Low and slow on a Weber Kettle

[KamadoSimon]

Hi all,

On holiday at the moment - decided to buy & take a Weber One Touch Premium with us as the place we are staying at only had one of those brick built open grills.

Trying to learn how to do low n slow on the kettle - having trouble keeping the temperatures down without the fire going out.

I'm wondering if I have constructed it correctly - the bottom vent adjustment is limited to about an inch of travel with the lever and goes from completely closed to fully open within that inch. The rest of the travel is with the vent fully open. Is that right?

Any other tips for maintaining low n slow on the OTP please? Am using the local French lump which is lighter than the lump I am used to - but still gives a nice flavour.

Cheers!

Simon

[NomNomBBQ]

Only 1" of travel doesnt sound right,from memory on my one touch the lever goes all the way from one leg to the other, fully left and fully right the bottom vents are closed, in the middle is open.

To reduce the bbq temp a metal pan of water above the coals will absorb a lot of the heat, keep checking its still got water in.

[CyderPig]

Ditto, and use an offset fire.
Si

[KamadoSimon]

Yep, am using a water pan and fire is offset to one side. Sounds like I need to try re-assembling the bottom vent mechanism.....

Thx both

[derekmiller]

I'm wondering if I have constructed it correctly - the bottom vent adjustment is limited to about an inch of travel with the lever and goes from completely closed to fully open within that inch. The rest of the travel is with the vent fully open. Is that right?

Simon

Simon, reading this carefully, yes this is right, if you look at the symbols punched into the metal work. The rest of the travel is for you to shift the ash into the ash catcher. I have marked off 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 with a marker pen to help guide how far its open.

Derek.

[KamadoSimon]

Thanks Derek - that'll save me taking it apart will persevere - leg of lamb tomorrow.

[Riverrat]

Foiling the grate on the part that does not have charcoal might help you, any incoming air then has to pass through the fire and not straight out the top vent, also a couple of fire bricks to help contain the bank of coals works wonders - I use both methods on my kettle and get good results with low and slow.

[NomNomBBQ]

Foiling the grate on the part that does not have charcoal might help you, any incoming air then has to pass through the fire and not straight out the top vent, also a couple of fire bricks to help contain the bank of coals works wonders - I use both methods on my kettle and get good results with low and slow.

Wow, that is very interesting, ive never thought about doing that with the foil.

Also the fire bricks, have you got a link for the kind of thing you use?

BBQ - you learn something new everyday

[Swindon_Ed]

Also the fire bricks, have you got a link for the kind of thing you use?

Fire bricks cost a fortune over here, regular house bricks wrapped in foil have always worked well for me.

[derekmiller]

Same as Ed, but I don't foil them.
They collect and hold a lot of heat, foiling them seems to deflect the heat away.
Ed why do you foil the bricks?
I do like Riverrats idea, might have to play with that.
Derek.