First Time Owning a Charcoal Grill. What tips/tricks do I need to know?
My whole life I’ve cooked on propane grills. I just got a charcoal kettle for the first time and am excited to learn and cook delicious foods. I’d appreciate any and all tips or tricks anyone has to offer. Thank you!
by FearlessFreak69
36 Comments
analogliving71
with that particular grill i would look to change out the grill grate. Weber switched to plated stainless steel a number of years back and it rusts. You can find true SS grates on amazon and elsewhere that solves this issue
Halftied
r/grilling is full of stories and ideas that will help you through about any issue. Too numerous to count. Scroll through the sub and enjoy. Good luck.
DonScrumsky
Put your charcoal pile to one side so you can have direct and indirect heat
FearlessFreak69
For first time use, how should I arrange the coals for the initial burn off of factory oils and stuff? Also how long to let it burn before I can cook?
bluegrassgazer
My best advice is to just have patience when waiting for the grill to heat up with charcoal. It really does take a while. I normally use a full chimney of coals as well. If I’m making burgers and/or dogs I’ll spread out the coals evenly. If I’m making anything else, I usually pile the coals to one side and leave the other side for indirect heating.
I usually keep the bottom vents wide open and adjust the top vent as needed. In my experience, the kettle lid thermometer can be about 25 degrees warmer than the grate your food is sitting on, so when you decide to start smoking meats, purchase a bluetooth thermometer system that keeps track of food and grate temps.
wildcat12321
get a chimney to light your coals
GrendelGT
Hardwood lump charcoal tastes better than briquettes, but is harder to manage. They both have their place but I’d recommend starting with briquettes. Get a chimney for starting your coals and if you use lighter fluid give it some extra time to burn it off completely. Watch for hot/cold spots to develop during the cooking process as charcoal burns up or ignites, that inconsistency is one of the biggest differences compared to gas.
Kawasaki691
Get a chimney. Makes firing up the coals fast and easy. I always struggled before
degadaze
Get a charcoal chimney. Use less charcoal ( smaller fire in the beginning to understand how that affects your food cooking. Use bottom vents to control heat , Have fun and drink a cold one. Soon you will be a grill master.
schleepercell
I use an electric starter, usually takes 10 minutes or so to get the coals going. Then I wait another 10 minutes or so to get the temp up to 350-400 before cleaning the grill. After scraping, I wipe the grill down with a paper towel that has some olive oil on it before cooking. My grates are always pretty clean from doing this every time.
You can use that grill as a smoker too, after heating it up to 350-400 to clean the grill, you pretty much have to close all the vents to get the temp down to 225-250. I used to just use aluminum foil to shape a little bowl to use for the water pan, but i saw purpose built thing at the hardware store, so I use that now. I’ll do wings for 2.5 hours, a whole chicken for 4, ribs for 6 or 7.
VZ_from-planet-Earth
Never use gas grill )
heraclesmitten
Congrats. You own the best performance-per-dollar valued grill IMO. Piling coals on one side is usually best. Indirect heat for the chicken, direct for the shrimp kabobs
_3clips3_
Cover it during the winter
DryTown
experiment with different types of charcoal. Find your style.
-Get a chimney to start the coals. You can use paper or lighter cubes. After about 10 mins. Give it a shake. Then give it another 5 mins. When they’re starting to ash on the top; you’re ready to dump them in.
-Heat resistant gloves and a charcoal rake/long handled tongs will be your friend.
-Top controls smoke, bottom temp. NEVER close the top all the way.
-white smoke during your cook is good. Black means you have something burning.
-two charcoal baskets will fit a full chimney. The baskets allow for zoning when you separate them or put them together for a larger direct heat zone. A nice convenience with the flip up ends on the grates for longer indirect cooks.
-Webers website and app have tons of great info.
Have fun & Welcome to the family!
Source: Former Weber employee.
JudsonIsDrunk
Damn I want one of those so bad. I like my big silver propane monster but I really want the old classic for charcoal, it’s just a whole different experience.
marketrevolution12
I just got that same one free from uline and smoked some ribs on it. Good airflow control
LastTxPrez
I’ve learned a lot of good (and bad) tips and tricks watching [YouTube videos](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=weber+kettle). I LOVE my Weber and prefer it over any other method of cooking. Play with it some. If you screw up a cook, at the absolute worst, you’ll want to try again so more foodz! Enjoy!
Ashamed-Wolverine692
You’re gonna be making great food on that in no time!
Teh-Aegrus
As many have said, a chimney starter is the gold standard. Hell, sometimes if I’m at a place without one I’ll find an old coffee can and poke some holes to have a makeshift chimney. Still works better than anything else.
What I would recommend is getting some thermometers and doing a couple dry runs to get a feel for how much temperature variance can happen when playing with the dampers. For grilling it’s not that important, but I do a lot of barbecue and smoking on my kettle, and it helps me plan the cook. Different coals and stuff burn differently, so knowing what to expect is helpful. I do not think lump charcoal is with the money anymore
Also, Google snake method, ring of fire and have fun!
_HoochieMama
I found that my first year using my Weber I would not wait long enough for the charcoals to be fully lit before I poored them into the basket and the result would be waiting forever for it to get up to temp.
