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Weber 22.5 Rotisserie Add On


Mayhaw Man

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I just found this cool rotisserie add on for a 22.5 inch Weber Kettle. I want this. I covet this. But I already have so much cooking gear that I need your help in convincing me that this is a great idea and that I will use it.

Does anyone have any experience with one of these things? Are they dependable? I am kind of assuming that they are well made because they are made by Weber, but you never know with mechanical stuff. Any info would be appreciated.

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

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Oh my the Man of the House has been wanting one of these to accessorize the old Weber for years, in fact wanted it for the old old Weber which predated the present old Weber.

I keep saying, why not bend and crimp some sheet metal and use a Faberware rotisserie motor & c.? However this keeps not happening and I think, esp. since our new oven replaced an old oven with a built-in rotisserie, that the proper Weber setup is in our (near) future.

Just to have the height-increasing collar would open up new Weber frontiers.

Priscilla

Writer, cook, & c. ●  Twitter

 

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Have never got one but in the "As the Spit Turns" chapter of It Must Have Been Something I Ate, Jeffrey Steingarten says it's the only reason to own a Weber:

I have long hated all Weber grills because the company insists upon designing them so that the distance between the food and the fuel is never adjustable, which I consider completely indispensable to grilling. [...] But, as I had found success in San Diego with the indirect, covered method of spit-roasting (for which the height of the spit is not critical), I agreed to buy [...] the Weber rotisserie atachment, a curved black sheet of metal that raises the walls of their 22-inch kettles to accommodate a nicely made stainless-steel spit and a barely adequate electric motor.

After a first, only somewhat successful attempt at spit-roasting a chicken using the side baskets as per Weber's instructions ("never attained a properly high temperature"), he "dumped ten pounds of charcoal into the Weber, ignited it all, and 15 mintues later shoveled most of it away from the center." With temperature well above 500ºF, he achieved perfection. Conclusion? "Weber's electric rotisserie attachment halfway redeems the company."

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Brooks,

I don't own this item but just spent some time looking at the photos. How do you load the spit? I don't see any way to lift the thing out of the extension ring other than to pull it out through the side. Am I missing something here. It seems to me that to load the spit whilst it is being half laced into the extension ring might be difficult. Also unloading a hot piece of meat in a hot ring could be problematic.

Tobin

It is all about respect; for the ingredient, for the process, for each other, for the profession.

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It has come to my attention that I will soon be in possession of this marvelous add-on, possibly by this weekend. If you haven't been swayed by then, Mayhaw Man, I will give a full report.

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ID

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Too late. I just ordered one from Amazon. I really needed something else to fill up my new garage. I was afraid that I wouldn't have enough junk, but I am well on my way.

Actually, my theory is that if the rotisserie sucks, that ring will be worth it. The ring should add a fair amount of height to the thing, allowing me, with the help of a few rivets and some sheet metal, to put a second grate on it for smoking stuff or to allow me to put meats much higher off of the coals ( I love my Weber, but I kind of agree with Steingarten here). I can't wait to put the thing through it's smoky paces.

So, I will keep you posted.

Thanks for all of the advice.

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

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I have had and frequently used one for a number of years. The only problem is that with the Weber Grill itself you just can't control the temp low enough to slow smoke for a long time. Last weekend we did a pork butt cuban style of about 7#'s. It was done in a little more than 2 hours. Great flavor but not the fall of the bone type. All the chickens we do are on the Rotesserie. We even did a suckling pig of about 20#'s. Only problem we had was that we had to cut the head off the pig to fit it on the spit! -Dick

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Actually, my theory is that if the rotisserie sucks, that ring will be worth it.

My thoughts exactly. The rotisserie will be interesting to try, but with this ring I can stand ribs up closer to the edge of the kettle, and next Thanksgiving I won't have to measure the height of the turkey.

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ID

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i've got one and it's one of my favorite kitchen tools. bank up a good fire, put a couple chickens on the spit, 45 minutes later you've got a real feast.

on another weber-related matter, i'm in the market for a new 22.5. does anyone have one with that ashcatcher underneath? taht's the one drawback to the weber (along with the fore-mentioned lack of adjustability).

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i'm in the market for a new 22.5. does anyone have one with that ashcatcher underneath?

Much less fuss and mess than with the standard model's ashtray.

taht's the one drawback to the weber (along with the fore-mentioned lack of adjustability).

Another drawback: The grill is designed to be used with briquettes, not charcoal or wood. The sidebaskets don't work particularly well with charcoal, for example. And far too many charcoal/wood embers fall into the ashtray or ashcatcher (a fire hazard with the ashtray and wasteful to boot).

