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Do I really need a SnS insert for my weber kettle?

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    Do I really need a SnS insert for my weber kettle?

    I have a Weber 22 kettle, and a PBC.
    pretty much all of my low and slow is done on the PBC.
    The kettle is for hot and fast.
    Is it worth the investment to get the SnS insert for the kettle if I don't do any slow cooks on it?
    I currently use my vortex if I want to create a sear zone, but mostly just make a 2 zone fire without it.
    The kids are asking for Father's Day gift ideas. Not sure if I would use it often enough to make it worthwhile..
    If there is one thing I hate more than wasting my money, it's my kids wasting theirs...especially on me.

    thanks

    #2
    It's a well made charcoal basket. Do you need one? Absolutely not.

    Comment


      #3
      If you know you will never do slow cooks on it, then no. It does help with high heat searing but you already have the Vortex.

      If you simply don't do any low & slow on your kettle now, but could see yourself trying it later or maybe needing the extra cooker for efficiency, say a single pork butt where you don't want to waste an entire basket of charcoal in your PBC, then yes!

      Also something to think about is low & slow on the kettle will taste different than the PBC, maybe closer to a stickburner type flavor if you use a couple wood chunks. So, to expand your capacity, your device options, and your flavors, I'd say yes!

      Comment


      • Attjack
        Attjack commented
        Editing a comment
        Huskee I would re-read the OP. Sounds like he's more hesitant than he is considering it. I bought one because so many were so adamant about them on this forum and if I had it to do again I wouldn't because you do not need one to smoke. There are other products out there too that seem like a better value to me because Finster seems more likely to want to sear on his kettle than smoke. https://malorycookware.com/products/firewall

      • Attjack
        Attjack commented
        Editing a comment
        Now this cast iron griddle from SNS Grills? That's a product I can recommend!


      • Huskee
        Huskee commented
        Editing a comment
        I think we've nicely acknowledged some pros and cons about it, as well as some that not everyone might think about initially, so the OP and anyone else reading can make informed decisions based on how he pictures himself using his equipment. That's what forums are all about, we don't all have to agree on every detail, we just share our points of view for the benefit of all. I for one, would never use the CI griddle, so we're alike but different and that's OK! Attjack

      #4
      Ah yes, to decide between need or want. Good luck with that.
      I will decide for you. Yes, get one, but don't blame me if you do.
      For it is far better to have and not need than to need and not have.
      Last edited by bbqLuv; May 11, 2022, 09:05 PM.

      Comment


        #5
        Need? No. Nice to have? Absolutely.

        I have one and rarely use it. Low and slow is on my pellet cooker. Hot and fast on one of two gassers or kettle with Vortex. Occasionally I need extra capacity and the SnS comes in nicely there.

        Comment


        • bbqLuv
          bbqLuv commented
          Editing a comment
          Pellet grill
          You speak the truth

        #6
        I really do not use mine anymore when I am going low and slow on my kettle. It does help to keep things neat and tidy. I do not personally think it is necessary, but it is nice to have from time to time.

        Comment


        • Andrrr
          Andrrr commented
          Editing a comment
          How do you set up for low and slow on your kettle? Might help him decide on an alternative option… and maybe I’m curious too

        • Attjack
          Attjack commented
          Editing a comment
          I haven't used my XL SNS in years. After using it on the Weber 26" I decided I did not want one for my 22" inch kettles. I use the snake method.

        • LA Pork Butt
          LA Pork Butt commented
          Editing a comment
          Neat and tidy would be Finster plus.

        #7
        No. You can always buy one if you decide to smoke on the kettle but there's no point in getting one now just to have it.

        Comment


          #8
          Do you need one? No. But I suggest you go ahead & try it..... you might enjoy the different flavor profile that it gives to your slow cooked food versus the PBC. You can also use it for searing.

          Comment


            #9
            Andrrr You can see it in the picture. This works great, I like to use chips or pellets cause they burn up fast and give you really clean smokey, no smoldering chunk of wood. I can run the kettle for hours like this with no insert and no fiddling.

            Get the 6-8 coals going red hot, shake the chimney a few times to remove the ash then add them to the snake.
            Click image for larger version  Name:	Unknown-1.jpg Views:	0 Size:	11.7 KB ID:	1219963

            Comment


            • Spinaker
              Spinaker commented
              Editing a comment
              That is just a stock photo. Sometimes I stack them vertically, sometimes I lay them down. But I generally go vertically. Andrrr

            • Finster
              Finster commented
              Editing a comment
              Snake method on the kettle is what I did before I got the PBC. It worked well for me. Never really had much problem maintaining temps once I got them to settle in.
              Prior to learning of the snake method, I would do a minion by using fire bricks to section off part of the kettle, with coals on one side with a water pan above it, and the meat on the other side...

            • holehogg
              holehogg commented
              Editing a comment
              I use lump charcoal exclusively, just don't like the flavour briquettes impart. For this reason the snake method would never work.
              If you're preferred choice of fuel is lump charcoal then the SnS is the answer.

            #10
            I've tried doing similar slow cooks in the old Weber kettle with no SnS and I've found it's much more difficult to keep the temp low where you want it and steady where you want it. The SnS insert or SnS kettle with the insert is another fine tool to enable better and easier smoke cooking. MHO

            I just used mine last night - low smoked some half-smokes from Ben's Chili Bowl. Mesquite and a little Beech wood.
            Attached Files
            Last edited by Mark The Q-er; May 11, 2022, 02:20 PM.

