Scored a Weber Ranch

saxart · 12-01-2013, 11:04 PM

I got this Weber Ranch Kettle grill off Craigslist for about 1/3 the price of a new one. Who buys a $1,300 grill and doesn't cook on it???

Well.................................we no longer have a "NEW" grill!

First off, I wanted to show the mods. Since this grill is going to be used for Low-N-Slow only, I wanted a charcoal basket so that it could keep things contained and not damage the side of the kettle by piling hot coals on it's side. After cutting two strips of expanded metal and welding them together end-to end I couldn't decide what size to make the basket, so I ended up just leaving it as a "wall" and tack welded it right to the charcoal grate. The welds are very small and could easily be ground away without ever knowing they were there.

Here it is with fire-bricks to keep the heat from "cooking" the food, and foil to help direct the airflow and catch the drippings.

The other mod I did was to remove the one hinged side of the cooking grate toward the back of the grill. Since this is primarily used for smoking/slow-cooks, this mod allows us to get to the coals more easily. A large cold-chisel driven between the crimp of the grate leg separated that section, and it can either be used separately if needed, or replaced as a hinged panel again by sliding it in place and closing the leg shut with a hammer. I'll probably hang that piece on a nail in the garage and never touch it again.

Here is kind of a funny size-comparison picture showing that grate-panel removed:

Here we are loaded up with the bird. (13.78lbs) (It looks like a tiny chicken on that huge grill!) We just coated it in olive-oil and gave it a shake of Lowrys Season Salt and Tyme to keep it simple.

Temperatures were tough to regulate until I realized that closing up the large lid damper about halfway would make things less "touchy". After that she hummed right along @ 325deg. Prior to that it had gotten as high as 365deg with only two of the three bottom dampers open and would have kept going up had I not reeled it in.

And we're cooking....

Two hours later, this is what it looked like. It was almost done, but I guess wanted to wait for the Vikings to finally beat those pesky Bears before emerging... :P

On the platter, going in the house for a rest. (I'm not sure why the breast-skin split like it did in the two spots)

It was a very juicy and well favored bird, so all was good with that. In the end, I'm hoping to try more in-direct cooks with this kettle. Ultimately I'd like it to replace the WSM, but only time will tell if that can happen. For now it's just going to need a lot more cooks done on it to get that nice rich coating on the inside so that it cooks better. I guess the family is going to have to suffer through some more of these 'horrible' cooks. Poor them!!!

Here's the comical part to all of this. This past summer I sold my Weber Performer because...... It took up too much space in the garage! LOL

Pyle's BBQ · 12-01-2013, 11:13 PM

That is a great score.
Keep us updated on the progress.

bbqgeekess · 12-01-2013, 11:19 PM

Awesome! :) That Smokey Joe is soooo TINY on it lol. That grill also looks like it would be really nice for starting a camp like fire in it for the backyard :)

BBQDaddio · 12-01-2013, 11:21 PM

Wow the grill is huge. How much charcoal did it take to cook the chicken in your initial cook?

She sure looks pretty though.

Nice score.

Bludawg · 12-02-2013, 01:04 AM

I have always wanted one but the price is what keeps me away when I can get 4 26'' for the same price and have more space. Now if I could get the same deal you got.....
Your buzzard looks good.

harris92 · 12-02-2013, 06:55 AM

Great Score! Congrat...

dport7 · 12-02-2013, 06:59 AM

Nice, I always keep my eye on CL. good looking bird.

peeps · 12-02-2013, 07:49 AM

That thing is a MONSTER! Nice score!

Big George's BBQ · 12-02-2013, 08:31 AM

Great score Nice cook I would get rid of the aluminum foil and put a pan down there to catch the grease

grillinguy247 · 12-02-2013, 08:50 AM

Nice grill great cook!

Bonewagon · 12-02-2013, 08:55 AM

Sweet score and the bird looks terrific.

Hollando · 12-02-2013, 09:03 AM

thats one big grill! congrats

sliding_billy · 12-02-2013, 09:19 AM

That is an awesome grill.

HeSmellsLikeSmoke · 12-02-2013, 09:24 AM

Where is the "jealous" emoticon?

