Rotisserie for poultry in Weber Kettle vs. Stationary hanger for same in PBC

[Alabama Smoke]

Was not sure where to post this question for comparison, so admin, if you have a better idea, please move it.

I have been hanging various meats in the PBC for several years with great results. The company says that this method is basically a "stationary" rotisserie with the heat and smoke swirling around the meat vs rotating the meat over a fire or other heat source below it, as with a standard, traditional rotisserie.

I am happy with those results on the PBC; however, I have acquired a slightly used Weber Performer in great shape as an additional grill/smoker and I am wondering if a rotisserie for it would yield similar or even better results than the PBC hanging method. Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Have you done both of the above? If so which do you believe is the better method? And why?

I purchased the SnS Platinum Bundle just prior to Christmas for the Performer......Its a keeper.....so is the PBC!

So should I purchase the rotisserie for the kettle or be happy with the results I get on the PBC???

I am a perfectionist and want to know which will give me the very best results! Which is it or are the results basically the same????

[RonB]

I only have a Kettle with the rotisserie so I can't give you a comparison. However, I'm able to make a chicken with crisp skin and juicy meat. My wife and I both love the results.

[Alabama Smoke]

Thank you Ron!

[Panhead John]

I have the rotisserie kit for my 22” Weber kettle and I really like it. I don’t have a PBC, so I can’t compare one over the other. I’ve cooked one whole chicken on the rotisserie, a pork loin and recently some shish-kebobs. The chicken I cooked on it was over a year ago, but I remember it was pretty good. Probably could have been better if I had brined it the day before and also it was my first time using it, I didn’t research it before trying. I just threw the chicken on with some seasoning. The pork loin I did recently was awesome! One of my best ever. My personal opinion is I’d go for the rotisserie anyway, it’ll be fun trying it out on different meats. And honestly, you’ll probably never know which is better till you try it out for yourself. There’s just something about watching your food rotate over fire though! Also possibly affecting your cook is the way you distribute your coals inside.

You’ll basically have three ways. 1. Using your SnS for a 2 zone cook. 2. Using the Weber charcoal baskets. I placed mine...one on each end of the kettle, so the food is in between the baskets. 3. Distributing the coals in an even layer across the charcoal grate. Anyway, my opinion is to just go for it and get the rotisserie. I think you’ll really like it, what the hell....you’re a member of AR! It’s in your blood to buy more stuff!

[Polarbear777]

Having made many chickens in the PBC, their explanations are limited and I can’t decide if it is due to them not wanting to share (proprietary) or if they simply did it by trial and error and don’t really know why it works so well.

In any case the rotisserie allows the juices to run down the side and keep rolling around the bird for a while before falling. In the PBC they only get one pass at the bird before falling off.

Assuming air temp is the same, airflow should be similar since they are running charcoal so that’s the only difference I can see. Depends on the roto whether you get smoke from falling/burning juices.

it probably makes a small difference, if any. I may try to A/B it sometime, but it sounds like you are likely to get to it first :-)

[Polarbear777]

Also IR radiation is single direction in the PBC vs rotisserie.

[Emaira]

It's very interesting

[bbqLuv]

All roads lead to Roman, so I venture to guess it comes down to personal choice. For me, the Best BBQ is the BBQ I like.
For whom will you be cooking? To what standard will you be cooking, as if there is one for BBQ chicken.

[cgrover60]

As a sidebar, Weber in the 70's touted the kettle design for rotisserie performance without the rotisserie. Sure it was basic marketing and personally after weber kettle cooking for 40 years that was good enough for me. On the other hand in my opinion NOTHING comes close to the PBC chicken flavor profile regardless of how they explain it. Just sayin.

[HawkerXP]

I don't have a roto on my kettles. Yet.

We do like our PBC chickens.

[jfmorris]

Alabama Smoke Tom I don't have a PBC, but do have the rotisserie for my Performer. So far I've done rotisserie chicken and also did our Thanksgiving turkey (19 pounds) using the Weber rotisserie. I've done it with the SNS holding the coals, the coals banked to one side on the charcoal grate, and using the Weber charcoal basket. Comparing it to indirect cooked chicken with the SNS, or direct cooked (using Grillgrates on the kettle), its somewhere in between. Nice juicy chicken, crispy skin, but no char like I get with direct grilled. We really like it, and I've not spatchcocked a chicken since getting the rotisserie. Family said the turkey at Thanksgiving was one of the best I've made, and I've been smoking them since the early 90's.

