OT: BBQ grill recommendations

[Steve in SLO]

I saw Angry”s smoker thread and thought I would tap the brain trust that is the forum.
After 28 years, my Weber is slowly giving up the ghost. Flavorizer bars are all burned through and collapsing into two pieces, paint is flaking off, and the grill is showing signs of crumpling into a pile of dust. Sad thing is, it is still working fine and making great barbecue.
With that said, I am looking for something to replace it. Here is the wishlist and pertinents:
Desired specs:
Three burners
Single grill with warming rack
Open or enclosed shelves do not make a difference
One or preferably two side tables.
No auxiliary sauce pan burner needed.
500-600 in.² burner space
Natural gas
Painted or stainless does not make a difference
Max budget $800

Uses:
The usual burgers, chicken, fish, corn and kebabs to include vegetables. Nothing super fancy there.
Used 2-3 times per month
Can’t be charcoal/wood pellet, since often times I am running home from work to turn on the gas, grilling something and then returning to work after dinner.

Looking at the Weber site, the Genesis II E-310 or 315 would fit the bill.
I don’t need any of the associated electronics or smart features, so wondering if there was something else that would be preferable.
So, what recommendations do you have?
TIA

[vav]

I bought a Weber Spirit - 310...3 burners I guess and it hasn't disappointed. Can't go wrong with Weber IMO. Genesis looks nice and it gets the BTUs up plus the side burner if you care. I'd go with the Genesis and close my case :)

[Velocipede]

I just replaced mine with this

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Monument-Clearview-Stainless-Steel-4-Burner-Liquid-Propane-Gas-Grill-with-2-Side-Burners/1001269678

Pretty happy so far. Only thing I kept from my old one, the super nice stainless steel grids. I bought them aftermarket after the porcelain coated originals died. I am not a fan of those. But I liked everything else with this one. I do wish it had all stainless steel panels/construction. But it only has the two sides and the back on the bottom painted steel. Everything else is stainless. Happy with it. Check it out at your local Lowes.

[Joe]

Perhaps this will be helpful... https://amazingribs.com/ratings-reviews/grill-and-smoker-reviews.

[Steve in SLO]

Perhaps this will be helpful... https://amazingribs.com/ratings-reviews/grill-and-smoker-reviews.

That is educational and exhaustive. Thanks!

[old fat man]

Spend a few hundred to replace parts on existing one. Those are just as good as a new $800 Weber and with the parts replaced, you'll get another 25+ years from it. We just bbq'd tonight on my parent's Weber that was a house warming gift to them in the mid 80s. The grill has lived outside in New England with a decent cover since new. Food was delicious.

[Steve in SLO]

Replacing existing parts is a good thought. I like the wood racks and handle of our existing grill, however the grilling surface is on the small side for our family, who likes to barbecue several meals worth of food at once.

[Ozz]

I've been looking at Delta Heat (https://deltaheat.com/) grills for a couple years to replace a crappy Jenn-Air grill that came with the house we bought 8 yrs ago....deciding between a 32" built in grill or some carbon wheels.....:cool:

Those blow thru your budget pretty easily...but are really nice. Made in USA, lights, double lined hood, lifetime warranty, etc.....

[henrypretz]

We have a Genesis 300 series from about 2011ish(?). Still chugging along, but showing signs of age (and neglect). Your 28 year run is very impressive! I just last week ordered new replacement grates, burners, "flavorizer" bars, and heat deflectors from a company called grillparts.com (https://www.grillparts.com/). Cost was about $230. I went back and forth on replacing it with a new grill, but it has been super reliable for our needs. I'll most likely use the money I'm saving to put toward bike stuff :banana: 😋

[PeregrineA1]

Expand the budget and get a Big Green Egg. I can have mine, a large, ready to cook in ~20 minutes. Very efficient-did a 12 hour brisket on ~5# of lump yesterday, very little work to keep the temp at 225*. You can run it up to high searing temps as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Steve in SLO]

Thanks, all for your ideas and suggestions. After perusing parts online, I have ordered new flavorizer and heat dispersion bars and grill, and am going to renew my existing Genesis 1000 grill. I will make it a father-daughter project. I will keep all your ideas in my back pocket in case I find some terminal damage in my grill.

[weaponsgrade]

There’s a metal shop in Redwood City where a guy there sells replacement flavorizer bars. They’re much thicker than the stock ones. My original ones died pretty quick but these after market ones are going strong after many many years.