So beyond just getting a chimney I would recommend making sure you let the coals turn white at the top of the chimney before dumping them into the bbq (unless you’re aiming for a lower temp).
peen_was
Damn dude. Did you ceramic coat that bad boy? ✨
timkatt10
Two zone cooking is probably most important, the same as with other fuels.
mikew1008
natural lump charcoal and a chimney starter
sphynxzyz
I bought the same grill this year. I bought some additional accessories for it as well. I highly recommend the rotisserie and a vortex. If you don’t have a chimney get a chimney to light the coals.
I only use lump specifcially jealous devil (I get mine at walmart).
I recommend seasoning the grill, I use peanut oil on the grill, and the grates I use an onion and let it bake around 250 .
Edit:
SAVE EGG CARTONS, add parafin wax, lint from the dryer, or sawdust if you cut wood enough. Makes for really good fire starters. Otherwise pick them up Ive used the wax cubes, the straw looking ones, and the ones that are like cardboard. They all work well. I’ve also heard petroleum jelly and cotton balls work fine too.
pbake01
Get the coals hot. Add meat. Cover/smoke. Bon appetite!
DirtyWhiteTrousers
Hunsaker makes a 22” flat carbon steel griddle that fits nicely inside your grill and works like a Blackstone.
And I didn’t see it mentioned here, but there are plenty of other aftermarket products that absolutely help you hone your Weber cooking. There are automated fans like the Inkbird that help control precise temperatures, and you can (and should) absolutely upgrade the thermometer to something more precise. Check out the vortex too.
calculator12345678
I just learned after having mine for a while there’s a hook inside the lid that lets you hang it off the side…
FunnyItWorkedLastTim
I recommend this channel to anyone who wants to do slow cooks on a Weber. [https://youtube.com/@lownslowbasics?si=r5RxHdJ3xDj6SKaz](https://youtube.com/@lownslowbasics?si=r5RxHdJ3xDj6SKaz) Lots of channels have great technique and recipes, but I find this guys low-key no-frills delivery works best for me.
Get a decent thermometer, the one included in the grill is pretty but not super functional.
Also, charcoal is cheap, meat is expensive. I see quite a few newbies on this sub post a pic of 10 lit coals in a grill asking why nothing is cooking. Unless it is a deliberate slow cook, fill the chimney up and go to town!
zukos_destiny
Don’t use lighter fluid or lighter cubes to start the charcoal unless you want your meat tasting like cancer.
Tall-Can5000
This shit is an art bro. Just have fun, trial and error.
I use a chimney or roofing torch for my charcoal.
Some people use the little wax cubes, but I get 2-3 paper towels, douse them in canola oil to light my chimney
Hooch247
Oil the grill grate after each use, while hot, after cooking.
ReadItSteveO
You will hand this down to your kin. Will last forever and smokes a mean turkey
Ig_Met_Pet
Give it a really good deep clean at least once per year, or the whole thing might catch fire and ruin your day.
36 Comments
with that particular grill i would look to change out the grill grate. Weber switched to plated stainless steel a number of years back and it rusts. You can find true SS grates on amazon and elsewhere that solves this issue
r/grilling is full of stories and ideas that will help you through about any issue. Too numerous to count. Scroll through the sub and enjoy. Good luck.
Put your charcoal pile to one side so you can have direct and indirect heat
For first time use, how should I arrange the coals for the initial burn off of factory oils and stuff? Also how long to let it burn before I can cook?
My best advice is to just have patience when waiting for the grill to heat up with charcoal. It really does take a while. I normally use a full chimney of coals as well. If I’m making burgers and/or dogs I’ll spread out the coals evenly. If I’m making anything else, I usually pile the coals to one side and leave the other side for indirect heating.
I usually keep the bottom vents wide open and adjust the top vent as needed. In my experience, the kettle lid thermometer can be about 25 degrees warmer than the grate your food is sitting on, so when you decide to start smoking meats, purchase a bluetooth thermometer system that keeps track of food and grate temps.
get a chimney to light your coals
Hardwood lump charcoal tastes better than briquettes, but is harder to manage. They both have their place but I’d recommend starting with briquettes. Get a chimney for starting your coals and if you use lighter fluid give it some extra time to burn it off completely. Watch for hot/cold spots to develop during the cooking process as charcoal burns up or ignites, that inconsistency is one of the biggest differences compared to gas.
Get a chimney. Makes firing up the coals fast and easy. I always struggled before
Get a charcoal chimney. Use less charcoal ( smaller fire in the beginning to understand how that affects your food cooking. Use bottom vents to control heat , Have fun and drink a cold one. Soon you will be a grill master.
I use an electric starter, usually takes 10 minutes or so to get the coals going. Then I wait another 10 minutes or so to get the temp up to 350-400 before cleaning the grill. After scraping, I wipe the grill down with a paper towel that has some olive oil on it before cooking. My grates are always pretty clean from doing this every time.
