Updating my Weber grill...

[Stewie]

This is not my Bullet, nor is it my charcoal grill. This is my natural gas (NG) Weber grill that I've had for 13 years. It's a freaking rock star for convenience.

There were internal parts showing some significant wear and some were falling apart. The worst culprits were the flavorizer bars and the cooking grate. I searched and searched for reasonable replacement parts but holy moly they're expensive. Fortunately, I found a guy in Poplar Bluff, MO that makes stainless flavorizer bars for much less than Weber (or their retailers) charges for enameled steel. I got them today and they fit perfectly! I bit the bullet and paid $40 for new grates. Not much of a choice out there for those.

I thought about buying a new NG grill (NG is more money), but the similar model to mine (Weber Genesis Gold) is now pushing $1000! Sheesh! I paid $299 in 2000.

Everything else looks great. The SS burners are nearly pristine after all these years.

Anyone else been through a Weber update? It ain't cheap, but damn they last a long time.

[Dunerdr]

Just bought a weber q320 cant wait to cook on it. Waiting to break it in when i move in my new house monday. I feel like hank hill jimp over a grill lol.

[Ming the Merciless]

http://www.amazingribs.com/BBQ_buyer...as_grills.html

charcoal makes more smoke than gas, although, when lit completely, when fed the proper amount of oxygen, good charcoal produces very little visible smoke. In fact, the best tasting smoke is called blue smoke and is barely visible. If you are using gas, the smoke from combustion is rarely visible, but there are still flavorful combustion gases given off.

A lot of the smoke happens as drippings from the food hit the hot surfaces below. Meat drippings are mostly water, fat, and protein, plus whatever you have added, such as marinade barbecue sauce. When they hit the heat source they vaporize and some of that vapor condenses on the meat. Most gas grills cover the flame jets with metal plates, lava rock, or ceramic rocks that absorb the heat and radiate it, but the food is not exposed directly to flame. Drippings may hit these radiant surfaces where they are vaporized, making smoke and steam, much like charcoal. Some new gas grills have "infrared" burners which are superheated surfaces that are very close to the meat and more vapors get back to the meat with these burners.

There is also a difference in the flavor imparted by the volatile by-products given off by the burning of the charcoal or the gas. When propane combusts it makes more steam than charcoal, and that may help keep meat moist giving gas an advantage for some meats. Some cooks think the steam can be a disadvantage for some meats, hampering chicken skin from getting crisp for example. Charcoal produces more tiny particulates that land on the surface of the meat. But, smoke is not likely to significantly change the flavor of food that is cooked quickly such as hot dogs, burgers, or skinny steaks.

chimney for starting barbecueThere is one other flavor difference of note. If you use self-igniting charcoal or charcoal fluid to start a charcoal fire, there can be an unpleasant petrochemical smell during ignition and it can get into the food. Yuk. For this reason you should use a charcoal chimney, a torch, or an electric charcoal starter.

[In58men]

Originally Posted by Pawnmower

yes havent you heard all food cooked in gas ovens tastes like shit and the best ovens use charcoal?

Totally a different process of the way it's being used. Holy shit you are ****ing stupid.

[Ming the Merciless]

Originally Posted by Inmem58

Like I said dip shit, everyone's pallet is different.

yes, those of ****ing morons like yourself especially

[In58men]

Originally Posted by Pawnmower

http://www.amazingribs.com/BBQ_buyer...as_grills.html

I should really believe this article because it was found on the interwebs

[Ming the Merciless]

Originally Posted by Inmem58

Totally a different process of the way it's being used. Holy shit you are ****ing stupid.

explain to me how indirect cooking in a gas grill is so different from cooking in a gas oven that somehow the 'awful smells' in your food aren't there with an oven but they are there when you gas grill

[In58men]

Originally Posted by Pawnmower

yes, those of ****ing morons like yourself especially

You're a die hard gas griller aren't you? Lol

[Ming the Merciless]

Originally Posted by Inmem58

I should really believe this article because it was found on the interwebs

so i should believe you?

have you had this 'nasty' gas flavor every time youve had food from a gas grill or broiler ?

[Ming the Merciless]

Originally Posted by Inmem58

You're a die hard gas griller aren't you? Lol

nope i have had and use everything, have charcoal grill/smoker but my main weapon is gas grill.

youre just a moron

[In58men]

Originally Posted by Pawnmower

so i should believe you?

have you had this 'nasty' gas flavor every time youve had food from a gas grill or broiler ?

Here's where you're getting smarter. I never said you should believe me. I have had food literally taste like gas. I have owned a gas grill for a long time. I guess my pallet changed over the years, because it can do that ya know. I began to really get into bbqing and tasting everything with a little more detail.

I'm don't prefer gas. Nothing is wrong about that. Smoke a pork shoulder on gas and let me know how it tastes.

[Ming the Merciless]

Originally Posted by Inmem58

I'm don't prefer gas. Nothing is wrong about that. Smoke a pork shoulder on gas and let me know how it tastes.

youre an idiot....if you smoke it at a low temp, with soaked wood chips you can do just as good of a job, hell if you want charcoal taste you could even burn charcoal in a gas grill.....

its more flexible to use gas....

with smoking it doesnt matter the heat source..it matters the SMOKE source and being able to hit a certain temperature for a certain time

piss off

[MTG#10]

I prefer charcoal grilling. I actually like the flavor the charcoal adds to the meat. I cant taste the gas, but cooking on a gas grill doesn't give the same flavor as my kettle. I understand the convenience aspect, but if Im going to grill something I dont care about convenience...Im going all out. For smoking, there's no gas smoker that can even come close to the ribs, brisket, pork shoulder, and tri-tip I make in my WSM.

[In58men]

Originally Posted by TimBone

lol wut?

Chicken products and seafood manly. If I'm cooking low and slow (4hrs or more) I can taste it in red meat as well.

[DaveNull]

nevermind.

[Ming the Merciless]

Originally Posted by MTG#10

I prefer charcoal grilling. I actually like the flavor the charcoal adds to the meat. I cant taste the gas, but cooking on a gas grill doesn't give the same flavor as my kettle. I understand the convenience aspect, but if Im going to grill something I dont care about convenience...Im going all out. For smoking, there's no gas smoker that can even come close to the ribs, brisket, pork shoulder, and tri-tip I make in my WSM.

I agree with the flavor aspect, charcoal adds a flavor that isnt there in gas

But to me, theres really no type of smoke you cant add with a gas grill, using a simple smoke box and wood chips.....

So for me its easier to get exactly the flavor i want by starting with plain gas, and using the kind of wood chips i want rather than using charcoal....

unless off course you are looking to get charcoal flavor, which is good...but i dont want that all the time