McSpazatron
is one Smokin' Farker
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2015
- Location
- Milwaukee, WI
My trusty Weber has been getting a workout this summer. I use lump exclusively, so I like to use a charcoal basket with expanded metal to keep the coals from falling through. Baskets are a great way to conserve lump to re-use on the next cook... Well, the charcoal basket I made for it years ago has finally given up the ghost. It was too small anyway (although it served me admirably).
![](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.postimg.cc%2FSs02BgrQ%2F1-AA1133-E-A890-4-DF8-BEE8-3-CCC70-B58-CB1.jpg&hash=2c16693c4b7a8a4ff2f2ac2c780d7f81)
So I decided to make a new one, but this time I wanted to make it more like the Slow N Sear, paying more attention to the angle of the curve along the bowl. But I wanted it bigger, lots bigger. I decided to go for a basket half the size of the bowl, because Ive been finding myself direct grilling more frequently. Not doing this stuff for a living, I figured I’d better start with a cardboard mockup of the back of the basket.
![](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.postimg.cc%2FpV4fCdft%2F695-F414-F-09-FC-4-D36-BF5-B-C268-B8-BC6-C1-D.jpg&hash=b5760e4ad8f8aa37850eb35153b51d4a)
I don’t have any scrap metal around, so I had to buy sheet steel at full freight. The the curve of the back wall require a 4ft by 2 foot sheet of steel. Not cheap for 45 bucks. After some tin snipping, I got this
![](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.postimg.cc%2F8536Zyrb%2FD8-A13-A5-D-5232-4-BA4-B9-E5-9-A65-FE7-E318-D.jpg&hash=d0418796d53579b29b9109e65fe5aa6d)
Next, I made a template of the floor of the basket, with some extra in the front to fold over as a front fence. I used a 24inx24in sheet of 13ga expanded steel (1/2 inch grate). Again, not cheap at 35 bucks... I used the tin snips to cut it out (my hands still hurt), and the edge of a table and a hammer as a poor man’s brake.
![](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.postimg.cc%2FP54Sr8ck%2F1-DC6683-E-FDC4-4-E94-8326-5-A02978-A0156.jpg&hash=330b6e2ec055e2b29fdba43d05558bdf)
I fitted both together and used stainless steel hardware to tie all as one solid basket. Went with stainless screws/bolts because I didn’t want any zinc coated stuff anywhere on this. Ideally, I would have preferred to weld it, but one would need a welder for that, lol
![](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.postimg.cc%2FW4y6hmwx%2F76-AFC447-808-B-40-A7-81-BD-229932-F03980.jpg&hash=13914989b1ae65ba2dec98f764c94465)
![](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.postimg.cc%2Fd1kcFRJ5%2FE3403-C81-AB01-499-A-B337-1-BB139-AD0390.jpg&hash=80d1d88119dec39b463fea7f0c54a934)
Because this a rather large basket, I decided to make a removable fence for the times I am cooking indirect. The left-over piece from the 2x2 expanded steel sheet was just enough material to make a simple L shaped spacer. With this in use, the usable basket becomes 1/3rd the size of the bowl, instead of half.
![](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.postimg.cc%2FJz4bxYT9%2F3-C914599-0-AB2-4-B2-D-86-C5-AFC1-DC17-D7-D7.jpg&hash=108808fe2c330e0f6859f30b9ad45a4c)
![](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.postimg.cc%2Frz2tkKj0%2F684-C2-FB1-85-B9-40-F0-B922-00-B6-D1-BF3-C21.jpg&hash=e922879fcd981f7f20db0fd5b7f4bb61)
Now, the moment of truth...I loaded full up with charcoal to test it out with some burgers. I make my burgers big and thick, so I was pleased to see I could fit 8 at a time over the coal. I went a bit too long with these, using my typical 3 min per side. During a second round of burgers, I settled on two minute sears for the perfect char. When I cook them this way (searing them first), my burgers usually only need a few minutes of indirect cooking to get them to temp.
![](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.postimg.cc%2FhvBmd2zZ%2F91-EC02-DF-6708-4-A0-B-AD5-A-0-B05-C51149-E2.jpg&hash=667ee70eab17a8015d0b1a637ce76754)
I’m pretty happy how this turned out! Hopefully I can get at least 5 years out of this, if not more. The heat across the coals seems pretty even, judging from the burger test. I tested how hot this could get, and my therm on the cool side of the bowl got nearly to 600 degrees using half a bowl, and up to 500 degrees using the fence (1/3rd of the bowl). This should turn out to be the perfect accessory for cooking chicken thighs!!!
