Which one do I keep? Got myself in a Weber pickle!


 
J

JimV

TVWBB All-Star
Hello all.....
Well after 1 long summer of playing with Webers.....or has it been 2? Anyway I have flipped about 15 or so and have a decent feel for these wonderful machines. I have been very happy with my keeper grill for several reasons.
1. Its a 3 burner
2. Its green with a pin stripe
3. Its the premium version w black end caps and knobs
4. I like the look of the stainless cabinet...no rust in mine
5. I have Weber burners...Weber Bars.....and thick *** stainless steel rod grates
6. The grill is is mint condition
7. New regulator
8. Nice Weber cover
All that said......for some reason the ole gal has not been screamin to 600 degrees like I want her to. This is why I replaced the regulator but she is still slow to even 500. How much difference does winter and summer make with grill max temps? How much difference does 16 gauge bars and thick *** ss grates make w max heat? I have seen this grill run for the 500's w no issue before and if I leave her for a bit she will sneak to 600 but again thats summer time temps. My next and last check of my operating system is to try a different tank. But if she isnt gunna shoot for the stars I found a new grill that will!

So I came across an ad on FB where someone was moving and couldnt take the monster 300 series grill with them. It my favorite expresso color.....3 reg burners with an additional sear burner........also a side burner that I will never use unless a real cook comes to my house. I got the grill...cover...2 tanks....grill mat for the deck.....3 grill brushes all for $200. I got her back to my workshop and gave her a quick scrape and wipe down then fired her up. BOOM!!!!! Well...not boom.....but WHAMO!!!! She starts a cookin .....smoke billowing out like a chimney and beggin for large hunks of meat. She got to 600 effortlessly and it was about 40 degrees that day. This thing felt like a cookin machine.

Now......all that said.....how many of these cookin machines have we pulled off the curb all rusted out and not worth a dime? I am fully aware of the short life of the cabinet.....just knowing that bottom shelf will rust out. Well....not on my watch....and no rust currently. But I am a bit unsettled because isnt this grill made in China? Would I be selling my made in the USA Silver B for a Monster 300 series China grill?

To answer your question that I just know u are thinking......if my silver B would scream to 550 and occasionally sneak to 600 when I wasnt looking I would have a hard time kickin here loose. I have kept the regulator legal thus far with the 11ws? rating vs the 1psi regs.......now I know if I turned a blind eye and installed a 1psi she would cook like a banchi but can I get there with just the correct regulator? I dont wanna go against what I have learned about regulators if I dont have to......As I recall Larry was saying the 1 psi is no bueno.

Ya ya ya that was a long post but if your still reading I would value your opinion.
Thanks
 

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The one you have is a SUPERIOR grill to the other. Just by virtue of it's burner orientation. Totally not a fan of the newer style with front controls. As for your temp "dilemma" winter definitely puts a hit on temps as does wind strength/temp and direction. Don't get so all hung up on max temps. Also your lid thermo may be broken as well
 
Ok Larry......I must admit I am a lil worked up about my keeper grill being a real performer. It has all new parts and lives an easy life. I will try a diff tank and a diff thermo and see if there is any difference.
 
You can’t go wrong with either one. We have an E310 Genesis and have really enjoyed it for about 5 years. It was about 5 years old when we got it. No rust inside the cabinet while it sits on the concrete patio. I picked up a blue Silver B last fall and cleaned it but not cooked on yet...so can’t give a comparison from personal experience.
 
I'm biased. I'd keep the "keeper grill". I have a 15 YO Silver B similar to yours (without the shelf on the right). Still hits 550°, which is the max on my replacement gauge. I only need that for cast iron pan searing.
 
I'd keep the Silver B.

First, you really don't do all that much cooking at full throttle high temps.

Second, there's several easy ways to boost the oomph of your grill by a little bit. Griddles, cast iron pans or (my choice) GrillGrates. We know Larry doesn't like them, but they were just the ticket for my 20 year old Silver B. Check out Meathead's review on Amazing Ribs and judge for yourself.

Like you, I was thinking of moving on from the Silver B due to lack of oomph. Swapped out my PCCIs for GrillGrates. Now my lid thermometer zooms well past the 550F marker in under six minutes. So after the initial warm up and a few minutes of sear up front, I now rarely have all three burners turned up to 11. Medium is my new high.

