Not Getting the Heat


 
S

Stone

TVWBB Super Fan
I bougth a Weber Performer last summer, and I think I'm doing something wrong. I can't get a real hot surface for charring burgers and steaks.
I'm using the charcoal baskets that come with it, but the coals are too far below the grate to really get enough heat. And, the heat surface above the baskets is pretty small -- I can only get a few burgers over it at a time.
Using Kingsford charcoal.
Should I be doing something different?
 
You probably just aren't building a big enough heat source. Are you filling the baskets to the rim? More charcoal equals more heat. I have found to really sear a steak on charcoal, you either need to make a big fire, not so much filling the grill, but putting a lot of charcoal in the middle or to the side. I also like using my Vortex to get a sear, it works the best.

If you do this with burgers, plan on getting a lot of flare ups. The grease in a burger is going to drip into that hot fire and create lots of flare ups. I have recently started cooking my burgers on the grill using a griddle. I really love the texture it leaves on the outside of the burger.
 
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Pat G said:
I have recently started cooking my burgers on the grill using a griddle. I really love the texture it leaves on the outside of the burger.
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Ditto on this. A cast iron skillet will give you a great overall sear and crust and using it on a charcoal grill allows the meat to absorb some smoky goodness.

Another option would be to raise the char-baskets up a bit with a fire brick or small cement paver (make sure it's completely dry and fire-safe). If you can bring the fire closer to the grate, you won't lose so much heat in between. Also, place the two baskets in the center of the charcoal grate, then move them about 2-3 inches apart, but keeping the pair centered on the grate. This will give you a bit more "hot" real estate to work with while still retaining "cool zone" around the perimeter. As Pat mentioned, watch for flare-ups! A spray bottle of plain old water is a good thing to have on hand.
 
A few things you can try:

If you're putting the baskets together in the center of the grill so they form a rough oval, as Chad said you can try separating them by a couple inches, but I then load coals up into the space between the baskets for a larger, hotter grilling surface, then overfill the baskets as much as possible to get the coals closer to the cooking grate. I use a full weber chimney & this method to get a good sear on steaks and burgers with a 22" kettle.

Of course make sure all your vents are fully opened.

Finally, after you dump your coals from the chimney, put the lid on and give the kettle a good 10min to get up to temp and make sure your coals are all fully ashed over before putting on the steaks or burgers.
 
I use the same method with Mr. Macgreggor. Birthday coming and have expressed an interest in a vortex with family members, who knows what will come of that, one can only plant so many ideas.
 
JBooker said:
A full Weber chimney starter of coal and pile all of it on only 1/2 of the grill.
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+1 on this. Trying to figure out how much heat some of you all are wanting. A full lit chimney dumped on 1/2 the grill gives me plenty enough heat to sear anything. If meats are left directly over it too long, they'll char and burn.
 
DaveW said:
+1 on this. Trying to figure out how much heat some of you all are wanting. A full lit chimney dumped on 1/2 the grill gives me plenty enough heat to sear anything. If meats are left directly over it too long, they'll char and burn.
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Yep and it also gives you an indirect cooking zone as well.

I would also ditch the baskets. They seem like a gimmick to me for cooking any thing over direct heat. I could see using them off to the side for doing a whole chicken or something like that, but a 9x13 cake pan of water with coals piled on the sides works better for me than the baskets.
 
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I'd never ditch my charcoal baskets. They're far from being a gimmick when used correctly and they make clean up and reusing of old coals a breeze. Just shut your vents after a cook, then before the next cook grab both baskets together in the middle with one hand and shake them over a trash can to dislodge the outer ash. Then put a layer of fresh coals in the bottom of a charcoal chimney and dump the used coals from each basket on top. They also make using lump charcoal easier as the smaller pieces won't fall through the charcoal grate as readily.
 
T MacGreggor said:
I'd never ditch my charcoal baskets. They're far from being a gimmick when used correctly and they make clean up and reusing of old coals a breeze. Just shut your vents after a cook, then before the next cook grab both baskets together in the middle with one hand and shake them over a trash can to dislodge the outer ash. Then put a layer of fresh coals in the bottom of a charcoal chimney and dump the used coals from each basket on top. They also make using lump charcoal easier as the smaller pieces won't fall through the charcoal grate as readily.
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+1
I use them 99% of the time and can't imagine not having a pair or more.
Add the Gourmet grate and you can remove the center section and move them wherever you want.
 
