Adjusting the Temperature of a Charcoal Grill

[Dadof3Illinois]

Remember, there’s more than one way to grill/bbq....just find what works for you. Part of the fun is the experimenting and trying new ideas.
For me, I like to front seat my steaks over a 1/2 full crazy hot charcoal starter then dump them to one side of the kettle and finish low and slow.
It’s the cooking journey that gives you the feeling of accomplishment when you finally get it right!!!

[Rod]

I think everything has been well covered. I don't think anyone has mentioned locating the top vent in the lid 180 degrees from the coals when setting up 2 zones. You want the heat/smoke to be pulled towards the food on the indirect side and then vent upwards and out.

[jfmorris]

Good point!

[Bulldog]

Looks like I may have stepped on something that doesn't smell too good.

It may be that this is one of those topics that people are very passionate about. I get that.

The way I look at it, I now have lots of new ways to get my delicious on, and I'm looking forward to lots of barbecue adventures. There's only one delicious that I won't change ... and I married her.

[ecowper]

Naaaaa, I don’t think you stepped in anything. We aren’t that sort of group. And anyone that tries to be, the moderators are pretty good about getting it dialed back down. Like I said earlier, we are just trying to help. You asked about temp control and adjusting temps and we are trying to related what we’ve learned over the years to help answer your question. :-)

[glitchy]

Yeah, what ecowper said. I think Weber should add a little clarity to what you found there. My guess is that info is narrowly targeted to propane grill newbs and really focused on 'grilling' only. We are all just trying to share tips to help you get going well and enjoy the results. Keep playing around until you find your own way. I'm still learning the art of building consistent charcoal fires too, I've cooked way too much on a pellet grill the past decade.

[Mr. Bones]

No need fer worries, I reckon yer jus fine, amigo...

There's a whole dang lotsa ways to do stuff, an git great results...

I run a few kettles, an would never dream of runnin one up to 500°, as recommended by that pic ya shared with us, if I was shootin to cook lower temps...

Now, mebbe Vortex Yardbird, well, okay

Never be afraid to ask a question, here...

Reckon I done asked up alla th Stoopid ones, afore ya got here!

[Red Man]

I agree with glitchy about the instructions being meant for gas grills. Whenever I use my gasser I preheat it with all burners on high until it’s 500+. Then I’ll turn burners down or off depending on how I’m using it. A gas grill will come down in temp quickly so it’s not a problem. As you’ve discovered, a charcoal grill will not come down in temp quickly, so these instructions from Weber are just plain wrong for charcoal grills.

[smokin fool]

Be like me, bang out some horse shoes as the stupid thing cools down....
I'm famous for getting our BKK just a raging right off the bat, like, you think I'd have figured it out by now.
Anyway great idea's here by some very accomplished smokers, you'll get the hang of it.

[HouseHomey]

Second funniest thing in 2020!!!!!!

[barelfly]

Look back at the rickgregory post on the first page. In the comments of hIs post, Someone found the link I referenced that gives amount of charcoal for various temps. It’s a great starting point to get you going.

[jfmorris]

You aren’t upsetting anyone here - and reading the instructions you referenced on the Weber site, I understand your confusion. I just read two different articles there about preheating, one mentioned temperatures and one didn’t. I think they need to clarify things, as it’s pretty clear from 35+ years of using Weber propane and charcoal grills that the 500+ thing was for propane.

[Bulldog]

Okay, so I called Weber. I read back to them one of their own recipes from their own website, for Classic Rib Eye Steaks:

"Grill the steaks over direct medium-high heat, with the lid closed, until cooked to your desired doneness ..."

Weber defines "medium-high heat" elsewhere on their website as 400° - 450°.

Let me put this in perspective: I'm a guy who's new to grilling, who just wants to learn how to cook something basic to get started. I have no experience with this. I'm on the website of the company that made my barbecue and I'm reading their recipe which says I have to preheat my grill to 500 - 550°, and after I'm done cleaning and oiling the grate, I'm supposed to bring the temperature down to 400° - 450° to cook my rib eyes. That's all I know. And it kind of makes sense to me, because I've seen those numbers on other websites too. So I figure, these are the steps I should follow. And the only problem seems to be that it takes a very long time to get the grill down to 450°, even with the top and bottom dampers substantially closed.

On the phone, Weber says to me - I'm not quoting them directly - don't worry about the temperatures. They're only suggestions. Instead, arrange your hot coals in a two zone setup, then sear over the hot coals for a couple of minutes and finish cooking over the cooler zone, until your IR thermometer shows the right reading for how you want the steaks to come out.

Can you understand why this annoyed me so much, why it made me feel so foolish? You don't tell a beginner "Grill the steaks over direct medium-high heat, with the lid closed, until cooked to your desired doneness ..." unless that's what you want the beginner to do!

So now, I'm kind of lost. I've got lots of great advice from you folks that I appreciate very much. And I certainly will put your advice into action as I gradually get to know what I'm doing. What I don't have - for now - is the sure-fire method I thought I had to serve delicious grilled steaks to my family on a schedule that everyone can count on.