MisterChrister · 12-02-2013, 09:56 AM

Way to go! When you get tired of this one hogging space, give me a shout!

12-01-2013, 11:04 PM	#1
saxart Is lookin for wood to cook with. Join Date: 04-12-13 Location: St. Croix River Valley, WI	Scored a Weber Ranch I got this Weber Ranch Kettle grill off Craigslist for about 1/3 the price of a new one. Who buys a $1,300 grill and doesn't cook on it??? Well.................................we no longer have a "NEW" grill! First off, I wanted to show the mods. Since this grill is going to be used for Low-N-Slow only, I wanted a charcoal basket so that it could keep things contained and not damage the side of the kettle by piling hot coals on it's side. After cutting two strips of expanded metal and welding them together end-to end I couldn't decide what size to make the basket, so I ended up just leaving it as a "wall" and tack welded it right to the charcoal grate. The welds are very small and could easily be ground away without ever knowing they were there. Here it is with fire-bricks to keep the heat from "cooking" the food, and foil to help direct the airflow and catch the drippings. The other mod I did was to remove the one hinged side of the cooking grate toward the back of the grill. Since this is primarily used for smoking/slow-cooks, this mod allows us to get to the coals more easily. A large cold-chisel driven between the crimp of the grate leg separated that section, and it can either be used separately if needed, or replaced as a hinged panel again by sliding it in place and closing the leg shut with a hammer. I'll probably hang that piece on a nail in the garage and never touch it again. Here is kind of a funny size-comparison picture showing that grate-panel removed: Here we are loaded up with the bird. (13.78lbs) (It looks like a tiny chicken on that huge grill!) We just coated it in olive-oil and gave it a shake of Lowrys Season Salt and Tyme to keep it simple. Temperatures were tough to regulate until I realized that closing up the large lid damper about halfway would make things less "touchy". After that she hummed right along @ 325deg. Prior to that it had gotten as high as 365deg with only two of the three bottom dampers open and would have kept going up had I not reeled it in. And we're cooking.... Two hours later, this is what it looked like. It was almost done, but I guess wanted to wait for the Vikings to finally beat those pesky Bears before emerging... :P On the platter, going in the house for a rest. (I'm not sure why the breast-skin split like it did in the two spots) It was a very juicy and well favored bird, so all was good with that. In the end, I'm hoping to try more in-direct cooks with this kettle. Ultimately I'd like it to replace the WSM, but only time will tell if that can happen. For now it's just going to need a lot more cooks done on it to get that nice rich coating on the inside so that it cooks better. I guess the family is going to have to suffer through some more of these 'horrible' cooks. Poor them!!! Here's the comical part to all of this. This past summer I sold my Weber Performer because...... It took up too much space in the garage! LOL
	1 members found this post helpful.

12-01-2013, 11:13 PM	#2
Pyle's BBQ Babbling Farker Join Date: 10-25-06 Location: Madrid, IA	That is a great score. Keep us updated on the progress. __________________ Bryan, Team: Pyle's BBQ Yoder YS640; Good-One "Trail Boss" 60T; Weber Kettle rotisserie ring; Big A$$ Rotisserie; New Braunfels offset smoker; Weber Smokey Mountain; Backyard Bombers BBQ HJM Μολὼν λαβέ

12-01-2013, 11:19 PM	#3
bbqgeekess Babbling Farker Join Date: 07-06-13 Location: Oklahoma	Awesome! :) That Smokey Joe is soooo TINY on it lol. That grill also looks like it would be really nice for starting a camp like fire in it for the backyard :) __________________ 18.5" WSM and 22.5" OTG.

12-01-2013, 11:21 PM	#4
BBQDaddio is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 08-23-13 Location: San Gabriel, CA	Wow the grill is huge. How much charcoal did it take to cook the chicken in your initial cook? She sure looks pretty though. Nice score. __________________ Q-ING on my: PBC, Weber OTG & Smokey Mountain.

12-02-2013, 01:04 AM	#5
Bludawg somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 07-04-09 Location: Jonesboro,Tx	I have always wanted one but the price is what keeps me away when I can get 4 26'' for the same price and have more space. Now if I could get the same deal you got..... Your buzzard looks good. __________________ I'm a Proxy Vegetarian> Cows eat grass & I eat cows.

