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Not sure if this is the right place for this post, but if not, feel free to move it where it belongs.
A few years back my wife and I spent a lot of time camping during the Summer months and I spent a lot of time fighting with one of those swinging tripod grills that every camping goods store sells. It worked, but I never was truly happy with it. When we went to the flea market at Shipshewana Indiana I ran across a display of these Graber grills and knew right away that this was the answer to my campfire cooking prayers. It's simple to set up and use and you can get a storage case for it too. It's cantilever design gives you infinite height choices to help control the heat. I've been using mine quite happily either camping or up at our lake place for years.
Now for the smoke part. A number of years ago I had a Weber dome lid charcoal grill that the bottom finally burned out of. When I went to set it out to the curb for the trash men, the packrat in me came out and snatched the lid back. Not knowing what I was going to do with it, it sat in my shed for a couple years until a brainstorm (fart) hit me. I've always hated to pour water on my campfires to put them out before bed because I hate the muddy mess you have to build the next mornings cook fires in. One time while putting one out, I wished that I had something to set over it instead and Voila, my stashed Weber grill lid came to mind. Needless to say, the next time we went up to the lake the lid came along. It got used for a couple years just as a campfire smotherer (?) working very well at keeping the wind from scattering coals and ashes and as an added benefit, I'd always have plenty of hot coals to throw a little kindling on the next morning to start the morning cookfire.
Sometime later I was cooking a spatchcocked turkey over the fire wishing that I could trap the heat around it so it would cook quicker and my eyes fell on the Weber Fire Smotherer. (Another Voila!)
So now, pretty much everything I cook over our fire up north, gets browned over high heat on the fire, then the lid goes on and the grill comes up so it finishes low and slow. It traps the smoke under the lid beautifully giving everything you cook under it a great smoke flavor. That, in combination with the adjustable height of the Graber grill gives you the next best thing to having your smoker along.
Sometimes I'll prebuild my campfire, not lighting it so that it's ready come suppertime or nightfall and if rain threatens, the trusty Weber Fire Smotherer turns into a handy Fire Umbrella. I cover my kindling pile with it when not being used for other purposes.
So keep your eyes peeled for them Weber lids in the trash, you never know what uses you can find for them.
The above pic is one I snagged off a website selling the Graber Grills. I will post a pic of mine in action complete with The Weber Fire Smotherer/Smoker/Oven/Umbrella the next time I come back from the lake.
A few years back my wife and I spent a lot of time camping during the Summer months and I spent a lot of time fighting with one of those swinging tripod grills that every camping goods store sells. It worked, but I never was truly happy with it. When we went to the flea market at Shipshewana Indiana I ran across a display of these Graber grills and knew right away that this was the answer to my campfire cooking prayers. It's simple to set up and use and you can get a storage case for it too. It's cantilever design gives you infinite height choices to help control the heat. I've been using mine quite happily either camping or up at our lake place for years.
Now for the smoke part. A number of years ago I had a Weber dome lid charcoal grill that the bottom finally burned out of. When I went to set it out to the curb for the trash men, the packrat in me came out and snatched the lid back. Not knowing what I was going to do with it, it sat in my shed for a couple years until a brainstorm (fart) hit me. I've always hated to pour water on my campfires to put them out before bed because I hate the muddy mess you have to build the next mornings cook fires in. One time while putting one out, I wished that I had something to set over it instead and Voila, my stashed Weber grill lid came to mind. Needless to say, the next time we went up to the lake the lid came along. It got used for a couple years just as a campfire smotherer (?) working very well at keeping the wind from scattering coals and ashes and as an added benefit, I'd always have plenty of hot coals to throw a little kindling on the next morning to start the morning cookfire.
Sometime later I was cooking a spatchcocked turkey over the fire wishing that I could trap the heat around it so it would cook quicker and my eyes fell on the Weber Fire Smotherer. (Another Voila!)
So now, pretty much everything I cook over our fire up north, gets browned over high heat on the fire, then the lid goes on and the grill comes up so it finishes low and slow. It traps the smoke under the lid beautifully giving everything you cook under it a great smoke flavor. That, in combination with the adjustable height of the Graber grill gives you the next best thing to having your smoker along.
Sometimes I'll prebuild my campfire, not lighting it so that it's ready come suppertime or nightfall and if rain threatens, the trusty Weber Fire Smotherer turns into a handy Fire Umbrella. I cover my kindling pile with it when not being used for other purposes.
So keep your eyes peeled for them Weber lids in the trash, you never know what uses you can find for them.
The above pic is one I snagged off a website selling the Graber Grills. I will post a pic of mine in action complete with The Weber Fire Smotherer/Smoker/Oven/Umbrella the next time I come back from the lake.
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