The Birth of a Weber Fanatic

FuriousHobbit · October 18, 2019, 01:00:16 PM

So this is the grill that started me down this path around the time I joined the forum. I had been browsing around the net reading and learning about the Weber as I had never had one before.

I believe I told some of this story in my intro thread, but I'm going to tell some of it again here

After several weeks of this, my wife tells me to just order one. I was thinking about one of the Master Touch series, mostly because I wanted one of the colors. I love the Spring Green and my wife liked the Slate Blue. But I was hesitant at spending that kind of money on one. After more hunting and searching, I see someone here referenced BBQ Guys having a red premium. I thought that just might be the ticket. Sure it doesn't have as many features and extras, but I should be satisfied while saving a few bucks.

So I ordered it and it was delivered in a couple days. Only problem, for me, was that I found a very inexpensive black premium just hours after placing my order. I snagged it for 60 bucks along with another for 10 bucks a week later. All the whole I'm thinking I'll just sell the red one at a slight loss and move forward.

Only no one was interested in a new kettle at an almost new price. Understandable, but still disappointing. I was happy tho with my two black premium kettles. I used them for nearly every night for about three weeks! Then I found my next grill.

A copper performer with the gbs grates, skillet, and extra brand new regular grate, charcoal chimney and a pair of Weber baskets. All for 60 bucks!

Having the performer brought me up to 8 cookers of various shorts outside, my wife was finally getting annoyed! Haha. So, I sold the two lack premiums at a slight profit.

My poor lonely crimson kettle was just itching to be assembled. Today is the day! Got home early from work and had a little time before I had to take my son to baseball practice. So..... Tonight we cook!

What to cook on the all American grill to break it in? All American burgers of course! So a little over 2 hours from now I'll be light a chimney for the first cook on my first brand spankin' new crimson kettle!

It's just plain old ridiculous just how excited I am about this. But I know this will be an understanding group

TL; DR: I feel like a kid on Christmas morning about assembling and using a new grill that I've had for over a month.

Walchit · October 18, 2019, 01:12:48 PM

Looking good!

KevinInStL · October 18, 2019, 02:16:49 PM

Maaaann this reminds me a bit of myself. I used to have a beat up old red 18"kettle that I watched my dad cook on when I was little. It was that cool dark red mist finish that gets darker when it heats up. But all the daisy wheels were broken off so it was hard to control the fire. Plus, during the winter I used to store it in the basement right by the wall that we later discovered was the source of our 8-year hidden mold probem. So I got rid of when we moved 3 months ago.

A month or so after we moved, I picked up a black 22" kettle that had been used once from CL. Kind of a frankenkettle, halfway between the basic Original Kettle and Original Kettle Premium. It has the lid from a Premium (so a thermometer and heat shield), plus the tool hanger handle. I added a hinged grate. But it doesn't have the enclosed ash catcher. Which I have been wishing I had since my first time cleaning the ash out with the one-touch thing.

So, fast forward a few days after my first cook on the new-to-me black kettle when I go to my local Ace hardware (first time there in quite awhile) to get some charcoal and smoking woods, and see the Ace-exclusive Crimson kettles. So beautiful. Sh!t! If I had known those existed a week prior, I would've saved up my money for another few weeks and bought that one.

Now I've been kicking myself since, and trying to decide if I should buy the Crimson Kettle Premium and try to sell this black one I have on CL? Or buy a "replacement" enclosed ash pan to add to my existing kettle and call it good. I was hoping I could score a Crimson kettle Premium on clearance around Labor Day, but apparently Ace never puts their Weber stuff on sale as they stock it year round and they conform to Weber's MAP.

But man...I really like that crimson color so much more than the black that everyone and their brother has.

Anyway, cheers, welcome to the sickness and happy cooking!

FuriousHobbit · October 18, 2019, 07:00:18 PM

Just doooo it Kevin!

Made our burgers this evening. Missed talking some shots toward the end, but had some fun trying to get some shots in the dark.

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JEBIV · October 19, 2019, 09:49:30 AM

yep Weberitis is real here !!

hawgheaven · October 20, 2019, 08:28:23 AM

Yer gonna love that puppy! I have the very same kettle, same color, and love the hell outta it! Congrats!!

FuriousHobbit · October 20, 2019, 08:56:20 AM

Thanks guys. Going to grill up a sirloin my wife picked up today for dinner tonight. Raining like crazy right now but will put my grill at the edge of the carport to stay dry.

Has anyone snagged a lid bail kit and added it to a grill like this? Thinking about adding one to my grill.

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ReanimatedRobot · October 20, 2019, 10:01:59 AM

Quote from: FuriousHobbit on October 20, 2019, 08:56:20 AM
Thanks guys. Going to grill up a sirloin my wife picked up today for dinner tonight. Raining like crazy right now but will put my grill at the edge of the carport to stay dry.