Although this wasn’t that cheap to make, I really like the size and the flexibility this should give me.
![](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.postimg.cc%2FSs02BgrQ%2F1-AA1133-E-A890-4-DF8-BEE8-3-CCC70-B58-CB1.jpg&hash=2c16693c4b7a8a4ff2f2ac2c780d7f81)
So I decided to make a new one, but this time I wanted to make it more like the Slow N Sear, paying more attention to the angle of the curve along the bowl. But I wanted it bigger, lots bigger. I decided to go for a basket half the size of the bowl, because Ive been finding myself direct grilling more frequently. Not doing this stuff for a living, I figured I’d better start with a cardboard mockup of the back of the basket.
![](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.postimg.cc%2FpV4fCdft%2F695-F414-F-09-FC-4-D36-BF5-B-C268-B8-BC6-C1-D.jpg&hash=b5760e4ad8f8aa37850eb35153b51d4a)
I don’t have any scrap metal around, so I had to buy sheet steel at full freight. The the curve of the back wall require a 4ft by 2 foot sheet of steel. Not cheap for 45 bucks. After some tin snipping, I got this
![](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.postimg.cc%2F8536Zyrb%2FD8-A13-A5-D-5232-4-BA4-B9-E5-9-A65-FE7-E318-D.jpg&hash=d0418796d53579b29b9109e65fe5aa6d)
Next, I made a template of the floor of the basket, with some extra in the front to fold over as a front fence. I used a 24inx24in sheet of 13ga expanded steel (1/2 inch grate). Again, not cheap at 35 bucks... I used the tin snips to cut it out (my hands still hurt), and the edge of a table and a hammer as a poor man’s brake.
![](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.postimg.cc%2FP54Sr8ck%2F1-DC6683-E-FDC4-4-E94-8326-5-A02978-A0156.jpg&hash=330b6e2ec055e2b29fdba43d05558bdf)
I fitted both together and used stainless steel hardware to tie all as one solid basket. Went with stainless screws/bolts because I didn’t want any zinc coated stuff anywhere on this. Ideally, I would have preferred to weld it, but one would need a welder for that, lol
![](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.postimg.cc%2FW4y6hmwx%2F76-AFC447-808-B-40-A7-81-BD-229932-F03980.jpg&hash=13914989b1ae65ba2dec98f764c94465)
![](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.postimg.cc%2Fd1kcFRJ5%2FE3403-C81-AB01-499-A-B337-1-BB139-AD0390.jpg&hash=80d1d88119dec39b463fea7f0c54a934)
Because this a rather large basket, I decided to make a removable fence for the times I am cooking indirect. The left-over piece from the 2x2 expanded steel sheet was just enough material to make a simple L shaped spacer. With this in use, the usable basket becomes 1/3rd the size of the bowl, instead of half.
![](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.postimg.cc%2FJz4bxYT9%2F3-C914599-0-AB2-4-B2-D-86-C5-AFC1-DC17-D7-D7.jpg&hash=108808fe2c330e0f6859f30b9ad45a4c)
![](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.postimg.cc%2Frz2tkKj0%2F684-C2-FB1-85-B9-40-F0-B922-00-B6-D1-BF3-C21.jpg&hash=e922879fcd981f7f20db0fd5b7f4bb61)
Now, the moment of truth...I loaded full up with charcoal to test it out with some burgers. I make my burgers big and thick, so I was pleased to see I could fit 8 at a time over the coal. I went a bit too long with these, using my typical 3 min per side. During a second round of burgers, I settled on two minute sears for the perfect char. When I cook them this way (searing them first), my burgers usually only need a few minutes of indirect cooking to get them to temp.
![](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.postimg.cc%2FhvBmd2zZ%2F91-EC02-DF-6708-4-A0-B-AD5-A-0-B05-C51149-E2.jpg&hash=667ee70eab17a8015d0b1a637ce76754)
I’m pretty happy how this turned out! Hopefully I can get at least 5 years out of this, if not more. The heat across the coals seems pretty even, judging from the burger test. I tested how hot this could get, and my therm on the cool side of the bowl got nearly to 600 degrees using half a bowl, and up to 500 degrees using the fence (1/3rd of the bowl). This should turn out to be the perfect accessory for cooking chicken thighs!!!
Although this wasn’t that cheap to make, I really like the size and the flexibility this should give me.
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