Weber Kettle, low-n-slow, let's see your setup
Let's see some of the various setups we all use for cooking low-n-slow on a kettle.
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u...g?t=1311924097 A large cast iron pan with charcoal around the edges, I like to put lump over briquettes, and the wood goes on top. Foil balls to hold up cast iron pizza pan. Water in skillet. http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u...g?t=1311924093 Cast iron pizza skillet on top of foil balls, the skillet is filled with water. The charcoal will eventually be lit in one end and it should burn around the edges. http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u...g?t=1311924099 Here is the wood on top of the charcoal. The end of the charcoal is lit in this image. That is a 14 pound packer and the charcoal burned at 275F, for 8 hours. The charcoal burned, counter-clockwise, around to about 8 o'clock in that photo. |
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Here is another setup I use...
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u...ettlesetup.jpg Charcoal piled on one side of kettle. Large water filled cast iron skillet on the other side, sometimes I will place a folded foil barrier between the fire and skillet. |
I use concrete bricks on top of bottom grate. They act as a separator between temperature zones as well as heat sinks/barriers.
If I want 2 zones I put in a wall of bricks (2), If I want a 3 zone, I'll go t-shape with the bricks. I bank the charcoal on the bricks, not the wall of the kettle. This allows for the circulatory air flow still. |
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Pitmaster ique 110, Weber extension ring / rotis and ribolator. Cover charcoal grate in HD foil leaving about 6" exposed. Place one chimney of unlit charcoal over opened portion of grate. Place watedr pan on foiled area. Toss on 2-3 pecan wood chunks. Light with Weber starter cube, close lid, turn on ribolator and pitmaster 110, enjoy 225 degrees for up to 8 hours.
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I use a large disposable roasting pan to close off about 2/3 of the lower grate area. Fill the other 1/3 with unlit and drop about 10 lit briquettes off to one side for a long burn. Couple chunks of hardwood mixed in with the unlit. Sometimes I use a couiple steel cans for water in the roasting pan.
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I used to use steel cans for water, but, someone threw them away while I was in the hospital. Decided I don't need them anymore. The disposable pan is a good thing, but, I hate the idea of throwing them away. The cast iron will last a long time.
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Previous LNS kettle setup, using a Smokenator and the extra shelf.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...adytosmoke.jpg Nowadays I just use two firebrick splits to block off 3-4" from one side of the kettle, and fill the narrow . I wrap the charcoal grate with HD foil and put a foil pan on the bottom rack to catch drippings. I light the coals with the Minion method, using 6-10 lit briquettes placed at one end to get the fire going. I place 3-4 chunks of hickory, pecan, apple or cherry wood in the coals as I add them. The smoke wood changes based on what I am cooking on the kettle. Here's a good pic of the setup I used for some ribs on one of my early cooks. I was using two paving bricks wrapped in foil, but I have started using fire brick splits because they handle heat better and they reach all the way across the kettle. Yeah, it looks like there's too much smoke wood in the charcoal, but what I had was very dry and burned up quickly with little smoke. I now bury the wood chunks in the coals instead of placing on top. Things you learn as you cook more. :idea: http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...nionkettle.jpg Notice the foil pans to catch drips. Not a big fan of flare ups on subsequent cooks. :shocked: |
This stainless steel bowl is part of the Smoke-EZ extension kit. It fits right inside the charcoal ring, so I can use it this way when I'm looking to add some extra moisture to the cooking environment.
My criteria for using a water pan or not in the Kettle is this: For a small quantity of meat, I use the water pan. A lot of meat in the cooker will produce enough moisture all by itself, so then I skip the added water. http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/a...bTips86008.jpg |
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I use a set-up similar to Brother tnjimbob's firebrick method, sometimes , like Brother deguerre,with a big oval disposable pan(excellent drip coverage), sometimes with a smaller disposable lasagna pan, or the enamel pan that came with my rib rack. When I remember, I put a water pan over the coals (usually the enamel pan mentioned earlier).
The oval pan is good because you bend up the one curved side facing the coals, creating a dollar-store Smokenator. I'm not doing too well with the photo loading feature, otherwise there'd be pron. |
That's some Great solutions and a very informative post!
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Ok -sorted. Here we go.
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Here is mine. Still tweaking it to get results I'm happy with. I put a water pan on the right side. Last time I foiled the cooking grate above the fire.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk |
The Weber Kettle is one fine piece of equiptment for sure ......
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Meat goes over the pan, 10-11+ hrs @ 250°-260°-
http://i796.photobucket.com/albums/y.../EasterPP2.jpg |
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I have a question for those who bury the chunks in the coals. Do you have a problem with bad smoke, as in not thin blue? I don't have a kettle, yet, but my dad has been performer that I would like to show him how to use. :) I know when I start my egg I throw the chunks on top and it takes a little while to get the thin blue.
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There is not much difference in the way I use bricks, except that I use one that is broken on an angle.
Before I add lit coals http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/...sr4/Bricks.jpg After I added coals http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/...Brickcoals.jpg For long cooks, I use a ring of expanded metal, with one of the broken bricks as a spacer. http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/...4/firering.jpg I add 8 to 10 lit coals up next to the brick, you can kind of see them as light gray to the right of the brick. I have an old stainless steel pot without handles that I use as a drip pan in the middle. I don't have a picture, but for quick and hot cooks I use the ring as a fire ring on steaks and such. |
You know, since I have WSM's, I have simply never bothered to use my kettles for low and slow. However, I have been thinking about trying it lately. This thread is great for ideas. Thanks for sharing.