[hummus_aquinas]

To jump on this thread; does anyone have any experience with Pilot Rock grills for home use? I enjoy the concept of industrial grade-anything at the consumer level and using the type of grill that lives outside in a park seems like a good idea. The plan is to buy the accessory base so I won't have to dig and pour concrete.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c5/f2/a0/c5f2a09c7c952206720d37421f062b4e.jpg

[fmradio516]

Expand the budget and get a Big Green Egg. I can have mine, a large, ready to cook in ~20 minutes. Very efficient-did a 12 hour brisket on ~5# of lump yesterday, very little work to keep the temp at 225*. You can run it up to high searing temps as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Were you able to get it to burn for 12 hours without having to add more lump and hardwood? just the initial?

[sfo1]

Genesis series for gas. Replacement parts, quality, and it lasts.

If you want smoker, look at Traeger. You might never go back to a BBQ.

We have a Genesis 300 series from about 2011ish(?)

[climbgdh]

Weber Genesis. Don’t know what model but buy it be Done and done worrying about BBQ’s. I’ve had mine for 11 years and it still is going strong. I’ve had to replace the grills once and also the tenderizers / deflectors once but it works awesome and still looks really good. I do keep it covered when not in use since i live in a VERY rainy climate. I have been looking at smokers but so far haven’t pulled the trigger yet. :)

[Dekonick]

Spend a few hundred to replace parts on existing one. Those are just as good as a new $800 Weber and with the parts replaced, you'll get another 25+ years from it. We just bbq'd tonight on my parent's Weber that was a house warming gift to them in the mid 80s. The grill has lived outside in New England with a decent cover since new. Food was delicious.

Unless you want to go high end with ceraminc sear zones etc... fix what ya got. It isn't hard, the propane/NG is low pressure so fittings are easy... youtube is your friend :)

[Steve in SLO]

Stainless steel grill and flavorizer/heat dispersio bars are on the way, picked up some barbecue black paint and Easy Off, and Scotchbrite pads so I am ready for the resto. Now all I need is a day off.

[benb]

I have a Genesis 3xx as well, bought it in 2010, it's holding up incredibly well.

Mine was some kind of oddball special edition. Enameled cast iron top (supposedly better heat retention) but it came with the upgraded stainless steel grates + flavorizer bars.

You will *not* be disappointed with the stainless bars. Mine are about 99% brand new after 10 years. They seem to be totally impervious to wear and they clean up amazingly well. They're really amazing.. I've never seen cast iron grates that don't get really nasty & gunked up after a while.

I do probably need to clean out the inside of the grill cover carefully.

My grill has long burners that run across the width of the grill.. I do think for some kinds of cooking I'd prefer they ran front to back.. Weber seems to switch them every few years. I'd rather 4 burners going front to back to make it easier to leave 1/2 the grill hot & 1/2 medium for doing a meat on one side and vegetables on the other or something like that. The Weber grill pan for example takes up 1 side of a genesis, but the burners go the other way...

[oldguy00]

Weber is great as they are decent quality and very easy to get replacement parts for.
We've had a Spirit 310 (or something like that) for 3 years now. I really don't take care of it or cover it. Just replaced the original grills for the first time as they were looking pretty dirty/worn, $85. Weber also replaced the flavorizer shields for me for free after they warped at the 2 year mark.

I had a Vision egg charcoal grill before this, and I sometimes miss the high heat for grilling steaks and the smell of the charcoal, but it was a pain to clean out, and found it hard to regulate the temperature.

[Joe]

Stainless steel grill and flavorizer/heat dispersio bars are on the way, picked up some barbecue black paint and Easy Off, and Scotchbrite pads so I am ready for the resto. Now all I need is a day off.

Looking forward to pics of the finished product.

[Spinner]

The best gas grills have a lot of mass in the body and in the grates which allows significant heat absorption. This provides heat retention whenever the lid is raised and allows your food to be cooked in part by the heat built up in the device, creating an "oven" effect. The mass of the hot grates also sears whatever is put atop. My 25-year-old Broilmaster fits the bill in this regard.

When I occasionally cook on grills owned by friends that do not have as much mass, I notice that the direct heat of the flame does most of the searing and the food is not as evenly cooked.

I've replaced the stainless steel burner twice since I've owned it, otherwise it has been maintenance free, except for periodic cleaning.

I also have a 40-year-old Weber Kettle grill that I use for smoking ribs and such.

