Okay so here's the scoop. I got stupid and let my New Braunfels Bandera rust out. Simply put, it was a storage problem. I needed something easier to roll into and out of hte garage.
Well I have been using a little Weber Smokey Joe Silver, the baby table top 14" grill since the Bandera rusted out, mostly because I had it, and it worked, but it lacked a good way to smoke things like multiple racks of ribs, or a full brisket etc...
Fast forward to about 2 months ago, I got fed up with the limitations of the Smokey Joe. I was going to grab a Weber Original 22.5, with the one touch cleaning system, but got honestly side tracked by a Jumbo Joe Premium at Walmart for 2/3 the price... I added a hinged grate to help tend the coals while in use, a tool hanger to keep things at the ready, and installed a DozyAnt BBQ thermometer in the lid. With sale prices, I was still at less than the Original would have cost me...
Well in the mean time, my Dad passed away (bad) and we ended up BBQing for a LOT of friends and family (worse) on the one Weber 22.5" kettle... I quickly found I wanted more grill space. Specifically I wanted space for a second / different type of cook. I can low and slow on one, real BBQ, and I can grill and sear on the other...
There are things iwth the Jumbo Joe Premium I don't like, most notably it is a bit shorter than a standard Weber, and I am a tall guy. With a bad back.
So I went onto my local craigslist, and found a guy that was getting out of charcoal in favor of propane, and was selling his older Weber Daisy wheel 22.5 kettle, with a tool hanger, condiment rack, and a couple of charcoal baskets, not to mention about 20lbs of Kingsford Blue Bag charcoal. The price was fair, not great, but fair at $50.00.
All told, between the 2, I have as much into them, as I would a Original kettle premium new from Home Depot. Okay I don't have a self cleaning system, I have twice the cooking space and I can cook at 2 different temps without screwing things up!
I still have the Smokey Joe. The poor cooking grate was more or less had, so I got a new grate for that, but aside from that, it is holding up like a champ.
I also finally got a chance to use my Walmart ProGrade WiFi thermometer. So far so good. Used it to monitor temps on Chicken Fajita Breasts.
Anyway, here are the pics...
Daisy wheel kettle on left with the accessorie4s, Jumbo Joe Premium on right after mods... I forgot to snap a pic of the Smokey Joe!
The old tool hanger is actually a little different than the newer one I have on the Jumbo Joe. The wire loop on the end is bigger, making it impossible to hang my tongs from it! Oops! I am probably going to take a wire wheel to this, then repaint it with VHT Engine Enamel to give it new life!
The condiment rack is awesome. You don't see these every day for sure! A great way to hold seasonings, mops etc... without needing a whole table in the yard!
It's kind of hard to see the rack / basket thing there, but there are these really interesting wire basket / rack things. Really nothing more than just a wire, well... a wall holding the charcoal in place on either side. These are plenty awesome, and will be even better when I swap out the cooking grate for a hinged grate.
There are a couple of minor dents and dings, and just, well general surface rust. I am going to kill off the surface rust, degrease the surface and give it a good sanding with some 400 grit in the spots that need it, and then patch the finish with the previously mentioned VHT Engine Enamel. The stuff will hold 500 deg F, and while it is hot, it isn't THAT hot on the kettle...
The idea is to be able to stop rust in its tracks, so I can go ahead and use the weber as designed, and well.... Not care if I forgot and let it in the yard in the rain...
Well I have been using a little Weber Smokey Joe Silver, the baby table top 14" grill since the Bandera rusted out, mostly because I had it, and it worked, but it lacked a good way to smoke things like multiple racks of ribs, or a full brisket etc...
Fast forward to about 2 months ago, I got fed up with the limitations of the Smokey Joe. I was going to grab a Weber Original 22.5, with the one touch cleaning system, but got honestly side tracked by a Jumbo Joe Premium at Walmart for 2/3 the price... I added a hinged grate to help tend the coals while in use, a tool hanger to keep things at the ready, and installed a DozyAnt BBQ thermometer in the lid. With sale prices, I was still at less than the Original would have cost me...
Well in the mean time, my Dad passed away (bad) and we ended up BBQing for a LOT of friends and family (worse) on the one Weber 22.5" kettle... I quickly found I wanted more grill space. Specifically I wanted space for a second / different type of cook. I can low and slow on one, real BBQ, and I can grill and sear on the other...
There are things iwth the Jumbo Joe Premium I don't like, most notably it is a bit shorter than a standard Weber, and I am a tall guy. With a bad back.
So I went onto my local craigslist, and found a guy that was getting out of charcoal in favor of propane, and was selling his older Weber Daisy wheel 22.5 kettle, with a tool hanger, condiment rack, and a couple of charcoal baskets, not to mention about 20lbs of Kingsford Blue Bag charcoal. The price was fair, not great, but fair at $50.00.
All told, between the 2, I have as much into them, as I would a Original kettle premium new from Home Depot. Okay I don't have a self cleaning system, I have twice the cooking space and I can cook at 2 different temps without screwing things up!
I still have the Smokey Joe. The poor cooking grate was more or less had, so I got a new grate for that, but aside from that, it is holding up like a champ.
I also finally got a chance to use my Walmart ProGrade WiFi thermometer. So far so good. Used it to monitor temps on Chicken Fajita Breasts.
Anyway, here are the pics...
Daisy wheel kettle on left with the accessorie4s, Jumbo Joe Premium on right after mods... I forgot to snap a pic of the Smokey Joe!
The old tool hanger is actually a little different than the newer one I have on the Jumbo Joe. The wire loop on the end is bigger, making it impossible to hang my tongs from it! Oops! I am probably going to take a wire wheel to this, then repaint it with VHT Engine Enamel to give it new life!
The condiment rack is awesome. You don't see these every day for sure! A great way to hold seasonings, mops etc... without needing a whole table in the yard!
It's kind of hard to see the rack / basket thing there, but there are these really interesting wire basket / rack things. Really nothing more than just a wire, well... a wall holding the charcoal in place on either side. These are plenty awesome, and will be even better when I swap out the cooking grate for a hinged grate.
There are a couple of minor dents and dings, and just, well general surface rust. I am going to kill off the surface rust, degrease the surface and give it a good sanding with some 400 grit in the spots that need it, and then patch the finish with the previously mentioned VHT Engine Enamel. The stuff will hold 500 deg F, and while it is hot, it isn't THAT hot on the kettle...
The idea is to be able to stop rust in its tracks, so I can go ahead and use the weber as designed, and well.... Not care if I forgot and let it in the yard in the rain...
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