What do I need with a Weber Summit Charcoal?

[user32034]

Thanks for the SnS reminder. It seems that ABC's UK distribution has problems at the moment, but they've been really helpful trying to sort me out direct.

Ordered the grill today, it'll be delivered tomorrow so I've taken the day off to enjoy. I'll add the Slow n Sear as soon as I can.

[jfmorris]

Congratulations user32034 you are going to love that grill! From what I've seen its pretty much the ultimate in "kettle meets kamado" without that pesky fact that ceramic can break, and should last a lifetime.

Everything you want to cook on the Summit can be done without add-ons like the SNS - it just makes some types of cooking more convenient. I would start by learning how to indirect cook with the diffuser plate in place, and direct with the diffuser removed. Where I think the SNS low profile helps is a 2 zone setup, if you want to do things like reverse sear a steak for example.

If I could justify the expense I would get a Summit Charcoal grill in a heartbeat.

[user32034]

Thanks jfmorris , good advice. I'm going to do just that, and get a feel for temp control. And eat some fine meat

[pknj]

I love mine and it is very easy to use as it comes, but I like the SnS for smaller, shorter cooks such as reverse searing steaks and chicken breasts. As jfmorris and others have said, you don't need the SnS, like I feel you do in a regular kettle, but it certainly adds a lot of versatility and a ton of control if you are switching temps.

Otherwise, a good charcoal rake helps a lot (I like the big green egg ones over the webber model - smaller head and longer reach) and a pit fan helps for long, overnight cooks. I don't know how hard it is to get over in the UK, but I would recommend either a PartyQ or the pit viper from bbqguru.com. I had the PartyQ forever on my 22' kettle with SnS and it was the easiest thing in the world. Until my 2 year old introduced it to a bucket of water - "Daddy, it makes bubbles!" Well, it did for a few minutes...

One of those (the pit viper needs a control unit, I have a Fireboard I am going to hook it up to once it get here) and you can leave the cooker alone for 6 hours at least with no issue. You don't need it as long as you are monitoring the cook, but this thing is not a completely "set it and forget it" cooker - it needs some tweaks as it goes along.

For smaller ideas, get the D&G or at the very least some good foil - my diffuser plate is gross after a few cooks with nothing covering it. A regular old, cheap pizza stone is great and if you raise it up on top of the included charcoal baskets (empty) with a full load of charcoal fired up below, it is easy to get the stone to over 900 F. I have a pic on another thread of pizza I did in less that 90 seconds. Very tasty!

Enjoy the WSCGC - you are going to love it!

[user32034]

Thanks for the info pknj !

I did some reading up on fan controls etc at the weekend and the Fireboard looks really good. They put me in touch with their new European dealer (http://www.bbqeurope.com/) who'll have stock sometime in May. I wasn't going to rush to grab a fan until I've played with the stock setup anyway so I'll make my mind up after I get used to it fanless.

So far I've got various tools (including a rake and brush and my old firefighter's gloves), the Weber GBS pizza stone and poultry roaster, and a cover.

Although it was beef and pork that drove me here, have to say I can't wait to try a pizza night!

Tonight's job is stocking up on foil, coal/briquettes and planning a few cooks! Also ABC just got back to me and have sorted me a deal on shipping direct, so the SnS & D&G will also get done tonight. Could do without the import duty/sales tax bill at my end but them's the breaks

I've been saving my BBQ fund for four years so feeling justified in treating the family. Hungry already...

[user32034]

OK it's here. And all my other add-ons are spread out across the world making their way between tomorrow and next Wednesday. I shouldn't have called my stash a BBQ fund as it means I keep wanting to spend it as long as there's any left...

Plan is to build on Thursday, try out some calibration on Friday evening (beer-assisted errors might have to be sorted later), do something or other on Saturday then Pork Butt on Sunday for the family. I ordered that, beef short ribs and a few other things from our butcher today, pick them up Friday. It's like it's my meat birthday or something.

Oh, and Meathead's book arrived today as well, all good!

I really appreciate the help and advice on this thread, thanks to all of you.

OK very hungry now.

[xaugievike]

you're going to love the grill. look forward to seeing your cooks!

[fzxdoc]

I've been out of town for over a week and am just now catching up, so I apologize for the late response.

Congrats, user32034 , on your choice of a WSCGC! You're going to have so much fun with it. I love cooking on mine.

That thing is rock solid--almost too efficient if you enjoy fiddling with temps during a cook.

I use the Low Profile SnS and DnG all the time when using the WSCGC in kettle mode. Get the package with the large charcoal basket--it is way nicer and more handy than using the two little charcoal baskets that Weber bundles in. Those toys offer a lot of versatility and good options when cooking in kettle mode.

After all, that's part of the great thing about the WSCGC--optimizing it for both kettle and kamado modes.

I still prefer using briquettes (Kingsford Original or Kingsford Professional), since, for me, they seem to behave better than the lump I've tried.