Edited by carswell (log)
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I have had and frequently used one for a number of years. The only problem is that with the Weber Grill itself you just can't control the temp low enough to slow smoke for a long time. Last weekend we did a pork butt cuban style of about 7#'s. It was done in a little more than 2 hours. Great flavor but not the fall of the bone type. All the chickens we do are on the Rotesserie. We even did a suckling pig of about 20#'s. Only problem we had was that we had to cut the head off the pig to fit it on the spit! -Dick

I haven't been having any trouble keeping my Weber Kettle down to 200-225 degrees (f). How are you controlling the heat?

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
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Brooks,

I loved my rotisserie attachment. The sound of its creaking motor always made me happy. I had to give away the grill and the attachment when I moved to a studio apartment. It still makes me sad.

I also have to agree that maintaining a low temperature was never a problem. Stick an oven thermometer on the grate and slowly feed the kettle fuel. As long as you're willing to tend the kettle for hours, it's not a problem.

Todd A. Price aka "TAPrice"

Homepage and writings; A Frolic of My Own (personal blog)

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Too late. I just ordered one from Amazon. I really needed something else to fill up my new garage. I was afraid that I wouldn't have enough junk, but I am well on my way.

Want to hear a report on what you cook the night after you get The New Gadget.

BTW, a garage can never be too big. We went from small two car to a four car garage (two cars wide, two cars deep) and the thing was full before we were fully moved in.

Anyway, start planning. How long before Amazon delivers?

I want to know I need one of these things, because I am a gadget/power tool Queen.

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
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Brooks,

Stick an oven thermometer on the grate and slowly feed the kettle fuel.

I took a 3/4 inch hole saw and cut a hole in the top of my Weber, a bit off of center next to the end of the handle, right after I replaced the old one about two years ago. I bought a very pricey dial type oven therm and rammed it through a teflon cork (any lab supply has these and suprisingly, many hardware stores do too). This setup works great as an interior temp thermometer and it can be easily cleaned.

I, of course, patented this brilliant scheme. If you do this to your own grill, just send me a small check. Or some ribs.

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

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Too late. I just ordered one from Amazon. I really needed something else to fill up my new garage. I was afraid that I wouldn't have enough junk, but I am well on my way.

Want to hear a report on what you cook the night after you get The New Gadget.

BTW, a garage can never be too big. We went from small two car to a four car garage (two cars wide, two cars deep) and the thing was full before we were fully moved in.

Anyway, start planning. How long before Amazon delivers?

I want to know I need one of these things, because I am a gadget/power tool Queen.

Actually, I am thinking a full on prime rib. I don't do that very often and I love the things. It seems like a big gesture is the way to go when you get something new. I mean, sure, I could practice with a few chickens, but what fun would that be?

Of course, it's thinking like this that prevents my wife from letting me take any more flying lessons. :wink: Really. I rarely use good judgement when something looks like fun. Prime ribs, airplanes, whatever. I like to run things at top speed right off of the bat. Kind of see what they're made of. You know?

And as for the new garage-that is not an entirely accurate term-it will be a studio for my wife, a storage area, and an outdoor kitchen (the kitchen space will be built but not finished out at this time due to budgetary restraints and the fact that an indoor kitchen comes first in the minds of my loved ones (even though I think that they are clearly misguided).

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

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  • 5 years later...

These are some comments about the Weber roti I made on Amazon. A typical Weber lid has a rolled lip that covers the kettle much like a lid for take-out coffee. The rotisserie collar or ring sits on the edge of the kettle using four brackets with part of collar inserting a few inches down. Now here lies the "rub" and not the kind you use on your BBQ. There is an air gap between the collar of the fit of the rotisserie and the Weber kettle that spikes the temperature. More oxygen on fuel, the hotter and faster it burns. I tested the temps using Maverick remote and a Trend thermometer with the same amount of charcoal on my two Weber 22-1/2 and the heat difference was dramatic. I also contacted Weber and asked if there were any cooking charts for times and cuts of food. Here's their answer:

"Thank you for your email. Unfortunately, we do not have any recipes for charcoal rotisserie. When using the Charcoal rotisserie you follow the same recipe cooking times as grill."

Nope, not even close. The kettle rotisserie is a great idea but with this model you need to stuff the air gaps with alum foil, adapt your cooking times over trial and error, or you could check out these guys who seem to get it right:

C&C Grilling CompanyI highly recommend them.

To clarify the thermometer placement. I used the Trend in the kettle lid vent while the probe of the Maverick dangled to the top of the rim of the kettle. Neither therm touched the grate. Coals were banked on either side of Weber in charcoal baskets. I also used Weber drip pans in the middle. The temp in the Weber Rotisserie burned hotter and consequently used more fuel.

