Temperature


 
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Lee Russell

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I am brand new to Weber and used my kettle for the first time at the weekend. It cooked brilliantly and only used one chimney of coals for the whole cook.

I did sturggle to control the temperature through out. My temperature gauge i installed in the lid read over 400 pretty much all the time.

I would appreciate some simple pointers to help me in my next cook. Im pretty sure its a practice makes perfect thing but some help would be good.

Thanks.
 
Welcome Lee! What were you cooking?

What kind of coals did you use (lump or briquettes)? Instead of using a whole chimney starter next time (if you don't want the temp that high), use half of the starter and have some unlit coals already sitting in the kettle and dump the lit onto the unlit coals. It's called the Minion Method. That should help you.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Lee Russell:
I am brand new to Weber and used my kettle for the first time at the weekend. It cooked brilliantly and only used one chimney of coals for the whole cook.

I did sturggle to control the temperature through out. My temperature gauge i installed in the lid read over 400 pretty much all the time.

I would appreciate some simple pointers to help me in my next cook. Im pretty sure its a practice makes perfect thing but some help would be good.

Thanks. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

What type of cooking were you doing? Direct or indirect?

If you were doing direct grilling, the solution is usually simple. Use less lit coals, or spread them out more.

If you were doing indirect, here's what I do. Fill up a one of those Weber charcoal basket 3/4 full with charcoal and put it on the side of the grill. Then pile about 15 briquettes on the other side of the grill, douse em with lighter fluid (thats right I said it) and lite em up. When they ash over use a tongs to place them in the basket. Watch the temp as it is going up. Keep all dampers 100% open. When you hit your desired cooking temp. Go 100% closed on all. Once the temps start to fall slightly, open up the top and bottom just a few MMs. Your temps should stabilize more or less. You are going to have to watch it like a hawk though. If temps start to spike, repeat the above procedure.. close it down let it fall open it up. If they keep falling even more, open up the dampers a little more.
 
I was cooking ribs and a spatchcock chicken indirectly using briquettes.
They cooked well it was just that i didnt expect the temp to be that high. I think i may have has the vents open too far. I was a bit worried that if they were only just open it would cause the meat to taste funny like it says on all the forums.
Thanks for the tips guys i will put the practice hours in again this weekend. Great excuse to get out there and get the beer open!!
 
Lee-

If you have a OTG (one touch gold) with the enclosed ash catcher, an easy way to know how far the bottom vents are open and control temps is to take a permanent marker and draw three lines on the ash catcher itself. The first to mark 1/4 open, the second 1/2 open, the third for 100 percent open.

Just take the lid off the grill and put the ash sweeper in each position and then make the corresponding mark on the ash catcher.

As for the thermometer, almost everyone here including myself) buys a separate one and drops it into the top vent. I find it much more accurate.
 
Lee,

Can you let us know which thermo you have that you drop into the top vent? I have OTS (modded to Gold) but I haven't found a good solution to monitoring temp. Currently I use a surface oven thermo but of course I have to open lid for this. What thermo do you recommend for dropping in vent?

thanks!
 
I push the probe of my Maverick remote threw a wine cork that I have drilled a 1/16 pilot hole in. It will fit threw one of the vents in the top of your kettle. I use aluminum tape one the other two vents leaving one open. I can add tape to the open vent or lift it on the closed vents to help heat control. A newby but not a rookie.
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