12-02-2013, 06:55 AM	#6
harris92 Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 11-05-11 Location: Alpharetta, GA	Great Score! Congrat... __________________ OK Joe's Longhorn & Vertical Roasting Oven, Brinkmann Cimmaron,'69,'73,'84,'89 Weber Kettle

12-02-2013, 06:59 AM	#7
dport7 is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 10-08-13 Location: North East Georgia.	Nice, I always keep my eye on CL. good looking bird. __________________ If it turns out good, eat it, if it turns out bad, eat it anyway! Finish Strong!

12-02-2013, 07:49 AM	#8
peeps somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 08-09-13 Location: Round Rock, TX	That thing is a MONSTER! Nice score! __________________ - [B][COLOR="darkorange"]Earl [/COLOR][/B]- My Custom Vertical Offset Smoker by AJ's Custom Cookers ([URL="http://bit.ly/1gelc9M"]build link[/URL]) - [B][COLOR="darkorange"]Colt[/COLOR][/B] - Superior SS-2 w/ DigiQ DXII- Courtesy of Gainesville Jaycees and Superior Smokers - [B]Weber Kettle 22.5 OTG[/B] w/ Craycort Cast Iron Grates - [B][COLOR="darkorange"]Major[/COLOR][/B] - Mini WSM (from SJS) [B][COLOR="Blue"]Certified IMBAS MOINK Baller![/COLOR][/B] ([URL="http://bit.ly/1lr5cKx"]Certificate of Authenticity[/URL]) / [B][COLOR="Blue"]Join the fun in the [URL="http://bit.ly/1ew3H57"]Throwdowns[/URL]![/COLOR][/B]

12-02-2013, 08:31 AM	#9
Big George's BBQ somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 02-07-08 Location: Framingham, MA Name/Nickname : George	Great score Nice cook I would get rid of the aluminum foil and put a pan down there to catch the grease __________________ Large BIG Green EGG- Hatched 8/17/09 Backwoods Extented Party- sold Weber Genesis Gasser Mid Atlantic BBQ Association KCBS Back Porch BBQ Competition BBQ Team Proud Member of the Zero Club When all else fails ask yourself WWGALD

12-02-2013, 08:50 AM	#10
grillinguy247 is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 09-17-13 Location: Murrieta California Name/Nickname : Chad	Nice grill great cook! __________________ Oklahoma Joe's Highland, WSM 18.5", Akorn chargriller (re-homed) , SJG Mini, Royal blue Master touch, Thermoworks Smoke Transplanted Texan Chad

12-02-2013, 08:55 AM	#11
Bonewagon Babbling Farker Join Date: 06-12-09 Location: Ithaca, Michigan	Sweet score and the bird looks terrific. __________________ Jason Big Steel Keg, WSM, OTG, PBC, Kamado Joe Jr., Carson Rodizio, and a Super Fast [I]and[/I] Accurate [COLOR="Blue"]Blue[/COLOR] Splash-Proof Thermapen

12-02-2013, 09:03 AM	#12
Hollando Is lookin for wood to cook with. Join Date: 08-24-10 Location: Amsterdam area netherlands	thats one big grill! congrats

12-02-2013, 09:19 AM	#13
sliding_billy somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 08-27-13 Location: Princeton, TX Name/Nickname : )	That is an awesome grill.

12-02-2013, 09:24 AM	#14
HeSmellsLikeSmoke somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 04-02-07 Location: Warren, Vermont	Where is the "jealous" emoticon? __________________ Jim - Another transplanted Texan Former KCBS CBJ Large and Medium Big Green Eggs , Black 18.5" WSM, Blue Weber Performer - Stainless, Green Weber OTG Kettle , Brinkmann SnP Pro, and a Stainless UDS. One retired Portable Kitchen grill. Red Thermapen, Maverick ET-732, EdgePro Apex Sharpener. Avatar is the original 1951 Weber Kettle

12-02-2013, 09:56 AM	#15
MisterChrister Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 04-28-12 Location: Wis-con-sin	Way to go! When you get tired of this one hogging space, give me a shout! __________________ Kettleheads Anonymous Charter Member