FWIW, I cover my diffuser plate for each kamado cook and line the ash bucket with heavy duty aluminum foil. Makes cleanup so much nicer. I also put two aluminum pans (the 13 x 9.5 x 2.5 inch size) on top of the diffuser plate to catch any drips. I do not use water in those pans like Weber directs. Never needed it, but some high-powered folks here like water, so do what works best for you.

For cleaning up that larger grate, I scrape it right away after a cook and let the fire burn down. Then the next day I put it on my gasser to burn any excess to ash. I use a plastic plan scraper to scrape down the inside of the smoker and of course remove the aluminum foil from the diffuser plate before storing it away on its little shelf (love that shelf!). Then I coax the ash out using the lever and brush the rest of it down with a clean paintbrush dedicated to that purpose. Then the outside gets wiped down so it's shiny and clean. Be sure to clean the upper vent, as it likes to stick with gunk buildup after a couple of cooks. This is overkill, but before a cook I also cover the WSCGC's tabletop with heavy duty aluminum foil. Makes cleanup so nice.

If you're looking to add a Pit Viper to your Fireboard, then lonnie mac is the guy to talk to. I haven't done it yet but am poised to fiddle with it now that nice weather is here. I'm not sure I need it but I want to play with it anyway. Read this comment and the rest in that topic and you'll be up to speed.

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...878#post491878

Here's my current Kamado Mode Method of firing up the WSCGC:

1. Foil the Ash Bucket and the Diffuser Plate. Wipe the grate down with a Lysol wipe or soap/water and then wipe down again with water. Set out two disposable aluminum pans for drip pans to be set on the diffuser plate.

2. Use 2.5 scoops for short cooks like ribs or chicken and 4 scoops for long cooks like pork butt, chuck or brisket. (One scoop supplied with the WSCGC holds 40 briquettes). Four scoops will give you about 10-12 hours of decent temps (250°-ish). Spread them pretty evenly on the charcoal grate. Top with 5-6 chunks of wood (4 to 6 oz each). Don't put a wood chunk directly over the igniter. 5 to 6 chunks will give you about 5 hours of beautiful blue smoke. For short cooks, use 1 chunk of wood.

3. Start the Snapjet ignition going. Let it run for exactly 5 minutes with the lid open and bottom vent fully open.

4. After the 5 minute ignition, turn off the Snapjet gas igniter. Add the diffuser plate, two aluminum drip pans and the food grate. Attach the ambient probes to the grate. Close the lid, flip down the top vent but leave the holes fully open (bottom vent still fully open) and watch the temperature climb.

5. When you're about 70 degrees from your goal temperature, close the bottom vent to the smoke setting (or just below if your WSCGC runs hot) and close the top vent to 1/2 or less, again, depending on your Weber. For my WSCGC, I like to have the lower vent just above the smoke marking and the top vent at 1/3 to ride out the cook.

6. Before adding meat, oil the grate with a soaked paper towel to clean it off a bit more and give it some lubrication.

There's a ton of white smoke until the Weber gets around 225-250, then it settles out to white wispy/blue smoke for several hours. If the smoke is pure white (no grey), I'll put the cold meat on at 180°F grate level temp so it can get a jump on the smoke flavor. I feel (but don't know for sure) that adding that cold mass helps to keep the temperatures from running away. I've done it both ways--adding the meat early at 180°F and adding it at 225°F, and honestly, if I keep an eye on the temp, I've yet to have a runaway smoker. The WSCGC is pretty resposive to vent tweaks.

Being a PBC type of person, I'm comfortable with smoking in the 270ish range (270 to 300 works well for my tastes, but that's a bit hot for some folks). A 4 scoop load of coals lasts about 8-9 hours at that setting. I set the lower vent to just above (to the right of) the smoker setting and the upper vent to 1/3 open.

For cooking below 250, I close the lower vent to just below the smoker setting (to the left of it) and set the upper vent to 1/4 open. At 250 or less, I can get about 10-12 hours of smoke out of a single 4-scoop load of coals.


HTH,
Kathryn

[CaptainMike]

Hahaha, so I've been informed! I have no idea why I thought you were English.

[user32034]

Thanks fzxdoc that's FANTASTIC info - much appreciated!

[EdF]

Yeah, I always envisioned eastern slopes of the Appalachians myself.

[Buck Flicks]

A lot of great info here. Only thing I'd add, to echo the Thermapen suggestion is the Fireboard thermometer. It's been a fantastic edition for me. For sure the SnS is the best accessory I've purchased for my Kettle, but the Fireboard is a close #2. It's got a smartphone app that you can use to track your temps without having to futz with wonky receivers that lose connection frequently, and it'll keep a graph showing you how the temps range over the entire cook. Multiple probes let you measure the ambient temp, and the temp of 2-3 different hunks of meat or different spots within a butt or brisket.

I've given consideration to a fan, but honestly, it's so easy to hold temps where I want them with the SnS and the Fireboard, the fan just seems like an added complication.

My next purchase will be the D&G. currently, I just line the lower grate with foil to catch drippings and direct airflow.

