What is going on with my Weber Kettle?

[6th Borough BBQ]

So I use my 22" Weber Kettle pretty frequently. Over the winter I'd say I use it about two times a week, if not more. I set it up in two-zone use about 95% of the time and keep it covered most of the time when not in use. I'd say overall I take very good care of it as it is my second favorite cooking tool behind my Lang (and used more often). It's less than a year old.

Just this week, I found that the bottom rack that the charcoal sits on is warped. Seriously, I don't think I could warp it on purpose but just out of the blue it is now warped. I'd say a good 1/2 inch or so. It still fits on the bottom barely, and works, but it's pretty annoying.

Additionally, in the same week, I noticed what appears to be film (paint maybe?) peeling off in big pieces from the lid and falling onto the cooking surface.

I love my grill and use it often, but am surprised to see these happen at the same time. Not sure if I did something that would cause it or not. Are these normal experiences for a weber Kettle?

[Pirate Scott]

How’s it going? Stupid Question, is it paint or Smoke Flakes? Not sure on the warped grate, maybe big temperature difference using it in the Winter? Can you twist it back in shape? I will look at my 26” but I think it is straight. I just cleaned my lid last cook before it started snowing Smoke flakes. Hello Mr. Weber, can I get a new Charcoal grate? Maybe they say yes, you never know.

[jacmac422]

the flakes on the lid are common and just built up carbon. a little is great as it helps seal the kettle but once it starts flaking it is best just to scrape it off. I typically do a thorough cleaning once a year and that is enough to keep the carbon flakes from getting to that point. It is much more common when smoking and my smokey mountain cooker gets much more than my kettle

[DWCowles]

To be honest I haven’t seen a charcoal grate that won’t warp to a certain degree.

[lonnie mac]

Although I'll say that the ole kettle is not made like it used to be, what you are seeing is not unusual at all. If your two zone is always on the same side of the grate, try rotating the coal grate between cooks. No matter what they will warp a bit, but you can re-warp it by rotating and using a different coal spot each cook. The carbon build up is very common. Mine do the same. Even my WSCGC is starting to get a nice build-up of flavor flakes.

[RonB]

I agree - warping and flaking are common. I just flip the charcoal grate over occasionally and it goes slowly back in the other direction. When I notice that the lid is starting to flake I just hit it with a wire brush.

[6th Borough BBQ]

Thank you everyone for the input! I feel so much better about it now and will getting to flipping over the grate, scraping off the lid, and moving on!

[PJBowmaster]

Atta Boy!! Cheers!

[Attjack]

Normal stuff for sure. Don't let that crud fall on your food!

[Mudkat]

Even Weber agrees that the Smoke flakes is normal. Scrape 'em off and smile 'cause you know your kettle is working the way it should when you're cooking right. I always have two charcoal grates perpendicular to each other at the bottom of my grate. One of them is usually warped convexed. Meaning it bends down in the middle.

[Buck Flicks]

Yep... scrape 'em. Don't let that carbon build up too much, because it will affect temperatures in the kettle. The inner surface reflects heat back toward the middle, but if there is sufficient carbon built up, it diffuses the heat rather than reflecting it back, and eventually you could get to a point where it takes more fuel to reach and maintain desired temperatures.

[jfmorris]

Put the lid upside down on top of a trash can as a holder, open the vent, and use a razor blade scraper to take off all the carbon build up, and scrape it down through the holes in the lid into the trash can. I did that recently, as my kettle had built up a lot of carbon as well which was flaking off. The porcelain finish is very tough, and a razor blade scraper like you would use to take paint off window glass won't hurt it at all.

The Weber Kettle Club has a good set of instructions on this:

http://weberkettleclub.com/weber-grill-restoration-interior-and-exterior-kettle-cleaning/

[Huskee]

My weapon of choice is an old credit card as a scraper. Can't beat the price!