Weber Summit Charcoal vs. Primo

[dillywe]

TLDR: I've smoked on a Primo XL, but haven't seen a WSCG, so how big of a packer fits on a WSCG? and how many steaks can you sear on a WSCG SnS in the hot zone at once?

Hi all,

I'm not intentionally trying to start a flame war by invoking a "vs." thread... but I'd like a bit of clarification if anyone would be so kind.

As background, the Dr. diagnosed me with MCS and my wife has recommend that I follow the Dr.'s instructions, which is to add a higher-end grill to the mix... I'm wrestling with the WSCG vs. the Primo XL. For context, I have a 22" performer w/ SnS and a PBC. This new unit would become my workhorse for grilling and smoking (though the PBC will still be my go-to for smoking birds).

I'd like this purchase to stick with me for a very long time, thus it would likely experience a couple of moving days, so I am leaning towards the Summit since it is less fragile. I also like the idea of not having to deal with a cracked firebox every few years and having fuel flexibility, lump and briquette.

That said, I've smoked on a Primo XL once and really enjoyed the process and the oval shape, and I like the idea of buying into a "proven technology," though by all accounts on this board and the internets (e.g. Baby Back Maniac), it seems that the WSCG is a well engineered tool and goes toe-to-toe with both the smoking and searing of a kamado in all weather conditions (feel free to disagree if you've experienced otherwise!). I've just never seen one, only the Primo.

Questions for anyone:

1. How large of a brisket fits comfortably on a WSCG? Seems like it should fit a 16-18 pounder no problem (my Costco has lately only been stocking huge packers)? And has anyone done two with a rack? And when I say comfortably, I'm thinking that if meat is on the edge of the grate, it might hit a hot spot since I imagine the heat in either a WSCG or a kamado travels along the interior walls upward, potentially creating hot spots around the outer ring.

2. Are the SnS Low profile dimensions fairly similar in the WSCG vs. the 22" Weber? I like the idea of Primo's two zone grilling w/ the firebox divider so that you can cut the grill in half, ~200 SqIn for each zone, whereas with the 22" SnS that I use, I have a relatively smaller sear zone, I can only sear 2, maybe 3 large rib-eyes at once. I'd love to sear 4 at a time if possible, and maybe I just need to get a gasser as well, though I don't know if I'm ready for that Dr. bill as well .

3. Has anyone come across the distance from charcoal grate to food grate for the WSCG when it's in kettle mode and for a Primo XL when the grates are turned upside down? I've struggled to locate that...

Many thanks for any experiences or opinions that you can pass along

[Attjack]

Primo XL: 400 square inches of standard cooking surface; up to 680 square inches with rack extensions
Weber: 452 square inches of grilling space

Here's a 14+ pound (pre-trim) brisket on my XL. You can see the shape is great for briskets and you could easily do 4 with extension racks.



If no one else answers I can help with question 3 for the Primo later.

[xaugievike]

I've done a 15lb (pre-trim) brisket on my summit with room to spare. as for cooking grate to charcoal grate spacing im guessing it's about 5 inches (my WSCG is not in my presence to get you an exact measurement). Mobility and durability when moving is what steered me to my summit in the first place. It's a truly phenomenal cooker - neither will steer you wrong.

[CaptainMike]

I've never cooked on a Primo or any ceramic, but I do have the WSCG and love it. I've never done it, but you could crowd a couple of trimmed 16 pound packers on the grate without too much trouble.

The SnS is a little bigger, but not much. However, it comes with a couple of charcoal baskets that could add to the searing area.

The distance from the charcoal grate in the upper position is about 4 1/2 inches, and 10 inches in the lower position.

There isn't anything grillable that I haven't been able to cook on it. I've baked bread, seared steaks, L&S butts and briskets, lots of Dutch oven cooks, and plenty of burgers with the DnG (though the Blackstone gets most of that work now). Probe cables are captured by the lid gasket so no mods needed, and there is a built-in fan port. I wouldn't call either cooker really portable, but intuitively the WSCG would be a little easier to handle and lift into a pickup.

I gotta say, the Snap-Jet ignition system is pretty cool. I was initially skeptical, but like heated seats in your car I didn't know I needed it until I used it.

I'm sure you can't go wrong with either choice, but you might want to also check out the HastyBake, GOOR, or the PK 360. Another member turned a few of us on to a great deal on the WSCG or there would likely be a HastyBake on my deck instead.

I'm sure others like lonnie mac Mr. Bones fzxdoc and ecowper will chime in as well. Good luck with your choice!

p.s. You know we don't do flame wars here.

[dillywe]

Thank you sir!

I’m leaning toward a kamado-like cooker because some days I like fiddling with fires, but I’ve discovered that many days I’m lazy and I like the idea of how well insulated and as close to set it and forget kamados can be overnight.

I lied.... I’m lazy most nearly every day...

[Polarbear777]

You can be just as lazy with a fan controller on your cooker vs a kamado. So that won’t be a deciding factor.

[CaptainMike]

I have dialed in my WSCG to 250 with just a couple of vent adjustments and rolled for 12 hrs. They really are that good.