One of the best tools in my grilling arsenal is my Ultimate scale, which allows me to accurately weigh the propane tank to determine how much gas remains for use. All propane tanks are stamped with a Tare Weight (TW) usually between 17 and 18 pounds so that you can easily determine remaining gas volume. Before using the scale, I'm sure I returned tanks that were not fully used. Weighing the tanks also prevents running out of gas in the middle of cooking.

Cheers.

[Steve in SLO]

Here are a few before and after photos of 30 years of neglect (sorry about the upside down and out of order before pic) and a few hours of cleaning and restoration. Lots of oven cleaner, acetone/paint stripper, Scotch-Brite pads and wire wheels followed by BBQ black paint and semi transparent stain. Looks pretty good, I think. Flavorizer bars and grill need to arrive before we use it, but we are looking forward to it!

[p nut]

Wow, that thing spiffed right up! Good decision on restoring instead of buying new!

[Joe]

Looks good!

[josephr]

after 10+ years, finally took my Char-Broil to be recycled....waiting for my tax refund check to get here as I've got my eye on the Weber Spirit ---- probably the 2 burner version for me. Great reviews and looks solid and built to last a long time.

[fmradio516]

ill be grill shopping in a few months to treat myself after we move into our first home. Will probably need a gas Weber as well as something for smoking. undecided what would actually make the most sense to get.

I mainly do long smokes - briskets. I like the offset smokers because thats what im used to but a BGE makes more sense to get since i can do anything with it and its heat retention cant be beat. PIZZAS!

BGE owners - once you get used to it, is it pretty easy to dial in the settings so you get a steady 230F for 12 hrs or so? Kinda like a set and forget until the brisket is done? I assume id fill it with lit charcoal and a few pieces of wood and let it just work. of course with an occasional spritz and a wrap eventually.

[Hardlyrob]

I fifth the Weber Genesis - we have one we bought in 2008 or so, that's still going strong - even with my neglect of it. It is now the "shop" grill at my wife's workshop.

We upgraded to a BBQ island a couple of years ago and put in a Blaze Grill - it is really outstanding with how quickly it heats, temp control, and how long it holds heat. https://www.blazegrills.com/product/4-burner-grill/

[Steve in SLO]

Just a data point on longevity: the Weber Genesis pictured above was bought in July 1989 and spent its first eight years outdoors in Hawaii – think salty, humid air, and has been outdoors since. Never under cover, and this is the first time I’ve touched it to do any maintenance.

[p nut]

Well, Steve SLO, I was browsing random stuff on a local classifieds site. And someone was selling a Genesis Silver for $20. Says works great. But obviously neglected and will need some TLC.
Couldn’t resist so I bought it. I have been charcoal only for a long time. But it’ll be good to have this for hotdogs, smash burger, or other quick cooks. (Burgers will always be charcoal :D).

Guess I know what I’m doing for a few hours this Saturday...

[fmradio516]

Well, Steve SLO, I was browsing random stuff on a local classifieds site. And someone was selling a Genesis Silver for $20. Says works great. But obviously neglected and will need some TLC.
Couldn’t resist so I bought it. I have been charcoal only for a long time. But it’ll be good to have this for hotdogs, smash burger, or other quick cooks. (Burgers will always be charcoal :D).

Guess I know what I’m doing for a few hours this Saturday...

congrats! good deal! FWIW I had been charcoal only for the last 13 years or so because theyre cheap and its easy to move one of those when moving to different apartments, but inherited a similar weber to yours a couple years ago and havent touched my charcoal grill since :)

[p nut]

congrats! good deal! FWIW I had been charcoal only for the last 13 years or so because theyre cheap and its easy to move one of those when moving to different apartments, but inherited a similar weber to yours a couple years ago and havent touched my charcoal grill since :)

I still love charcoal and will be my main mode of grilling. But it’ll be nice to have something that can be ready real quick. Or those instances where I start to run out of charcoal and need to finish up on the gas grill.

[fmradio516]

I still love charcoal and will be my main mode of grilling. But it’ll be nice to have something that can be ready real quick. Or those instances where I start to run out of charcoal and need to finish up on the gas grill.

Exactly. And tbh some things are better on gas, like veggies. Though really nothing beats the heat you get from charcoal if you want to sear a steak real good.

But I mostly sous vide my steaks nowadays so I wouldnt want to waste coals for 2 mins of cook time.