You can use that grill as a smoker too, after heating it up to 350-400 to clean the grill, you pretty much have to close all the vents to get the temp down to 225-250. I used to just use aluminum foil to shape a little bowl to use for the water pan, but i saw purpose built thing at the hardware store, so I use that now. I’ll do wings for 2.5 hours, a whole chicken for 4, ribs for 6 or 7.
Never use gas grill )
Congrats. You own the best performance-per-dollar valued grill IMO. Piling coals on one side is usually best. Indirect heat for the chicken, direct for the shrimp kabobs
Cover it during the winter
experiment with different types of charcoal. Find your style.
Google the Snake method for longer cooks
https://amazingribs.com/technique-and-science/grill-and-smoker-setup/ This is a great website.
-Get a chimney to start the coals. You can use paper or lighter cubes. After about 10 mins. Give it a shake. Then give it another 5 mins. When they’re starting to ash on the top; you’re ready to dump them in.
-Heat resistant gloves and a charcoal rake/long handled tongs will be your friend.
-Top controls smoke, bottom temp. NEVER close the top all the way.
-white smoke during your cook is good. Black means you have something burning.
-two charcoal baskets will fit a full chimney. The baskets allow for zoning when you separate them or put them together for a larger direct heat zone. A nice convenience with the flip up ends on the grates for longer indirect cooks.
-Webers website and app have tons of great info.
Have fun & Welcome to the family!
Source: Former Weber employee.
Damn I want one of those so bad. I like my big silver propane monster but I really want the old classic for charcoal, it’s just a whole different experience.
I just got that same one free from uline and smoked some ribs on it. Good airflow control
I’ve learned a lot of good (and bad) tips and tricks watching [YouTube videos](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=weber+kettle). I LOVE my Weber and prefer it over any other method of cooking. Play with it some. If you screw up a cook, at the absolute worst, you’ll want to try again so more foodz! Enjoy!
You’re gonna be making great food on that in no time!
As many have said, a chimney starter is the gold standard. Hell, sometimes if I’m at a place without one I’ll find an old coffee can and poke some holes to have a makeshift chimney. Still works better than anything else.
What I would recommend is getting some thermometers and doing a couple dry runs to get a feel for how much temperature variance can happen when playing with the dampers. For grilling it’s not that important, but I do a lot of barbecue and smoking on my kettle, and it helps me plan the cook. Different coals and stuff burn differently, so knowing what to expect is helpful. I do not think lump charcoal is with the money anymore
Also, Google snake method, ring of fire and have fun!
I found that my first year using my Weber I would not wait long enough for the charcoals to be fully lit before I poored them into the basket and the result would be waiting forever for it to get up to temp.
So beyond just getting a chimney I would recommend making sure you let the coals turn white at the top of the chimney before dumping them into the bbq (unless you’re aiming for a lower temp).
Damn dude. Did you ceramic coat that bad boy? ✨
Two zone cooking is probably most important, the same as with other fuels.
natural lump charcoal and a chimney starter
I bought the same grill this year. I bought some additional accessories for it as well. I highly recommend the rotisserie and a vortex. If you don’t have a chimney get a chimney to light the coals.
I only use lump specifcially jealous devil (I get mine at walmart).
I recommend seasoning the grill, I use peanut oil on the grill, and the grates I use an onion and let it bake around 250 .
Edit:
SAVE EGG CARTONS, add parafin wax, lint from the dryer, or sawdust if you cut wood enough. Makes for really good fire starters. Otherwise pick them up Ive used the wax cubes, the straw looking ones, and the ones that are like cardboard. They all work well. I’ve also heard petroleum jelly and cotton balls work fine too.
Get the coals hot. Add meat. Cover/smoke. Bon appetite!
Hunsaker makes a 22” flat carbon steel griddle that fits nicely inside your grill and works like a Blackstone.
And I didn’t see it mentioned here, but there are plenty of other aftermarket products that absolutely help you hone your Weber cooking. There are automated fans like the Inkbird that help control precise temperatures, and you can (and should) absolutely upgrade the thermometer to something more precise. Check out the vortex too.
I just learned after having mine for a while there’s a hook inside the lid that lets you hang it off the side…
I recommend this channel to anyone who wants to do slow cooks on a Weber. [https://youtube.com/@lownslowbasics?si=r5RxHdJ3xDj6SKaz](https://youtube.com/@lownslowbasics?si=r5RxHdJ3xDj6SKaz) Lots of channels have great technique and recipes, but I find this guys low-key no-frills delivery works best for me.
Get a decent thermometer, the one included in the grill is pretty but not super functional.
Also, charcoal is cheap, meat is expensive. I see quite a few newbies on this sub post a pic of 10 lit coals in a grill asking why nothing is cooking. Unless it is a deliberate slow cook, fill the chimney up and go to town!
Don’t use lighter fluid or lighter cubes to start the charcoal unless you want your meat tasting like cancer.
This shit is an art bro. Just have fun, trial and error.
I use a chimney or roofing torch for my charcoal.
Some people use the little wax cubes, but I get 2-3 paper towels, douse them in canola oil to light my chimney
Oil the grill grate after each use, while hot, after cooking.
You will hand this down to your kin. Will last forever and smokes a mean turkey
Give it a really good deep clean at least once per year, or the whole thing might catch fire and ruin your day.