[Attjack]

CaptainMike Sure we do: "p.s. You know we don't do flame wars here".

[CaptainMike]

Well, maybe a flame skirmish now and then, but wars? Huh, good gawd ya'll, what is good for?

[rodkeary]

Absolutely nothing. Say it again.

[Potkettleblack]

If the wife has really said premium, solve it all with a Komodo Kamado.

[dillywe]

My coworker has one and it’s a thing of beauty. But I’m not quite ready to drop that much cash! I have an ‘03 Wrangler TJ that would like some other toys as well...

[lonnie mac]

No pics of my brisket cooks on the WSCGC. I know, everyone is saying WHAAAAA? But the thing is a beast cooker. You can easily fit a good brisket on the thing with room to spare. CaptainMike said, the dims he posted are probably actual measurements down to the thousandth that he took with his starrett calipers. I trust them!

The SNS is really nice to have. (As well as the DNG) About the same size as the kettle SNS but low profile to fit in that shorter space. But it is not a total necessity really. You can easily just dump your coals out on the grate old school with the grate in the upper position and have ton's of searing space if ya need it. I do this more often than not.

The whole premise of the WSCGC was to answer a lot of things that a lot of ceramic cookers can do, but cool down way faster when you overshoot your temps. I do NOT know this from experience cus I have no ceramic cookers.

The built in port for the FireBoard (or other system) is just a fantastic addition. Although I have heard "rumors" on another forum that they may have eliminated the port hole itself. Still checking on that one...

Another thing, you can get a grate for an 18" kettle and plop it in the lower position in place of the diverter plate when searing time comes. A friend on my WSCGC page does this. I usually just throw a smaller grate right onto the coals.

[dillywe]

Good point.

I did email Weber to confirm either way, I’ll let you know what I hear!

[dillywe]

from Weber via e-mail: "Based on all of the information available, there have been no changes to the bowl of the Summit Charcoal grill, so the port should still be standard on all units.

The port is not an advertised feature."

Kind of interesting that it isn't advertised intentionally.

[CaptainMike]

Would you share the link to that WSCGC page?

[ecowper]

If I didn’t already have a Hasty-Bake and a WSM 22, I think a WSCGC would be on my list

[fzxdoc]

I'm with the Captain/Commander CaptainMike and lonnie mac . The WSCGC would be a great addition to your collection.

I have a WSCGC and can't imaging smoking/grilling without it. It's a beast, rock solid, and is just so darn much fun to cook on. It holds temperature so steady you'll want to give the dome thermometer a ping-ping with your fingers just to see if it's working. For a good part of the temperature range I use, the dome thermometer tracks with my grate-level Fireboard probes. Imagine that.

There is a ton of room for storage if you purchase the version with the attached table; the deflector plate stores under the lower shelf, which is way cool.

I bought it because I only had a gasser and a PBC and wanted 1) the kettle experience 2) a kamado experience and 3) more room than I had on my PBC for cooks requiring a grate.

I don't use the WSCGC much for searing unless the meat is being reverse sear cooked on it so it's already fired up. Especially for sous vide, I do most of my searing on my Weber Summit gasser with the Grill Grate Griddle, and on my weird new 22" Jumbo Joe Premium (which stands on 22" legs!). It has a shallower bowl and gets super hot, giving me all of its 22" area for searing if I need it. The JJ Premium was a surprise find at Walmart on sale for $40.

If you need convincing that the WSCGC is one heckuva good cure for acute MCS, take a peek at this Baby Back Maniac video where he compares the WSCGC with ceramic cookers. It's a fair comparison because he has both and enjoys cooking on both. And he is honest about his gripe with Weber.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glt8Jn2MKgU

When I first got my WSCGC and was using Maverick probes, the smoke leaks around those probe wires would give me problems only in kettle mode with the SnS/DnG combo. I chased the desired temps a bit more. The same leaks had zero effect when I cooked in kamado mode. Then after a year or so I got the Fireboard Extreme BBQ Edition and the problem with any smoke leaks evaporated, pun intended. For some reason the Fireboard probe wires nestled right into the gasket much better.

And ohmigosh, the vortex is so much fun to use on the WSCGC with its center cutout style grate. You can get a lot of chicken on it



The extra real estate with the 24" grate comes in very handy. I used to lust after the 26" kettle real estate, but not so much any more, so the WSCGC cured that particular MCS virus.

OK. I'll stop now.

Kathryn

[cgrover60]

fzxdoc, does the vortex sit below the cooking grate? Since ABC discontinued the low profile SNS (kasvlud25!!!!!!) I'm looking for a two zone / sear option besides the old school pile of coals to one side.

[fzxdoc]

Yes it does, cgrover60 . There is aluminum foil around charcoal grate on the outside of the Vortex (not under the Vortex!) to catch the drippings. I just checked the Adrenaline Barbecue website and the Low Profile Slow and Sear is still listed as a product for sale.

Kathryn

[cgrover60]

Here's the store note indicating it is out of stock and won't be returning: https://abcbarbecue.com/product/slow...r-low-profile/
Maybe I'm misunderstanding.