[Ozz]

....Though really nothing beats the heat you get from charcoal if you want to sear a steak real good.....
no doubt....and who needs a grill to do it? Did this for my birthday about 10yrs ago: Caveman Porterhouse (https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/caveman-porterhouse-with-poblano-pan-fry)

Awesome....

[fmradio516]

no doubt....and who needs a grill to do it? Did this for my birthday about 10yrs ago: Caveman Porterhouse (https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/caveman-porterhouse-with-poblano-pan-fry)

Awesome....

Oh wow... ive never craved steak at 6am before....

[duff_duffy]

Just another Webber vote. Mine is going on 15 years, great quality. Webber also has great customer service, they provided two free grill grates and 1 set of flavorizor bars just for asking nicely after warranty expired. Not sure if they are still as good with the customer service but I’ve been very happy!

[oldguy00]

Yeah to add to my above post about Weber and their good service...I had noticed that my 2017 grill wasn't lighting properly, the third burner would not light on its own, had to light it manually. Tried all the cleaning tips of the burners including the crossover, no luck.
Wrote to weber support, they are sending me a free replacement burner set.
Can't ask for much better support!

[Steve in SLO]

Well, Steve SLO, I was browsing random stuff on a local classifieds site. And someone was selling a Genesis Silver for $20. Says works great. But obviously neglected and will need some TLC.
Couldn’t resist so I bought it. I have been charcoal only for a long time. But it’ll be good to have this for hotdogs, smash burger, or other quick cooks. (Burgers will always be charcoal :D).

Guess I know what I’m doing for a few hours this Saturday...

I started a movement!
Good luck, p nut. P.M. me if you need specifics on sources or methods.

[Vertical]

I've had my Big Steel Keg for 10 years now, stored outside, no cover and it is flawless.

I did a brisket with a 10 hour smoke on Tuesday (one benefit from the lockdown) and still had unburned apple wood inside that I'm going to reuse today to make wings 2 ways.

Last night I did pizzas at 800* that cooked in 2 minutes. This thing is awesome.

Seriously awesome rig. This is live fire with heterogeneous lump charcoal and fruit wood for flavor....which is to say there's a learning curve, but totally worth it.

https://broilkingbbq.com/grills/keg/

[oldguy00]

I've had my Big Steel Keg for 10 years now, stored outside, no cover and it is flawless.

I did a brisket with a 10 hour smoke on Tuesday (one benefit from the lockdown) and still had unburned apple wood inside that I'm going to reuse today to make wings 2 ways.

Last night I did pizzas at 800* that cooked in 2 minutes. This thing is awesome.

Seriously awesome rig. This is live fire with heterogeneous lump charcoal and fruit wood for flavor....which is to say there's a learning curve, but totally worth it.

https://broilkingbbq.com/grills/keg/

Charcoal question for ya...
When doing a cook such as ribs, where you want to keep the temp low, how do you do the initial 'burn' of the charcoal, to get the 'dirty' part of the charcoal burnt off, without having the temp go up too high?
I think I have that right? That you are supposed to get the charcoal going until the heavy smoke is burnt off?

Thx!

[OldCrank]

I always assumed any nasty charcoal stuff gets burned off in the chimney.

Not sure of your recipe, but I put the meat on one side of the grill, and a
small pile of briquets/lump charcoal/wood on the other side, cover up and tweak the airflow. Then toss more coal and wood chunks on the pile as it cooks down. Patience and beer helps.

Got over my charcoal snobbery awhile ago and welcomed a used Genesis to the deck. Really great for less fussy foods like burgers and brats.

Now my burner tubes are showing their age and Weber wants about $60 for replacements. I love the brand (old Illinois boy) buuuut... tempting prices on aftermarket tubes. Anybody tried these?

Sorry to be That Thread Drifter Guy...

[benb]

Yeah to add to my above post about Weber and their good service...I had noticed that my 2017 grill wasn't lighting properly, the third burner would not light on its own, had to light it manually. Tried all the cleaning tips of the burners including the crossover, no luck.
Wrote to weber support, they are sending me a free replacement burner set.
Can't ask for much better support!

What do you mean by cross over?

I did a deep clean on my grill (Genesis) earlier this spring but I still have this feeling it's not as even heating across it's surface as it used to be.

I just went and looked and I am doing most of the things Weber mentioned but I don't know what you mean by the crossover.

And it's not like I have been ignoring it for years.. I give it a serious cleaning somewhere between 1-3x a season where I take everything apart and clean all the burners with a wire brush, clean out the whole grill box, etc..

