How to Smoke on a Weber Kettle

Being that it's Memorial Day, let me take this opportunity to remind everyone to take a moment to remember those who lost their lives protecting our great nation. I served as a Medic in the United States Army for nearly 6 years and I still have no words to describe my love for those who’ve served.

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;

For he to-day that sheds his blood with me

Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,

This day shall gentle his condition:

And gentlemen in England now a-bed

Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,

And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

Henry V - William Shakespeare

Each year, as summer approaches, many begin to dust off their barbecues in preparation for grilling season (unless you’re lucky enough to live in Texas where it's always grilling season).

If baseball is America’s pastime, then I could argue that Texas’ pastime is cooking meat with fire.

Today, I’m going to show you how to set up a Weber Kettle Grill for smoking. Why a Weber you ask? Because most people with multi-thousand dollar smokers don’t use them often enough to get good at smoking. I truly believe that if you really want to master a skill, you should start with the basics and build from there. Hell, a 22” Weber can be had for $100-$150.

I've received some bizarre looks at BBQ competitions when I bust out my Weber Kettle Grills, but the judges can't tell that I don't have a professional set-up (and I've won a few local awards to prove it).

Setup

You’ll Need

• Weber Kettle Grill - 22” or larger
• 4 Fire Bricks - Acme 9" x 4" x 2.5"
• Aluminum Drip Pan (I prefer Weber 13" x 9" x 2")
• Charcoal Briquettes (I prefer Kingsford)
• Wood Chunks (I prefer Oak or Hickory)
• Weber Chimney Starter
• Paper Towels
• Vegetable Oil

Set bottom vents to 99% closed - This will allow the fire to smolder ever so slowly.

Fire Brick Placement

Single Layer of Medium Wood Chunks

Layer of Briquettes

Layer of Smaller Wood Chunks

Layer of Smaller Wood Chunks

Final Layer of Briquettes

Upside Down Chimney Starter

Drizzle some wadded up paper towels with a bit of vegetable oil then place under chimney.

Five Briquettes

Light 'em Up

10 to 15 Minutes Later

Evenly Disperse Lit Coals

The combination of placing just a few lit coals on top and setting the bottom vents to 99% closed allows the fire to slowly smolder on down to a perfect smoking temperature of 225º.

Final Configuration

While the smoldering coals keep the overall temperature low, the fire bricks act to protect your smoking meat from direct heat.

Now plop some meat on that cooker and sit back with a cold one while it works its magic.

Stay Tuned for my Famous Pork Spare Ribs


*Notes:


Never, ever use lighter fluid!

Never, ever use "match light" charcoal briquettes!

Always leave the top vents wide open.

This set-up will easily smoke for 6+ hours untouched.

You can get Fire Bricks from a local Acme dealer, they're only about $3 each.

The Weber 13" x 9" x 2" Aluminum Drip Pan fits precisely on the cooking side of the fire bricks.

While I usually prefer "Lump Charcoal" over Briquettes while grilling, I find that Lump burns too hot on my rig during smoking.