Help me figure out my new grill!

[solobaric]

Hey guys! Just picked up my very first Weber! It's a performer deluxe in copper! Its my very first charcoal grill. Getting ready to do some temp tests. I know how to set it up for 2 zone grilling, and to only change 1 variable at a time. So I'm planning on going with top vent closed all the way and then work my way through the lower vent settings and testing grill temp as I go. I guess my question is do I start with a full chimney of charcoal? Or should I start with less to figure out my low temps first? Any other hints?

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[indy82z]

Never close the top vent all the way. Leave it open and adjust temps using the bottom vents. What temp are you trying to achieve? Obviously the more charcoal the hotter the grill is going to run.

[addicted-to-smoke]

Airflow will always be from bottom-up. So your ash sweeps are your intake and the lid vent is the exhaust. It won’t matter how open your intake is, if you plug up your exhaust pipe so to speak.

I understand wanting to lock in some formulas, but food, wind and outside temps will throw them off. I’d make a short list of foods you want to cook and research them a bit. Look for commonalities and get to it.

Keep notes of setting and circumstances. THAT will be your best teacher.

[hawgheaven]

I ALWAYS have the top vent wide open, and adjust from the bottom. You need that top vent open for exhaust.

[blksabbath]

Best way to figure it out is just to get something to cook and cook it.  Even if it's just hotdogs and corn on the cob you'll learn how it all works.  I would leave the both the top and bottom vents open and focus on moving the charcoal baskets around relative to the food.  The vents come into play if you are trying to go slow and low.  Anyways, don't over think it, just have fun.

[Mike in Roseville]

Congratulations on your Performer!

A lot of great advice already.

Many brands of briquettes burn differently and there are quite a few variables including quantity of lit vs. unlit that will come into play.

Also the placement of the lid thermometer in relation to the charcoal baskets will give you a different reading.

I haven’t used baskets in a long time, but if I recall, one chimney is enough to fill roughly 2 baskets. So you could start with half a chimney and one basket and see where that gets you.

However, a good two probe thermometer (one for meat, one for grate) will the help take the frustration out of all the variables and will be an investment in your cooking (you have to eat everyday right?). They make the actual cooking process much less frustrating and you should be having fun while doing this right?


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[addicted-to-smoke]

... I would leave the both the top and bottom vents open and focus on moving the charcoal baskets around relative to the food. ...

Excellent advice. (Disclosure: this is how I do it also.)

Whatever I'm grilling, better than 9 times out of 10 everything is wide open and I've moved heat or food around in relation to each other. Keep it simple. After you get that down, then start playing with vents more for specific reasons.

Don't forget to shut all vents when done cooking.

[Mrnomad]

Good advice I received is to mark the position of the lower damper for closed, 1/2 open, and full open. I used a Sharpie to put lines on the ash catcher.

[HoosierKettle]

Another thing to try is dump a full chimney, throw some burgers on and leave the lid off entirely. Let it rip. Burgers are best over rip roaring coals and rotated around.


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[varekai]

I just "helped" a guy this morning with a similar situation. My advice was to get a composition book, a note book or such, and start keeping notes. Meat, seasoning, marinades, temps, length of time.  And then don't forget post-cook notes, too done, not done, too salty, just write it all down... next time, you'll have a baseline to work with.  Also as I told the guy, I preach it great, don't always practice it... which pisses me off the next time I try to do something.

[addicted-to-smoke]

... I preach it great, don't always practice it... which pisses me off the next time I try to do something.

Sorry, but none of us have ever made a mistake since joining WKC. They are only "opportunities."

[Darko]

Hey guys! Just picked up my very first Weber! It's a performer deluxe in copper! Its my very first charcoal grill. Getting ready to do some temp tests. I know how to set it up for 2 zone grilling, and to only change 1 variable at a time. So I'm planning on going with top vent closed all the way and then work my way through the lower vent settings and testing grill temp as I go. I guess my question is do I start with a full chimney of charcoal? Or should I start with less to figure out my low temps first? Any other hints?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

First; it's a grill, don't overthink it, keep your top vent open and adjust using the bottom.

  Second; see rule number one. You are never going to change one variable at a time unless you are in a controlled lab environment. Wind, temp, humidity...will all affect things to some degree.

Third; see rule number one... just cook something! You will figure it out with practice.

[solobaric]

Thanks guys. Of course it would start pouring rain today. Either you wash your car or buy a new grill and this is what you get.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[YardBurner]

Dude.  Grill's got lid.
Cooks wet or dry.
You may care.
It doesn't.
You may be miserable.
It's not.

Light 'em up!

[demosthenes9]

I'm probably doing things all wrong, but for "Grilling", I run wide open all the time and only move the bottom vent to shut the grill down at the end.

I usually cook with a single layer of coals covering just  a bit more area that the meat I'm cooking.   Say that I have 2 nice Ribeyes and they would fit on a an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper.  I'd use enough coal to cover about 9x12 inches.   

Meat goes right over the coals to start with.  Some types will remain there for direct cook.  Other types will later be moved to the side to cook indirectly.



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