CL Rotis follow-up

[mike.stavlund]

Hey, thanks to everyone who chimed in to help me with my recent CL acquisition:  a Weber rotisserie kit.  Well, most of it anyway-- it turned out to just be a ring and the motor.  Leaving aside the fruitless discussion of how in the whole wide world someone could lose track of their spit, forks, handle, and counterweight, let me thank AJ especially for sending me to http://www.4thegrill.com/, which has a full assortment of all kinds of rotisserie gear (and a bunch of other stuff), all for about half of what Weber charges.  They took my phone call, answered all of my questions, and sent me the gear right away.  A really great company.  So after spending 20 for the used parts and 30 for a new aftermarket spit and etc., I am in business for about 50 bucks. 

So I was waiting for the FedEx truck all day yesterday, except for the hour when I ran to the store to buy two chickens.  I had almost given up hope, but then at 4 there was a knock at the door.  I opened the box quickly to make sure everything was inside, then lit the grill and grabbed one of the chickens.  Seasoned it up and set up the ring and spit and motor and got to cooking.  20 minutes into the cook, I was puzzling over why the lid temp wasn't above 320 when I realized that in my haste I never opened the bottom vents!  Which is a testament to just how leaky these rotisserie rings are.  And in a testament to just how much of the Weber kool-aid I have drunk, I'm still just thrilled about this new toy.  I slid some aluminum foil into the gaps between the bowl and the ring and ended up with a gorgeous chicken.  Tasty, too. 

Tonight I will cook the second one, beginning my quest to perfect the pollo ala brasa (aka, Peruvian Chicken) that is so popular around this area. 

[Duke]

Cool testimony Mike, please share some action shots.

[Craig]

Nice! Can't wait to see pics! 

Craig

[Ted B]

You sure have a way with words, Mike!  Great write-up!  Thank you for the write-ups on the home page too.  The latest bringing tears to my eyes remembering those days of starting the grill for my dad as a kid.  How simple times seemed then.  Now my kids help me start my chimney, no lighter fluid for them.  Thank you.

[mike.stavlund]

Thanks, Ted!  I am honored to be able to post at the site.  It's a real pleasure, and I've been grateful for the good response.

Re: photos, most of my cooks are in the dark now, so that's kinda tricky.  I will try to at least take some 'after' photos, though.

Another shout-out:  To Hogsy, for the information on the rocking nature of the rotis ring.  Upon further inspection, I realized that he is right: the roti ring is not rocking on the lid bale hardware, but it is rather rocking on its own unaligned mounting tabs (man, this thing is not built to very tight tolerances!).  So I left it alone and it works just fine.  I did add some aluminum foil to fill in the gap, which helped reduce the rock. 

Tonight's chicken was better than last night's, but I am really tired of chicken, so the ring is coming off and the experiment will continue sometime in the future.  ;-)

[Heyjude]

Hey Mike,
Glad you worked it all out. I'm still waiting on those pics from Hogsy. The roti rings do suck a lot of air.I am thinking I would try and oven gasket and see if I can stem the flow a bit...
And as for too much Chicken.. I feel y\our pain, but its what fits in the budget.
Either way, the roti is fun to cook on and be sure to psot those pics.
Bunch of Pervs here!

[Hogsy]

On holidays at the moment but will take some pics when I get home
I bought a Nomex gasket off eBay I think it was the 1/2 inch one with the adhesive tape
Works great, temps are controllable with the vents again

[Duke]

On holidays at the moment but will take some pics when I get home
I bought a Nomex gasket off eBay I think it was the 1/2 inch one with the adhesive tape
Works great, temps are controllable with the vents again

That gasket is a good idea. I am looking forward to seeing how it works since I got AJ's roti ring now.

[Heyjude]

Ummm... You have one of the 3 that I had.. I didn't need a spare for the spare..
AJ

[Duke]

Ummm... You have one of the 3 that I had.. I didn't need a spare for the spare..
AJ

Then you should have stacked them up and made a wsm.

[Hogsy]

Here's a link to the newer style roti ring with the slots
http://www.weberstephen.de/Zubeh%C3%B6rdetails.aspx?ID=140&ProductID=PROD527
I'll post some picks of mine soon

[Heyjude]

Is it me, or did they do away with the tabs that sit on the bowl?
This design looks like it would fit a lot better.
I think that is a non US version... Weber 7494. Can't find it in the USA.
And of course they still show the old style on the US website.
http://www.weber.com/accessories/category/cook/cookware/#-

AJ

[glrasmussen]

Well I hooked up with a Rotis unit today. Bought a package deal sight unseen. I am pretty sure it is original, but not sure how old. Came with a OT modified "O". It also has a flat basket and a round basket. I assume these are after marked. I will post a pick tomorrow. Photobucket does not work from home. I hope to use the OT as trade bait upgrade for a brown or lime...

Greg

[glrasmussen]

Here is the Pick. It also cam with some type of rib rack. Not sure what can cook in the tumbler cage. Took the motor of and checked.
It works, sound like my dad's old one. Not sure how it will function with some weight. I am surprised there is no bushings in the slots, wonder if they would wear over a period of time.

Greg

[DoppelBock]

The problem Greg is you used an Australian camera, the images only appear right side up in the Southern Hemisphere; get your self an American or Japanese camera.   

Nice pic! And nice score too, the baskets are the icing.