Anyone here smoke on a Weber Kettle?

[Blue Heaven]

I have plunged into this with no regrets. We have an 18" kettle and I am making some fantastic food. I am right now smoking a 6lb boneless turkey breast with a good poultry rub and apple wood.

A question I have is about thermometers. What do you guys use? So much information overload on the web. Some prefer one kind while the next guy trashes it and prefers something else. I got a decent handle on my temps but it's not exact. You know, the old "hold hand above vent and count" method. Just trying to pick some brains here.

After Christmas I am gonna buy a Weber Smokey Mountain. Those things are pretty much set it and forget it. The Big Green Egg is not in my plans. WAY too expensive and if you happen to knock it over or drop the lid you will have a thousand ceramic pieces on your deck or porch.

[Dwight Schrute]

I used to smoke on a 22" Weber Kettle until my neighbor gave me a Charbroil Kamado Cooker (it's a knockoff Big Green Egg). I love this thing - it cooks much faster and is so well insulated. It is not as high quality as a BGE but for my limited use, it is fantastic.

As to your question though, I used a maverick wireless thermometer I got on Amazon for about $50. It measures the temperature of the air and the meat simultaneously. There is one that syncs with your smartphone but...that's not the one I have.

Honestly though, and this is controversial, unless you are cooking brisket, I don't believe precision temperature control of the cooking environment is important. You likely know what the right temperature feels like - as long as the food doesn't dry out, it's good enough.

One bit of advice about the Weber Smoky Mountain - if you can swing the extra $100, go for the 22". The 18" is fine but has a much more limited cooking area. That extra 4" really makes a world of difference.

[DA#23]

I have a Maverick brand thermometer. They make new models now which probably come closer to the advertised range. Mine was 100 feet and I think with new batteries it’s good for thirty.

The Weber Kettle is probably the biggest bang for the buck outdoor cooking tool out there even today. I use masonry bricks to separate my coals from the food when I’m smoking. I use lump charcoal except when I’m smoking something like a pork shoulder or butt where I anticipate 10 plus hours.

[surveyor]

I've not used a Weber Kettle. As Matt said, they're versatile and that's a big part of their popularity.

Brothewr-in-law bought a Chargriller Kamodo this spring and likes it, but he's spoil't on a vertical pellet fed smoker he bought on Craigs List for $50 (retailed $300).

I've got a Chargriller barrel grill-smoker with a side fire box that I've smoked on for nearly 15 years. Will be smoking a turkey breast soon on it.

[Dwight Schrute]

The Chargriller kamado is no joke. I assumed they were junk - but I'll be damned if I don't love mine. I cleaned mine up and I'm about to replace the grate and it'll be good as new.

[Blue Heaven]

I saw the Maverick Matt. It got good reviews so I might give it a go. I haf some bricks at one time but don't know what happened to them. I just use a high banked foil tin. I would drop the $100 on the Slo and Sear but with the WSM coming I will just put my funds towards that.

Dwight, my buddy has the "22 and that thing is huge and heavy. It seems like it would be good if you were coooking for a big crowd. I never really do though. Usually no more than 8 of us. I wish my HOA passed out Kamodo's! Dang, what a deal you got there!

[Dwight Schrute]

I saw the Maverick Matt. It got good reviews so I might give it a go. I haf some bricks at one time but don't know what happened to them. I just use a high banked foil tin. I would drop the $100 on the Slo and Sear but with the WSM coming I will just put my funds towards that.

Dwight, my buddy has the "22 and that thing is huge and heavy. It seems like it would be good if you were coooking for a big crowd. I never really do though. Usually no more than 8 of us. I wish my HOA passed out Kamodo's! Dang, what a deal you got there!

The 22" is big, but the 18" can be hard to cook a brisket or more than one rack of ribs without some careful positioning. It does require a ton more fuel (heat) though.

[Uncle Dave]

Great thread!! I won a 22" Weber back in the 80's. Love it. I've smoked lots of meat on it, but it does have limitations like Dwight mentioned. I have a membership to Restaurant Depot so I have easy access to beautiful cuts of meats(including Prime), cheeses etc.. I doubt 15lb. brisket would fit in a 22". I was fortunate enough that a buddy gave me a DuraFlame barrel smoker with fire chamber years ago. Really heavy gauge metal. If I light charcoal in either one, then I'm going to absolutely fill them with meat. My Weber can hold 5lbs. That's 10 big burgers, 10 big thighs etc. My smoker can handle closer to 20-25lbs. If I'm smoking, I'm using a digital thermometer. There's zero guess work. When I pull off a brisket, Boston Butt, ribs, whole chickens out of the smoker, that means they are perfectly done.

