My First Kettle Cook Complete - Need Advice

[93_confirmed]

I fired up the Performer to cook dinner tonight and made chicken breasts, a turkey breast london broil, sweet potatoes, and onions. I brined the chicken and used 21 Salute Seasoning (Trader Joe's) and I marinated the turkey with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, lemon, s+p, and garlic. Overall it was a success but there were a couple of general issues that I need advice on.

1) I had a two zone fire - charcoal bin on one side with about 30 coals and nothing else. The max temp that I hit during the cook was about 320 and I had a hard time getting a sear on the direct heat. What temp should I be aiming for on the hot side? What I ended up doing was throwing a few dry apple wood chips on to the goals to get a quick flame and seared the meat that way. It worked but I know that's not the correct way to handle this.

2) What's the proper way to add coals during a cook? I've been throwing them cold into the charcoal bin and it creates a lot of smoke. Should I be pre-firing those in the chimney starter and adding them after they're hot?

3) I noticed that my coals take a very long time to burn out at the end of the cook. I closed the intake and exhaust dampers as well as the lid and still found them smoldering good about 3 hours later. Am I doing something wrong? Is there another way to extinguish the coals and still retain them for the next cook?

4) When I did my dry run a few days I noticed that the grill temp seemed to rise gradually regardless of how I positioned the dampers. I closed off both the intake and exhaust at one point and didn't see a temp drop. What's the deal?

Quick note - the Maverick 733 is amazing and has made things very easy and manageable. I was able to sit inside with company while monitoring the temps and knew exactly when I needed to go out. Loving this thermometer!

Thanks for reading!

[mirkwood]

I fired up the Performer to cook dinner tonight and made chicken breasts, a turkey breast london broil, sweet potatoes, and onions. I brined the chicken and used 21 Salute Seasoning (Trader Joe's) and I marinated the turkey with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, lemon, s+p, and garlic. Overall it was a success but there were a couple of general issues that I need advice on.

1) I had a two zone fire - charcoal bin on one side with about 30 coals and nothing else. The max temp that I hit during the cook was about 320 and I had a hard time getting a sear on the direct heat. What temp should I be aiming for on the hot side? What I ended up doing was throwing a few dry apple wood chips on to the goals to get a quick flame and seared the meat that way. It worked but I know that's not the correct way to handle this.

Did you fill the basket(s) to get your briquette count or did you fill the chimney, I usually fill the
chimney (approx. 50 briquettes) and regularly see temps of 400+ with the baskets., if I dump
them in a rough pile and kind of mound them up it’ll go nearly 500 for about 45 minutes and
slowly drop to 350~400 for an hour plus . You DO have to let all the briquettes in the chimney
lightly ash over before dumping them to see the temps you are looking for.

Also adding smoking wood chunks can raise the temps even when it is just smoldering.

All temps I mentioned are based on the non accurate stock thermometer, which according to
my Mav 733, is at least 70 degrees high.

2) What's the proper way to add coals during a cook? I've been throwing them cold into the charcoal bin and it creates a lot of smoke. Should I be pre-firing those in the chimney starter and adding them after they're hot?

For me it all depends on the cooking method I’m using,  for low and slow add unlit briquettes to keep the
temps down, when trying to maintain higher temps add lit and lightly ashed over coals just remember, when
adding lit coals, a few at a time are usually enough.


3) I noticed that my coals take a very long time to burn out at the end of the cook. I closed the intake and exhaust dampers as well as the lid and still found them smoldering good about 3 hours later. Am I doing something wrong? Is there another way to extinguish the coals and still retain them for the next cook?

When the performer is cold and clean check to see that the ash sweeps are closing completely
and not binding on something, also use the opportunity to mark spots on the ash pan ring,
positions for closed, quarter open, half way open and fully open of the sweeps for temp
control. I used a black felt tip marker on mine but use what ever you are comfortable marking
your performer with. The coals should have gone out but as your cooker is brand new it will
take a few cooks to gunk it up enough to seal everything up really nice, which also addresses
question 4. Once it is gunked up around the kettle and lid interface you will see temps easier
to maintain and the coals will extinguish quicker and easier when you close all the vents down.

4) When I did my dry run a few days I noticed that the grill temp seemed to rise gradually regardless of how I positioned the dampers. I closed off both the intake and exhaust at one point and didn't see a temp drop. What's the deal?

Quick note - the Maverick 733 is amazing and has made things very easy and manageable. I was able to sit inside with company while monitoring the temps and knew exactly when I needed to go out. Loving this thermometer!

I’m with you about the 733, second best piece of cooking equipment I have.

Thanks for reading!

I hope this helps you and gives you a bit of insight into what an awesome cooker you have, I love all of mine..

 

[wyd]

I just did  some searing on Sunday.  I made 5lbs of full sized wings.  I first filled my chimney up and get the coals lit.  Once they where all gray (the very top ones where gray on the bottom and the tops where just starting to change I dumped out equal amounts in Weber charcoal holders in both my 22" kettles.  I filled each holder about 1/2 way to the top of the holder.  Now ad put the wings about the holder and starting searing.  I had smoke flying off both grills.  Took about 10 minutes or less to do all 5lbs of wings.  I closed up one kettle and loaded the other one indirect for the last 35 minutes.  I had all vents open on my Platinum Performer.  Closed the lid and I was hitting just under 350 degrees. 

If I'm doing a longer cook I will line the bottom with unlit briquettes and then dump my hot colas from the chimney ontop.  I normally can get 2 1/2 hours before I need to add a few briquettes to each side to keep m kettle normally right around 300 degrees.  Seems to work well for me.

[AZ Monsoon]

For something like chicken there shouldn't be a need to add more coals during the cook. If I'm doing lets say wings on a two zone fire, I use about maybe 5/8's of a Weber chimney. Sometimes slightly more. The last couple of minutes of the cook if I want a little sear I move them over to the hot zone. I don't really count briquettes, but 30 doesn't sound like many at all.

The dome thermometers aren't great for estimating temperature at the grates. A cheap oven thermometer does a better job of that in my opinion. Something like this. They sell them at pretty much every grocery store too.
http://www.amazon.com/POT750X-High-Heat-Oven-Thermometer/dp/B0021AEAIK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1399221663&sr=8-2&keywords=oven+thermometer . I don't have a Maverick, but if you have one with the two probes, I guess you have that covered.

Have fun.