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M635_Guy

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I'm a noob in most directions here. I've had a Weber Spirit for...close to 25 years?... and my company's meager list of 25th anniversary presents included a Weber Performer as one of the gifts. Honestly, while I was interested I didn't see the need for another grill, and frankly I was intimidated by charcoal. I decided to wait a while see if they updated the list.

The list got shorter and lamer. So I got the best thing on the list: The Weber Performer.

It's taken a week or so to arrive, and of course I'm out of town until tomorrow night. In the meantime, I've watched a ton of videos on YouTube and read all kinds of stuff on the websites. I've bought some stuff. And I found this place.

I have some Fogo Premium lump charcoal. I got a Weber 7416 chimney and some gloves. I have a Slow & Sear and some other goodies on order. I got a Maverick XR-50 from Overstock (for $70 which seemed like a decent deal - they confirmed it came with 4 probes - hoping it's the "full kit"). I've seen that the the S&S is a little controversial, but I net it down to making consistent results easier and more accessible, not anything I couldn't do with other ways. I've never done low & slow before. My work on the gas grill has been pretty basic - burgers, steaks, chicken and the occasional London Broil. I generally manage not to screw those up, but I'm looking forward to trying some new things with the Weber kettle.

I'll spend a chunk of this weekend putting everything together (probably - there's other life-stuff on the boil that might absorb my time), and I'm really looking forward to getting started, but I do have a question. My understanding is that these grills have a "break-in"/"seasoning' period, and I was wondering if there's anything that I can cook (or do) to make that process happen faster.

Any other tips appreciated!
 
Welcome to the forum from Victoria, Aust.
Nice friendly bunch here that are very sharing with information.
Enjoy your time here, I sure have
 
Welcome! Nice! I'm jealous. I wish my company would give me a Performer, although I've got about 24 more years before I hit 25 with them. Sounds like you've got most of the essentials on the way, plus the Slow n Sear which from everything I've read is a great upgrade. It does seem expensive, which if why there are a few haters here and there, but overall it seems like the vast majority of people love and highly recommend the Slow n Sear. I'm hoping to get one for my b-day or Christmas here in the next few months. A handheld instant-read thermometer is pretty helpful too if you don't already have one. Lots of people love the Thermoworks Thermapen, but they're pricey. They do make some other, cheaper ones that work great. I have an older version of the 600D that has served me well. But this cheaper Thermopro should work great too.

I haven't tried Fogo yet but it is supposed to be great lump charcoal. However, most people with more experience than I say lump is best for hot & fast cooking such as steak, brats, burgers, dogs, etc, but if you want to smoke something more in the low & slow temps, briquettes are much better because they burn more consistently and for a long time. On the other hand, lump burns hot, fast, and can be fairly inconsistent since there are all random sizes and shapes. I do like that lump lights a bit faster though. I like B&B briquettes, and I've also heard good things about Royal Oak briquettes. I actually bought a bunch of RO briqs at Lowes when they were $4 a bag on LDW, but I haven't got into them yet. I'll probably get flamed to death for this, but I'm not a fan of Kingsford charcoal. Something about cooking my food with a charcoal made by a giant bleach company (Clorox) doesn't appeal to me. Lots of people swear by it though.

As far as seasoning the new grill, Weber says that it's not necessary. However, I personally would still do a dry run first. Just a hot roaring fire with all vents fully open, using a bunch of lump, to burn off any excess chemicals left on the surfaces from manufacturing.

You'll control your temps with the vents. I like Meathead's philosophy on this https://amazingribs.com/more-techni...up-and-firing/using-vents-control-temperature Use the bottom vent as your main control, and leave the top vent all the way open unless you really overshoot your desired temp. It will also be helpful to mark your ash catcher ring like is shown here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQMw6DnM9rk&t=235s there to indicate your lower vents being closed, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and fully open. And don't trust the thermometer built into the lid. Use one of your Maverick probes with the bracket that holds it just above the grill to monitor your grill temps.

Pick up some smoking wood chunks too (not chips). Pecan is probably a good, all purpose wood to start with. It's great with most meats and gives a moderate smoke flavor. It's easy to overdo the smoke with hickory. My Ace Hardware has a great selection of smoking woods, and really every BBQ accessory, charcoal, etc you could want. That's where I got the B&B lump and briquettes I'm using right now. Really starting to like the briqs, but the lump, not so much. Too much popping when I start it. I'll probably try Rockwood next time I need more lump.

If you're still reading, I hope I haven't intimidated you with all this info. It's really pretty easy just jump in and try stuff, look it up here or on Youtube if you need guidance. Just make some easy burgers & brats your first time. And of course, if you can't find the answer by searching here and Youtube, don't be afraid to post a new thread and ask.

Welcome to wood.:mrgreen: Once you taste the difference you won't want to go back to gas. :thumb:
 
Last edited:
Welcome to the forum from sunny SE Arizona.
 
KevinInStL said:
Welcome! Nice! I'm jealous. I wish my company would give me a Performer, although I've got about 24 more years before I hit 25 with them. Sounds like you've got most of the essentials on the way, plus the Slow n Sear which from everything I've read is a great upgrade. It does seem expensive, which if why there are a few haters here and there, but overall it seems like the vast majority of people love and highly recommend the Slow n Sear. I'm hoping to get one for my b-day or Christmas here in the next few months. A handheld instant-read thermometer is pretty helpful too if you don't already have one. Lots of people love the Thermoworks Thermapen, but they're pricey. They do make some other, cheaper ones that work great. I have an older version of the 600D that has served me well. But this cheaper Thermopro should work great too.

