Master Touch Grill - New User

[deans6571]

First of all - hello! I am a new user of the forum and also a new user when it comes to Weber BBQs!

I recently bought a  Weber Master Touch 57cm charcoal bbq, and used for the very first time, yesterday.

Here is my initial thoughts and experience so feel free to provide advice or any pointers if I am going wrong anywhere.....!

I  firstly used the Weber chimney to fire up my Weber branded briquettes (more on these later!) - the chimney was awesome as it literally took 10 - 15 minutes before all the charcoal turned white and was ready to use!

I then poured the briquettes, into the Weber  charcoal baskets (came with my bbq) and I positioned the baskets at the top of the grill and had my drip pan, with some water, at the bottom (I wanted to use the 50/50 option of direct heat and indirect heat as shown here: https://www.weberbbq.co.uk/cooking-methods-charcoal/ ). I then laid the cooking grill into the bbq, closed the lid, opened all the vents and let it preheat for about 15 minutes. When it was ready, I started to cook - I had pieces of chicken (drumsticks and thighs), which I was going to do first.

I started by first searing the chicken above the charcoal baskets, and then moving the chicken above the drip tray for indirect heat, and I closed the lid. I had a thermometer, plugged into one of the drumsticks, so I could keep an eye on the temp - when it hit 175F, it was ready.  After I was alerted, I opened the lid and checked the chicken - it was indeed ready ( I cut one of the drumsticks open to ensure the chicken was white all the way through). The chicken was ready but lacked a little colour on the outside - perhaps I hadn't seared it enough?

Anyway, I then stuck it over the charcoal to give it a little more colour, and then took it off, to serve.... The chicken tasted great!! Nice and juicy (it was normally quite dry inside whenever I had previously cooked it over a standard non Weber bbq previously)!

I then followed the same procedure in order to cook some sausages and burgers - seared them first and then  cooked them over the indirect heat until the thermometer alerted me of the correct internal temps! Again, sausages looked a little lighter in colour than what I was used to on a non Weber bbq (they normally come off quite darkened and crunchy on the outside!), but they tasted great, as did the burgers!

Once all the food was  removed, I closed the vents, and kept the lid on, until after we had sat down to eat.  Later on, the briquets, has extinguished themselves but although, on the Weber website, these are touted are "longer lasting" and provide a cook time of "3 hours", personally, I don't feel they would have lasted even for 2 hours, or even over an hour as after I had finished cooking, the  briquettes had become quite small in size and looked pretty used!  I think I used around 25 or so briquettes but perhaps, I should have used more.....

Also, I did find that the clean up at then end was quite messy (I like to clean my bbq at the end and not leave it until the next cook, to clean) - at the bottom of the bowl, there was all this dark grey/black sludge and I'm guessing this was a combination of the water from the drip pan and the burnt bits of the briquettes, combined together to form  this gunk...!?!?

But all in all, I was very happy with my experience. 

EDIT - Sorry, just one more thing to add - I didn't like using the charcoal baskets as it seemed to limit the area you can use for direct heat. Next time, I am just going to pour the charcoal onto the bottom grill and have half of it for direct heat and half for indirect.

Thoughts?!

[HoosierKettle]

Welcome. For chicken, cook higher temps to gain color. 400f+ grill temp


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[deans6571]

Welcome. For chicken, cook higher temps to gain color. 400f+ grill temp


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

...I used my thermometer to keep a running check on the chicken (its one of those probe type, where you insert the probes into the meat, and leave the wire trailing out and connected to the main unit). It has presets for different types of meat - the chicken preset was set to 175F so I removed the chicken from the bbq as soon as this 175F temperature was reached. Would I need to keep the chicken in there for longer than this, to gain more colour then?

[HoosierKettle]

For example, I dump a full chimney of lit coal on one side and place legs on the other and cook for over an hour or until they look good. All vents open. So I'm cooking very hot.


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[HoosierKettle]

Sometimes I'll grill direct the entire time with coals spread out and bottom vent half and top open. This method requires checking and turning/ rotating every ten minutes but gives great color and flavor.


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[greenweb]

First off, welcome!  Love to see some pics of your kettle.

For me, 3/4 to full chimney for most of all my cooks on the 22" kettle.  Basket are used mainly to keep charcoals off the side of the bowl contact.

We are all still learning and trying different set-ups. Just have fun doing it.

[Joetee]

Have you heard of a Slow n Sear?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[deans6571]

I think next time, I do a cook, I may try without the baskets - I'll just lay the charcoal down on the bottom grate to cover only half the area. I'll then use the other half for my drip tray. Actually, talking of the drip tray - would it better to just cover half the bottom grate, with silver foil instead, and then keep the charcoal on the other half?

This is the actual model which I bought: http://www.bbqworld.co.uk/weber-barbecues/charcoal/weber-mastertouch-57cm-gbs-slate.asp.

[deans6571]

Have you heard of a Slow n Sear?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

I have, yes!

I initially seared my chicken (cooked it over direct heat until the chicken was no longer pink on the outside, just as it turned white -  would I need to sear it for longer than this and also, when searing, do you sear with the lid of the kettle closed or open (I seared mine with the lid, open)?!

