What do you use INSTEAD of the Slow N Sear?

dadsr4 · Dec 8, 2018

Threads about the SnS pop up on a regular basis, so I thought, "What do others use?". This is not a place to sing the praises of the SnS.
Some I have used.
A wood split, provides smoke.

Mini bread pans, hold a lot of water, if that's your thing, to moderate temps. Also stack well and can go through the dishwasher.

Plain old paving bricks.

Another arrangement, to open up more room on the cooking grate.

Never used this one, just to show that some people are quite inventive.
Beer Can Kettle Smoke Baffle, first posted here in 2008.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=165643

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4ever3 · Dec 8, 2018

The baskets that come with the Weber?

Never saw a call for the SNS

BuffettFan · Dec 8, 2018

I've used all of the above except the beer cans. That's a new one on me.
I usually use my home made charcoal basket and two of the bread pans full of water.

Norm · Dec 8, 2018

I just pile the lump on one side of my big weber, works just as good as your tricks with much less hassle.

Cook · Dec 8, 2018

Snake/fuse method. Done.

dadsr4 · Dec 8, 2018

Norm said:
I just pile the lump on one side of my big weber, works just as good as your tricks with much less hassle.

I agree, except for the longer cooks what I pictured is not needed. But when something is needed for the longer cooks, people have been cooking those things on kettles longer than I've been alive.

WilliamKY · Dec 8, 2018

I use the Weber baskets or my Vortex. I have a 26in Smokinator but I've only used it twice. Just not really my thing.

dadsr4 · Dec 8, 2018

4ever3 said:
The baskets that come with the Weber?

Never saw a call for the SNS

I never had anything other than the charcoal rails, which I gave to my son with my 3rd daisy wheel kettle.

tom b · Dec 8, 2018

fire bricks or the Weber baskets

dadsr4 · Dec 9, 2018

Found these in the basement today, they pre-date my learning about firebricks. Mostly they were used for turkeys. Take about a minute to install.

jermoQ · Dec 9, 2018

Had to make some ribs at my inlaws. They had an old ceramic plate that we propped up on two or three bricks, and started coals underneath it to make three racks of ribs on a rib rack

KevinJ · Dec 9, 2018

Well the Vortex of course. :mrgreen:

dadsr4 · Dec 9, 2018

KevinJ said:
Well the Vortex of course. :mrgreen:

I like all the grate space the vortex idea opens up.

SlickRockStones · Dec 9, 2018

I used to use the flat sides of the Weber baskets to hold coals against one side of the bowl for long slow burns. Then I got the forbidden device of which I cannot speak.

dadsr4 · Dec 10, 2018

Norm said:
I just pile the lump on one side of my big weber, works just as good as your tricks with much less hassle.

I was just looking at 26" kettles online. If I was to take a short road trip, I could have one today.:decision:

Ag76 · Dec 10, 2018

When you pile the hot coals up on one or both sides of the kettle, do you not ever have any problems with the extreme heat messing up the porcelain finish on the outside of the kettle? I have always been concerned with that possibility.

smoke ninja · Dec 10, 2018

dadsr4 said:
I was just looking at 26" kettles online. If I was to take a short road trip, I could have one today.:decision:

do tell....I've got plenty of time in my hands

dadsr4 · Dec 10, 2018

Ag76 said:
When you pile the hot coals up on one or both sides of the kettle, do you not ever have any problems with the extreme heat messing up the porcelain finish on the outside of the kettle? I have always been concerned with that possibility.

Going on 39 years for one of my kettles, I'll let you know if it ever happens.
I was just looking at the 26" kettle manual and it says for indirect cooks,
After the charcoal is fully lit, with long tongs,
arrange the charcoal so that they will be set
on either side of the food (B). Position the
charcoal on the sides of the bowls opposite the
handles (C). A drip pan may be placed between
the charcoal to collect drippings.
Sounds like Weber is OK with it.

dgaddis1 · Dec 10, 2018

I made my own basket out of expanded metal. Works great. Makes it easy to shake out ash, and the small holes work better with lump, which I use exclusively.

No welding to make it either. Bottom and "back" (the flat side) are one piece, just bent the side up. The curved side is bolted to the back, and tied to the bottom with wire.

(In the pic it's all wire-tied, but I've since taken the ties out of the sides and bolted it up instead)

dadsr4 · Dec 10, 2018

smoke ninja said:
do tell....I've got plenty of time in my hands

https://www.acehardware.com/departments/outdoor-living/grills-and-smokers/charcoal-grills/8406670

Click on "Find at another store" and enter your zip.
Some of the hits say "Available for pickup as early as today" I'd call first, cause I'm not the trusting sort.

What do you use INSTEAD of the Slow N Sear?

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