Master Touch Grill - New User

[TartanAvenger]

I'm loving these posts guys. I'll be using it for my classes today. Remember one user said don't use pine, other coal/heat beads are made of pine, sawdust, and limestone. They artificially and chemically colour your food. Everyone is producing great cooks out there. I can't wait to get back to a dryer climate to test the differences humidity has on our coal. I did 4.5 hour ribs the other night on .5 chimney new coal and .25 of used up . Cooked the whole time proper. Grill on m8.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[HoosierKettle]

I'm loving these posts guys. I'll be using it for my classes today. Remember one user said don't use pine, other coal/heat beads are made of pine, sawdust, and limestone. They artificially and chemically colour your food. Everyone is producing great cooks out there. I can't wait to get back to a dryer climate to test the differences humidity has on our coal. I did 4.5 hour ribs the other night on .5 chimney new coal and .25 of used up . Cooked the whole time proper. Grill on m8.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

The weber briquettes?  I was really impressed with the sample I received. They really stretch far.


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[deans6571]

...just one other quick question!!

I also noticed that after my cook, the inside of my weber kettle lid, had a light coating of this orange/brown soot stuff, which I guess just comes from the smoke from cooking the food. Is this best just left on the inside of the lid, or should I be wiping it off after each cook?!

[Kneab]

I say leave it, unless it is peeling off and falling on your food.

[1buckie]

I'm loving these posts guys. I'll be using it for my classes today. Remember one user said don't use pine, other coal/heat beads are made of pine, sawdust, and limestone. They artificially and chemically colour your food. Everyone is producing great cooks out there. I can't wait to get back to a dryer climate to test the differences humidity has on our coal. I did 4.5 hour ribs the other night on .5 chimney new coal and .25 of used up . Cooked the whole time proper. Grill on m8.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

@TartanAvenger
That was me......not talking about charcoal briquettes which are mostly fully carbonized wood, but rather ADDING pine wood chunks to a fire....big difference....

[1buckie]

I say leave it, unless it is peeling off and falling on your food.

I got one piece that's about 1 sq. ft. area that almost fell off.....saved it aside for furthur study.....

[TartanAvenger]

I'm loving these posts guys. I'll be using it for my classes today. Remember one user said don't use pine, other coal/heat beads are made of pine, sawdust, and limestone. They artificially and chemically colour your food. Everyone is producing great cooks out there. I can't wait to get back to a dryer climate to test the differences humidity has on our coal. I did 4.5 hour ribs the other night on .5 chimney new coal and .25 of used up . Cooked the whole time proper. Grill on m8.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

@TartanAvenger
That was me......not talking about charcoal briquettes which are mostly fully carbonized wood, but rather ADDING pine wood chunks to a fire....big difference....

Most are carbonized wood. Some are made of sawdust, pine, borax, limestone  and other crappy bits.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[1buckie]

I'm loving these posts guys. I'll be using it for my classes today. Remember one user said don't use pine, other coal/heat beads are made of pine, sawdust, and limestone. They artificially and chemically colour your food. Everyone is producing great cooks out there. I can't wait to get back to a dryer climate to test the differences humidity has on our coal. I did 4.5 hour ribs the other night on .5 chimney new coal and .25 of used up . Cooked the whole time proper. Grill on m8.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

@TartanAvenger
That was me......not talking about charcoal briquettes which are mostly fully carbonized wood, but rather ADDING pine wood chunks to a fire....big difference....

Most are carbonized wood. Some are made of sawdust, pine, borax, limestone  and other crappy bits.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

....yes, and cellphones & Sharpie markers in the bags of lump charcoal....it's a dog-eat-dog world out there.....

[RobertBaron]

Just some other small questions regarding clearing up afterwards....

Personally, I like to clean my Weber, right after I have finished cooking and the coals have cooled down, however, pretty much all the info I have seen online says that many people just leave the coals in, until the next cook, and then go ahead and clean the grills, right before their next cook (just as you are pre-heating the grill)?!

What's the done thing here then? I'm not sure I would want to leave my Weber all greasy and oily after cooking until the next time I go to cook?!

It's best to leave the grates greasy and dirty until the next time you cook. Helps prevent them from rusting. In some respects, the Weber Kettle actually works best with a little bit of "seasoning." Like for instance the top vents on mine have a nice seal from the greasy soot. Also some schmutz helps the lid seal a little better to the bowl. With regards to the black crust that forms on the lid, I'm not sure what it is, but it is safe to eat though not very tasty. I usually give my lid a tap or two when I'm setting up the grill and see if it's at the point of falling off. If so, I'll do a pass on it with my grate brush. Doesn't take much to loosen it up. Finally, if you're really concerned about keeping the bowl clean, I'd wrap the charcoal grate section away from the charcoal (I use the Slow n Sear for most of my cooking, which leaves a large empty section of charcoal grate) in aluminum foil and place the largest drip pan that'll fit on top of it.

Finally, I don't think you really need to use water in the drip pan unless you're doing real low n slow BBQ like a pork butt or the like. For things like chicken or burgers, it's not necessary and may be making clean up a little more difficult if it's spilling or boiling out.

[deans6571]

Just some other small questions regarding clearing up afterwards....

Personally, I like to clean my Weber, right after I have finished cooking and the coals have cooled down, however, pretty much all the info I have seen online says that many people just leave the coals in, until the next cook, and then go ahead and clean the grills, right before their next cook (just as you are pre-heating the grill)?!