I haven't tried Fogo yet but it is supposed to be great lump charcoal. However, most people with more experience than I say lump is best for hot & fast cooking such as steak, brats, burgers, dogs, etc, but if you want to smoke something more in the low & slow temps, briquettes are much better because they burn more consistently and for a long time. On the other hand, lump burns hot, fast, and can be fairly inconsistent since there are all random sizes and shapes. I do like that lump lights a bit faster though. I like B&B briquettes, and I've also heard good things about Royal Oak briquettes. I actually bought a bunch of RO briqs at Lowes when they were $4 a bag on LDW, but I haven't got into them yet. I'll probably get flamed to death for this, but I'm not a fan of Kingsford charcoal. Something about cooking my food with a charcoal made by a giant bleach company (Clorox) doesn't appeal to me. Lots of people swear by it though.

As far as seasoning the new grill, Weber says that it's not necessary. However, I personally would still do a dry run first. Just a hot roaring fire with all vents fully open, using a bunch of lump, to burn off any excess chemicals left on the surfaces from manufacturing.

You'll control your temps with the vents. I like Meathead's philosophy on this https://amazingribs.com/more-techni...up-and-firing/using-vents-control-temperature Use the bottom vent as your main control, and leave the top vent all the way open unless you really overshoot your desired temp. It will also be helpful to mark your ash catcher ring like is shown here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQMw6DnM9rk&t=235s there to indicate your lower vents being closed, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and fully open. And don't trust the thermometer built into the lid. Use one of your Maverick probes with the bracket that holds it just above the grill to monitor your grill temps.

Pick up some smoking wood chunks too (not chips). Pecan is probably a good, all purpose wood to start with. It's great with most meats and gives a moderate smoke flavor. It's easy to overdo the smoke with hickory. My Ace Hardware has a great selection of smoking woods, and really every BBQ accessory, charcoal, etc you could want. That's where I got the B&B lump and briquettes I'm using right now. Really starting to like the briqs, but the lump, not so much. Too much popping when I start it. I'll probably try Rockwood next time I need more lump.

If you're still reading, I hope I haven't intimidated you with all this info. It's really pretty easy just jump in and try stuff, look it up here or on Youtube if you need guidance. Just make some easy burgers & brats your first time. And of course, if you can't find the answer by searching here and Youtube, don't be afraid to post a new thread and ask.

Welcome to wood.:mrgreen: Once you taste the difference you won't want to go back to gas. :thumb:
Click to expand...

Definitely read and appreciated it all! I despise pecans, so I'm avoiding that one to start (knowing that isn't necessarily a rational aversion :)). I'm hoping to season on Saturday and grill something on Sunday. I'm considering doing a low & slow Boston Butt to start, but that might be...optimistic on several points.

We have a group of stores here that used to be Ace Hardware but are now Town & Country that fell pretty much the same as always, an had a fantastic selection of accessories (chimney came from there - best price anywhere), charcoal (ditto the Fogo), and other stuff. Definitely will become a regular visitor there.

Thanks especially for the tips on the vents. That's hard-won wisdom, and I'd like to do the least possible to sour the experience as we go down the road.

Cheers!
 
M635_Guy said:
Definitely read and appreciated it all! I despise pecans, so I'm avoiding that one to start (knowing that isn't necessarily a rational aversion :)). I'm hoping to season on Saturday and grill something on Sunday. I'm considering doing a low & slow Boston Butt to start, but that might be...optimistic on several points.

We have a group of stores here that used to be Ace Hardware but are now Town & Country that fell pretty much the same as always, an had a fantastic selection of accessories (chimney came from there - best price anywhere), charcoal (ditto the Fogo), and other stuff. Definitely will become a regular visitor there.

Thanks especially for the tips on the vents. That's hard-won wisdom, and I'd like to do the least possible to sour the experience as we go down the road.

Cheers!
Click to expand...
You're more than welcome. I had BBQd here and there in the past, but I've really just gotten into it in the past 6-8 weeks when I got a new Weber kettle. Been spending most of my freetime reading stuff here and watching youtube BBQ videos, and I've learned a ton. So I figure why not pass it on.

Oh one more thing, 95% of the time you'll want to use a 2-zone setup on the weber kettle, like this guy explains. The Slow n Sear will make this a piece of cake. Just put the SnS where he dumps the charcoal. Water or juice in your drip pan isn't strictly necessary depending on what you're doing, especially if you put water in the SnS. But I would recommend the foil pan to catch drips and direct more of the incoming air to the fire. And the title of that video is really a misnomer. It's not just when smoking that you want to set it up that way, it's nearly all the time.

And when you put the lid on your kettle, you'll want the lid vent on the side opposite the fire.

If you want to reference any of these videos (or anything else in this thread) later, save them somewhere else because apparently in this this Cattle Call section threads are automatically deleted a week or so after they're started.

Cheers, and have fun! Again, I hope I haven't overwhelmed you with the info. It's really not too complicated. Happy woodburning!
 
Welcome, come on in, take your shoes off and sit a spell.
 
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