[1buckie]

" The chicken was ready but lacked a little colour on the outside, perhaps I hadn't seared it enough?"

Deans....I'm thinkin' that possibly....using good briquettes & a really good new Kettle that you may have just run such a "clean" cook that the pieces didn't pick up much color!!!

This is a GOOD thing!!!

A Slow 'n' Sear is an aftermarket product, not made by Weber, but made to FIT a Weber, that concentrates the heat in a 1/4 moon shape area...I'll find pics in a minute....

Using your old cooker, it's possible that it ran what I might call a "dirty" fire....in other words, not as pure of a heat & flame, so you got minor amounts of soot.....not enough to be a health concern, but enough to "color" the food some & give a slightly false impression of doneness...
The other thing that's a clue for this is your report that things turned up much more juicy & not dried out....


You could sear a bit more.....perhaps additional seasonings will color things up & react with the heat to produce a more pleasing finished color also...

Another possibility is addition of a small amount of wood....adds a pleasant smoky flavor & really adds to the color...

Here's some high heat chicken I did a long time ago, but saved the pictures 'cause they show heat, coal arrangement, wood addition, food placement & finish color (sorry, colour!!)



Potatoes on 1st, with coals banked up the side...



Real high heat, 500f+



Chicken on...near, but not directly over the heat area...



Adding wood chunks....probably a bit much here, as poultry & fish take up smoke VERY easily....



Goes for a short time (don't recall exactly)
this is the 'speeding up time photo....



& done.......



Cherry & other fruit woods produce a pleasing color & mild flavor....something like oak wood for beef & heavier fare....never use pine or related soft woods,,,not good for this type of cooking !!


OK, Slow 'n' Sear.....see these links:

http://weberkettleclub.com/blog/2016/01/04/slownsear-review-the-best-way-to-smoke-in-your-weber-kettle/

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/weber-kettles-accessories/slow'n'sear-review/

[deans6571]

...WOW - thanks for those links and pics above - appreciated 

I totally see what you're saying about my old BBQ  - it was actually quite dirty so was probably leaving alot of soot on the food!!!

This cook was my first experience with a Weber so it was a little trial and error really. Reading lots of info, there seems to be so many different ways to lay out the charcoal!  Next time, I  was gonna try and go for a 50/50 method whereby you have half the grill set up for indirect heat, and the other half for direct heat (is searing done with the kettle lid closed?) but have the charcoal spaced out on the bottom grill(as opposed to using the charcoal baskets), covering only half of it, and have the other half clear, for a drip try/silver foil to catch the drips!

However, now that you've provided them links, will have a read through to see what they say!

[Joetee]

Have you heard of a Slow n Sear?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

I have, yes!

I initially seared my chicken (cooked it over direct heat until the chicken was no longer pink on the outside, just as it turned white -  would I need to sear it for longer than this and also, when searing, do you sear with the lid of the kettle closed or open (I seared mine with the lid, open)?!

I like to do a reverse sear now that I tried it, it's really a great way to cook.
Indirect until IThink is where you want it then but it real hot and fast for the color you want. Mmmmm

Sent from my SM-G955U using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[deans6571]

Have you heard of a Slow n Sear?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

I have, yes!

I initially seared my chicken (cooked it over direct heat until the chicken was no longer pink on the outside, just as it turned white -  would I need to sear it for longer than this and also, when searing, do you sear with the lid of the kettle closed or open (I seared mine with the lid, open)?!

I like to do a reverse sear now that I tried it, it's really a great way to cook.
Indirect until IThink is where you want it then but it real hot and fast for the color you want. Mmmmm

Sent from my SM-G955U using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

....ah right - so you mean, cook the meat using indirect first, and then switch it over to direct, to get the colour! That definitely sounds like to a good way to do it!  So many different methods to choose from...........!!!!!!

[Kneab]

I like to do my chicken with my homemade vortex. 1 full chimney of K Comp or Stubb's ashed over, dump in votex. Place the grate on and preheat for 10-15 minutes. Place chicken in a circle around the vortex. Bigger peices closer smaller ones outside. Add a couple of small blocks of hickory on top of the grate over the center and close lid. 35 minutes then flip for another 20 and add one more block of Hickory.

After 55 minutes all vents wide open.
You can do a similar cook with your baskets in the center.

[deans6571]

I like to do my chicken with my homemade vortex. 1 full chimney of K Comp or Stubb's ashed over, dump in votex. Place the grate on and preheat for 10-15 minutes. Place chicken in a circle around the vortex. Bigger peices closer smaller ones outside. Add a couple of small blocks of hickory on top of the grate over the center and close lid. 35 minutes then flip for another 20 and add one more block of Hickory.

After 55 minutes all vents wide open.
You can do a similar cook with your baskets in the center.

.....mmm - that looks delicious. I can almost smell that chicken.....   Doesn't the chicken drip into the bottom bowl of the kettle though? Or perhaps cover the bottom grill with something?! What is your "vortex" exactly?!

I think I will 100% try your method next time.....