Weber question
Discussion
Fotic said:
KFC said:
Carrying the chimney over to the bbq ended up with loads of roasting hot coals all over the patio.
I think you're using the chimney wrongly! I light mine in situ and then just up-end it when the top coals are grey. Why are you lighting it elsewhere?
arfur said:
Fotic said:
KFC said:
Carrying the chimney over to the bbq ended up with loads of roasting hot coals all over the patio.
I think you're using the chimney wrongly! I light mine in situ and then just up-end it when the top coals are grey. Why are you lighting it elsewhere?
My question was, why is he lighting it somewhere else and then carrying it over to the bbq?
Fotic said:
I think you're using the chimney wrongly!
I light mine in situ and then just up-end it when the top coals are grey. Why are you lighting it elsewhere?
Because I was ending up with burnt bits of newspaper stuck all over the part you cook food on. I need to get a wire brush to rub those off really. I was lighting the chimney sitting in my old brick bbq. I light mine in situ and then just up-end it when the top coals are grey. Why are you lighting it elsewhere?
Fotic said:
That's not how I do it. I've always done it how weber suggest: http://www.weber.com/weber-nation/grill-skills/mas...
Yup thats how i've been doing itIf I want to do a quick direct heat grill then I use charcoal rather than briquettes.
The problem comes if the charcoal is all the nasty small stuff, bit like the charcoal equivalent of nutty slack that old codgers from the days of coal fires will recognise. Basically all small bits and lots of dust.
Cheap charcoal avoid. Not much help but I buy direct from some charcoal burners in the forest. Have a Google you might find someone local.
The problem comes if the charcoal is all the nasty small stuff, bit like the charcoal equivalent of nutty slack that old codgers from the days of coal fires will recognise. Basically all small bits and lots of dust.
Cheap charcoal avoid. Not much help but I buy direct from some charcoal burners in the forest. Have a Google you might find someone local.
I have a small Weber Smokey Joe, which I use for small portions of food, say for one or two people.
If cooking hot and fast, fill that with charcoal and watch it like a hawk in case of fat flares.
It is possible to pile up a chimney starter's worth of charcoal into one side, so you've a quiet area into which to move food which is flaring.
If cooking hot and fast, fill that with charcoal and watch it like a hawk in case of fat flares.
It is possible to pile up a chimney starter's worth of charcoal into one side, so you've a quiet area into which to move food which is flaring.
KFC said:
Fotic said:
I think you're using the chimney wrongly!
I light mine in situ and then just up-end it when the top coals are grey. Why are you lighting it elsewhere?
Because I was ending up with burnt bits of newspaper stuck all over the part you cook food on. I need to get a wire brush to rub those off really. I was lighting the chimney sitting in my old brick bbq. I light mine in situ and then just up-end it when the top coals are grey. Why are you lighting it elsewhere?
Fotic said:
That's not how I do it. I've always done it how weber suggest: http://www.weber.com/weber-nation/grill-skills/mas...
Yup thats how i've been doing itAside from the WSM I have 57cm Weber kettle. One touch something or other, the one with the fold up sections on the grill grid.
Only trouble I have ever had in getting a full or half full chimney starter going andget Iit really hot is if either it's all small bits of charcoal or the airflow isn't good. It still gets hot but more slowly.
Half full for a quick direct grill for one to three people. That's half way between the top of the cylinder and top of the conical grid inside the cylinder. So just over half full by volume.
Remove the cooking grill, place chimney on fire grate, make sure ash pan empty and all vents fully open, lid off obviously.
Newspaper is slowest and messiest to get it going. The paraffin cubes are ok but recently tried these fibre cubes also from Weber. Just one and the contents are going well very quickly.
Tip hot coals onto one side so you have a hot section and a cooler section.
More and more finding myself cooking stuff on the side away from the coals with the lid on. Moving it across to get the right finish as required. Obviously if grilling something that needs the rapid searing heat then over the hot area.