Has anyone snagged a lid bail kit and added it to a grill like this? Thinking about adding one to my grill.

Sent from my SM-G975U1 using Tapatalk

I would probably not put a lid bail on a premium weber. To look right it will require cutting one handle off, drilling four holes in the right placee, and installing the bail. I don't think it will look right when trying to cover up the cut handle. Personally I am not a big fan of the lid bail unless it is the one that opens up more on the current gen performers. If I don't have a lot of those a lot of the time I am gently laying the lid on a table or grass or using the existing lid hook.
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HoosierKettle · October 20, 2019, 10:12:37 AM

Quote from: ReanimatedRobot on October 20, 2019, 10:01:59 AM
Quote from: FuriousHobbit on October 20, 2019, 08:56:20 AM
Thanks guys. Going to grill up a sirloin my wife picked up today for dinner tonight. Raining like crazy right now but will put my grill at the edge of the carport to stay dry.

Has anyone snagged a lid bail kit and added it to a grill like this? Thinking about adding one to my grill.

Sent from my SM-G975U1 using Tapatalk
I would probably not put a lid bail on a premium weber. To look right it will require cutting one handle off, drilling four holes in the right placee, and installing the bail. I don't think it will look right when trying to cover up the cut handle. Personally I am not a big fan of the lid bail unless it is the one that opens up more on the current gen performers. If I don't have a lot of those a lot of the time I am gently laying the lid on a table or grass or using the existing lid hook.
Sent from my SM-G925R4 using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

It doesn't look like it has a handle on the back side? If that's the case it would be easy. Lid bales on non performer grills work great because you have access on three sides. I've added one to my dads grill and it works really well. He loves it.

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Cellar2ful · October 20, 2019, 10:38:39 AM

You might consider buying a Weber Slide Aside lid holder. No drilling required and the lid stands upright, out of the way. The slide aside can also be used on all sizes of kettles (18", 22" & 26") and can be rotated for use on other kettles. They can be ordered direct form Weber (part#8411). Two years ago the price was $24. There has probably been a price increase since then to around $29.

On a 18"

On a 22"

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/index.php?topic=32786.msg325817#msg325817

FuriousHobbit · October 20, 2019, 02:00:29 PM

Hk is correct, my kettle doesn't have a second handle - it's the only reason why I'm considering a lid bail. I've seen the slide aside - cool looking accessory. Tempted to go with a bail so that the lid closes more completely. Thats my thinking anyway. Heck I'm happy with it the way it is. Maybe I'm just looking for an excuse to modify it haha

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HoosierKettle · October 21, 2019, 05:12:47 AM

Quote from: FuriousHobbit on October 20, 2019, 02:00:29 PM
Hk is correct, my kettle doesn't have a second handle - it's the only reason why I'm considering a lid bail. I've seen the slide aside - cool looking accessory. Tempted to go with a bail so that the lid closes more completely. Thats my thinking anyway. Heck I'm happy with it the way it is. Maybe I'm just looking for an excuse to modify it haha

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Im not a huge fan of things hung on the bowl but the slide aside does look like it would be nice. Especially since I've read on here that it works with 18, 22, 26. Personally I would be inclined to add the bale unless you have multiple grills that you could use the slide aside on.

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jhagestad · October 21, 2019, 05:23:33 AM

My 22 has the built-in lid hook, and it works just fine. I'm not a fan of the lid bail only because the lid tilts ever so slightly into the grilling area when it's resting in the bail. Its personal preference for sure - I just like the simplicity of the lid hook. The best mod I made was to drill an access hole for temperature probes so I didn't have to run them out of the top vent or pinch the cords on the lid edges. I was inspired by examples I saw on this forum and on YouTube, and I took the plunge without any regret. Love that crimson kettle! Nice work!

As you can see in my first pic, I was visiting the international space station.

FuriousHobbit · October 21, 2019, 06:23:45 AM

Quote from: HoosierKettle on October 21, 2019, 05:12:47 AM

Im not a huge fan of things hung on the bowl

This... I don't know why, but I do not like the thought of hanging stuff off the side. I have no experience so it may be a great thing to do. But I tend to get clumsy with things. I can see myself knocking it off or banging the lid so that start getting major chips on the lip or the lid.

The knocking it off part is the biggest thing. I can see that happening a couple times in one cook and me just loosing it lol It's really not easy being clumsy

DynaGlide · October 21, 2019, 09:24:49 AM

Looks like we're both in Springfield. If you want to borrow my slide aside for a while to test it out you're welcome to. I won't need it until next summer when I plan on moving it to my in-laws in Cape Cod to use on the 22 I have up there.

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The Birth of a Weber Fanatic