[Ken Robb]

And it's not like I have been ignoring it for years.. I give it a serious cleaning somewhere between 1-3x a season where I take everything apart and clean all the burners with a wire brush, clean out the whole grill box, etc..

YUCK! All that nasty work makes me feel better about dumping the ash canister on my Weber kettle once in a while. :)

[benb]

YUCK! All that nasty work makes me feel better about dumping the ash canister on my Weber kettle once in a while. :)

I had the grease pan/trap start on fire once.. I think that can't really happen on a charcoal grill.

That was freaky enough when the pan was on fire that I'm careful now.

Stuff can fall through on the Genesis and not completely burn up.

You want to have a fire roast a duck on the rotisserie... grease city even after doing the "boil the grease away" procedure.

[PeregrineA1]

Were you able to get it to burn for 12 hours without having to add more lump and hardwood? just the initial?



On the load of BGE lump that I used for the 12 hour cook, ~5#, I could have gone another hour or two. I think one could use up to 7-8 # in a large egg.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[fmradio516]

On the load of BGE lump that I used for the 12 hour cook, ~5#, I could have gone another hour or two. I think one could use up to 7-8 # in a large egg.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So epic. thanks!

[PeregrineA1]

ill be grill shopping in a few months to treat myself after we move into our first home. Will probably need a gas Weber as well as something for smoking. undecided what would actually make the most sense to get.



I mainly do long smokes - briskets. I like the offset smokers because thats what im used to but a BGE makes more sense to get since i can do anything with it and its heat retention cant be beat. PIZZAS!



BGE owners - once you get used to it, is it pretty easy to dial in the settings so you get a steady 230F for 12 hrs or so? Kinda like a set and forget until the brisket is done? I assume id fill it with lit charcoal and a few pieces of wood and let it just work. of course with an occasional spritz and a wrap eventually.



I’m new to the BGE, but not barbecuing. My wife got me a large when I entered my 60th year....anyway, very easy to control the heat. I touched the vent maybe 4-5 times in a 12 hour cook. Little tiny movements. The trick is to start your heat control 25-50 degrees before target temp. It’s tough to get the temp down with all that thermal mass.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[fmradio516]

I’m new to the BGE, but not barbecuing. My wife got me a large when I entered my 60th year....anyway, very easy to control the heat. I touched the vent maybe 4-5 times in a 12 hour cook. Little tiny movements. The trick is to start your heat control 25-50 degrees before target temp. It’s tough to get the temp down with all that thermal mass.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep this i know. My FIL has a Komodo and one of the first times we fired it up, the vents were open and it went SCREAMING. After that point, there was no way to lower the temp. It was crazy but it seems like something id like to get a good at :)

[PeregrineA1]

I always assumed any nasty charcoal stuff gets burned off in the chimney.



Not sure of your recipe, but I put the meat on one side of the grill, and a

small pile of briquets/lump charcoal/wood on the other side, cover up and tweak the airflow. Then toss more coal and wood chunks on the pile as it cooks down. Patience and beer helps.



Got over my charcoal snobbery awhile ago and welcomed a used Genesis to the deck. Really great for less fussy foods like burgers and brats.



Now my burner tubes are showing their age and Weber wants about $60 for replacements. I love the brand (old Illinois boy) buuuut... tempting prices on aftermarket tubes. Anybody tried these?



Sorry to be That Thread Drifter Guy...



I can’t speak aftermarket Genesis parts, but I tried aftermarket Viking parts. Very short lifespan. Back to factory for me. And Viking’s live human support is really good.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[oldguy00]

What do you mean by cross over?

I did a deep clean on my grill (Genesis) earlier this spring but I still have this feeling it's not as even heating across it's surface as it used to be.

I just went and looked and I am doing most of the things Weber mentioned but I don't know what you mean by the crossover.

And it's not like I have been ignoring it for years.. I give it a serious cleaning somewhere between 1-3x a season where I take everything apart and clean all the burners with a wire brush, clean out the whole grill box, etc..

Like in the pic here, its the smaller burner bar that goes perpendicular to the larger burners - its what carries the flame to light the other burners after you light the first one with the electric starter:

https://virtualwebergasgrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img_4964-1024.jpg

[Joe]

Charcoal question for ya...
When doing a cook such as ribs, where you want to keep the temp low, how do you do the initial 'burn' of the charcoal, to get the 'dirty' part of the charcoal burnt off, without having the temp go up too high?
I think I have that right? That you are supposed to get the charcoal going until the heavy smoke is burnt off?

