Weber Kettle + Smokinator vs. BGE

jeroldharter · August 2015

Just my take:

I have a BGE XL and a couple of Weber kettles, one of which is outfitted with a Smokinator accessory. I have been using the BGE XL for a few years and the Smokinator is new to me this summer so I have been piddling around with it. Just a couple of comments for anyone interested.

The Smokinator is a great value. With it, you can smoke at relatively low temps indefinitely and turn out good food. I am very pleased with it. Compared to the BGE, it is almost free at ~$60 if I recall. On the other hand, it is certainly no replacement for the BGE.

I find it more difficult to maintain a constant temperature manually. The temperature within the kettle seems to have more variation on different areas of the grate relative the the BGE. I also find it more difficult to control the amount of smoke applied, i.e. some things end up too smoky. That could be improved with experience but it takes more experience than the egg which is more foolproof.

When I bought the Smokinator, I wondered if it might be a really cheap replacement for smoking on the egg. It certainly is not. On the other hand, for people with a kettle and no egg, it is a good way to manage smoking until you can afford an egg.

Overall, I have found the Smokator on a Weber kettle to be a good addition to the egg, cheaper than a second egg, but in no way a replacement for a BGE.

jollygreenegg · August 2015

I first smoked using the smokinator on my weber.. It's a Great cheap way to get into smoking meat.

I only did ribs on it and 6 hrs was the max, but you really got to watch it as it does fluctuate a bit. Can't imagine doing butt or brisket.

MJG · August 2015

I used a smokenator for years. Good piece for what it is. Too much hands on with it as well as not being able to hang in the cold weather. It's a good introduction to a different style of cooking.

Tackman · August 2015

I too started with the smokenator. It was fun. Made some good food. From that I went to the home built weber smoky joe tamale pot rig. Used that for awhile before getting the egg.

Fred19Flintstone · August 2015

I used a kettle for years and the Smokenator for three years. You can make great food with those tools. With the Smokenator, I grew tired of the constant babysitting (replacing spent briquettes and refilling the water bath). Kettle cooking in winter months is a difficult process and it's easy to fail. To compensate for lost heat, you have to run a hotter fire and dry food is not unusual, at least for me.

When I got my first egg, Heaven opened up and the angels sang. There's no going back for me!

Carolina Q · August 2015

If you own a BBQGuru DigiQ, for 20 bucks you can get an adaptor that will allow you to install the DigiQ on a kettle.

I bought one a couple of years ago, just for grins, and tried it with a small pork butt. Temps were in the high 30s and it was quite breezy with wind gusts around 30mph so the kettle had a tough time of it. I couldn't keep the temp where I wanted it... +/- 50° as I recall! This was in March 2013.

Took some babysitting, and the cook took forever! 9 1/2 hours for a <4 lb butt and I finally finished it in a 350° oven! Surprisingly, I did not add lump during the cook, though I did have to stir it a bit part way through, but I could not get the kettle temp up to 350° towards the end. It was late and I was hungry, so the oven.

The end product was good, but not worth the effort. I haven't used it again, but I would if I ever needed more meat than I could fit on the egg. I would fill up the egg, cook without the Guru and install the crutch on the weber with more meat. Unless it's cold and windy.

A few pics...

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/v2/sicd5zu3ig4o.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/c9/f6mkwhcj0v12.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/46/o3x3ouop8uuh.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/f0/fftiq03khz81.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/8f/lo3tuigocp1q.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/81/ana94a32n2jb.jpg

Foiled pizza stone with foil ball spacers

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/16/44b0pag6dezs.jpg

and a drip pan with LBGE grid on top.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/4w/jvw890549naa.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/ls/6ncp58rng7bh.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/ir/fraurf1pqskc.jpg

Photo Egg · August 2015

Michael,
Great photos of your set up...
I use my Weber kettles all the time. Still find them fun to cook on. Yes, a little more work.lol
Because of all the added air flow I have better results holding temps and keeping even heat with briquettes. I know...the "B" word. Ha...Ha
At times I will start with Kingsford and drop lump to lengthen my cooking time or to spike my temp at the end for a little char.
The other thing I like to do on lower temp cooks like your set up above is make sure my air intake is below my lump. Or at least wrap my lump grate in HD foil on one side to stop the intake air from rising straight up and force it through the lump.
The best investment I have made for my 22" kettle was the rotisserie set up.
Love to spin big turkey's or use a very tall raised grate for direct cooking.
Wish you could make "The Coop Party".
Always enjoy your posts.

Carolina Q · August 2015

Thanks, Darian. Nice of you to say. Would love to drop by the coop (or Salado, or Pat Fest, or Georgia Mountain), but they're a little out of my way.

In the 4th pic, that round disc seals tight against the kettle except on the lower edge. When the fan comes on, it forces air downward and then up the bowl on the other side toward the lump. Like this...

Image: https://www.bbqguru.com/Content/ProductImages/Weber_130591288610019881.jpg

As for using the webers, I have a very old 22" (now defaced, above) and a smokey joe. Rarely use either. If I try the Guru again, I'll see what happens with Kingsford.

Focker · August 2015

Carolina Q said:

If you own a BBQGuru DigiQ, for 20 bucks you can get an adaptor that will allow you to install the DigiQ on a kettle.

I bought one a couple of years ago, just for grins, and tried it with a small pork butt. Temps were in the high 30s and it was quite breezy with wind gusts around 30mph so the kettle had a tough time of it. I couldn't keep the temp where I wanted it... +/- 50° as I recall! This was in March 2013.

Took some babysitting, and the cook took forever! 9 1/2 hours for a <4 lb butt and I finally finished it in a 350° oven! Surprisingly, I did not add lump during the cook, though I did have to stir it a bit part way through, but I could not get the kettle temp up to 350° towards the end. It was late and I was hungry, so the oven.

The end product was good, but not worth the effort. I haven't used it again, but I would if I ever needed more meat than I could fit on the egg. I would fill up the egg, cook without the Guru and install the crutch on the weber with more meat. Unless it's cold and windy.

A few pics...

Foiled pizza stone with foil ball spacers

and a drip pan with LBGE grid on top.

Thanks Michael for posting this. I've got an extra Weber adapter, an extra kettle, and a hole saw bit. Was going to create a barrier with firebricks on their sides, overlapping in the middle to try to stabilize things.

Would run this setup in the summer months, while camping and craving low and slow Q'd shoulder or ribs. Nice to just lay them out flat. Having one cooker to do both Q'n and grillin' would be another benefit.

Been tweaking both the WSM, BGE, and Guru setups. Took a couple of cooks to realize you have to really back down the dampers on both ends.

WSM bottom damper was 33% open, top 50% to run 240 pit. Opened top damper to 100%, temp went up to 250. For the egg its slightly less than $33 on the both dampers.

Not a crisis, just wanting to understand the differences in adjustments needed for different pit temps. With as much air running through the kettle design, I see that damper setup similar.

Time to get after it.

Carolina Q · August 2015

Brandon, if I knew anyone was actually interested, I'd have posted it 2 1/2 years ago when I did the cook!

I actually was going to, but thought, nah - the Kool Aid Kids will have a field day.

Hope it's useful to you.

Weber Kettle + Smokinator vs. BGE

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