Sunday I did my first burn with the Webber 22" and a Slow 'N Sear. I have drilled two holes on the wheeled side of the kettle for thermometer probes, one about an inch above the food grate and the second about an inch above the coal grate. I put a temperature probe in each just to see the difference in those two areas in case I want to cook in both.
I had read somewhere to start with 15 lighted coals, so I put them in the chimney and lighted them up. I filled the water chamber with room temperature tap water. Then I put the ashed over coals into the SNS and set the top vent to half open, according to instructions I'd read, and set the bottom vent to a random setting, probably about one third open. I got geeky last week and actually made a vernier scale to measure the bottom vent openings. It doesn't read in terms of what percentage of fully open the vent is, but allows me to measure the vent handle movement a millimeter at a time and reproduce some particular setting with precision. I recorded the temperatures every ten minutes.
For about an hour the temperature held steady at 136. I had seen smoke coming out from the lid edges, so I put a 4 kg workout weight on the handle, which sharply reduced the smoke leakage. I couldn't seem to get it much higher than 136, and then realized that I had forgotten to wrap the part of coal grate not covered by the SNS with foil. So I opened it up, took off the food grate and put in the foil. The temp rose to about 250, but then began falling steadily. The coals had burned down to a very few. I have concluded that 15 isn't enough to start with.
I added 20 unlighted coals and tinkered with vent. It took a while but came up to 250. I let it go long enough to feel confident that it was holding. I can't see burning coals but not cooking, so I had bought a fairly large whole chicken and about two pounds of boneless chuck short rib. The chuck was dry brined in the refrigerator for about two hours. I had cut up 3 large sweet potatoes and rolled them in brown sugar mixed with nutmeg and cinnamon. I put the pan full of potatoes on the coal grill and the chicken over it on the food grill. One temperature probe went on the food grill and the other in the thigh of the chiken, and I closed 'er back up. For a while things were good, but then the temperature began falling steadily again and opening the bottom vent had no effect. Again, the coals had dwindled so I filled the SNS full with unlit coals and another chunk of oak wood.
The temp held pretty close to 250 and the temperature inside the chicken came up to 160 in only about an hour. I moved the probe to the breast just to be sure that it, too, was up to temp. Then I took off the bird and beef and took out the pan full of potatoes. In retrospect, I should have let the bird go up to 165. Anyway, the bird was bloody around the thigh joints and more liquid came out of that bird than I have ever seen. The potatoes were warmed up but not cooked at all. Also, in retrospect, I realize that it just wasn't hot enough to cook potatoes. The lower grill is from 30 to 60 degrees cooler than the food grill. I cut up the bird and finished it on direct heat over the coals. Meanwhile, I cut up the beef and tasted it-- The flavor was magnificent! This is very encouraging. The chicken flavor was also good. I had to cook the potatoes in the microwave. A lot of liquid from the chicken had dripped into them, and when mashed up, they had a bit of smoky flavor.
After taking off the food, I left the temperature probes in the kettle and put the lid back on without the weight. While working on the potatoes, the grill temperature rose to over 370. I had not changed the vent setting. I think that there just wasn't enough air moving through with the lid held down and the top vent only halfway open. I opened the top vent all the way and continued monitoring temperature. I was up above 300 for a while. It did drop steadily, and further bottom vent adjustment did nothing. Again, the coals were nearly gone.
My conclusions so far are:
1: Wrap the part of the coal grate not covered by the SNS first thing.
2: Food won't cook a lot on the bottom grill unless the whole thing is a lot hotter. It will pick up smoke flavor, though.
3: Start with maybe 25 coals and a chunk of oak.
4: No weight on the kettle lid. If I can see smoke coming out, there isn't cold air going in.
5: Top vent full open unless it gets too hot and closing bottom vent doesn't help.
6: Fill the SNS water tank with pre-heated water. I would have done that but forgot (getting old is going to be the death of me.)
