Recent Kettle Modification

sooooo, what are ya trying to accomplish/change ? what is the issue that needs changing. really want to know as most of my cooking is on a kettle and this is interesting but hard to follow without knowing what you want to accomplish. thanks,
 
It started with just wanting longer cook times and more grate space. When I am in Humboldt with family, or doing the odd cook for groups, I often need space for 6 or more racks. This is an attempt to get back the entire grate for cooking. Also, this new configuration should give more room for charcoal was my original thought.

With the cast iron skillet/griddle I think I can get even heat, from all sides of the kettle, which I hope will allow a very even cook on butts and brisket, although this was not the original intent.
 
mbshop said:
sooooo, what are ya trying to accomplish/change ? what is the issue that needs changing. really want to know as most of my cooking is on a kettle and this is interesting but hard to follow without knowing what you want to accomplish. thanks,
Click to expand...

Its turning the kettle into an indirect cooking surface(ie oven) instead of having direct flames(or potential flames) underneath food
 
You have any pics of the ribs you did? I'm going to be cooking up 3 racks of St. Louis spares and 1 small 5lb spatched chicken and I'm debating on if I should just use my UDS or my new weber performer I'm dying to try out. My concern with the kettle is that there wouldn't be enough room for 3 racks and 1 chicken...even if I used a rib rack. With this tenique I may be able to make it work.

Patrick
 
Patrick, I think you are right. There isn't enough space to do that on a kettle. We all want to do more but at some point it just isn't practical. I use my Weber, a lot, but you can only put so much on and cook well. Lucky for me, I have two Webers and 4 UDS's. LIFE IS GOOD!!!
 
Meat Burner said:
Patrick, I think you are right. There isn't enough space to do that on a kettle. We all want to do more but at some point it just isn't practical. I use my Weber, a lot, but you can only put so much on and cook well. Lucky for me, I have two Webers and 4 UDS's. LIFE IS GOOD!!!
Click to expand...

So you think I should take the safe route and use the UDS? Either way I'll be happy that its finally nice out and get to cook outdoors.
 
Brother Philly, I'm with you about the days getting better. I think you folk have had some nasty weather happening there. Don't be passive on this forum about what and how you cook. All I would ask is be honest about what was good and what wasn't so good. We all like to brag about out great cooks but we all also appreciate honest responses about what didn't go so well. Stay with us and we will learn from you as well.
 
I would do the chicken on the performer cause you have it. Do the ribs on the UDS cause you have it. And since you now are using two cookers, throw on some fatties and MOINK balls too. By the way, with the new kettle config. I can do three racks of spares, tips and the chicken on the kettle, if I had two cookers, I already told you what I would do.
 
landarc said:
I would do the chicken on the performer cause you have it. Do the ribs on the UDS cause you have it. And since you now are using two cookers, throw on some fatties and MOINK balls too. By the way, with the new kettle config. I can do three racks of spares, tips and the chicken on the kettle, if I had two cookers, I already told you what I would do.
Click to expand...

I actually told my wife jokingly tonight I should just use both the kettle and the UDS. I'd like to preserve charcoal so I'll only be using one or the other. I guess i'll decide tomorrow.
 
I wondered how big of a CI skillet I would need to create the same effect in my (36.5 inch) Ranch Kettle. I don't think they make them that big...
 
Smokey Al Gold said:
412285e.jpg
Click to expand...

Home depot had these on sale for $5 this past week so I bought two. I tried this method with some chicken and ribs but I made the BIG MISTAKE of leaving in the middle of this experiment to help a friend move a dresser "real quick" (I forgot I promised him I'd help, oops). Well real quick turned into about 4 hours and when I got home the fire was out. That's the last time I leave in the middle of a first time test!

What I found was that this SS box doesn't hold very much lump since the rack sits right at the top of the box but still enough to do ribs and chicken if you keep an eye on it. My fire went out for reasons unknown, I still had a little bit of unburned lump so it didn't burn completely. It probably could have used a good shake at some point so it's my fault not the method.

Also I added a water pan above the coals to act as a heat diffuser ala WSM-style mod. The water obviously accounted for some of the lump burn. Next time I'll try to pack the lump a little better but the key word here is "next time" because there will be one, I like this mod. Thanks again guys for at least giving us something new and fun to try.
 
Desert Dweller said:
I wondered how big of a CI skillet I would need to create the same effect in my (36.5 inch) Ranch Kettle. I don't think they make them that big...
Click to expand...
Bo, I don't see how you would be able to lift the skillet if it was a manhole cover. Oh wait, a 30 inch manhole cover would work perfect. Preheat would take about 12 hours I suspect.
 
Jive, the biggest issue I am working on is charcoal capacity, but, I am pretty sure I can solve that once I find the round cast iron griddle or a steel plate I have in mind.
 
I don't have any way to draw this out visually so bear with me here, let me see if I can explain what it's my mind here.

So take the box like I have or even one made out of a smokey joe charcoal grate with a ring of expanded as the new fire box.

Now you know how all the UDS owners put 4" bolts down from the grate so it sits 4" from the bottom? Just picture most every UDS fire box.

My thinking is take longer bolts and make them point up from the grate with fender washers at the top. Then you can put the existing kettle charcoal grate to rest on the washers. Now the existing kettle charcoal grate can be 3" or 4" under the cooking grate, just enough room for the cast iron skillet. This will make more room between the bottom of the kettle and the CI skillet so you can fit more charcoal in the box. It could work.

EDIT: I just fired up Paint and here is a basic idea:
 

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Yes, that is similar to what I am planning. I am also looking at different ways to eliminate the cast iron in favor of some other flatter heat sink.
 
The UDS crowd uses pizza pans for heat sinks. Lots of cool ideas in the UDS thread.
 
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