[Blue Heaven]

These 2 3lb boneless turkey breasts turned out fantastic. I used a Kroger brand Private Selection Bold and Savory poultry rub. Set it up for indirect heat with 2 large handfuls of apple wood chips. Smoked them for 2 hours and 10 minutes and basted with butter every hour then turned them over. Freaking awesome! It will take our Hot Brown Sliders to another level. I hope to have some left over after we make 36 sandwiches with Kings Hawaiian Rolls. I acheived my temp of 165.

[DA#23]

Really good looking turkey breasts, Blue Heaven. I’ve always said “Weber wings” are the best wings. The bricks will do the exact same thing as a slow and sear. That’s the same configuration I use. You can also use them to get a sincerely hot section the grill for steaks and such.

[Blue Heaven]

Thanks Matt! I am smoking a bone in ham for tomorrows dinner at my Parents house. Look up Ultimate Smoked Ham on the web. I did that about a month ago on a whim. Better than a Honey Baked Ham no doubt.

[Blue Heaven]

Great thread!! I won a 22" Weber back in the 80's. Love it. I've smoked lots of meat on it, but it does have limitations like Dwight mentioned. I have a membership to Restaurant Depot so I have easy access to beautiful cuts of meats(including Prime), cheeses etc.. I doubt 15lb. brisket would fit in a 22". I was fortunate enough that a buddy gave me a DuraFlame barrel smoker with fire chamber years ago. Really heavy gauge metal. If I light charcoal in either one, then I'm going to absolutely fill them with meat. My Weber can hold 5lbs. That's 10 big burgers, 10 big thighs etc. My smoker can handle closer to 20-25lbs. If I'm smoking, I'm using a digital thermometer. There's zero guess work. When I pull off a brisket, Boston Butt, ribs, whole chickens out of the smoker, that means they are perfectly done.

When my Dad retired, he filled his time for a bit making smokers for folks. They would bring him these big steel drums and a small utility trailer and he would cut the drums, hinge them up, and then weld them to the trailer frame. He made quite a few of these for folks. I wish I was into grilling then as that was years ago. Oh how I wish I had one now. He's just too, I don't wanna say too old to do it anymore, but he's sorta hung up the cleats on his fabrication days. I have egg on my face now! Love you Dad!

[Uncle Dave]

These 2 3lb boneless turkey breasts turned out fantastic. I used a Kroger brand Private Selection Bold and Savory poultry rub. Set it up for indirect heat with 2 large handfuls of apple wood chips. Smoked them for 2 hours and 10 minutes and basted with butter every hour then turned them over. Freaking awesome! It will take our Hot Brown Sliders to another level. I hope to have some left over after we make 36 sandwiches with Kings Hawaiian Rolls. I acheived my temp of 165.

LOL!!! Hot Brown sliders????? Sounds freaking AMAZING!!! The pictures you posted looked 5 star from where I'm sitting. Beautiful job.

[Dwight Schrute]

Great thread!! I won a 22" Weber back in the 80's. Love it. I've smoked lots of meat on it, but it does have limitations like Dwight mentioned. I have a membership to Restaurant Depot so I have easy access to beautiful cuts of meats(including Prime), cheeses etc.. I doubt 15lb. brisket would fit in a 22". I was fortunate enough that a buddy gave me a DuraFlame barrel smoker with fire chamber years ago. Really heavy gauge metal. If I light charcoal in either one, then I'm going to absolutely fill them with meat. My Weber can hold 5lbs. That's 10 big burgers, 10 big thighs etc. My smoker can handle closer to 20-25lbs. If I'm smoking, I'm using a digital thermometer. There's zero guess work. When I pull off a brisket, Boston Butt, ribs, whole chickens out of the smoker, that means they are perfectly done.

I'm not sure about 15 lbs, but I did an 11 lber last summer on my Kettle. I used the snake method, where you stack coals around the perimeter of the kettle and put 8-9 lit coals on one end. I put it on at around 5 am and didn't need to add more coals until about 2:30, and that was because I did kind of a poor job in one spot. I was pretty pleased with my first brisket, and I'd still be using the Weber Kettle to smoke if my neighbor hadn't given me my smoker, which is about as set it and forget it as you're gonna get on a charcoal smoker.

I buy my briskets at Costco - they're prime and usually on sale for $2.85/lb. I have a 13 lber in my freezer now that I'm looking for a reason to smoke.

[surveyor]

I buy my briskets at Costco - they're prime and usually on sale for $2.85/lb. I have a 13 lber in my freezer now that I'm looking for a reason to smoke.

Dammit, man. Because it's there.

Because. It's. There.