The Smokenator and the Hovergrill turn a Weber Kettle into a darn good large capacity smoker

If you have a Weber Kettle grill, you need a Smokenator and Hovergrill.

For less than $70 you can easily convert a standard Weber Kettle into a smoker capable of making restaurant quality smoked ribs, pork shoulder, brisket, turkey, or salmon. If you have a limited budget or limited deck space, there is no need to buy a standalone smoker.

Here's how it works: The Smokenator is a simple piece of bent 18 gauge stainless steel that inserts into the lower half of the kettle. You can place meat on the lower and the upper rack so it is possible you can get 8-10 slabs on at once. Then you put some hot charcoal in the Smokenator, some wood chunks on top of them, and some water in the water cup.

Put the lid on, adjust the dampers, and go drink a beer. The Smokenator will pump out aromatic smoke and just the right low and slow temp for hours. I had no trouble keeping the temp under 250°F on a 100°F day. The thick steel plate blocks your meat from direct exposure to the flames becoming a large flat radiator providing indirect heat. The water bowl puts moisture in the oven which helps develop the smoke ring. Keep in mind that this is a "hot" smoker so it can't do cold smoking for things like lox or cheese. But it can do just about anything else the fancy-schmancy smokers do. A very clever, inexpensive gadget that actually works as advertised.

One word of caution: The Smokenator manual says to use a $10 bi-metal candy thermometer in the upper vent hole. This is very bad advice unless you plan to eat the vent. The temp in the dome is much different than at the upper grate level which is different from the lower grate level, and bi-metal thermometers can be off by 50°F or more. Cheap thermometers are, well, cheap. 90% of the problems people come to me with would be solved if they just had a decent digital thermometer placed next to the meat. Don't write me if you use a bi-metal thermometer. Read my article on thermometers.

Click here for my tips on how to use a Smokenator.

The Hovergrill is a grate that sits on top of the grill's top grate. It is a bit flimsy, but if you don't abuse it, it should last for years and increase your capacity significantly. They have just one size and it fits on the 22.5" and the 26.75" kettles. It does not fit the small 18.5" kettle.

I find another use for the Hovergrill. When I am grilling steaks I want high heat, like they get in steakhouses, so I remove the Smokenator and place the Hovergrill on top of the charcoal grate and under the cooking grate. Then I put a layer of hot coals on the Hovergrill. This locates the heat about 1" below the meat and generates 700°F or more. That's what you need to get steaks dark brown and crispy on the outside and still have them rare to medium rare in the center.

Click below for pricing and direct ordering from Amazon:

Smokenator 1000 for the 22.5" Weber Kettle

Smokenator and Hovergrill Kit for 22.5" Weber Kettle

Smokenator 2600 for the 26.75" Weber Kettle

Smokenator 2600 & Hovergrill Kit for 26.75" Weber Kettle

Hovergrill for 22.5" Weber Kettle (note that this does not fit the 18.5" kettle)

Smokenator 180 for the 18.5" Weber Kettle

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Smoke EZ Grill Conversion Kit

Here's another very clever way to turn your inexpensive Weber Kettle, either the 22.5" or the 26.75" model, into a first rate smoker as good or better than the popular Weber Smokey Mountain. And it really works. And it's really inexpensive. The Smoke EZ kit contains a large powder coated 20 gauge steel ring (1) that sits between the lid of your kettle and the bottom. Powder coating is pretty durable and should protect the ring from rust for years. Inside the ring are brackets (3) to hold two standard round Weber grates or if you prefer, their nifty hangar rack (2) that allows you to hang whole fish, ribs, sausage, hams or food up to 22" long.

In the bottom half of the Kettle you place a fire ring (5) and pour the coals around it in a C shape. You light a few coal on one end with a FireStarter Cube and the C burns slowly and gently around the ring for a well managed long low and slow cooks that last many hours at steady temps. Then there is a water bowl/drip pan (4) that you can set inside the ring to catch drips and add humidity to the environment.

Add this to a Weber One Touch Gold and in many ways it is better than the 22.5" Weber Smokey Mountain because the One Touch has an easy ash cleanout. The Smoke EZ has handles making removal of the center section easier than on the WSM. The fire ring allows greater fuel capacity, and although it lacks the side access door, that is actually an advantage since the Weber doors leak. This tighter unit makes it ideal for combining with one of the new electronic thermostat controllers like the PartyQ from BBQ Guru.

There are two models, one for the 22.5" standard Weber Kettle for $150 plus shipping, and one for the larger 26.75" Kettle for $250 plus shipping. I have only seen the small one, but my mind boggles thinking about the capacity of the larger one. Order direct from the manufacturer, Smoke EZ.

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Charcoal Grate for Steaks for Weber Kettle

Half the battle in making great thick steaks is getting the surface seared as dark as possible, but not blackened. Steakhouses have gas broilers that crank out up to 1000°F heat about 1" from the meat. My fancy Hasty Bake has a crank that lets me raise the charcoal to about 1" below the meat for the searing stage, but it's a bit pricey for a lot of folks.

It would be nice if I could raise the charcoal in my el-cheapo $89 Weber Kettle. So for years I've been telling folks to lift the bottom grate up on bricks. But secretly I've been wasting a small fortune buying grill grates that I hoped would fit just below the food grate on the Kettle. Well, I've finally found one. Old Smokey Grills has a product that uses a 22" wide grate. Well that's 1/2" narrower than the grate on the Weber Kettle, and sure enough, it fits under the Weber grate.

So here's how I use it. I slide it under the brackets that hold the top grate and angle it slightly. I start the coals in a chimney and pour them on 1 or 2 deep on the lower side. I put thick steaks above the other side where there are no coals, lid on, to slowly roast with indirect convection heat and pick up some smoke, cooking the interior slow and gently using the reverse sear method I preach. Then, when the interior of the meat hits 115 to 120°F, I slide them over the hot coals and scorch the surfaces with the lid off. Click here to read more about the concept of reverse searing steak. Click here to order the Old Smokey #22 Replacement Top Grill.