performer built. The only accessory I have now is the SNS and I am still waiting on the vortex and my sear plate. I’m just going to give it a shot, I have wings soaking in buttermilk for the last 3 hours and it’s a few hours till cook time. I was just going to try the Weber baskets one on each side with red hot charcoal in each one....and make the indirect cook area in the middle with a drip pan....I have some apple wood now and was going to try that out. So dry off the wings and apply rub spice. That’s as far as I got, wide open bottom vents and top? Or just use the damn SNS and go that route? Is there a preferred temp to hit I was thinking closer to 500 if possible in that setup or is 500 more likely with the SNS. Thanks for any and all tips everyone, I was going to use lump too btw.

 

[ChristopherC]

I am sure either will be fine. No stress. Just enjoy. Beer is a must.

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

Go the route you are planning all vents wide open and you will be rewarded with delicious results!

 

[Darryl - swazies]

Thanks fellas, I’m an already sipping an appropriate beverage. Thanks for checking in on that one. I grabbed my only aluminum drip pan I had left and ironically it fits perfectly between the stock baskets. I’m taking that tip Timothy thanks....BTW, so I have the premium not the deluxe and this charcoal container is a joke....it’s actually a beer cooler that you can fill with ice n beer. It has a hole in the bottom for the water to get out and everything.

 

[ChristopherC]

Should be the same charcoal bin as the deluxe. I think the only difference is the gas ignition.

 

[Darryl - swazies]

I thought the deluxe was sealed with a lid on top.....but I don’t know. Seriously though, does anyone use it for a beer cooler? It may be a brand new idea and I may be an awesome new member with great ideas.......

 

[Darryl - swazies]

A couple pics of the build, pics of food maybe tomorrow, I’m still on the beers.

 

[ChristopherC]

No same bin. I use it as a garbage bin for now. I have heard beer cooler or charcoal storage. Still not sure what the best use will be for.

 

[Darryl - swazies]

I’m on beer cooler, seems ideal.

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

In cooler weather it might be a decent beer cooler but, if it’s 90 the ice won’t last long. I suppose you could wrap it with reflectix? Mine is pre gas assistance ignition. Or charcoal storage unit.
I’ve been using the same kingsford black and blue storage bin for almost twenty five years. I’m not hard on equipment apparently.
The foil pans I have are the same, they just fit between the baskets, put a couple of bricks under it to keep ash from falling in the pan.

 

[Darryl - swazies]

Never thought about the heat, a block of ice may only give a few hours. So my setup is in the pic below, this foil pan seams ideal and I’m going to get a bunch more. I’m not sure I understand your brick method. I’m all in for less mess too

 

[ChristopherC]

Google firebricks. Buy a couple at Home Hardware. Can use them to deflect heat, raise things, separate coals, whatever. Anyways, some ash will blow into your pan. Not a big deal unless you want to use juices for gravy.

 

[Darryl - swazies]

No gravy tonight but I started the brine for tomorrow’s cook. I bought turkey drumsticks, it must be seasonal, brined and then I found a Disney style cook, sounds like 3.5 hours over about 300 indirect. Hoping for the best

 

[Darryl - swazies]

So quickly, I did buttermilk for about 6 hours with rosemary and thyme and hot sauce. Made some simple buffalo with franks, butter and a little cider. Did the grilling like I expected about 45 minutes and here are a couple of pics, very tasty and surprisingly lots of smoke flavour, little wood went a long way

 

[ChristopherC]

Way to "christen" the kettle!

 

[Ron De Hoogh]

Definitely a good way to break in a kettle!

 

[Richard Garcia]

My first cook, is tonight I just got the performer built. The only accessory I have now is the SNS and I am still waiting on the vortex and my sear plate. I’m just going to give it a shot, I have wings soaking in buttermilk for the last 3 hours and it’s a few hours till cook time. I was just going to try the Weber baskets one on each side with red hot charcoal in each one....and make the indirect cook area in the middle with a drip pan....I have some apple wood now and was going to try that out. So dry off the wings and apply rub spice. That’s as far as I got, wide open bottom vents and top? Or just use the damn SNS and go that route? Is there a preferred temp to hit I was thinking closer to 500 if possible in that setup or is 500 more likely with the SNS. Thanks for any and all tips everyone, I was going to use lump too btw.

Recommend SlowN Sear filled with a full Weber Large Chimney of lit Kingsford Blue Bag Briquets and add a few pieces of unlit lump charcoal on top which should give you a temperature reading on the Weber Lid Temperature Gage of around 450F for at least one(1) hour. As for preparing the wings; I discard the wing tip and cut the other part in half which general gives me around thirty-six(36) pieces which generally reach a temperature reading of around 170F in around forty-five(45) Minutes. Nice Cook as it appears that you really enjoyed your trial-run with that new Weber Cooker and SlowNSear.

My Weber Performer Deluxe is fitted with a SlowNSear(SNS) Plus, SS SNS DripNGriddle Pan, SS SNS Elevated Grate,SS SNS Mini Drip Pan and the SS SNS Easy Spin Grate. To date I remain one-happy SNS Customer. I also have the Medium and Small Size Vortex(s) which are also excellent Weber Accessories. I recently added to my BBQ Arsenal a Cajun Bandit Rotisserie Kit which will have it's trial run today.

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

You put the bricks between the baskets to hold the foil pan up, MUCH less chance for ash to fall in. You don’t have to have firebrick but, they won’t soak up as much heat as basic pavers. I’ve used regular brick and they will take a while to get hot. Some folks wrap their firebrick in foil and put them in the oven while the coal is getting fired up. That way you don’t get the effect of the brick acting like a heat sink.

 

[Darryl - swazies]

Got a couple more accessories today

 

[ChristopherC]

Darryl, let me know your thoughts on the sear grate... I haven't bought it because i figured I can just throw something right over the SNS when I want to sear OR just use the sear station on my gas grill which hits like 800-1000 and usually sears a steak in 1 minute.