Suggestions to Improve Lid Fit?


 
G

Gene_N

TVWBB Fan
I've had my 22.5 for over a year now with 25+ smokes. It is well broken-in and seasoned. When I got it, placing the lid completely in the groove was tight to the point of it sticking. It was never easily removable hence all but one the lids has not been completely sealed. After every smoke I wipe the lid edge and middle section lip with white vinegar.

I smoked my first full brisket (10th smoke I think) with the lid completely in place. When I tried to remove it, disaster struck. The top rack along with a half cooked 17 lb brisket crashed into the a half full pan of grease water and right into lit charcoal. What a freaking nightmare. :( I ended up rinsing the brisket under the sink then panning, foiling it and finishing it off on my Genesis.

Any suggestions on how I can improve the fit so it is not so snug, so I can remove it easily mid-smoke? The leakage is not noticeable other than not being able to get super long smokes (12-14 hrs at 225+ F) with a full ring+ of KO. I'm able to work around this quite easily. I thought about rolling the lid and middle section around my flat lawn to see if that would work.

Thanks in advance. :)
 
I'm not sure I wouldn't call Weber Customer Service. I have NONE of those issues and I really don't think Weber would want you to have them either. Food crashing into the water pan and fire?!?!?! No way is that right.
 
Like Dwain said, no issues with my 22" lid. After a couple dozen smokes, it started sticking while cold. Not the grills fault - I never wiped the grease off and it was glueing together. lol

wonder if your issue is the lid or center section? The other very puzzling part was how the top grate and brisket could have crashed down. With the grate sitting on 4 supports, I don't even see how that's possible.

I'd give Weber a shout and explain everything. For me, I prefer email with lots of photos.
 
I would think it's the center section too. If the lid lays flat all the way around on a flat table, it has to be the center section being out of round. Does the friction change if you try to tilt the lid in different directions. I'm thinking just a little tweaking of the center section could do the trick, but I agree with the others, if it's under warrranty, I'd contact Weber and see what they say.
 
I sort of have the opposite problem, my lid is a bit loose, and a little bit of smoke escapes from the lid, I have never wiped it down figuring it will eventually gunk up and make a tight seal, so far no, but it isn't loose enough to cause the fire not to go out when I close all the vents. It is just a little bit of seapage and the lid lifts off nicely.
 
Gene,

I've only got an 18.5" but have never had a sticky lid problem and have only wiped down the lip of the lid once or twice in the dozen or so times I've used it. I would probably give Weber a call and see what they say. It might be a slightly out of round midsection, it might be something else?
 
Like Brian has said an out of round bottom bowl and mid section could cause this. The mid sections are flexible more so than the bottom bowl or the lid so measure the diameter of all three pieces. Take your measurements from two directions for each piece and see what you get.
 
Mine is tight, a touch out of round I suppose, so when I put it own, I hit the part not quite buried with the heel of my hand thought it lifts off very easily. I wonder if you hit it with the heel of your hand as you are taking it off, that it might not work that way........just saying......................d
 
I had the same problem out of the box. The bottom of the middle section fit the bowl perfectly. The top was out of round causing me to push on the lid at an angle to get it to seat properly. I tried rolling it on the floor to attempt to straighten it up so but it only slightly worked. I contacted Weber for any ideas on how to fix it. I told them the one I had worked fine, just a minor issue with the fit and they insisted on sending me a new middle section. They just asked me to take some pics of the issue and e mail them. Now I have an extra middle section and Will look for deals on the additional parts over time and make a second one.
 
The I corrected mine with a pipe clamp. I had a couple laying around from when I did woodwork. If you have one long enough or can borrow one just lay some cloth over each jaw and draw the bowl, lid or the end of the mid section in about an inch to an inch and half and hold it there briefly. Release and take a measurement and repeat until you make it round.
 
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