Upgrade to a full-size kettle?

[Carl H.]

Cooking a good steak on the Smokey Joe Silver has proven to be a challenge. Even if I dump a full load of lump from the chimney the temperature drops quickly and it seems impossible to get a decent sear.

Whether the lid is on or off, it seems like air flow is less than optimal in the SJS. Would a larger kettle be easier to manage or maybe I'm doing something wrong? The bottom vent is always fully open.

 

[R L Bagwell]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Carl H.:
Cooking a good steak on the Smokey Joe Silver has proven to be a challenge. Even if I dump a full load of lump from the chimney the temperature drops quickly and it seems impossible to get a decent sear.

Whether the lid is on or off, it seems like air flow is less than optimal in the SJS. Would a larger kettle be easier to manage or maybe I'm doing something wrong? The bottom vent is always fully open. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Carl, could it be that you're letting the coals stay in the chimney too long before dumping them into the bowl?

 

[Bob Correll]

Carl,
You may want to check around in the portable grills forum.
Here is one thread on the subject.
Good luck!

 

[George Curtis]

i use about a half a chimney of lump. i leave the lid off. it always gets roaring red hot. will burn whatever i put on it. the grates are just not that big of a mass to give to good of a grilling mark though.

 

[Pat Smith]

I'm like George - half a chimney at the most. I think a full chimney decreases the airflow because of the mass - or maybe I'm full of it. I'm a lawyer, not a thermodynamic engineer.

I cooked lunch on my SJS today and just dumped about half a grate of lump into the bowl and hit it with my weed burner for about 3 minutes. Slapped some hot dogs on it and they were nice and charred before I could say "Miller Lite."

I also think George is on to something when he cooks with the grate off. If you want to get a convection thing going, cover the meat with an aluminum hotel pan.

The SJS is a fantastic little grill for small meals, but it is what it is. It isn't it's big brother but its great for what it is.

So should you graduate to a full size kettle - absolutely. You'll keep and use your SJS, finding new ways to use it along the way, but the 22" Weber Kettle is, in my book, the single most versatile grill I've ever seen and if (Heaven forbid) I could have ONLY one grill (wow, got a little chill there) it would be a 22" Weber Performer.

Cook on!

Pat

 

[George Curtis]

yea, i'm using my sjs about twice as much as i do the kettle now. and thats not counting using the mini smoker.

 

[Willie S]

Just for the wife and myself; I use the 22.5 kettle for about everything. Set your coals about 2" below the grill and sear the heck out of that meat then set over to the side ( no coals ) to finish it off. Works everytime.