I had a grilling party for 20 or so friends on Mem Day weekend and we were doing Greek street food as a theme. I stuffed and rolled about 12 pounds of butterflied leg of lamb to put into home made pitas while the guests brought mezze to smear on it as well as sides and snacks. I put the meat on the spit and I wanted to maintain a convection temperature of 325oF. I did not want high heat grilling, did not want low and slow, I wanted a roast. I stuffed the side of the rotisserie collar with aluminum foil and made a sleeve of coiled aluminum for inside the kettle where the roti collar inserts. Now the only source of air was from the bottom and top vents. The temperature was controllable and I was able to maintain 325oF over a 2-1/2 hour roast. But it worked with a "work-around". If you take the time and head over to the Weber discussion forum you'll see the same issues come up with the rotisserie and even additional workarounds and adjustments are used as well as folks using it as is. There have also been some complaints the some of the brackets welded on the Weber rotisserie were out of alignment and caused the collar to rock. That's poor quality control.

I'll take this even a few steps further. I acquired a rotisserie attachment rig from C& C Grilling. Both the Weber and the C&C unit's motors have a 20 lb capacity. The C&C Grilling unit has an AC or battery powered option while the Weber is AC only. The battery option is sweet, especially if you want to take the kettle out of AC range. The C&C collar is stainless steel with a rolled lip that fits snuggly over the kettle, just like the Weber lid. The only source of air is through the bottom and top vents which is the basis of the Weber convection concept and design. Now you probably know what's coming next but I'll tell you anyway. I took two range free chickens with in the same weight range and set them up on the two rotis, using the same amount of fuel and cooked them side by side. The Weber roti burned hotter without the alum insulation workaround.

Now here's my bottom line. I want to start out by saying that I think the world of Weber as a company. They, in my opinion, have changed the way people go about outdoor cooking. Before they came onto the scene there were hibachis, hub caps on legs with a grate, and brick bbq grills that came with the house. But we all don't always get it right all the time whether it's offshore drilling or outdoor grilling. For $149, the Weber roti should be an extension of Weber's convection system, not something one has to either adapt to or figure a "workaround". A small company like C& C Grilling figured it out at the same price. If Weber followed their own logical thinking and produced a unit with a rolled lip instead of the bracket system they would have a 5-star product worth raving about.

One final point, outdoor rotisserie cooking is the bomb, even with the workarounds, the after market items – just get one.

Jim Tarantino

Marinades, Rubs, Brines, Cures, & Glazes

Ten Speed Press

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Jeffrey Steingarten is a complete ass. He should have spent some of his precious time learning to cook over fire rather than hating Weber grills because they lack an adjustable grate. At least the genius figured out that he could raise the cooking temp by dumping in more charcoal.

Weber grills are great. The rotisserie attachment is wonderful. Weber customer service is second-to-none. If you don't want to spend the full retail price, check Craigslist. Weber stuff lasts forever and there are always deals to be had on used ones. There's a guy in Vermont offering the full setup: kettle and rotisserie for 40 bucks right now.

I've been trying to get the hang of a Hasty-Bake for about a year now. It has an adjustable grate and a rotisserie and I'm still not turning out food as consistent as what comes off the Weber. It's all just practice when you come right down to it.

-Mike

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Jeffrey Steingarten is a complete ass. He should have spent some of his precious time learning to cook over fire rather than hating Weber grills because they lack an adjustable grate. At least the genius figured out that he could raise the cooking temp by dumping in more charcoal.

Seconded. A Weber kettle is an idiot-resistant piece of equipment, but apparently not idiot-proof. Close, though.

I have one of these rotisserie collars and only realized that I'd stopped using it when I found that I'd gotten lazy and was using my propane Weber's rotisserie instead. Once you learn to manage the fire -- not hard -- you will have superb chickens, time after time.

Brine two 3.5-4 lb chickens, dry thoroughly, tie with string, mount on spit, rub with thin coat of oil and sprinkle with seasonings as desired (Penzey's Ozark Seasoning blend is delicious in this application for those wanting a simple way to go, but salt and pepper is fine too), start cooking. Indirect fire, try to hold the temp in the kettle around 375-400 but don't sweat it if it fluctuates upward some from time to time, cook chickens 'til they're a bit past the point of doneness, remove, carve, serve.

John Rosevear

"Brown food tastes better." - Chris Schlesinger

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Jeffrey Steingarten is a complete ass. He should have spent some of his precious time learning to cook over fire rather than hating Weber grills because they lack an adjustable grate. At least the genius figured out that he could raise the cooking temp by dumping in more charcoal.

And what does Jeffrey Steingarten have to do with any of this?

Jim Tarantino

Marinades, Rubs, Brines, Cures, & Glazes

Ten Speed Press

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And what does Jeffrey Steingarten have to do with any of this?

It's an old thread -- scroll up...

So we finish the eighteenth and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, "Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know." And he says, "Oh, uh, there won't be any money. But when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness."

So I got that goin' for me, which is nice.

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