Rotisserie Tips

[jfmorris]

Ok guys and gals, with Father's Day coming, the wife and adult kids kept asking me for gift ideas, and earlier this week I saw that I had an OnlyFire rotisserie for the Genesis II 4 and 6 burners (I have the E-410) sitting in my wish list. I had looked at it a while back, as the spit rod was thicker than the Weber version for those grills, and I had seen some complaints about Weber's spit rod sagging under the weight of even two chickens. Plus, about $30-40 less invested, in case I don't end up using it. I think I would LIKE the results better on my Performer with charcoal, but don't want to hassle with storing the ring for the kettle, plus if I again don't end up using it, that is even more money wasted.

So, some basic things I've gleaned from the other messages in this channel:

1. Remove the grates, put a drip pan (or two) on the flavorizer bars.
2. Outside burners on medium, inside burners off.

So what else am I missing? I will probably start with a couple of chickens, but have ideas of doing pork loins, beef loin roasts and other such cuts this way if I like the results. I know how it takes to cook a spatchcocked chicken (an hour or so). How long will it take on the rotisserie, with indirect heat?

Thanks for any suggestions or advice.

Jim

[Attjack]

Poke a hole in the metal lid of appropriately sized empty peanut butter jar and put your butcher's string in there to make it easy to access.

[jfmorris]

Good idea - I've got a roll of butcher's twine just chilling in the basket I keep all my thermometers in right now, and have yet to open it, as I've not needed to truss anything in a long time.

[texastweeter]

or use an upside down clay flower pot.

[Attjack]

Go to harbor freight and buy yourself some dedicated pliers.

[Attjack]

jfmorris Well, not quite. But if you keep mentioning I might have to try to figure something out. However, I decided to do a rotisserie cabbage for tonight since I think that's in a similar vein of thought.

[jfmorris]

Attjack Hmmm. Let me know how the cabbage turns out. Sounds interesting!

[Attjack]

You know me I'll probably post pics!

[Dan Deter]

Get a copy of Mike Vrobel's book... https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/books...erie-grilling/

For chickens I figure approximately 15 minutes per pound, start checking early of course, time dependent on actual grill. Assuming 2 chickens at once, legs toward the outside (heat sources) to help get them to 175 around the same time the breasts gets to 165.

My Summit has a ceramic rotisserie burner in the top that I use for the first 20 minutes or so to crisp up the skin (and no more than 20 minutes!). Not sure of the best option without one, hopefully someone else can chime in.

I like dry brining with my simple rub (kosher salt, brown sugar, paprika, cayenne) for 24 hours before I truss and spit the birds.

[Attjack]

Considering getting a kebab attachment sometime down the road.

[Dan Deter]

Gloves you can hold the blazing hot rod with for several minutes and a large cutting board with a juice groove are invaluable as well, but I figure you probably have those already...

[jfmorris]

Don't have good gloves, just some of those crappy Weber mittens. I've got welding gloves and pliers on my shopping list for Harbor Freight now! And my cutting board could stand to be larger, but does have a juice groove.

[Potkettleblack]

Go beyond chicken. I've done some pork loins that have been great, considering commodity pork is trash. ;-)

[Attjack]

Maybe some prime rib? A pineapple perhaps?

[jfmorris]

This is what I was thinking - pork loins, NY strip loins, etc.

[Willard]

Most definitely prime rib. Did it for Christmas. Best thing I think I’ve ever cooked.

[TripleB]

Just did a rotisserie cook and got some great tips, but you seem to have it already covered. The only other thing was someone recommend putting some chips in a smoke box and setting that on the flavorizer bars.

[RonB]

If you would like to try using it on your kettle, just buy a piece of ss sheet about 10" wide and ~ 6' long, (maybe a couple of inches longer). Wrap it into a circle and place it inside your kettle. Use a clamp to hold the top edge at the correct position so that there is a several inch overlap. Then drill two or three holes through the ss where it overlaps and use some bolts and wing nuts to keep it in a circle shape. Cut two groves in the top edge for the skewer to rest on too. You will probably have to buy and mount the motor bracket that holds the rotisserie motor.

You will be set to use the rotisserie on the kettle, and you can disassemble it and store flat when not in use.

If your chix is not crisp enough as it approaches being done, turn on the center burners to help crisp the skin, but watch closely....

[Rod]

I bought a Weber rotisserie for my Genesis S330 and got rid of it shortly thereafter. I didn't like how low it sat. I had to really tie up the legs on a whole chicken. Otherwise the legs would drag across the flavorizer bars. You might want to look into that for your grill.

[Attjack]

I doubt it could sit any lower than my little Weber Spirit but I've always had enough clearance for chickens.

[Dan Deter]

Potkettleblack I always go through the cavity (with good results). I'm curious why you want to skewer chickens through the side?

[Potkettleblack]

Less slippage. Good trussing works as well. But you can also fit more chickens on a spit if you do them through the side.

[Attjack]

I found a pic of the butcher string thing.

[mountainsmoker]

If you can cook it you can rotisserie it. At least I think so. Even steaks, just skewer them in 3 places, the juices flowing over them keep them moist. Maybe not a prime rib or porterhouse but a flank and flat iron, the long flat steaks. Of course any poultry, chickens, turkey and duck. Any of the pork cuts except chops. Belly skewered through 3 or 4 places. It is really one of my favorite ways to cook when I am not smoking low and slow as it keeps the juices on the pieces of meat generally. Make sure you have a couple of smoke boxes to keep chips going during the cook. I use the SS one from Lowes at about $16 there are others that sit right down on the flavorizer bars.

Well good luck and enjoy.

[Attjack]

I had some technical difficulties because it seemed like a good idea to go to the bar for a cold one while this thing was spinning but I was able to recover nicely.


Garganzola


Bacon coated with blue cheese dressing


Caramelized onions


Lid's on


Ready to spin. FYI not much smoke at these temps.



The lid fell off the spit but the foil saved the day. Just had to pick out the apple wood chips.

[Bkhuna]

I've used a rotisserie on a gasser. I've used the rotisserie on my Weber kettle.

I no longer have a rottisserie for my gasser.

[jfmorris]

Good point, and if I like this enough, I may end up with one for the kettle. The attraction on having it for the 4 burner Genesis was being able to fit more onto the longer spit, and less storage space needed.

[Attjack]

I'm sure I would like a rotisserie on one of my kettles but I do like spinning a bird out on the gas grill on those cold and rainy nights.

[Bkhuna]

jfmorris I did a 5 bone standing rib on my 22 in. Weber, How's that for capacity. The ring itself can be though of as a corral for a couple of bags big bags of charcoal or 8 or so little bags of pellets. We're carnivorous cookers of the flame, we can make anything happen if we have the will.