Thx!

Just like our bicycling stuff, not everyone agrees on the best way to start a charcoal fire.

I cook ribs in a Weber Smokey Mountain smoker, considered by many to be an entry level smoker, but I find that it works well. I couldn’t tell from your post what BBQ you are using, but I think the method described below is adaptable to kettle style BBQ’s.

Typically, I:
Put unlit charcoal in the smoker, put +/- 40 briquettes (or equivalent volume if using lump charcoal) in a chimney starter and light the starter. When flame begins to reach the uppermost charcoal in the lighter, but before the charcoal at the top of the lighter is fully lit and covered in gray ash, dump charcoal from the chimney starter over the unlit charcoal in the smoker. Leave the smoker uncovered with all vents open for ~10 min, then put the lid on the smoker and adjust the vents as necessary for the desired cooking temp (I usually cook ribs at 275 degrees). After covering the smoker and adjusting the vents, wait ~30 min for the temp to stabilize and ensure that the charcoal is burning cleanly. Add wood chunks, wait another 10 min, then place ribs in the smoker.

Again, others will do this differently. In particular, some don’t feel that the charcoal lighting process affects food flavor, and they will place food in the smoker immediately after adding lit charcoal from the chimney starter.

[Skenry]

So if you can swing it, get the big green egg. We have one at work and it really is amazing once you put your time in learning. It's not that hard really, just a few burns.

But at home I have a CharGrikler Kamado. It's 90% of the BGE at 1/3 the price. Walmart has them on sale all the time.

https://www.chargriller.com/products/akorn-kamado-16820

[Plum Hill]

OP’s desired specs included natural gas.
They’re tough to find and tend to be on the pricey side. On the low end was a two burner at Lowe’s; high end was a Broilmaster (made 10 miles away).
I searched high and low and ended up with a too-large-for-me Weber Genesis picked up at the end of the season at a substantial price reduction.
As he found out, rebuilding is sometimes the easiest thing to do.

[reuben]

no doubt....and who needs a grill to do it? Did this for my birthday about 10yrs ago: Caveman Porterhouse (https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/caveman-porterhouse-with-poblano-pan-fry)

Awesome....

I first read about this as "Eisenhower Style". I tried it, and it was great. But you need a thick piece of meat, not the steaks typically sold in a store. A roast would probably be too thick, so you may need to find a real butcher and get something a few inches thick, although you could cook a flank steak PDQ this way.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/smoke-signals-cooking-in-not-on-the-fire/2014/09/16/790d0940-386c-11e4-9c9f-ebb47272e40e_story.html

[reuben]

On the load of BGE lump that I used for the 12 hour cook, ~5#, I could have gone another hour or two. I think one could use up to 7-8 # in a large egg.
I haven't cooked/smoked that long, but I've cooked 28 pound turkeys for several hours with no problem. Lessons learned:

1) As others have stated elsewhere, start closing vents BEFORE you get to the desired temperature.

2) Use lump/hardwood. If you use "regular" charcoal you'll have to keep opening it up and refilling, which raises and lowers the temperature all over creation, which is a pain in the butt to try and keep steady.

3) Don't skimp on the lump/hardwood. Leftovers work fine. I'll start a new fire with new lump and then toss some old semi-consumed lump on top.

I've figured out a few tricks for chickens/turkeys if anyone's interested in putting something like that in a BGE or similar, but we're kinda encroaching on the smoker thread. All good IMHO.

[p nut]

I use and prefer regular charcoal over lump (for smoking. Not searing). Good charcoal with no fillers (I normally stick to Kingsford). Temps stay consistent and even using my Weber Kettle, I can go 7-8 hours with a full Slow n Sear before I need to refill. I usually wrap briskets around 6 hours, pork butt maybe around the same time, ribs at 3 hours so it’s plenty for what I do. I don’t need to open it up very much. ‘Cause lookin ain’t cookin.

[OldCrank]

<<< Just like our bicycling stuff, >>>

And, you always need just one more grill!

I'm up to:
-Ancient smaller weber kettle
-Recent Fam Size kettle (26"?) with spiffy ash catcher
-Genesis gas beast
-Electric smoker
-Little hibachis etc. to toss in the the car for camping, beach etc

Next we have to associate grill type with bike type-
Gas grill - Road bike? TT/Tri?
Charcoal grill - MTB? Cross?
Green Egg - Gravel?