[Buck Flicks]

Sigh... always read page 2 before commenting. Fireboard already in the conversation :-\

[Mr. Bones]

Sorry fer th dumb question, fzxdoc , but I was wonderin what 'scoop' yer usin' fer a charcoal measure?
Pardon my ignorance...
Mebbe one is included with th WSCGC? I don't have one, (yet), so not quite graspin unit of measure...
Thanks, in advance, fer yer patience.

[Buck Flicks]

Bonus!!

[fzxdoc]

One Weber-supplied scoop for the WSCGC holds about 40 briquettes, Buck Flicks , user32034 , and Mr. Bones . I'll add that info to my post. Thanks for pointing that out to me, Mr. Bones.

[Mr. Bones]

fzxdoc thanks fer clearin up my question; user32034 showed me th scoop, (many thanks, mate!), but yer explanation of 40 briquettes is really what I was shootin fer.
reckon I should be more explicit, when I pester folks fer their valuable free time!
Thanks, to both of ya !!!

[user32034]

Thanks fzxdoc for the great advice. I spent a weekend trying out a few things and I'm really impressed with this machine. So easy even I can use it

Also using it stock gave me a good hint that the SnS/D&G I've ordered will be great, they should be here Wednesday. I understand all your cleaning advice - I forgot to line the diffuser and after I roasted a chicken did some brown sugar-covered pineapple slices for having with ice cream. OK that was my Sunday morning cleanup...

I have a Thermoworks Smoke and TP4. I've looked at the fancier ones with apps and fan control (Fireboard DOES look really nice!) but I think I need to master the basics first. Yesterday afternoon I made some big burgers which turned out fantastic on a reverse sear - not the toughest cook but it felt pretty easy to hold it at 225-240 then crank it up for a sear. My kids approve!

Next thing I'll do is try out that starting-up advice. I didn't get to do a long cook at the weekend so I've still got a pork butt begging to be loved.

Thanks everyone for the help here, this is a great site.

Oh, and Mr. Bones and Buck Flicks here's a pic of the Weber scoop, it's just a plastic bowl with a handhold:

[Mr. Bones]

Thanks, mate!
I unnerstand, much mo better, now

[surfdog]

The only accessory I have for mine is a pizza stone (that I’ve had for years)...and a thermoworks infrared thermometer to make sure it’s up to speed.

Might need to to check out the SnS... More toys!
Good thing I live alone, a wife would probably kill me. LOL

[user32034]

One week in and I'm still looking forward to the first long low cook, but in the mean time we've had 5 or 6 meals out of this beauty. The only thing that hasn't been great was using the Weber poultry roaster - I think it demonstrated perfectly why a spatchcock or jointed portions would be better. I've never spatchcocked anything in my life but I'll have a go soon

Tonight was movie night with food to eat in the dark, so a minimum of cutting and stickiness was the plan. Fingers absolutely encouraged. We went for some rump-end lamb leg steaks, and used the recipe and marinade from the loin chop page on here. It's not the most complicated cook, but still left me in a meaty happy place.

Result: my daughter claims it's the best meal we've had from the WSC yet. My son didn't answer cos his mouth was full.

It was really easy. I'm still getting the hang of how quickly this thing heats up, and this was just the second time with a "warp 10" sear area, but it all came together well.

I love sesame oil but I've never included it in a lamb marinade before and I think it really worked, nice idea for those woody flavours that I guess is harder to impart with a fast cook like this.

My SnS / D&G cleared customs this week, so looking forward to having that to play with but for now I used the centre position as sear and moved the meat off to the edge for hot hold. I had the coal grate on the upper position and used the char baskets directly under the centre.

OK my first cook posted, along with lubrication notes for the chef:

Brewdog Kamikaze Knitting Club for the marinade prep:



Dry brining:



Marinade making:









Now for some Brewdog Jet Black Heart while we get the cook going:



Getting the cook going:



Lots of turning:



All beautiful temp and hoping my son's on the ball with the veg he was doing (also those coals look so inviting I don't want to stop):



Ready to eat, lights out and nom nom. Sam made sweet potato fries and tenderstem brocolli:



Final lubrication was Aspell Imperial Vintage No. 288 Cyder.

All happy

[jfmorris]

Great looking cook!

[fzxdoc]

You're doing great with your new WSCG, user32034 . Keep those cooking posts coming. You're making me hungry.

Kathryn

[user32034]

Thanks Kathryn, feels like I'm marking time till I get a spare 8-12 hours for the pork butt... aiming for 26th right now. Corn cobs and chicken today in between the rain showers.

Your cleaning tips were right on time, the paintbrush is a great idea.

[fzxdoc]

Glad I could help with some cleanup tips, user32034 . I'm smoking ribs today with my LP SnS and DnG on Mr. Fancypants, also known as myWSCGC.

Currently I'm sitting on the deck, swilling a beer and checking my Fireboard readout. Rock solid temps. Life is good.

Kathryn

[JeffJ]

Great way to spend Mother's Day!

[user32034]

Now here’s an arrival to cheer up a Monday workday: