Need help with grilling temp not getting hot enough


 
T

TravisGrimm

TVWBB Member
Hello all,

I have a 26" kettle. When I bought it it was used for primarily smoking. But since I've gotten rid of my gasser and grill only on charcoal at my wife's request. I have the big weber chimney. I'll fill it all the way up and let it get good n hot. If I'm not using the slow n sear or vortex I cannot get the grill hot enough to sear or even crisp up the protein I'm cooking. I was wondering if maybe a 22" would be a better choice for grilling and maybe be a little more fuel efficient? Any thoughts and advice would be great!
 
I have a big Weber chimney which I fill up high for my 22. It's just right. For a 26, perhaps a 2nd chimney is called for, full or partial.

Of course, cooking on a 22 is more efficient. If a 22 provides you with ample grate space for your needs, then why waste energy using a 26?

I have a 22 and would love to add a 26 someday (when my wife doesn't notice its arrival). However, that's because I often cook quantities for a lot of company and a 22's real estate doesn't cut it for those occasions.
 
I light generally a 3/4 full chimney although depending it may be full. Get it rolling and pour on top of unlit charcoal and have never had any issues with temp.

I also do not use any accessories like slow n sear
 
Type of fuel may play a bit too. I used half a chimney today but I had 2 nice big hunks in there. I cooked lower at 270 or so for at least 1.5 hours and then pulled the temp up past 425 relatively quickly to perform a sear. I tossed a couple fresh smaller pieces on top while bringing the temp up. Jealous devil lump is what I used.
 
It's possible that you may be leaving the coals in the chimney too long - if you wait until the top ones are red hot, the bottom ones are going to be almost spent.
Another thing you can try is to flip the wire grate at the bottom of the chimney - that'll give you a little more room for extra coals.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top