Franken-bro-n-sear

[jhagestad]

After hearing about the ills of banking coals along the kettle walls over time, I started using individual char baskets. However, I felt I wasn't getting the grate coverage I enjoyed when I was simply banking my coals, so I decided to make the bro-n-sear this past weekend out of the two char baskets I had.  I'm no metalworker, so let's hope I properly followed people's directions on this mod! Looking forward to trying a reverse sear tonight for MNF - fingers crossed....

[FuriousHobbit]

I see now.....

[HoosierKettle]

Looks good. It's useful. I mainly only use it on my older colored Weber's. I've been banking coal directly against the sides of my black kettles for many years and I can't find any damage at all. Maybe the colors are more fragile. I don't know.


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[jhagestad]

@HoosierKettle thanks for the info -- I spotted some of the porcelain chipped away in a line where the coals were banked and assumed it was from the banking. I'd share a pic, but I'm at work unfortunately.

I'm definitely a creature of habit, so my kettle stays in the same spot, I work it from the same direction, and I've banked the coals in the same place in the kettle for as long as I've owned it. If anything, this should be an improvement over the single charcoal rail I used for so long.

[HoosierKettle]

I've probably just been lucky. I just want to wear a kettle out and I can't. I don't cover them either.


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[jhagestad]

Quick follow up to this mod.

Has anyone who has performed this mod created a pseudo-grate on the bottom that fills the gap between the floor of the baskets and the curved wall (see pic)?  I'd like to be able to lift and shake the basket to get the excess ash off the coals the next day so I can simply dump the partially used coals into a chimney and re-light them.  Right now, if I were to do that, the coals would fall out of the basket and into the bottom of the kettle.

I've got some ideas on how to fix it, but I would likely defer to someone who's already solved the problem. Thanks!

[Zrschaef]

You could use some expanded metal bolted to the bottom.

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[Walchit]

I think somebody cut down a Smokey Joe grate or something to put in theirs, not sure where the thread is though

[56MPG]

Might have been me - but I was using a cut-up 22 cook grate in a 26er . Same method would apply.
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/index.php?topic=36334.msg431490#msg431490

Honestly, I still use my original bigger better basket case with the space that coals fall through. Most of the time it's just ash anyway. No big deal.

Marty

[jhagestad]

@Zrschaef that was my thought too - I'll need to buy a rotary tool to cut it to fit unless the hardware store would be willing to cut it for me (usually they only will do straight cuts). Thx!

@Walchit it was Marty - thanks!

@56MPG thanks Marty - you were the one I was thinking of.  I'll likely go the expanded metal route as it seems I'd have to do some metalworking regardless! Thx!