            Comment


            • Spinaker
              Spinaker commented
              Editing a comment
              Love this!

            • Finster
              Finster commented
              Editing a comment
              Those look delicious. I never had trouble with the snake method.
              Have done overnight cooks using a temp alarm, and been able to get a decent sleep with the alarm not going off..

            #11
            I will agree with most that if you will absolutely, positively NEVER EVER smoke on your kettle, then a SNS is not 100% necessary. I will point out that it will give you a larger sear zone than the Vortex does if you want to reverse sear steaks and such. I can barely sear one steak at a time over the Vortex, but can sear two good sized steaks at a time over the SNS. Aside from the sear zone size difference thought you won't see a lot of different between SNS and Vortex.

            If you think you MIGHT want to smoke on the kettle, I will disagree with a few comments above. I started smoking on a kettle using the snake method a few above mention. I made some GREAT bbq this way. The drawback for me was the fact that the snake method requires a 2x2 neatly stacked pattern of briquettes around the circumference of the charcoal grate - which is 17" in diameter. This means you effectively must keep your meat inside a 17" circle in the center of the cooking grate, dramatically reducing capacity. My drip pan was a 9x13 disposable foil pan, and it barely fit in the middle of the charcoal grate when doing the snake. I could do one butt, but found that ribs were hard to fit inside that small circle unless I cut them down. With the SNS using about 1/3 of the main cooking grate, I have the full width of the 22" grate for placing my ribs, a couple of butts or even an 18-20 pound brisket. So smoking capacity is much more using the SNS than the snake, in my opinion, on a 22" kettle.

            The other drawback is that the snake method only really works with briquettes, and the burn time is a little unpredictable. Some days I got 8 hours, other days 6. With the SNS I get a consistent burn time, and I can also use lump charcoal. I get 12 hour burn times today with B&B lump or briquettes, per load of charcoal in the SNS. And refueling with a hinged grate is much much easier than on your PBC.

            I switched to a kettle+SNS from a stick burner, and feel that the flavor profile is similar. I rarely use my stick burner anymore, due to the extra work involved, and the 4-5x fuel usage over the kettle+SNS.

            I use a Weber rib rack to smoke up to 5 slabs of ribs at once on the kettle+SNS, and then like to finish off the ribs with a little char and set sauce by putting one slab at a time over the SNS, and they fit nicely over the coals in the SNS. Can't do that with a vortex or a snake.

            Comment


            • Panhead John
              Panhead John commented
              Editing a comment
              I’ve turned my vortex upside down, wide side up, to give me a larger sear zone. Works just as well and you can get 2 steaks over it to sear at once, if they’re not too big.

            • Finster
              Finster commented
              Editing a comment
              Solid points Jim.
              Never say never...lol.
              The snake method has been succesful for me, and I dont think I'd be likely to want to do more than one shoulder at a time in the kettle. Larger cooks are the reason I got the PBC.
              I do find it interesting that you are able to use lump with the SnS. I use lump for grilling most of the time, but never for long cooks. Would be interested in learning more about how that works with inconsistent size pieces.

            • holehogg
              holehogg commented
              Editing a comment
              Finster I just posted above before reading here on using lump. I only use lump for all my cooks including low and slow. Sure Jim will chime in as I'm not sure how our lump compares with what you guys get but to say I've been using lump successfully for years. Found 2 brands that work for me and use them exclusively.

            #12
            I love mine. It’s used more often than the KBQ or PBC because it’s super convenient and I generally only need to do 1 butt or brisket at a time, and everything tastes as good or better from the SnS than the PBC. It truly is a great invention, IMHO.

            Comment


            • Andrrr
              Andrrr commented
              Editing a comment
              If you’re ever looking to part ways with the KBQ you let me know 😎 They’ve been on my mind for some time

            #13
            Thanks for the input everyone.
            all good info, and all helpful.
            My takeaway is that the insert is much more of a low and slow tool than a hot and fast one...which is what I suspected. There are some aspects to it that were mentioned that I hadn't considered.
            Last edited by Finster; May 11, 2022, 04:46 PM.

            Comment


              #14
              What hasn’t been considered is the NEED to just git one! I mean, this is the Pit fer crankin a Ford. We don’t sit around all proper & such discussin whether we should be mindful of the necessity of gittin stuff. What is MCS fer anyways. You can do a lotta stuff with it, so go do a lotta stuff! Git one!
              Last edited by FireMan; May 11, 2022, 05:08 PM.

              Comment


              • Finster
                Finster commented
                Editing a comment
                FireMan
                Dont know what MCS is, so definitely dont know what it's fer...lol

              #15
              I was out in the backyard just now covering my Performer and this attachment and I thought of you. Perhaps this would be a more useful accessory for your needs than a SnS? I bought mine for $94 on sale and shipping is free.

              Click image for larger version

Name:	XTW3kEPAgYFYsC82WC8DaigMlDXlQAQyFFNgflUDJd9QN3lAk3cyZrGzDFC-P67fwWr1on-vwWGYIZ8xyK0lvqviMYILMv1DubrShBx2wSX2l7PftpaYXFQzE4fA9pr9RpUnVulaIuoT1pv-AfH1fz6r_x7H2_KMI6Cur5x_x4gYgHFTkob2cYLiBBMuJkDWaz5xijVS_480UhVCY8xP8iseCfXLCEAICjrlAjtjQmbcQeOazp1YfJLoBfO3_zC
Views:	403
Size:	191.6 KB
ID:	1220060


              Comment

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