Open vs Closed Gas Grilling - It’s in my head!!

[xrodbob]

I’ve searched far and wide on the internet but want the real world opinion of the great folks here in The Pit. I can’t seem to settle on if/when to cook with the lid open vs closed on a gasser.

i have a 3 burner plus seer burner Weber with a thermometer. I can see when it gets way hot at +600 when the lid is closed. But somehow I cannot reconcile in my mind that the high temps are that high when the lid is open

Cheeseburger's are the perfect example. Do I ever need to close the lid? Frozen vs raw? Last step to melt the cheese? Assume they are never more than 1 inch thick.

Same with steaks. Does the seering surface ever really get that hot with the lid open? SWMBO got me an IR gun but I think that works when pointed at a contiguous flat surface but not trying to get the grill surface on a grate vs the flame below.

Though it seems basic, somehow I’ve made it through decades of not really knowing and usually defaulting to closed for darn near everything. I humbly request any thoughts and present my ignorance in the spirit of continuous improvement.

Thanks as always!

[Jerod Broussard]

I close when whatever I am searing is dark enough and just needs to finish.

[Prof Bunky]

Both. But closed, you won't see the flare-ups in time.

[xrodbob]

This problem is well before flare-iOS especially if I’m only cooking for 2-4. I can see the massive smoke signals if it start flaring up

[BFlynn]

I've got my gasser (5 burner) with grill grates over 2 burners. Thats my hot side.

I grill with those two burners on high and the rest of the grill cool. I keep the lid closed.
It's a good set up for reverse sear. Those grates get ~700f on the surface.

When I do burgers, they're smash burgers, so I just use the hot side with the lid up.

[xrodbob]

Tracking for smash burger and thanks for the confirmation I was asking a bout the ‘normal’ old school grilled burgers You know, asking for a friend

[Thunder77]

I am far from the most knowledgeable person here in the Pit, but I can tell you that my Napoleon grill gets PLENTY hot enough to sear. I usually do burgers indirectly to start, then put them on the searing side to finish, with the lid open. Same for steaks. I’m getting 700 degrees at the sear surface.

Also keep in mind that the surface will cool somewhat as the meat hits it. So I start at the back of the burner, then move it to the front when I flip.

[xrodbob]

I tried ‘reverse sear’ burgers per the amazing ribs way and it was a major hit.

I like the thought of back to front (or visa versa) during the final sear

[captainlee]

Funny, I was just thinking about that this morning while grilling chicken and peppers for a camping fajita meal. I always cook everything with the lid closed. I think a habit that I developed because we always have late afternoon winds.

[xrodbob]

Thanks and good note re winds. But this is independent of weather (winds, temp) etc. except if I’m trying to do a quick cook in the rain. Then I will certainly default to lid closed

[Henrik]

There are many ways to cook, and there’s no black n white, meaning you can crank out great food with the lid shut, and with the lid open. That being said, here are my rules of thumbs (which can be ignored as with any rule, if you know what you’re doing):

- low n slow => lid down. One burner on, other burners off
- direct searing => lid open. I want to cook and be able to interact within a few seconds, so no time to first open the lid by chance every now and then.


And if your gasser don’t get hot enough when searing with the lid open, either replace the regulator or the grill. Sorry, but it must be said. Can’t be fiddling around with a golf car when you can drive a regular car with ample horse power.

[xrodbob]

So I borderline know what I’m doing (not not knowing)

Get the low and slow. Get the direct searing I guess I’m trying to figure out when I’m in between. (Eg a thicker steak).

My gasser gets plenty hot. Over 700 deg when lid closed after on full blast to clean. If anything it’s hard to get low temps for low and slow. Which is why I got a smoker (WSM 18)

[Thunder77]

+1 to: Can’t be fiddling around with a golf car when you can drive a regular car with ample horse power.
😎😎

[Thunder77]

Also agree with lid open for searing. If lid is closed during searing, you’re getting convection cooking as well as conduction. For searing you want CONDUCTION heat. Close to the heat as possible. And don’t pay any attention to the BS about only flipping once. Flip as many times as you like.

[GolfGeezer]

I agree that it depends on what you are cooking, and how you are finishing the cook, particularly searing. I just did 10 bone-in lamb chops - these are the ones that are cut from the backbone, and look like thick triangles. I cook these on my 4 burner Napoleon with the 3 right burners cranked all the way. 5 minutes with the bone side down, 4 minutes for 1 flat side down then 4 minutes for the other side. Lid down for all 3 sides. Medium-medium rare for the meat, and then sauced with some mint jelly. I do a similar lid-down cook for many chicken dishes. For burgers, brats, dogs, fajita meat (flank, flap, skirt), lid open the whole time. No pics, so Pit masters will reject my input!

[jfmorris]

I've been using Weber gas grills since the 80's, and do most of the cooking lid-down, opening only to flip the burgers/steaks/chicken/dogs/whatever. I may keep it open towards the end of the cook, but Weber's own advice is to do most of the cooking lid down. The temps are NOT going to be as high with the lid off on any grill.

A lot of the decision also depends on what you are cooking... thicker cuts like bone in chicken - definitely lid down, to retain more heat around the meat on all sides. Thin steaks? Maybe you get by flipping them over direct heat.

[Henrik]

jfmorris adds valuable information. Good point about the nuances. I agree chicken for example hits that middle ground - it can take high heat, but given volume of bird and meat it needs the surrounding higher temps also, hence lid down. When I’m thinking searing (as in reverse sear, or only quick grilling skirt steak for example), then I open the lid and check and flip as needed.

[Santamarina]

For me the question is, am I looking to raise the IT or sear the outside? For the former I close the lid, for the later I keep it open.

[BFlynn]

Yup! That's the difference.