Question though...How many who have both a 26 and 22 inch kettle do this with the 22? Just curious is all. |
Although I wasn't going for low and slow on this particular cook, this is my basic indirect setup. For low and slow, I use the Minion method, instead of all lit coals, but it looks just like this.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/pi...pictureid=5365 CD |
Half-ring method for me. I go 2-high for low & slow (250'ish), 3-high (like the photo below) for hotter-and-faster (300-325'ish).
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/at...2&d=1311437767 http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/at...6&d=1311440184 Foil on the ring contains a combination of cherry, apple, and hickory woodchips. (foil on the lip is just a gasket, as my Silver don't seal too good.) |
I may have to try that setup, interesting
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My only problem is ash, which isn't too bad with a double stack, but triple stacking I end up with a ton. Nowadays I'll grab a bag of Stubbs if I want to do a chuckie or some mock pulled pork on the kettle (like the pic above). |
Nice!
Landarc, are those pics posted on your blog? I'd love to use them for reference for the readers of my blog. I don't cook on a kettle but a lot of people ask me about it and I'd love to have some pics/links to show them how to do it. |
I've posted this before, but here goes.
On the charcoal grate goes a ring filled with briquettes and wood chips. http://img.tapatalk.com/429d223c-ed32-2794.jpg Then directly over that a pizza stone sits on the cooking grate. http://img.tapatalk.com/429d223c-ee3b-4223.jpg Then a 18" by 3" deep round cake pan sits on the stone. Inside the pan is a rack that sits about halfway up from the bottom of the pan. http://img.tapatalk.com/429d223c-ef13-4d36.jpg Then water goes in the pan, and the food goes on the rack. http://img.tapatalk.com/429d223c-ef7e-0300.jpg http://img.tapatalk.com/429d223c-f043-889e.jpg That was two untrimmed racks of spares that I fit in there. So far I have only used it for ribs, but I see a brisket in the near future. |
Smokenator all the way....
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The Smokenator 1000 seems to do the trick for me. The only thing I do differently from the instructions is I do not use the included water pan, I use a meat loaf pan and set it on the cooking grate. This way I can move it so that the liquids don't boil dry so fast....
Attachment 62729 Pictured is a 9lb Boston Butt I put on at 0500 hours this morning. |
I see this thread is older but it has some good pics/ideas. What about air control for you all that bank coals on one side - esp on the Silvers with the 3 blade system? wouldn't it be best to only have air incoming thru the one on the coal side or has it not mattered? I just bent up a Pizza pan for a homemade smokenador that I wanna tryout this week but thinking I may add a spare air intake/damper to that side for smoking purposes and just keep the 3 blade system closed? :confused:
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Dont hack it up, i have the 3 blades almost closed, if you wanted to block two off just use that metal tape loks like this http://www.swiftpackco.com/products//2010/0825/120.html
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I like to build a wall with the wood I am using to smoke. The wood only burns where there are hot coals. I can reuse this set up mulitple times. The top one is with whiskey barrel slats and the bottom one is with oak pieces.
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Like others, I've been using my Smokenator, without the water bowl, more often for LnS.
The amount of charcoal I use in it keeps the temperature consistent. |
Here is what I have used with great success. I have gotten 10-12 hours depending on conditions and cook temp, sometimes with coals left over. I put a drip pan on top of the brick.
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2b1458f7.jpg KC |
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If you really want to gain control you must control the air and direct it to the base of the fire so it is draw up and through it. I cover the unused portion of the coal grate with Foil and make sure it seals at the union of the grate and the body of the kettle.
http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/a...ictures012.jpg |
Thanks for posting this thread, I'm seeing some really great ideas. Here is what I've used so far on my 26.75 OTG, similar to a lot of others.
http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/...ps62b6a6bc.jpg I got a used 2" X 16" pizza pan from my local restaurant supply place cheap ($3.00). It works centered on the grate with a complete ring of charcoal but so far I've only used it as pictured, a 3-1/2 cook and had about 1/3 of the charcoal left over. I do like the CI ideas. Edit-PS: I'll also just use a couple firebricks to split the grill surface when I want to smoke indirect for a while then do a direct reverse rear (chicken,steaks, tri-tip, etc.). I'll be adding Bludawg's technique for air control to this in the future! |
Good ideas and thanks for the pictures. Im going to try my first smoke thjs weekend.
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VR, Harold |
I'll be saving this thread for future reference for sure!
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This is Pork Loin with Corn Cob and Potatoes in foil. This was the most tender and juicy meat I have had or cooked. |
Here are a few more links.
http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?2510...ss-for-kettles http://bbqviking.com/2012/06/07/tech...erie-grilling/ |
I'm new to Weber kettle smoking and have done a few 4 hour cooks on ribs and a 6 hour cook on a small butt, and I am definitely a 2X2 snake kinda guy.
Just seems to keep temps the most consistent and I've yet to have to load more coal. I'm sure the setups here are effective and I know the experience outweighs mine, but if it a aint broke, don't fix it. |
Bricks divide. You can go hot indirect
http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/...psnsyc7dgp.jpg Low and slow http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/...pszcfqwr3f.jpg Hot sear http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/...psd2tfzpka.jpg All at the same time http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/...psog59i5vo.jpg It's a most versatile, dynamic setup. |
Ninja you need to give the ring of fire a go. It will change the way you do pork butts/briskets on the kettle.
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I'm so glad that this thread popped back up. I've been having a hell of a time trying to figure out a setup that works on my kettle. Thread bookmarked and now I have all sorts of tasty experiments to try!
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