First weber lid fit

[newtoq]

Hi guys I just got my first kettle premium and was curious about the fit of the lid. When I slide the lid all the way to one side I can fit my finger tips between the lid the bottom. Is this typical? The reason I ask is that when I did the initial burn in there was smoke coming out of the sides. I tried the binder clips but they just seem to snap off and was worried about them ruining the porcelain as they would fly off. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

[LightningBoldtz]

Cook on it, really greasy stuff, it will seal better over time.

[DirectDrive]

Also measure across the lid.
If you find it to be slightly out of round, give it a bear hug.

[MikeRocksTheRed]

@newtoq  -  Welcome to the WKC forums!  I just used binder clips for the first time last week when smoking on my mom's weber and it worked great....you just need to make sure you have big enough clips.  Like the other two have said, your grill will build up carbon as you cook on it which will create a natural seal, but you should take a look at the kettle and lid and see if you can tell it is out of round.  If it is and bear hug won't fix it, give Weber Customer Service a call.  They are really responsive and if your grill is out of whack they might ask you to take a few measurements or email them some pics but they are really good about replacing things if they are not as they should be.

[newtoq]

Thanks for the tips guys.

So to measure "out of round" would I measure the diameter from top to bottom, left to right, and then diagonally and they should all be the same?

As for a "bear hug" is this literally just squeezing the lid?

My binder clips were 2 inches wide and I heard 1.5 inches is fine so not sure the issue there.

Thanks again.

[DarrenC]

I wouldn't stress on it if I were you.  I bet it cooks just fine. 

[DirectDrive]

Thanks for the tips guys.

So to measure "out of round" would I measure the diameter from top to bottom, left to right, and then diagonally and they should all be the same?

As for a "bear hug" is this literally just squeezing the lid?

My binder clips were 2 inches wide and I heard 1.5 inches is fine so not sure the issue there.

Thanks again.

Bear Hug Procedure...

1) Take the lid and place it on a table, upside down (the lid, not the table !) 

2) With a tape measure, measure straight across the diameter in several places.
If the lid is round, you will get the same reading every time.

3) If not, mark the widest area (piece of tape)

5) Place an old towel (or similar) on the table

6) Place the lid on the towel with the wide dimension in a vertical orientation

7) Press down

8 ) Check dimensions

9) Rinse and repeat as is necessary


This procedure is intuitive.
Excuse the multi-step dissertation.

[newtoq]

Makes sense! Thanks for the help guys and I will report back my findings. Hopefully I can try my hand at some ribs this weekend using the slow n sear plus and tip top temp.


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[MikeRocksTheRed]

Keep in mind that if you have a new grill and you can get clear measurements that show your lid or bowl is out of round you can call weber customer service and they will have a new bowl or lid on its way before you can blink an eye.  You can probably bear hug it to fix it, but an extra lid never hurts!!!!

[Saugust]

I went through this process with Weber a while ago and ended up with a fleet of lids and bowls . . . all out of round. I would advise against pushing down on the lid and instead opt for the bear hug. Do it without the handle attached if possible. Just keep doing it until it's right. Little by little. And if, upon your manly bear hugging, you damage the porcelain because you're too manly, just call Weber and they'll send you a new one.

[DirectDrive]

I went through this process with Weber a while ago and ended up with a fleet of lids and bowls . . . all out of round. I would advise against pushing down on the lid and instead opt for the bear hug. Do it without the handle attached if possible. Just keep doing it until it's right. Little by little. And if, upon your manly bear hugging, you damage the porcelain because you're too manly, just call Weber and they'll send you a new one.

But why ?
It's the same pressure, just easier to regulate that way.

Handle on or off would make no difference if doing the procedure correctly.
In other words, the handle is out of play. (golf reference)

[newtoq]

Well I measured diameter vertically and horizontally and had over half an inch difference. Called weber up and have a new lid on the way. Great customer service!


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club mobile app

[MacEggs]

Be careful of the bear hugs ....  I was once on the receiving end .... That was a great Friday night .... Couldn't shake 'er until Monday sometime ...

[Saugust]

I went through this process with Weber a while ago and ended up with a fleet of lids and bowls . . . all out of round. I would advise against pushing down on the lid and instead opt for the bear hug. Do it without the handle attached if possible. Just keep doing it until it's right. Little by little. And if, upon your manly bear hugging, you damage the porcelain because you're too manly, just call Weber and they'll send you a new one.

But why ?
It's the same pressure, just easier to regulate that way.

Handle on or off would make no difference if doing the procedure correctly.
In other words, the handle is out of play. (golf reference)

You're certainly right in that there will be pressure on the top of lid no matter what. It's going to flex there. And that's precisely why I think it's best to not have the handle installed. If it's going to flex, you don't want it restricted by the handle and hardware. That could (and in my experience did) cause the porcelain to crack. Rather, squeeze from the rim, where it's most effected anyway, and let the pressure on the top of the lid be indirect. I hope that makes sense. The long and short of it is that I did both. One worked (bear hug) and the other didn't. And pushing down on the handle left me with a few chips missing. Weber made it right, but why wait for them to ship you a new lid if you can fix it in 30 seconds?