When using a rotisserie, always keep the lid on. Light a Weber Chimney Starter full of briquettes, then set the kettle up for roasting (in-direct method). The aim is to align the meat product with the central gap you have created by separating the coals. In that gap, you could put a foil drip pan with new potatoes in. These will roast beautifully with the juice created by the meat.

The best way to get crackling on pork on the barbecue is to score the rind and pour boiling water over the top. This will render some of the fat out. Add your oil and salt and cook using the in-direct method as you would normally. Make sure a drip pan is underneath to catch the fat. You could even add roast potatoes in the pan.

There are many ways to control the temperature of the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker. The first point is to consider its positioning. If it is in an exposed area, then there will be too much oxygen fuelling the coals. You can either try restricting the bottom vents or moving the Smokey Mountain Cooker. Depending on the size, use 1-1.5 Weber Chimney Starters full for a 47cm and 1.5-2 for a 57cm Smokey Mountain Cooker. You can also use the water pan to reduce temperature. Try adding cold or more water.

The best way of controlling temperature is to start with the fuel. If you are grilling, fill the Weber Chimney Starter to the top. This will create temperatures of approximately 230°C and above. For roasting, fill the Chimney Starter to three quarters full. This will create approximately 180-200°C. If you get the temperature from the fuel, then you can leave the vents open and only restrict them if the barbecue is burning too hot. Ambient weather conditions like wind, pressure and humidity can all affect how your barbecue behaves.

The best way of controlling temperature is to start with the fuel. If you are grilling, fill the Weber Chimney Starter to the top. This will create temperatures of approximately 230°C and above. For roasting, fill the Chimney Starter to three quarters full. This will create approximately 180-200°C. If you get the temperature from the fuel, then you can leave the vents open and only restrict them if the barbecue is burning too hot. Ambient weather conditions like wind, pressure and humidity can all affect how your barbecue behaves.

Rub some butter and seasoning onto the corn and either wrap it in foil or leave it in the husk. Cook it using the in-direct method for approximately 20 minutes and then remove the foil or husk and barbecue evenly on the direct heat.

For the best results when smoking ribs, ensure that the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker is between 90-120°C and leave the ribs open in the Smokey Mountain Cooker for the first 2 hours. Then baste in barbecue sauce and wrap in foil for a further one and a half hours. Finally, remove the foil and add stickier barbecue sauce. Ribs usually take about 4-5 hours on a Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker.

For charcoal and gas barbecues, apply the following instructions:
To achieve moist, succulent ribs, cook them indirect at a low heat for at least 3 hours. This will break down the tough connective tissue and make them melt in the mouth. Avoid putting on a sticky marinade at the beginning, as this can cause it to burn. Start off with a dry rub, finishing with a sticky sauce towards the end.

Direct cooking is simply grilling food directly over the heat source. For In-direct cooking, the heat source is placed to the side of the food and not directly under it. As a general rule, foods that take less than 25 minutes to cook, like boneless chicken breasts, pork chops and steak, are barbecued by the ‘grill’ or Direct method.

Foods that require longer cooking times at lower temperatures, like whole chicken and roasts, should be barbecued by the ‘roast’ or In-direct method. You can use either method on both Weber charcoal and gas barbecues.

Direct cooking is simply grilling food directly over the heat source. For In-direct cooking, the heat source is placed to the side of the food and not directly under it. As a general rule, foods that take less than 25 minutes to cook, like boneless chicken breasts, pork chops and steak, are barbecued by the ‘grill’ or Direct method.

Foods that require longer cooking times at lower temperatures, like whole chicken and roasts, should be barbecued by the ‘roast’ or In-direct method. You can use either method on both Weber charcoal and gas barbecues.

In order to ensure that you are getting the best performance out of your barbecue and your charcoal, we would suggest the following method:

Ensure that the bowl and lid vents are both fully open. Next, fill a Weber Chimney Starter with charcoal briquettes, light 2-3 lighter cubes on the charcoal grate and place the charcoal filled Weber Chimney starter over these. Once the top layer of charcoal is just turning white with ash, pour the contents of the Weber Chimney Starter out in the desired layout, i.e. for in-direct/roasting or direct/grilling. Then place the cooking grate back on the barbecue and put the lid on. Please be aware that we would always recommend wearing protective gloves whilst handling any part of a hot barbecue or equipment.

Make sure that the top and bottom air vents are open at all times during cooking. The only time you need to touch the air vents is to extinguish the briquettes after you’ve finished barbecuing. With a Weber barbecue, fresh air needs to flow constantly through the closed barbecue. For this reason, you should never raise the lid to lower the temperature.

To regulate the temperature of the barbecue, do not touch the lid or the air vents – simply use fewer briquettes. This is the only method that works. And part of the charm of using briquettes is learning how to control the temperature and master the perfect barbecuing technique.