Is it worth getting a Weber Kettle for my backyard?Some relevant info (thanks for reading my blog):>I don't particularly like tons of char, nor tons of smoky flavor.>I would probably cook the burgers low + slow and then do a quick sear.>Could I do a backyard BBQ for ~20 guests just using a single Weber Kettle?
>>22041414Invite me to your barbecue
>>22041414Yes. You can grill anything on a Weber once you learn temp control.
>>22041414You don't want to go into a 20-30 burger session without already climbing the learning curve a bit. I say it's worth getting one regardless of that party, but if you tackle it blind you're fucked.
Chen? Mistress Yukari wants to eat soon!CHEN?!
>>22041414Mark the vent aperture levels on the bottom. You can also smoke stuff if attentive. Never spread the coals. Burgers finish fast enough to do it for that many— hook the lid on the sear side for more heat reflection to the bake end. Have welding gloves, and spin the grill by the handles to maneuver things fast.
>>22041414why do you want charcoal instead of propane if you dont like smoke?
>>22041492>a bit of smoke is fine>the kettle is cheap, reliable, MIUSA>smaller footprint and more portable
>>22041526fair enough i guess, i feel like even with a full blown smoker as long as you understand what you're doing it won't be too smokyit is a learning curve though, a LOT steeper than you'd believe, most chud grillers are actually really fucking bad at cooking let alone understanding the actual dynamics at play with grilling/smokingthat said if you're already giving it this much consideration my faith is higher in you than the majority of peopleyou might even consider going the chinese route and getting a smaller(and cheaper) fold-up charcoal grill depending on your yard space and commitment, just invest in a better cooking grate than they come with and, in general, don't cheap out on charcoal - 2x more expensive quality lump burns at least 2x longer and cleaner helping reduce the harsher/shittier overly smokey flavorsif you plan on using wood at all that's another story and determining quality is, again, a learning curve, but much more forgiving for grilling vs smoking
>>22041545>go with cheaper chinese grillDon't listen to this guy. Temp control is the name of the game. Those shitty $35 throwaway grills give you no control. Just get a Weber, learn to use it and you will be good to go.
>>22041414I have one about the size of car tire. Like 20 inch diameter.Solid fuel are harder to do reverse sear because introducing new coal or getting sufficient coal stack height for heat intensity is harder midway from kicking up dust/ash, cooling it down, or have hot coals bits fall down the bottom grill. Searing first is the natural order. Or you do the fire snake arrangement and eventually all pieces would have its time above direct heat when fire spreads.>20 guestsId say no more than 10. Anything more needs pre-cooked slow cooked large cuts of meat or carbs. Charcoal wont have enough smoky flavor. Its something wood does which you can put a few pieces.
>>22041547100% agree with you, the shitty chinese grills are for nothing but direct heat, nice to have in the back of the truck/suv for outings but not a whole lot else i do maintain, however, that that's the exact quality that makes it good for learning, because you really have to understand how the charcoal burns to not destroy your food. i always suggest people getting into smoking to get a cheap offset like a 200sq in oklahoma joe for the same reason before dropping thousands on a decent rigfull disclosure i basically explicitly do live fire/wood both personally and professionally for the last few years my opinions are heavily autistic
I have a barrel grill, and I have trouble running 2+ hour cooks with lump charcoal. I don't have trouble keeping it at around 250, but I can't get it to last longer than 2 hours. "Snaking" with lump charcoal doesnt' really work, and whenever I add coals, it gets too hot.