Always oil the cooking grid first. No sticking.
Only trouble I have ever had in getting a full or half full chimney starter going andget Iit really hot is if either it's all small bits of charcoal or the airflow isn't good. It still gets hot but more slowly.
Half full for a quick direct grill for one to three people. That's half way between the top of the cylinder and top of the conical grid inside the cylinder. So just over half full by volume.
Remove the cooking grill, place chimney on fire grate, make sure ash pan empty and all vents fully open, lid off obviously.
Newspaper is slowest and messiest to get it going. The paraffin cubes are ok but recently tried these fibre cubes also from Weber. Just one and the contents are going well very quickly.
Tip hot coals onto one side so you have a hot section and a cooler section.
More and more finding myself cooking stuff on the side away from the coals with the lid on. Moving it across to get the right finish as required. Obviously if grilling something that needs the rapid searing heat then over the hot area.
Always oil the cooking grid first. No sticking.
Thanks, I'll need to start oiling it as the kebabs were sticking a bit there.
One thing with this cheap charcoal, i nearly filled the chimney to the top and by the time it was ready to go in to cook, a huge amount of the volume of it had burnt away. A lot more than with the weber briquettes.
I done this x2 , I think I could probably have managed it x3 but to do it for 4 people would have required a second lot of those cheap supermarket charcoals I reckon.
Really happy with how this is working - the weber itself is excellent, and I found a brilliant butchers / shop too. http://thenaturalmeatco.com if anyones in the algarve. Those chicken kebabs cost around a euro each. The beef Koftas were 75 cents. Stick some rice and pitta bread on there and you're looking about 3 euros a plate, can't complain!
One thing with this cheap charcoal, i nearly filled the chimney to the top and by the time it was ready to go in to cook, a huge amount of the volume of it had burnt away. A lot more than with the weber briquettes.
I done this x2 , I think I could probably have managed it x3 but to do it for 4 people would have required a second lot of those cheap supermarket charcoals I reckon.
Really happy with how this is working - the weber itself is excellent, and I found a brilliant butchers / shop too. http://thenaturalmeatco.com if anyones in the algarve. Those chicken kebabs cost around a euro each. The beef Koftas were 75 cents. Stick some rice and pitta bread on there and you're looking about 3 euros a plate, can't complain!
FiF said:
Aside from the WSM I have 57cm Weber kettle. One touch something or other, the one with the fold up sections on the grill grid.
Only trouble I have ever had in getting a full or half full chimney starter going andget Iit really hot is if either it's all small bits of charcoal or the airflow isn't good. It still gets hot but more slowly.
Half full for a quick direct grill for one to three people. That's half way between the top of the cylinder and top of the conical grid inside the cylinder. So just over half full by volume.
Remove the cooking grill, place chimney on fire grate, make sure ash pan empty and all vents fully open, lid off obviously.
Newspaper is slowest and messiest to get it going. The paraffin cubes are ok but recently tried these fibre cubes also from Weber. Just one and the contents are going well very quickly.
Tip hot coals onto one side so you have a hot section and a cooler section.
More and more finding myself cooking stuff on the side away from the coals with the lid on. Moving it across to get the right finish as required. Obviously if grilling something that needs the rapid searing heat then over the hot area.
Always oil the cooking grid first. No sticking.
Sounds like you need a water smoker ... indirect cooking Only trouble I have ever had in getting a full or half full chimney starter going andget Iit really hot is if either it's all small bits of charcoal or the airflow isn't good. It still gets hot but more slowly.
Half full for a quick direct grill for one to three people. That's half way between the top of the cylinder and top of the conical grid inside the cylinder. So just over half full by volume.
Remove the cooking grill, place chimney on fire grate, make sure ash pan empty and all vents fully open, lid off obviously.
Newspaper is slowest and messiest to get it going. The paraffin cubes are ok but recently tried these fibre cubes also from Weber. Just one and the contents are going well very quickly.
