My 26" kettle island


 
Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Dan W

New member
Hello all - longtime Weber fan but new to the forum.

Thought I'd share a picture of my current rig:

My 26er

It's still a build in progress actually, though I have been using it for a year now. The new SS trim along the bottom is just mocked up in this pic, it's going in soon enough as replacement for some thinner guage I had installed initially. It's 2x4 frame construction and has a vapor barrier wrap under the fiber cement boards that make up the walls. The joints are caulked, and the walls have a mold resistant exterior primer and paint.

It has a custom cut granite top, and SS doors for the side storage compartments and the middle section, which is opened to the back to allow for proper venitlation, allows easy access to the one touch system, and has a little extra room for storage.

The grill itself is a 26.75, with the handle removed from the bottom bowl and moved to the front of the lid, sort of like a ranch kettle, with the top handle kept in place, so the lid can be easily tilted back and into the lid catcher using the front handle, and removed altogether with both hands when necessary. The kettle sits flush in the granite cutout, and after a while gets a little warm to the touch near the kettle, but not enough to burn -- and at more than an inch away, it's the same temp as the air outside.

I have a pair of weber summit side burners that I'd like to incorporate into another island at some point, along with a few other features I'd like to have for my grilling pleasure, but I haven't gotten around to it quite yet.

I've had a few kettles over the years, but once they came back with the 26er I knew that was the one for me. It's the perfect grill for my needs. Just thought it could use a few minor design enhancements =D
 
Awesome set-up Dan!
e-2thumbsup.gif

Oh, and welcome to the party.
 
Welcome to the site Dan. That sure is a sweet grill set up you have there.
Any pics of build process?
 
Now that's a very professional looking job Dan!
The SS doors and the Granite top look outstanding, and I also like the height of your counter-top.
Nicely done!

Tim
 
Daniel,that's a sweet set up! Very nice. This is my set up. All concrete. I can place a hot lid directly on the countertop and not worry about a thing. And,I'm extending it out another three feet to add a pizza oven!
 
looks nice daniel and yours to phil...i would love to do something like this but funds wont permit right now
icon_mad.gif
 
Very nice job Dan! I plan to do a table this year, but I highly doubt mine will be that nice.
 
What a nice setup. I've looked at the 26's and they're tempting - but all that work area really makes it.

Well done !
icon_cool.gif
 
Thanks guys, I'm really happy with the setup. I cooked professionally for many of my younger years (before realizing that it is one of THE worst possible ways to make a living), and that experience has made me very particular about my work areas. So Timothy, you're right - the height is ergonomically correct, and my back has been thanking me for that.

The storage is actually one of the things I've been reworking, because up to this point it's had room for most of my tools and accessories, but hasn't been terribly well organized. Will definitely send some pics along when I've got it all buttoned up.

Jim, we're actually in the west Chicago suburbs, and I'm happy to say the rig survived a full winter unharmed. Took the cover off after Snowmageddon came through a while back and you still couldn't tell it had ever been used. I spent a lot of time thinking about materials and construction for this very reason - and very glad I did, looks this is going to last a good long time.

Phil, I looked into concrete, another good option from a heat insulation standpoint (an important one for this kind of project). Downside of granite is the maintenance - you do need to be careful with oils and so forth, but once you get used to the idea of being diligent with your cleaning routine it's not too bad. Wheeling the whole grill in and out seems pretty convenient too - though I like that mine has its legs cut off and the bowl bolted in with steel brackets to the 2x4 frame. It doesn't budge, even if I flip the lid back carelessly hard.

Will send along more pictures as I continue to refine - was nice to share with the elite among the grilling community =D
 
Ooooooh Aaaaaaaaah......

Very cool......

I want one. If you build it, I will feed you(and give you beer) LOL. We've just finished increasing the size of our patio to accommodate the grills and after seeing your setup you make me want to continue modifying that area. Hmmmmm the possibilities. Gotta convince my better half, who will probably giggle and say go do it. she encourages the Weber/BbQ mania-she bought me the WSM and the
Performer :)
 
HA- per my post above, she giggled and then said I really like it, what a great idea. Loved the granite countertop lol.

Hi Dan, Please post more pics please, when u get a chance. Would love to see more of the detail on your masterpiece
 
Thanks Rob. This thing continues to be a work in progress, a real exercise in trying to bring form and function together. I like that kind of thing, it's challenging from a creativity and workmanship standpoint, and getting to the end product is always rewarding. Uffortunately it does mean getting to the "end product" takes a while, because there's always room for improvement. I don't have too many pics posted because there are still a lot of details to work out, but I will post as I can.

Example: I just added a pic to the Picasa album that shows a little stainless steel trash can I bolted to the liners I recently made for the inside of the front door, and shows the bit of chain I added as a stop for the doors swinging too far open (versus putting some kind of bumber on the face of the unit, mucking up its nice clean appearance)....but the inside of the main storage / access area is still something I'm going to work on so you don't see much of that yet. It still opens up to the back and I'm going to close if off but have to work out the ventilation issue (probably just a nice looking vent grate)....I also don't like having to empty the one-touch pan every few sessions, so I'm going to make a higher capacity container that I'll fit to the existing system, something that only has to be emptied once every 10 or 20 sessions, and rolls out on slides so is easy to pick up carry off to the trash. And I can still do a few things to maximize the storing efficiency of that area (e.g., hooks to hang my chimneys up and out of the way). Will defintely continue to post pics as the project evolves and I'm satisfied with this piece or that.

The idea for this thing, by the way, came from wanting to make grilling with charcoal as clean and easy a thing to do as cooking with gas, without having to sacrifice what we all love about coal - and to get my wife to not just approve but actually engage in the idea (the holy grail!). "Stainless steel" and "granite" was all I had to say =D
 
Dan,

Nice set-up you have there, but I was kind of wondering that even with the doors on all sides open, would that supply sufficient air for the coals to burn at their best when you're grilling at high heat or promote an even burn?

I do sometimes think theres a fair performance difference in say an OTG with the ash-can in comparison to the more open ash tray on the 3 legged kettles with the one touch system so I was just wondering that if the performance would be hindered in a more closed environment?

Have you experienced this or you feel it hasn't really made any difference?

Cheers

Davo
 
Davo - Good question. The sides are actually closed compartments, so opening or closing those doors doesn't affect the air around the kettle base. At present, the back side of the center compartment is still completely open. I've added some pictures that show what I mean. I do plan to close this off though, so to your point, ventilation will be a concern. I have some thoughts on how I can keep air moving through that area but no set plans yet. Will definitely test before final assembly and finishing.

All that being said, with the area being *half* open as it is right now......I had this kettle for about a year before building the island around it, used it almost daily, and haven't noticed any difference. I still get into the mid 500's with a heaping chimney of Kingsford original banked to one side, and the heat seems to last for as long as it ever had before.

As for the difference between the OTG and the OTS (or the old school dampers), it's been quite some time since I've used the latter but I don't think I've noticed a difference...but then again the coal has changed since that time too so the comparison is difficult, for me anyway.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

 

Back
Top