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T MacGreggor said:
I'd never ditch my charcoal baskets. They're far from being a gimmick when used correctly and they make clean up and reusing of old coals a breeze. Just shut your vents after a cook, then before the next cook grab both baskets together in the middle with one hand and shake them over a trash can to dislodge the outer ash. Then put a layer of fresh coals in the bottom of a charcoal chimney and dump the used coals from each basket on top. They also make using lump charcoal easier as the smaller pieces won't fall through the charcoal grate as readily.
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Well said.
 
Pat G said:
Well said.
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+2
I am ordering a pair of the 304 SS baskets unless I get a pair for my birthday! I will take the old ones to the cottage for my sister in law. Baskets are a fabulous convenience! Use, shut everything down, next day, shake fill a chimney with about 1/3 new coal, filling the rest with leftovers and go to town!
The learning curve with them is really pretty short, I use a 13x9 in between sometimes too but, lately I have used a shallow foil pan resting on a thick firebrick, it does add a little time to get the "heat sink" property out of the way but, the ease of cleanup is worth it.
 
T MacGreggor said:
I'd never ditch my charcoal baskets. They're far from being a gimmick when used correctly and they make clean up and reusing of old coals a breeze. Just shut your vents after a cook, then before the next cook grab both baskets together in the middle with one hand and shake them over a trash can to dislodge the outer ash. Then put a layer of fresh coals in the bottom of a charcoal chimney and dump the used coals from each basket on top. They also make using lump charcoal easier as the smaller pieces won't fall through the charcoal grate as readily.
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I guess it just depends on how you prefer to setup your cook. 2 charcoal baskets for a direct cook / sear doesn't give me a large / even bed of high heat coals. I just pile the coal on 1/2 the grill. If I need to move food from direct to indirect, I spin the cooking grate. I also don't really reuse coal. I let it burn out while burning off the grill grates.
 
It constantly amazes me how often that somebody posts basic fire management/cooking questions and it turns into an advertising thread for one gadget or another that somebody believes you absolutely 'must' have just because they bought it. Ludicrous...

As correctly stated, just pile your coals to one side and get the heat closer to the cooking grate. It's really all there is to it.
 
DarrenC said:
It constantly amazes me how often that somebody posts basic fire management/cooking questions and it turns into an advertising thread for one gadget or another that somebody believes you absolutely 'must' have just because they bought it. Ludicrous....
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Darren, if you read through the whole thread it started with a question about using the baskets that came with the grill. After a few good answers someone tells him to ditch the baskets and others chime in to share the advantages they see in using them. The baskets are included with some of the Weber kettles. I fail to see how this is a ludicrous discussion.
 
I'm a fan of the baskets. I bought a set of the stainless ones but I'm waiting til my old ones burn out to use them. I've got the gourmet system so they work out great. Piling up your coals on one side works great too. I did that most of the time before I got the baskets. I still do it if I need a lot of grilling space like you said. The baskets are nice if you want to move your charcoal for whatever reason during a cook.
 
I use my baskets 50% of the time when grilling on direct heat. They do make cleanup and reusing fuel easier, but they do limit cooking space. If I am doing steaks for the family, I am using my Gourmet cast iron grate and they are the perfect size for heating that area. But if I have more people over, I need to have half or 3/4 the grill hot.

To the original poster, if you want more heat - also try Lump Charcoal vs Briquets.
 
Stone said:
I bougth a Weber Performer last summer, and I think I'm doing something wrong. I can't get a real hot surface for charring burgers and steaks.
I'm using the charcoal baskets that come with it, but the coals are too far below the grate to really get enough heat. And, the heat surface above the baskets is pretty small -- I can only get a few burgers over it at a time.
Using Kingsford charcoal.
Should I be doing something different?
Click to expand...

All the answers have been good depending on what you're cooking and how much food will be on the grill. I just cooked eight 1/2" porkchops and spread the coals over 2/3 of the area (could not have used my baskets in my mind).

My question for Stone is this: Did you have the bottom vents AND the top vent wide open? With both of them open all the way your grill should have been smoking hot... I always run the top open and in this case had the bottom open 1/2 --it was running about 400 degrees for my chops.
 
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