Very sorry for venting. I truly appreciate the time you've spent on this.

[jfmorris]

Also, it is important that you have a instant read thermometer, that you insert into the meat. An IR only tells you surface temperatures - in the case of a kettle, it tells you how hot the charcoal is. You cannot use that to check the doneness of a steak.

[shify]

Manufacturer websites have to generally reduce it to the lowest common denominator, so quite candidly, I would ignore it. Even more targeted websites have recipes/instructions that don't quite work as intended (e.g., look at the instructions/recipes on the Pit Barrel Cooker website compared to what you find here - and they basically sell one product unlike weber which has a number of different products).
Here - you can get more specific and detailed help from people using the specific product

[ecowper]

I totally get why you are frustrated and annoyed. my best advice is that read Meathead's article on 2 zone grilling and then apply that to cooking steaks.

[Rod]

Yep. You only stepped into the best support group on the planet. No BS here. Just support for all levels of experience pretty much 24/7. If only the world operated like The Pit...

[Red Man]

There is no sure fire method when cooking steaks on a kettle, especially for a beginner. I mean, there are methods that will work when done correctly but we all make mistakes sometimes. Read Meatheads instructions on the free site that were linked earlier in the thread, which is in line with all the advice given here. You will make mistakes, and you will learn from them. We’ve all ruined a lot of food here. With experience, the frequency that you ruin food will decrease.

[JGo37]

You can 'make' a Slow n Sear two zone setup before you spring for the real deal. Also, as many have said, the dome thermometer doesn't have anything to do with the grate temp. I put a firewall grommet in my redhead Lucille and find that the indirect zone is 225 - 250 when the dome thermometer is 400 or more.

Also, you want the grate temp probe to be away from the meat a couple inches. As the meat cooks it creates a 'cool zone' right next to it.

Here's some pics for ideas:



but don't use a griddle thermometer like I did - It'll smoke up and be hard to read. LoL

[mnavarre]

Bulldog I understand your frustration, that preheating advice is wrong for a charcoal grill. As others have said, you preheat a kettle to the temp you're cooking at.

Now, about that Rib Eye recipe. Two things stand out a) it calls for 1 inch thick steaks, b) it's written for a gas grill. So it's correct for a gas grill. Here's how I'd cook thin ribeyes on a kettle, and I'm assuming you don't have a Slow 'N' Sear.

Light a full chimney of charcoal. Once the coals on top are starting to get grey on the edges dump the coals out so they're mounded on on side of the grill. Put the grate in, put the lid on with both the top and bottom vents wide open and let it preheat for a few minutes. Meanwhile, get your steaks out of the fridge and season with salt (unless you dry brined) and get all the crap you need out by the grill. Now, clean the grate, put the lid back on for a minute. So, lid off, steaks over the fire and let 'em cook for a minute or so, then flip. Let that side cook for another minute, then flip. Repeat that until you've got a good sear and the temp is where you want it on an instant read thermometer. If your steaks need more time after you've got a good sear, slide 'em over to the cool side of the grate.You want to pull the steaks when they're just a couple degrees shy of your target temp.

So, what they told you on the phone is correct-ish for thin steaks, just some bad/inapproprate information screwing you up. For thick steaks, say 1.5 inches or thicker, you want to learn the reverse sear.

[DavidNorcross]

This is a great thread and dont ever think you have stepped in it. The folks on this forum love to help and you will learn from the knowledge that is here. No way I can improve upon what has already been said. It does appear that Weber may have confused things with direct and indirect for you. This link may help you to sort it all out. If you cook direct vs indirect is up to you and what you are cooking and the type of food you are preparing. Understanding the difference may help as well.

https://www.weber.com/AU/en/blog/news/direct-vs-indirect-cooking-explained/weber-292665.html

[fzxdoc]

Bulldog , I'm a big fan of doing a first cook just as the manufacturer recommends, using it to learn what works and what doesn't.

You learned pretty quickly that it's almost impossible to easily control a 500° charcoal fire. You came here and asked questions. You got a lot of helpful tips and you clarified your initial position and rationalization perfectly. Then you talked with the manufacturer and figured out that perhaps there may have been a misdirection on that page, not clarifying that those high initial temps are meant for gas grilling.

You did everything right. Now you're asking advice from the premiere website on educating us BBQ folks on grilling and smoking. And you're getting great advice, both here on this topic and also with links to Meathead's articles over on the free side (and other great links too, like that one from JaySwen ) .

This is how your adventure begins. You're going to love grilling and smoking on that Weber charcoal grill. Just kick back and enjoy the ride up the learning curve. We've all been there.

Kathryn

[HouseHomey]

It’s all good brother. The amount of value in the advice above is amazing.

just roll with it. Some one will always be here help you. Those people are amazing.

like I said above, Countless people in the future will be helped by this thread.

always ask away!