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Temp control on a Weber Performer


 
R

Richard K Wong

New member
I only got this recently and I've been experimenting with temp control
I tried 2 holders with 25 bricks of Kingsford and it held for 320 but only for about 15 min or so and it dropped quite drastically to around 250. All 4 vents were open. 50 is about 2/3 of a chimney I believe
Another time I tried with a full chimney and it reached about 450 when lit but again it dropped back down to around 350-375 within 20 min. Again all 4 vents were fully open
It did hold a bit better, But is that typical of the Perfomer ?

I might also add, that there was a water pan but no water in it. So I can try with some hot or warm water next time

In the past I've used my WSM and a full chimney plus about a quarter unlit with temp taken from the lid keeps me at 230 for a few hours i.e I don't have to tend to it apart from add some water to the pan. Is temp control a bit more finicky on the Perfomer ? I'll keep experimenting in the meantime
 
Any water inside the cooker is going to reduce the overall temperature. Just use more charcoal to get hotter temperatures, start with more lit, etc.


All it takes is practice until you figure out what setup gets you the temps you're looking for.

And yes, temperature control on a kettle/performer is more finicky than it is on a WSM.
 
Here's hoping no question is too stupid: I see alot of talk about Performers, but I don't know what that is. Is it the same as the 15 year old 22.5" kettle that I use? I have a new 18" WSM, and a Q220 along with the kettle, but don't know what a Performer is. Does anyone have a picture of one? Again, sorry for the stupid question.
 
Thanks Tim. I'm new to the site and sometimes stumble on the lingo, but I'm picking it up. And learning alot.
 
Tim, Thanks for the link. It makes for interesting reading. I will continue to experiment. I think I need a bit more patience with the Performer and start logging my attempts
 
Originally posted by timothy:
Richard.

Heres a thread that might interest you.

Tim
Click to expand...
That's a thread that everyone should read.I have been useing them for 10 years in my gasser,I put them in the bottom instead of lava rock.No hot spots and a nice even temps every where.I am new to the charcoal world and trying to figure out all the tricks of it.My gasser doesn't get much use anymore.
 
Originally posted by PeteH:
Here's hoping no question is too stupid:

Pete.
There is no such thing as a stupid question on this board
icon_smile.gif


Now.. stupid responses,,, yea, I've been guilty on that one before..
icon_biggrin.gif


Tim
Click to expand...
 
If you're shooting for a higher, sustained temp, I'd skip the baskets & just bank the coals (I don't have baskets, try ~>1 chimney to start). Leave the lid offset a little or a lot too, that should get you to >525 pretty easily.

Originally posted by Richard K Wong:
I only got this recently and I've been experimenting with temp control
I tried 2 holders with 25 bricks of Kingsford and it held for 320 but only for about 15 min or so and it dropped quite drastically to around 250. All 4 vents were open. 50 is about 2/3 of a chimney I believe
Another time I tried with a full chimney and it reached about 450 when lit but again it dropped back down to around 350-375 within 20 min. Again all 4 vents were fully open
It did hold a bit better, But is that typical of the Perfomer ?

I might also add, that there was a water pan but no water in it. So I can try with some hot or warm water next time

In the past I've used my WSM and a full chimney plus about a quarter unlit with temp taken from the lid keeps me at 230 for a few hours i.e I don't have to tend to it apart from add some water to the pan. Is temp control a bit more finicky on the Perfomer ? I'll keep experimenting in the meantime
Click to expand...
 
As for the amount of charcoal in the Performer, don't bother counting briquettes - just use a full WEBER chimney (some of the other chimney starters look kinda like a Weber chimney but are considerably smaller).

I always like to start with a full Weber chimney. I generally spread the coals over about 2/3rds of the charcoal grate to create two zones. The temps with all vents open should start out well over 500 degrees and hold there for well longer than it takes to cook anything that you want to cook at 500 degrees.

For lower target temperatures, work the vents - a little adjustment goes a long way, but it takes a bit for the temps to regulate after you adjust the vents.

A little experimenting just gives you the chance to cook some more!

Pat
 
I've cooked on my performer for 8 years, and on a regular kettle before that. It's more art than science, but some things are sure. More charcoal equals more heat. Make sure the charcoal is completely ready for cooking before putting the lid down too. I found that if I jumped the gun a bit, I would get a serious drop in temps when the lid went on. You will also see a large decrease in lid temp if you add the meat to the center of the cooking grate. I'm guessing that the meat blocks some of the direct heat to the probe.

In the end, I learned that the lid thermometer is good for showing temperature movement after the lid has been down for a few minutes, but otherwise I trust my eyes, ears, experience, and the probe that's in the meat more than anything else.

Hope that helps!
 
Many thanks to everyone who responded. Some very good input. I'll definitely experiment more. I'll go with a full chimney in future to start with and ditch the holders. I've never tried lump before. Is lump easy to come by ? I've never seen it in Walmart or Costco. But I've never really looked out for it either
 
Hmmmm.

I'm a little confused by this thread. The title of the thread is Weber Performer and then you state "there was a water pan". WSM's have water pans, Performer's don't.

He does state that he has a WSM.

We'll need to know what you are trying to accomplish with the Performer for better advice.
 
When I saw water pan, I've just adding a aluminum tray in the middle between the holders to catch drippings. This is not the same as the water pan from the WSM

What I'm trying to accomplish. Better temp control. I tried some thighs last week and followed suggestions of 2 holders of 25 bricks. It didn't hold the temp for very long. That's why I'm asking
 
Richard, do you have a BBQs Galore near you? That is one reliable source for lump charcoal. I have also found it at some grocery stores and hardware stores.
 
thanks. there's one in Palo Alto, CA. I'll check that out and perhaps stop off at Home Depot, Orchard and see if there's other bbq stuff to pick up
 
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