The main issue with the kettle rotisserie is that you have to find somewhere to store it when not in use. I'm hanging the ring from a hook high on the wall of my garage, and same for the rotisserie spit rod. The tines/forks go in a zip lock bag that I store with the motor in a cabinet in the garage.

[Alabama Smoke]

Interesting. Thanks for commenting Jim.

[Panhead John]

I’m storing my ring the same way Jim. High in a corner of my garage on a hook.

[pkadare]

I have both and have used both methods for yard birds and my strong preference is for hanging in the PBC. For one, I like my chickens spatchcocked which I can do with the PBC and still hang. They cook faster and I find that I get more of that BBQ flavour when the innards are also exposed. Also, much easier to use a temp probe (other than one of the wireless ones like the Meater) when the birds aren't spinning.

[Alabama Smoke]

Thanks pkadare for the comments.

[jfmorris]

Alabama Smoke I will throw this out there:

MAS (More Accessory Syndrome) says you NEED a rotisserie!

Even if the results are SIMILAR to a spatchcocked and indirect cooked chicken, or to a PBC chicken (probably less so), its a different and unique way of cooking. While I've only done chicken (2 at a time, giving one away sometimes with a meal drop to someone), or turkey, there are other things I would love to do with the kettle rotisserie, that I never even attempted with my Genesis II rotisserie. I'm thinking stuff like rotisserie cooked roasts or pork loins, shwarma (horizontal versus vertical rotisserie of course), and such. Heck - I have a prime rib in the deep freeze, and this may be the ideal way to cook that.

I just think the spinning, with infrared heat only on one side, plus a little smoke, makes for nice juicy results that you won't quite get in other cooking methods. One complicating factor is really that you cannot cook other stuff while using the rotisserie, on the kettle, since you remove the cooking grate. Actually - not quite true - I've roasted veggies in a drip pan under chicken, and they were EXCELLENT. The real main drawback is you can't use a WIRED leave in thermometer. No biggie to me, as I didn't have a leave in before 4-5 years ago. You just need to stop the motor to check temperatures as you near your doneness temperature, and that's pretty easy to predict. With chickens, I checked 1 hour in, then again in 10-12 minutes until they were done (160). The turkey I started checking after 2 hours, and it took about 3:20 to get a 19 pound bird to 160 in the breast.

Oh - did I say its a new toy to play with, and its cook cause stuff spins while it cooks?

[jfmorris]

The other accessory, but less necessary I think (not than ANY are absolutely necessary) would be a pizza oven attachment. I'm happy with my wood fired pizza method on the kettle now though, so have resisted that MAS purchase.

[Alabama Smoke]

MCS you probably nailed it. Interesting comments. Also both you and pkadare mentioned something I had not thought of. One cannot use a wired temp probe while using the rotisserie. Guess I would have tried it and have gotten it all tied in a knot!

[Redwng]

You are going to get the Performer roto because YOU will never know which you prefer until you do. Please share your pics and opinions, I can't wait to hear your take.

[Panhead John]

Plus there’s lots of other stuff to cook on it besides chicken.

[Alabama Smoke]

You have likely nailed it Redwng.

[Robermax]

I am interested in this too. I have a rotisserie for Weber summit gas grill that works great and is quite convenient in the winter. Did not get one for the kettle but am thinking of a PBJ when things warm up to experience another style.
I have been putting my old fashioned meat thermometer in the chicken breast to get a quick idea of the temps while spinning then stabbing with the Thermapen when things are getting close. Have noticed that on the rotisserie that the bird stayed pretty moist even when I overshot the target temps a bit.

[Alabama Smoke]

jfmorris regarding your comments above, have you seen a combo rotisserie /pizza oven for the 22"? I think I saw one a week or two ago but am not sure. And you have a wood fired alternative for pizza on the performer without the oven accessory? I would love to hear about that. Bet others would as well.

[Panhead John]

Alabama Smoke Just to whet your appetite. Pork loin.