7: Check the temperature guide more closely for finished temperature.
8. The flavor of that beef has me hooked. This enterprise is worth much more effort.
I had read somewhere to start with 15 lighted coals, so I put them in the chimney and lighted them up. I filled the water chamber with room temperature tap water. Then I put the ashed over coals into the SNS and set the top vent to half open, according to instructions I'd read, and set the bottom vent to a random setting, probably about one third open. I got geeky last week and actually made a vernier scale to measure the bottom vent openings. It doesn't read in terms of what percentage of fully open the vent is, but allows me to measure the vent handle movement a millimeter at a time and reproduce some particular setting with precision. I recorded the temperatures every ten minutes.
For about an hour the temperature held steady at 136. I had seen smoke coming out from the lid edges, so I put a 4 kg workout weight on the handle, which sharply reduced the smoke leakage. I couldn't seem to get it much higher than 136, and then realized that I had forgotten to wrap the part of coal grate not covered by the SNS with foil. So I opened it up, took off the food grate and put in the foil. The temp rose to about 250, but then began falling steadily. The coals had burned down to a very few. I have concluded that 15 isn't enough to start with.
I added 20 unlighted coals and tinkered with vent. It took a while but came up to 250. I let it go long enough to feel confident that it was holding. I can't see burning coals but not cooking, so I had bought a fairly large whole chicken and about two pounds of boneless chuck short rib. The chuck was dry brined in the refrigerator for about two hours. I had cut up 3 large sweet potatoes and rolled them in brown sugar mixed with nutmeg and cinnamon. I put the pan full of potatoes on the coal grill and the chicken over it on the food grill. One temperature probe went on the food grill and the other in the thigh of the chiken, and I closed 'er back up. For a while things were good, but then the temperature began falling steadily again and opening the bottom vent had no effect. Again, the coals had dwindled so I filled the SNS full with unlit coals and another chunk of oak wood.
The temp held pretty close to 250 and the temperature inside the chicken came up to 160 in only about an hour. I moved the probe to the breast just to be sure that it, too, was up to temp. Then I took off the bird and beef and took out the pan full of potatoes. In retrospect, I should have let the bird go up to 165. Anyway, the bird was bloody around the thigh joints and more liquid came out of that bird than I have ever seen. The potatoes were warmed up but not cooked at all. Also, in retrospect, I realize that it just wasn't hot enough to cook potatoes. The lower grill is from 30 to 60 degrees cooler than the food grill. I cut up the bird and finished it on direct heat over the coals. Meanwhile, I cut up the beef and tasted it-- The flavor was magnificent! This is very encouraging. The chicken flavor was also good. I had to cook the potatoes in the microwave. A lot of liquid from the chicken had dripped into them, and when mashed up, they had a bit of smoky flavor.
After taking off the food, I left the temperature probes in the kettle and put the lid back on without the weight. While working on the potatoes, the grill temperature rose to over 370. I had not changed the vent setting. I think that there just wasn't enough air moving through with the lid held down and the top vent only halfway open. I opened the top vent all the way and continued monitoring temperature. I was up above 300 for a while. It did drop steadily, and further bottom vent adjustment did nothing. Again, the coals were nearly gone.
My conclusions so far are:
1: Wrap the part of the coal grate not covered by the SNS first thing.
2: Food won't cook a lot on the bottom grill unless the whole thing is a lot hotter. It will pick up smoke flavor, though.
3: Start with maybe 25 coals and a chunk of oak.
4: No weight on the kettle lid. If I can see smoke coming out, there isn't cold air going in.
5: Top vent full open unless it gets too hot and closing bottom vent doesn't help.
6: Fill the SNS water tank with pre-heated water. I would have done that but forgot (getting old is going to be the death of me.)
7: Check the temperature guide more closely for finished temperature.
8. The flavor of that beef has me hooked. This enterprise is worth much more effort.
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