[Mosca]

Speaking as a kamado owner (BGE), between those two I would pick the WSCGC.

But if I was in for that much, I too would blow it out and get the Komodo Kamado.

Seriously, though, do the calculations. How old are you? How long will it last? How much will it cost? If you are thirty, then figure you will use it until you are 75 (estimate). So, Primo = 1869/45 = $41/year. Weber = $1999/45 = $44/year. Komodo 23” Ultimate = $4260/45 = $95/year. 95-41= 54... /12= $4.50/mo, /30 = 15 CENTS A DAY.

For FIFTEEN CENTS A DAY you could have a Komodo Kamado instead of a WSCGC or a Primo. They’ll even finance the damn thing for you.

[Potkettleblack]

I like how you figure this.

Risk of breaking the Primo? risk of breaking the refractory cement on a KK? In a lot of ways, KK has driven out a lot of the unseen cost from ceramic ownership, like firebox replacement.

[dillywe]

I would love to get a KK, but not in our current house/yard setup. But as a bond investor, I can't argue with your impeccable math! Plus a KK would be a heckuva inheritance for someone eventually.

[Bkhuna]

Now I feel the urge to make a spreadsheet.

[SmokeyGator]

They are similar for sure. Cooking area for the WSCG and Primo XL are about the same. Both have extended racks available and both can take full packer briskets. Both seal well for low and slow and fine temperature control.

The Weber wins hands down for portability. Not that you are going to take it backpacking, but if I had the choice of helping someone move a summit charcoal grill or a Primo XL I would pick the summit.

But the Primo probably has better insulation. Not that it matters much for me, it’s never really cold here. And not that the summit leaks heat, just that ceramic is an excellent insulator. Once heated up there is a lot of thermal mass. In that regard it’s just hard to beat, even if the competition is good on its own.

Lookijg at the summit I would say that the Primo is better for dual zone. Last night I made a pot roast. I set the Primo up with one heat plate and the other grill flipped to the lower position. Left the meat on the indirect side on smoke for about an hour, then opened the vents and went direct to sear it. Then after that in the pressure cooker with the broth and potatoes and stuff to finish. The Weber seems like dual zone just doesn’t work as well. Mostly because the shape, it’s just harder to divide the firepit/firebox. The heat plate is one piece and with the charcol grate set for low and slow the food is going to be further away for direct heat mode. The fire ring in the middle / food to the side works, just not as well as with the Primo XL where you truly get 1/2 direct and 1/2 indirect.

The cracked firebox issue isn’t as big of a deal anymore, the one I bought has a redesigned firebox that has a gap in the front. So it can expand and contract stress free. So fat so good.

Anyhow that is how I see it. I’m not sure which is "better", as they are both great cookers. If I move, I have ample equity in my house that I can sell and buy new stuff, or I can partially take apart the grill table I built and hoist the beast onto a dolly and then rent a truck with a lift gate. If I am moving a long distance then I’m going to liquidate any cooker and buy new stuff because it is seldom worth paying to move large bulky items anyway. Plus I’m not forseeing having to do a lot of moving.

If you have a WSCG in mind, no point in fighting that. If you are on the fence, well can’t say what to do there. I’m biased towards Primo, because I have one. But I’m sure I would have been equally happy had I gone with the summit charcoal grill.

[jfmorris]

I think you make some good points about 2 zone in the WSCGC. I think this is why people like fzxdoc use the SNS low profile in theirs, in order to do proper 2 zone cooking.

[Attjack]

Can you get multiple cooks out of one load of charcoal in the add summit? I like that about the primo.

[jfmorris]

You ought to be able to. I can with my Performer, as it snuffs the coals pretty quickly once I close all the vents. And the WSCGC has propane ignition, like my Performer, making it easy to relight those coals.

[Attjack]

I'm wondering if it holds nearly as much fuel. I went to measure the distance between the bottom and the firebox and the bottom of the grate for dillywe but found that my firebox was still very full from when I made jerky recently so I didn't get the measurement.

[Attjack]

Lots of fuel.



Versatile with many possible configurations.

[au4stree]

I can't add much that hasn't already been said. I've owned a WSCG for a year, bought it over a Big Joe. Moving the Weber around was my deciding factor. Primo is a fine grill too, just heavy when moving.

[Attjack]

It's definitely heavy but I moved mine into place by myself. If you want to take your grill places often I wouldn't recommend it but if you need to move it to a new location it's not that big of a deal. Just don't drop it.

[au4stree]

Attjack. I don't disagree, it "can be done", but being a bit older I hope I've gained some wisdom. The Big Joe, Primo XL or others like it, its big/heavy and not advised to move alone. It can be done, but not advised. But to each their own I suppose......

[EdF]

Ha! Last time I moved the LBGE around in the yard I recruited a couple of younger folk (including my 1 year younger brother) to do the job. They were getting free Q and drinks, so hey!

Most other times, did it myself.

[Potkettleblack]

I would say, regardless of which way you go, you're gonna get a hell of a cooker.