Starting to see the light.

[mike.stavlund]

I'll admit to wondering why people keep 18s in their collections, apart from the obvious desire to have cool kettles.  It just seemed like it's too small for so many things, and yet still takes up almost the same floor space.  But after picking up a Jumbo Joe yesterday, I couldn't wait to get it hot today, so roasted some potatoes on it.  And wow, it only took a few coals to get that thing good and hot.  I actually lit about 3/4 of a chimney of lump on the Performer, roasted two red peppers right over the chimney while it was heating up (one of my favorite tricks to optimize coal usage), then dumped maybe 1/3 of those coals into the Performer to smoke some salmon (225 to 235 degrees), with the remainder going into the JJ to roast a few potatoes.  About an hour later everything was finishing up and I had only used 3/4 of a chimney for an entire meal on two grills.  Pretty sweet.

[1buckie]

The smaller ones do better than a lot of people think.....I did a big tater packet (foiled ) & wrapped corn yesterday in "The Tank"....Bar-B-Kettle red 18 & the temp just sat @ 330 for what seemed like forever......way, way past when coals were still needed, almost went rummaging for something else to cook.....

Coals were in a basket, which is pretty new to me & I think that may have helped a lot....

[mike.stavlund]

I used a basket in mine too, Buckie, just because I want to be careful about losing any (more) porcelain on this JJ.  It seemed to work pretty well.

[1buckie]

 
I'm also beginning to see the light on the baskets....to a lot of folks here, they're old hat, but I've only had them since the Blue MasterTouch was aquired.....they seem to contain & direct the heat in an interesting way.........will think on what specifically to do with that......

[mike.stavlund]

Buckie, I am all ears about your thoughts about baskets.  I consider you an expert in the field of kettle performance. 

Do you have the newer stamped metal baskets, or the older wire-style ones?  I have both, and use them for different purposes.  They definitely have different strengths and weaknesses. 

BTW, I showed one of my grilling proteges your 'snake method', and he is using it with great success.  Overnight butts, no sweat, and he sleeps like a baby.  He was also really amused at your rules about clockwise/counterclockwise rings for different meats. 

[1buckie]

 "He was also really amused at your rules about clockwise/counterclockwise rings for different meats."

as well he should be......why be so terribly serious about all this.....

I have old style charcoal rails that I bought new in the 80' / 90's....then another set or two of same that have come w/ recent kettles.....

But the baskets are the stainless 'walled' type, the newer ones, I assume.....the wire or rail style baskets seem interesting too......

I've only used them 6~7 times, but I can see a difference in how the heat disperses, it's more directionalized than just dumping a pile on one side of the kettle, against the wall or piling in the middle.....

I've variously moved the thing (used one by itself several times, I see people do that for certain type cooks here) out in the middle to create a small, tight searing area, over to the side to do regular offset hi/low stuff, tried Minion w/ wood chunks buried & over on the side with raging lump to see if I could get a "hot strip" of air to flow to the opposite side, directly across from the basket......not sure on that one yet, more experiments......

[Chasing_smoke]

I completely agree guys, I thought an 18 would be to cramped for me but I love cooking on it. I have an 18 bbq kettle and SJP. I really like the kettle better because the SJP has weird air flow. I saw something about adding a bottom vent to the SJP to make it run hotter. I may just do that. Or raise the coal grate up might be a better option not sure.


 "my kettle is more powerful it will do almost anything."

[Craig]

The 18's are the little kettle that could and more! I started with just my 18 and I sometimes now I forget how much food they can turn out with less fuel to boot. 

[G$]

I am not a fan of baskets, although i have several.  I am not a fan of the 18s or the SJs, although I have both.  I rarely use any of them because I like the other stuff in my arsenal more.











Oh yeah, almost forgeot to mention that today I used the baskets on my cookies and my whole chicken. I used my SJ grate to assist with cookie shuffling.  My daughter cooked dogs on the 18 at lunch and it has potatoes on it now. 

Go figure.

[1buckie]

I am not a fan of baskets, although i have several.  I am not a fan of the 18s or the SJs, although I have both.  I rarely use any of them because I like the other stuff in my arsenal more.











Oh yeah, almost forgeot to mention that today I used the baskets on my cookies and my whole chicken. I used my SJ grate to assist with cookie shuffling.  My daughter cooked dogs on the 18 at lunch and it has potatoes on it now. 

Go figure.

So.....what you're saying here, correct me if I'm wrong, is that you're starting to see the light ?

 

Almost all of my previous experinece with baskets is trying to get people NOT to use them 'cause they were having some kind of daffy problem, usually charcoal going completely out unexpectedly.....

[G$]

So.....what you're saying here, correct me if I'm wrong, is that you're starting to see the light ?

 

Almost all of my previous experinece with baskets is trying to get people NOT to use them 'cause they were having some kind of daffy problem, usually charcoal going completely out unexpectedly.....

no buckie, pay attention. I have NO USE for those things.







Except when I use them.

[1buckie]

 Just havin' a hard time keeping up with the rest of the class......

[AZ_MIKEY]

Being someone that until recently only had an 18 and a sjs. I have tailored the way I grill around these. I have even done  a single rack of ribs on the sjs low and slow and they came out good. I think it all comes down to a few things. How hard do you want to work at managing the fire by tending to it, planning out your meals and cooks alittle bit morebefore you start and if it is all you have at the time you will make it work if you want it bad enough.

[HankB]

My first Weber was an 18. When we were feeding four, space was tight and IU was happy to upgrade to a (mist red MT) 22. Now that we're feeding two, I find myself using the 18 more.