What's the done thing here then? I'm not sure I would want to leave my Weber all greasy and oily after cooking until the next time I go to cook?!

It's best to leave the grates greasy and dirty until the next time you cook. Helps prevent them from rusting. In some respects, the Weber Kettle actually works best with a little bit of "seasoning." Like for instance the top vents on mine have a nice seal from the greasy soot. Also some schmutz helps the lid seal a little better to the bowl. With regards to the black crust that forms on the lid, I'm not sure what it is, but it is safe to eat though not very tasty. I usually give my lid a tap or two when I'm setting up the grill and see if it's at the point of falling off. If so, I'll do a pass on it with my grate brush. Doesn't take much to loosen it up. Finally, if you're really concerned about keeping the bowl clean, I'd wrap the charcoal grate section away from the charcoal (I use the Slow n Sear for most of my cooking, which leaves a large empty section of charcoal grate) in aluminum foil and place the largest drip pan that'll fit on top of it.

Finally, I don't think you really need to use water in the drip pan unless you're doing real low n slow BBQ like a pork butt or the like. For things like chicken or burgers, it's not necessary and may be making clean up a little more difficult if it's spilling or boiling out.

Wow - really appreciate all this info. Thank You

Yea, I was actually thinking whether it would indeed be worth wrapping the bottom grate, which holds the charcoal, in silver foil, in order to make cleaning up a little easier afterwards, but I guess it depends on what layout I decide to use. My first cook, was as wrote in my original post - half the bottom grate with the charcoal baskets and the drip tray on the other half, so I had a 50/50 direct/indirect zone to cook on, whilst at the same time, catching the drips!

I have another cook, coming up this weekend too but have decided to use a different set up (inspired by one of the posts above about "the vortex".  Essentially, I will put both my charcoal baskets together in the centre of the bottom grate, and no drip pan. Then, on the top grate (after it has preheated), I will use the centre portion of my cooking grate, to sear the meat on above the baskets, and then move the meat to the outer circle of the cooking grate, and leave to cook on indirect heat, with the lid closed. This method, there won't be space to use the drip pan, but I guess, I won't know how much mess there will actually be in the bottom of the kettle bowl, until I have tried this method.

I want to experiment with different methods until I find one which I feel works best for me.

I am a little OCD though so I will probably clean my cooking grate, right after each cook!!!

Just some thing else as well - I was looking at buying some sort of table to attach to the side of my Weber Master Touch - I have seen a couple on Amazon and I know Weber also do one as well (which has a support leg as well). Any recommendations?!

[56MPG]

Yes, Weber makes a handy table on wheels called a Performer. I was pleasantly surprised when I picked one up and realized it had a grill attached! Bonus! 

BTW, my workhorse Performer rarely gets cleaned, but then again it rarely cools down. You won't be tempted to clean as long as you are cooking. Then, only when it gets really disgusting, it's even more satisfying to make it look new again.

[deans6571]

Yes, Weber makes a handy table on wheels called a Performer. I was pleasantly surprised when I picked one up and realized it had a grill attached! Bonus! 

BTW, my workhorse Performer rarely gets cleaned, but then again it rarely cools down. You won't be tempted to clean as long as you are cooking. Then, only when it gets really disgusting, it's even more satisfying to make it look new again.

That Weber Performer is a standalone bbq and table all in one. As I already have the Weber Master Touch, I was really looking at add-on tables such as these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00I04EQW6/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=QRWXXTKE98H8&coliid=I7PLNGCX2O74V

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Outdoorchef-18-291-27-Bamboo-Side-Table/dp/B015K4Z2U8/ref=pd_sbs_86_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XKRHHEQHBDQDXMK8PV3H

https://www.hayesgardenworld.co.uk/product/weber-sidekick-table?gclid=CjwKEAjw3pTJBRChgZ3e7s_YhAkSJAASG9Vr8Oh2ihS6StoevakF2lcFeIvJfMpbUQ0au0Mwo6E1rBoCuozw_wcB

[56MPG]

Sorry, I knew what you meant, just being silly. Of the three you linked to, the one with the leg is the one I would pick. More stable. For me, it's all about real estate though, and none of these is big enough to hold what accumulates during a cook. Trays of meat, veggies, utensils, towels, condiments, etc. That's where a performer shines, but yes, it's a second grill, not that there's anything wrong with that. Can you source a Weber 7413 Work Table? It's a larger two-leg table that should fit your grill.

[deans6571]

Sorry, I knew what you meant, just being silly. Of the three you linked to, the one with the leg is the one I would pick. More stable. For me, it's all about real estate though, and none of these is big enough to hold what accumulates during a cook. Trays of meat, veggies, utensils, towels, condiments, etc. That's where a performer shines, but yes, it's a second grill, not that there's anything wrong with that. Can you source a Weber 7413 Work Table? It's a larger two-leg table that should fit your grill.

...yea, will probably go with the one with the leg!

That Weber work table looks like its been discontinued here in the U.K. as website which show is, are "out of stock" - it would cost too much to import one from the U.S.

I did see a folding one from BbqDragon, but again, only sold in the U.S. so looks like my options are limited here in the UK!

[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.

I just found this "vortex" method vid on YouTube also - it's not you is it???!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE8nbfRC4KM