Weber Summit Charcoal cooking configurations and techniques

[Root]

Hi all.  Long time lurker, first time poster.  I just became the owner of a new WSCG and have a few questions for anyone with more experience than me.

1.  How often do you cook "raised direct" with the charcoal in the bottom and your food on the top grate directly over the heat?  Seems to me (if you controlled the heat well) it'd be a good way to do chicken, fish, pork tenderloins, etc, but I haven't seen any examples of anyone doing it.

2.  Has anyone tried finding an extra cooking grate that would fit across the "middle" level?  I'd think that would be a good way to transition from smoking to searing fairly quickly, since you probably can't move the charcoal up to accomplish this.

3.  Has anyone used a Drip n Griddle (or similar half moon shaped thing) to act as a partial heat diffuser to divide the grill into two zones?  I picture charcoal in the bottom, cooking grate on middle level, Drip n Griddle on half the middle cooking grate, and top grate on with center removed for access.  This would give you four surfaces: a hot griddle, a hot sear zone, a medium heat zone, and a low heat zone.

I, of course, will eventually get around to trying all these ideas, but in the meantime typing about it will have to do...

[Che Boludo!]

Hello, congratulations. That is a very cool machine. 

1. I have one and have been trained at the Weber Grill Academy on how to do the direct cooking you mention in question 1. I've direct grilled on it once at home. I have a Summit gas grill a few feet away and really don't want to mess with charcoal for that kind of cooking when gas is so easy. (I should be careful what I say. I know what forum this is

2. I don't think that a middle level would fit anywhere on there.  I would suggest searing on cast iron or a gas grill if you have one.  It really wasn't designed to for that kind of "convertible" use you mention.  You really wouldn't be able to some and transition to searing in any way.

3.  The Summit Charcoal was really not designed for that many zones and really I'm not sure that you can really take advantage of that many heat zones in a unit that size. 

Have fun playing around with the ideas but the unit really was made to be an all in one smoker, direct grill, and indirect grilling machine and it does all extremely well.

And don't let anybody with a Big Green Egg tell you these does all these just as well.

[Lowbrass]

I only wish I could be if assistance on this!  I just wish I could get the Summit!

[CharliefromLI]

I've had a summit for about a year now and generally I use it the following ways:

Smoking: I use diffuser plate and use minion start with limited lit coals to start (needs way less lit then my WSM did to get to temp).always use drip pans over diffuser to avoid grease smoke

High heat indirect (chicken etc): depends on quantity, small batch, do two zone fire on top coal tach like a standard kettle. For large batches that need full cooking grate use smoke set up above with more lit. always use drip pans over diffuser to avoid grease smoke.  Did my thanksgiving Turkey same set up as well. https://youtu.be/a4C2x31I4_k


Regarding your sear idea, it might work but a better solution might be standard two zone fire using the expansion rack on the cool side: Weber-Stephen Products 7647 22" x 12" Expansion Grilling Rack

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JIRHA1C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_pkRMAbKKB27Q2
This is a valuable tool for the summit for all indirect cooking. This would give you double indirect space and a direct sear zone.





Sent from my iPad using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

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