Weber Genesis II and Spirit observation about grease dripping from hood

[jfmorris]

Ok, let me preface this by saying that I've been cooking on a Weber Genesis Silver A, made in 2002, since around 2004, when a friend of the family gave it to me after her husband passed away. I think it had been used only a handful of times, and I've been using the heck out of it for 15 years.

Two years ago, based on my experience with that Weber, and my Dad's prior experience with the original mid-80's model of the Genesis, my Dad got a Spirit E-330 (closed cart, sear burner, and side burner) when he moved here in 2017. He has been complaining about the design of that grill causing grease to collect on the lid and drip outside the cooker and make a mess on his side tables and brand new patio concrete. I just said "huh", and gave it no more thought.

In January I got a Genesis II E-410, displacing my old 2 burner Genesis, which will eventually leave with my daughter when she gets married next May. I've noticed in recent cooks that it has the same issue I notice lines of grease on the side tables, and grease appears to collect and drip from the sides of the hood if I am cooking things like lots of smash burgers. I am pretty certain it has something to do with the double walled design of the top in these newer Weber grills. My old Genesis has a single walled hood - the newer ones are double walled, and it seems the design is such that anything that collects on the inside of the hood runs down, and eventually ends up dripping off the edge of the lid, and onto the side table. Or onto the ground, based on the line of black grease that stained my patio concrete along the back of the grill.

Has anyone else seen this in the newer Weber gas grills? It's pretty annoying. Now that I know it is going on, I just wipe the edge with a few paper towels while I am cooking, and the dripping is averted.

[jfmorris]

Bump.

After cleaning the Genesis II side tables recently, I was wondering if anyone else with a Genesis II or Spirit II is seeing this pattern of grease buildup on the left and right bottom edges of the lid, such that it drips on the inner edge of the side tables. This is still an issue I never ever saw in the older Genesis with the single walled dome construction...

[Jerod Broussard]

I'll have to check and see what model I have. You have pics? I honestly don't recall any drippings.

[jfmorris]

Jerod Broussard I don't have any pics specifically of the grease dripping, but here are some pics from recent cooks on that grill where I have circled the problem area in red. The grease from a greasy cook runs down the lid, and tends to gather on the left and right edges of the lid. It wants to drip onto the ends of the cooker body, making a big burned on mess, as well as onto the inside edges of the table. I will say that this issue may be one reason Weber stopped making some of the lighter colors of the Genesis II in the 2019 changes to the lineup. Mine is the "Smoke" color bought on clearance in January 2019, mostly because they went to just black.

I would have preferred the grill be black to avoid seeing as much crap and discoloration on it. My 2002 Genesis I touched up the aluminum body every few years with high temp spray paint to freshen it up.

I will also say you mostly see the grease dripping onto the side tables from the edge of the dome when cooking a bunch of greasy burgers or lots of chicken quarters. With the Grillgrates a lot of the fat sizzles and vaporizes, probably more than if you are using the stock Weber grates. When it gets bad enough to drip from the edge of the lid, its often a line about 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the inside edge of the side table.

My solution to help reduce the issue is to wipe the lower edge of the grill lid a few times when cleaning the grill, or during a long greasy cook. Which is not often these days since getting the flattop.

[Dadof3Illinois]

My old Genesis E-310 did it and my new Genesis II S-335 also has this issue. Not a big deal to me but wanted to let you know that it's not because of the grill grates IMO.

[Jerod Broussard]

OK. Thanks.

[Donw]

Just went outside to take a careful look at my Spirit II 3 burner in stainless. I don’t see anything on the side tables, but found one drip line on the left-side near the front, but it wasn’t very big, nor wide, and also wasn’t very thick. Several weeks ago we cooked 24 chicken thighs on it, and I thought that cook might have generated enough grease to recreate what you are seeing, but it didn’t.

[jfmorris]

Do you have Grillgrates? I am wondering if that is a contributing factor in my case. Also, how new is your Spirit II? Maybe they fixed this since 2018 when my grill was made...

[Donw]

Went back out but couldn’t determine the model year. All I remember is I bought it in the last three years and it wasn’t on sale. I do use grill grates on half of the area sometimes, flat side up, but normally reinstall the factory ones when done with the particular cook. However, the grease streak I did notice is on the side where I install the grill grates when using them. Sorry that I couldn’t be more help.

[jfmorris]

Hmmm. I am thinking the large amount of drips and runs I see may involve the grill grates. You only seeing runs on the end you install them on may be a piece of the puzzle.

Regardless.... the grill works well, just gets messy at times, and not gonna win a beauty contest with all the burned on gunk on the ends of the grill body.

[bbqLuv]

TSP might remove the stain on your patio? Just Might.

[jfmorris]

I doubt it. Too many greasy spots. On the 4th, I didn't have the grease cup slid all the way in place on the Camp Chef griddle, and my son in law caught a run of hot grease on his toes. I've yet to try and degrease the concrete in that area... thankfully its at the very edge/back of the slab, as the griddle is sitting on some pavers off the edge of the patio area.