If you want to keep your SS rods, you could try a couple panels of GGs on one side and see if you like them.
 
Yes, your "classic" Genesis is by far the better grill. Not sure why you are seeing a temp drop-off, but I will be interested in what a different thermometer shows.

I used a 330SE like what you picked up for a number of years as my daily driver. While it is not a good grill for rotisserie and does have serious rust susceptibility in the cabinet and eventually those frame legs, it IS a very good griller. So, if you like how it grills and don't care about rotisserie, then I see nothing wrong with you making your own personal choice in its favor. I do think, however, you would come to miss the durability, simplicity and special feel of the older Genesis.

The 330 you got was at least "assembled" in the US, but the components are probably from overseas. If you decide to go with it, just do all you can to keep it dry and clean. Stored inside a garage or other drier space out of the elements would make a huge difference in its life. I also suggest deep cleaning all that painted steel cabinetry and generously waxing with a good auto wax. Then keep it waxed as time goes by.
 
The silver B temp decline could be something very simple take a look at the grease tray make sure it is in all the way and has a tight fit.
I have a Genesis 1000 and have noticed if the grease tray is not in good and tight it draws in colder air and makes a difference in the temp.
 
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Than you definitely do NOT want the newer style grill as putting a rotisserie on it is an exercise in futility. As for GG making miracles. Take it with the grain of salt is SHOULD be taken with. There is no physical way GG can cause the lid temp to rise like that. Perhaps overheat the fire box because of poor breathing sure but that will NOT show on the lid temps. But if you believe the hype you'll have fresh clean breath and girls will fall at your feet along with you will have miraculous cooking ability where none may have existed before. Nothing you add to your grill will make up for your grill being in poor repair somehow or make up for how you are able to cook. Keeping your grill in good repair and skill is all you need. Expensive hype accessories do nothing to make up for that. They may "mask" it but not "repair" it
 
Granted, I never experience the cold weather temps that some of you guys experience, but my bone-stock 2005 Silver C hits 600 in about 15-20 minutes and will make the 3 RCP flavo bars that are covering the burners glow dull red...but I never run it up that high. I have the GGs, love 'em, don't want to fight about it, but they are not for everybody.

The thing I wonder about sometimes, just thinking out loud here Jim, is I know you routinely take apart the valves on your rescues and clean and lube them. Many of those valves are the kind with very small passages and it's not too hard to imagine a glob of grease partially blocking something that small. So after checking that, and making sure there is no blockage on either side of the valve and orifice, if mine didn't get as hot as I liked I'd think about *ahem* "deburring" the orifice (open it up with a larger drill size). Or the 1psi regulator will do it, too. You do that, you're on your own, of course.

But I gotta ask, why? What are you going to cook at 500+ degrees? You wanting to sear? GGs will do that, so will a cooking torch.
 
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Thanks for all the replies guys...this is a good discussion. My personal belief if that if you have heavy metal in the grill the heat will take longer to get to the hood and heat the thermometer up. I mean if u remove the bars the grill shoots right up to max temp in no time. I have heavy 16 gauge bars and super heavy ss rods...... I will do a test run maybe tomorrow night and give the time it takes to roar up to 500.
Again....this may have something to do with the current tank I am using so I will try my back up tank. I just get pissed if one of my flipper grills out performs my keeper. But honestly I dont usually read the psi on the regulators on my flipper grills.....maybe they have 1 psi regs on them that have slowed down a bit but still run a silver to 600 in a jiffy.
My keeper grill is spotless and all new parts.
To answer the question about why I want my grill to zoom up to 500 ++++ Only because I have seen it there before and it made me feel like my Weber kicks ***!
I am a horrible grill chef.....I dont do any of the cooking here in the kitchen. I can only grill the basics...but that said I purchased 2 Weber cook books and I am ready to learn this Spring. Boy will I be shocked when it says heat grill to 300 then place steak on grates for 10 min ....blah blah blah....
 
If it's cold out and you have heavy pieces of iron and steel in there it'll take longer to get up to full speed. When it's 90 in the shade the grill has a 60 deg head start minimum. All of mine are the same way in the cold.
 
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