Tip hot coals onto one side so you have a hot section and a cooler section.
More and more finding myself cooking stuff on the side away from the coals with the lid on. Moving it across to get the right finish as required. Obviously if grilling something that needs the rapid searing heat then over the hot area.
Always oil the cooking grid first. No sticking.
Long and low goodnessarfur said:
FiF said:
Aside from the WSM I have 57cm Weber kettle. One touch something or other, the one with the fold up sections on the grill grid.
Only trouble I have ever had in getting a full or half full chimney starter going andget Iit really hot is if either it's all small bits of charcoal or the airflow isn't good. It still gets hot but more slowly.
Half full for a quick direct grill for one to three people. That's half way between the top of the cylinder and top of the conical grid inside the cylinder. So just over half full by volume.
Remove the cooking grill, place chimney on fire grate, make sure ash pan empty and all vents fully open, lid off obviously.
Newspaper is slowest and messiest to get it going. The paraffin cubes are ok but recently tried these fibre cubes also from Weber. Just one and the contents are going well very quickly.
Tip hot coals onto one side so you have a hot section and a cooler section.
More and more finding myself cooking stuff on the side away from the coals with the lid on. Moving it across to get the right finish as required. Obviously if grilling something that needs the rapid searing heat then over the hot area.
Always oil the cooking grid first. No sticking.
Sounds like you need a water smoker ... indirect cooking Only trouble I have ever had in getting a full or half full chimney starter going andget Iit really hot is if either it's all small bits of charcoal or the airflow isn't good. It still gets hot but more slowly.
Half full for a quick direct grill for one to three people. That's half way between the top of the cylinder and top of the conical grid inside the cylinder. So just over half full by volume.
Remove the cooking grill, place chimney on fire grate, make sure ash pan empty and all vents fully open, lid off obviously.
Newspaper is slowest and messiest to get it going. The paraffin cubes are ok but recently tried these fibre cubes also from Weber. Just one and the contents are going well very quickly.
Tip hot coals onto one side so you have a hot section and a cooler section.
More and more finding myself cooking stuff on the side away from the coals with the lid on. Moving it across to get the right finish as required. Obviously if grilling something that needs the rapid searing heat then over the hot area.
Always oil the cooking grid first. No sticking.
Long and low goodnessHave one of the big smokey mountains in addition to the kettle.
Next accessory will be the rotisserie attachment I think.
I've ordered the pizza stone thing from Weber, waiting on that arriving next week. I just went back to that meat shop, so easy to spend money in there 
100 euros this cost, and that doesn't even include the chicken kebabs which is the main reason I went there. They were sold out. I've ordered 36 of them to collect tomorrow though. Might go for my 3rd kebab meal of the day and do some of those lamb kofta's with couscous.
100 euros this cost, and that doesn't even include the chicken kebabs which is the main reason I went there. They were sold out. I've ordered 36 of them to collect tomorrow though. Might go for my 3rd kebab meal of the day and do some of those lamb kofta's with couscous. FiF said:
Newspaper is slowest and messiest to get it going. The paraffin cubes are ok but recently tried these fibre cubes also from Weber. Just one and the contents are going well very quickly.
I wouldn't waste money on cubes. The whole point of the chimney starter is to avoid problems lighting the charcoal/briquettes. I always scrunch up a couple of sheets of kitchen roll and light that. Does the trick nicely!calibrax said:
I wouldn't waste money on cubes. The whole point of the chimney starter is to avoid problems lighting the charcoal/briquettes. I always scrunch up a couple of sheets of kitchen roll and light that. Does the trick nicely!
This morning I took all the menu's and flyers that people have put under my windscreen wiper, and used them to start it up. Normally I just bin them immediately but I don't buy newspapers at all so i've been saving them for bbq lighters. If kitchen roll works okay I'll just use that from now on though. Gassing Station | Food, Drink & Restaurants | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff