Hey guys, I'll be on vacation in Santa Monica with my parents, my family, and my brother's family June 2nd-9th, and the house Grandpa rented for us has a sweet-looking gasser. That's fine with me for lunchtime burgers & dogs, but we usually like to do a few big dinners with steak, ribs, salmon, maybe even a brisket. You get the picture; to do this right, I'll have to have charcoal. I need to locate a kettle or two since I'll be cooking for six adults & five little kids.
I could hit CL when we first arrive, but that could take a couple days to hash out and could get expensive if I have to pay retail for a chimney & other accessories. (Especially since I probably won't have time to resell anything before we fly out again.)
I was wondering if someone local might be willing to provide me a loaner kettle or two and some basic accessories? Nothing fancy, maybe a chimney & a couple baskets, and of course any charcoal, beer, etc. left over when we head out would be yours to keep. I'm happy to throw down a deposit to cover the items as well.
Let me know if you think you might be able to help a fella out. Thanks.
-Jed
Damn, if I was closer you could have your pick.. someone here help a brother out!!!
Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club mobile app (https://siteowners.tapatalk.com/byo/displayAndDownloadByoApp?rid=91018)
Thanks @Varekai. I guess I should've added- if anyone's ever heading out this way for a vacation in Estes Park or somewhere nearby, feel free to hit me up for a loaner. 🤙
-Jed
So we'll actually be in Venice, not Santa Monica, if anyone's in that area and can spare a loaner for a few days. It would save me a few headaches. Thanks!
-Jed
He's, I just saw this on CL this morning, might work for you?
https://ventura.craigslist.org/for/d/weber-bar-que/6590877632.html
Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club (https://siteowners.tapatalk.com/byo/displayAndDownloadByoApp?rid=91018)
Quote from: putoluto on May 18, 2018, 06:12:59 AM
He's, I just saw this on CL this morning, might work for you?
https://ventura.craigslist.org/for/d/weber-bar-que/6590877632.html
Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club (https://siteowners.tapatalk.com/byo/displayAndDownloadByoApp?rid=91018)
Thanks! I'll contact the seller right away, since it looks like I won't be able to pick up a loaner for the week. I wish I could find a Performer that cheap near my house! :)
-Jed
By the way, Venice and Santa Monica are pretty close to each other
Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club (https://siteowners.tapatalk.com/byo/displayAndDownloadByoApp?rid=91018)
I'll take first dibs on buying it back off you when you leave. PM me this weekend about it
Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club (https://siteowners.tapatalk.com/byo/displayAndDownloadByoApp?rid=91018)
Damn, the seller got back to me & said it was gone quickly. I'm not surprised at that price. Thanks for the heads up though @putoluto. Let me know if you happen to see anything else pop up in the next couple weeks.
-Jed
I may be able to help. PM me.
Sidney
@Jed.cook , were you able to get some help? and if not, I assume you're flying in to LAX?
Quote from: varekai on May 31, 2018, 06:40:02 AM
@Jed.cook , were you able to get some help? and if not, I assume you're flying in to LAX?
Hey, thanks. I've got a call in to Sidney. Haven't heard back yet. Hopefully I'll snag something by the time we arrive at LAX Saturday afternoon. If you think you could possibly provide a loaner for the week, please PM me. I'm good for it, and I'm happy to let you keep all leftovers. (Charcoal, beer, etc.) :)
-Jed
I would be more than happy to loan, but I'm like 5 hours north of where you'll be... I was thinking if you were driving down, I'm right on the 101. Hope Sidney can come through...
Quote from: varekai on May 31, 2018, 09:27:46 PM
I would be more than happy to loan, but I'm like 5 hours north of where you'll be... I was thinking if you were driving down, I'm right on the 101. Hope Sidney can come through...
Oh yeah, that's way too far for you. Thanks though; worst case I'll pick up something cheap on CL locally or just cook on a gasser. Thanks though. Maybe someday we'll plan a trip up to NOCAL. Let me know if you're ever out in Colorado. We'll get a cookout going. :)
-Jed
@Jed.cook , Sounds good, hope you find something, enjoy your trip and most of all safe travels brother!!
Update: Had a couple members here try their best to help out, but nothing really worked out. (Big thanks to all who tried though.)
We arrived in LA last night, and the Air B&B house is amazing, but has no grill at all. No gasser, no kettle, nuthin'. The wives basically just decided everything would be indoor-cooked this week. :_(
So after having no luck on the local CL, I turned to OfferUp & LetGo. Found a pretty nice Weber Spirit for only $60. I contacted the seller to ask if it included a tank, and when he said it didn't, I thanked him, told him I'd pass, and explained my situation of just needing something cheap for about a week. He replied that his neighbor just put a Weber kettle on the curb. Kettle Karma!
Picked her up this morning! As has been said about many an ex-girlfriend of mine, "She ain't perdy, but she'll get the job done." Mismatched wood/plastic handles, legs installed 120 degrees off, missing two of the three bottom vents & the ash pan, and there's no way that top vent's gonna' seal. I won't be slow smoking any briskets, but a fajita flank steak, chicken thighs, or just some burgers should do fine.
Spent about 30 min. scrubbing her down & hosing her off. (The grill, not the wife.) I'm thinking a new $7 replacement grate from Walmart & we're ready to burn. That part's so rusted, thin, and nasty, even I wouldn't touch it, and that's sayin' somethin'! (See my previous girlfriend reference.)
-Jed
She's a cooker for sure but it's better then nothing.
Kettle Karma on your side brother. Enjoy the trip.
What's next for this rescue? Recycle at week's end, leave it as-is at the place and hope the next user doesn't hate "Webers" because it has no air control? Or option #3, skip vacation time and fix the vents?
Ha! Well, option #3 is out. I'm not putting any more $$ or time into this one. I'm thinking just leave it & hope for the best. Godspeed, little kettle. Hell, she'll have a new grill grate. What more could you want? (Working vents, I suppose.)
-Jed
Maybe leave a note a note for the next person, "Consider using foil stuffed into the bottom intake holes if heat control is desired."
Damn, that's a good idea. How come after years of grilling, I'd never thought of that? That should be a new thread- "Ways to make a shitty grill less shitty."
-Jed
A good friend of mine ... pro cook, mind you, but not grillfella, grilled something once on his old OTS while I was there. With foil stuffed into the vents for heat control. When he mentioned his son was getting into grilling I bought a new set of sweeps and had Amazon mail it to his SON.
I *think* the new sweeps got installed.
Ha! We'd all love a new set of sweeps, but the old school foil approach sounds kinda' badass.
Giving her a hot burn now...
-Jed
Gettin' there...
-Jed
Glad to hear you found a work-around Jed!
Love it, Jed!
An old watch repairman once told me a proverb from his homeland:
"If you give a basket of fruit at the river, you'll get it back in the desert."
Glad it all worked out for you. Maybe the new grate will serve someone else. Who knows, they may just join here down the road?
Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club mobile app (https://siteowners.tapatalk.com/byo/displayAndDownloadByoApp?rid=91018)
Last night's peppers, onions, & flank steaks for fajitas. $8 worth of replacement parts from Walmart. (Sorry I forgot to grab a pic of the veggies on the grill.) Everything came out pretty good. The ol' girl can cook!
-Jed
Thought we might do some chicken thighs tonight, but we ended up going out for dinner. (I really wanted to try doing the "poorest of texes" and fashion a vortex out of heavy duty aluminum foil, but that little experiment will have to wait for another trip, I guess.)
I'm leaving this kettle for the next Air B&B renter with plenty of charcoal & wood chips.
Anyone coming to vacation in Northern Colorado anytime, feel free to hit me up for a loaner or three. ;)
-Jed
@Jed.cook , glad you found a grill... THAT is karma.
I'm glad it all worked out so easy.
This story is awesome! Thanks for sharing it!! You'll have to check the reviews of the Air B&B place in a few months to see how the grill is doing.
Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club (https://siteowners.tapatalk.com/byo/displayAndDownloadByoApp?rid=91018)