Jim C in Denver
TVWBB All-Star
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Trying to understand lid-up grilling
- Thread starter M Borner
- Start date
Mark_E
TVWBB Super Fan
Here is a good example of lid-up cooking with a Weber charcoal kettle https://tvwbb.com/threads/gugas-burger-haze.98659/
Jim C in Denver
TVWBB All-Star
The OP was asking about gas grill, regular grates, lid up. Doesn't really work, unless you drip enough grease to trigger a flare up. Because you are cooking primarily via convection. And opening the lid on a convection cooker (i.e. an oven) just makes the hot air cooler.
This guy is using a griddle over a gas flame; you are using a griddle over a charcoal flame. Either totally works. Because the griddle cooks primarily via conduction.
This guy is using a griddle over a gas flame; you are using a griddle over a charcoal flame. Either totally works. Because the griddle cooks primarily via conduction.
DanHoo
TVWBB Olympian
I respectfully disagree with the statement in bold. I agree a front control E310 without a sear burner is underpowered.
An E330 with a sear burner has plenty of direct heat under the left hand side to burn just about anything anyone wants to put over it.
I have cooked pizza with stacked stones over the left side and I get stone temps above 700F using IR thermometer. Lid temp if I trust the themometer in the lid was also around 700F.
I have access to a Silver B, a Genesis 1000 and an E330. Since I picked up the E330 I've used it about 50 times more often than the Silver or the 1000. I think I've used the 1000 once in the last 12 to 18 months and the Silver B is packed away for someone, likely a family member to enjoy some day. An E320 sidewinder is at my Mom's house and when I use it, I wish I had my E330.
If people want to say they prefer a side winder over a front control that's fine as it is their preference. My preference is front control with a sear burner.
(edited some typos and grammar)
Last edited:
Jonas-Switzerland
TVWBB Fan
Just my two cents
I did grill on a 'commercial' no lid grill once. Its an inefficient grill. It can never reach the temps of my spirit gas grill.
I have a spirit series 3 burner with cast iron grates. If you want high heat, then you grill mainly with them. When I do burgers, I heat up the grates, do up to 5 mins of full blast sear and then I shut off the burners. Then I grill the meat indirectly to whatever doneness I want. The cast iron grates have enough residual heat in them.
You can try searing with just the gas burners, but that will be a lot less efficient. Which means more time on the grill to get the same sear, which will lead to a more done inside. Which is fine, if that's how you like your burgers.
And that's my main point. The lid does not magically remove flavour. It also does not 'bake' the burgers (but more on that later). If a strong, fast sear is what you like then get some cast iron grates, or try it out on a cast iron pan before and see if you like the results. You can also go the IR Burner/Coal route and see if you like the results.
Now, about baking and convection ovens. When I grill indirectly its the hot air which cooks the meat. In that regime it is similar to my convection oven. However. If I use direct heat, it does not bake the meat with the lid closed. I never saw the meat grey up on the top side while grilling directly, as it should if a gas grill is 'just a convection oven'. It is not. It does not bake. Partially because gas burners do produce some amount of IR radiation, and partially because the hot air inside the cooker is super dry and therefore a really bad heat conductor. It does not cook the meat in the 5 minutes its on the grate.(I can tell you from experience, a blast of 300C hot, dry air is nothing compared to a cloud of 100C steam from a steam oven.)
So what exactly is your burger missing? Do you want a faster sear? How long is your burger on the grill with your lid closed? Does it actually bake your burgers?
I did grill on a 'commercial' no lid grill once. Its an inefficient grill. It can never reach the temps of my spirit gas grill.
I have a spirit series 3 burner with cast iron grates. If you want high heat, then you grill mainly with them. When I do burgers, I heat up the grates, do up to 5 mins of full blast sear and then I shut off the burners. Then I grill the meat indirectly to whatever doneness I want. The cast iron grates have enough residual heat in them.
You can try searing with just the gas burners, but that will be a lot less efficient. Which means more time on the grill to get the same sear, which will lead to a more done inside. Which is fine, if that's how you like your burgers.
And that's my main point. The lid does not magically remove flavour. It also does not 'bake' the burgers (but more on that later). If a strong, fast sear is what you like then get some cast iron grates, or try it out on a cast iron pan before and see if you like the results. You can also go the IR Burner/Coal route and see if you like the results.
Now, about baking and convection ovens. When I grill indirectly its the hot air which cooks the meat. In that regime it is similar to my convection oven. However. If I use direct heat, it does not bake the meat with the lid closed. I never saw the meat grey up on the top side while grilling directly, as it should if a gas grill is 'just a convection oven'. It is not. It does not bake. Partially because gas burners do produce some amount of IR radiation, and partially because the hot air inside the cooker is super dry and therefore a really bad heat conductor. It does not cook the meat in the 5 minutes its on the grate.(I can tell you from experience, a blast of 300C hot, dry air is nothing compared to a cloud of 100C steam from a steam oven.)
So what exactly is your burger missing? Do you want a faster sear? How long is your burger on the grill with your lid closed? Does it actually bake your burgers?
Good point, I didn't consider the sear burner and haven't cooked on one, but I see it brings the total BTU back up to an acceptable range.
J Hasselberger
TVWBB All-Star
If I’m just doing a couple of burgers or chicken breasts, I use a Q1200. Preheat it to about 400 with the lid down then cook with the lid up. A 5 Oz. burger takes about 6 minutes. Tasty burger every time.
Jeff
Jeff
