Nevermind... answered my own question by using leveling blocks the next time I used it. Heating was very nice and even. BTW, anyone looking for a basic, high quality grill should really consider a Weber Spirit. I've done chicken thighs, hamburgers, pork tenderloins and steaks -- you would have to try pretty hard to screw things up. I knew all the idiosyncrasies of my 10-year-old old Charbroil, but I was NEVER able to get the kind of results I'm getting with this Weber.

This is my familys favorite recipe for beer can chicken. It's from "Cooking Light" When I make it I usually skip the hickory chips and I don't use liquid smoke. Also I use a kettle grill and it cooks in about an hour. Everyone always asks for the recipe. Enjoy! Beer-Can Chicken with Cola Barbecue Sauce "I like any recipe that starts with 'open a can of beer and drink half,'" says Raichlen. American ingenuity has produced a variety of beer-can roasters that hold the can in place and stabilize the tipsy chicken. Aluminum cans bend easily under the pressure, so when piercing holes, it's a good idea to use a can-holding gadget. Chicken: 1 (12-ounce) can beer 1 cup hickory wood chips 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt 2 teaspoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons sweet paprika 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1 (4-pound) whole chicken Cooking spray Sauce: 1/2 cup cola 1/2 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon instant onion flakes 1/2 teaspoon instant minced garlic 1 1/2 teaspoons steak sauce (such as A-1) 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Open beer can; drink half. Carefully pierce top of beer can with "church-key" can opener several times; set aside. To prepare chicken, soak wood chips in water 1 hour. Combine salt, sugar, paprika, and pepper; set aside. To prepare grill for indirect grilling, place a disposable aluminum foil pan in center of grill. Arrange charcoal around foil pan; heat to medium heat. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Rub 2 teaspoons spice mixture under loosened skin. Rub 2 teaspoons spice mixture in body cavity. Rub 2 teaspoons spice mixture over skin. Slowly add remaining spice mixture to beer can (salt will make beer foam). Holding chicken upright with the body cavity facing down, insert beer can into cavity. Drain wood chips. Place half of wood chips on hot coals. Coat grill rack with cooking spray. Place chicken on grill rack over drip pan. Spread legs out to form a tripod to support the chicken. Cover and grill 2 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into meaty portion of thigh registers 180. Add remaining wood chips after 1 hour and charcoal as needed. Lift chicken slightly using tongs; place spatula under can. Carefully lift chicken and can; place on a cutting board. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently lift chicken using tongs or insulated rubber gloves; carefully twist can and remove from cavity. Discard skin and can. To prepare sauce, combine cola and remaining ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes. Cool. Serve with chicken. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3 ounces chicken and about 2 tablespoons sauce) CALORIES 215(20% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 1.1g,mono 1.4g,poly 1.3g); PROTEIN 31.8g; CHOLESTEROL 100mg; CALCIUM 29mg; SODIUM 741mg; FIBER 0.5g; IRON 2.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 10g Cooking Light, AUGUST 2003 Having problems printing? Go to our FAQs. Photography: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lydia DeGaris-Pursell Beer-Can Chicken with Cola Barbecue Sauce "I like any recipe that starts with 'open a can of beer and drink half,'" says Raichlen. American ingenuity has produced a variety of beer-can roasters that hold the can in place and stabilize the tipsy chicken. Aluminum cans bend easily under the pressure, so when piercing holes, it's a good idea to use a can-holding gadget. Chicken: 1 (12-ounce) can beer 1 cup hickory wood chips 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt 2 teaspoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons sweet paprika 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1 (4-pound) whole chicken Cooking spray Sauce: 1/2 cup cola 1/2 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon instant onion flakes 1/2 teaspoon instant minced garlic 1 1/2 teaspoons steak sauce (such as A-1) 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Open beer can; drink half. Carefully pierce top of beer can with "church-key" can opener several times; set aside. To prepare chicken, soak wood chips in water 1 hour. Combine salt, sugar, paprika, and pepper; set aside. To prepare grill for indirect grilling, place a disposable aluminum foil pan in center of grill. Arrange charcoal around foil pan; heat to medium heat. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Rub 2 teaspoons spice mixture under loosened skin. Rub 2 teaspoons spice mixture in body cavity. Rub 2 teaspoons spice mixture over skin. Slowly add remaining spice mixture to beer can (salt will make beer foam). Holding chicken upright with the body cavity facing down, insert beer can into cavity. Drain wood chips. Place half of wood chips on hot coals. Coat grill rack with cooking spray. Place chicken on grill rack over drip pan. Spread legs out to form a tripod to support the chicken. Cover and grill 2 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into meaty portion of thigh registers 180°. Add remaining wood chips after 1 hour and charcoal as needed. Lift chicken slightly using tongs; place spatula under can. Carefully lift chicken and can; place on a cutting board. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently lift chicken using tongs or insulated rubber gloves; carefully twist can and remove from cavity. Discard skin and can. To prepare sauce, combine cola and remaining ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes. Cool. Serve with chicken. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3 ounces chicken and about 2 tablespoons sauce) CALORIES 215(20% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 1.1g,mono 1.4g,poly 1.3g); PROTEIN 31.8g; CHOLESTEROL 100mg; CALCIUM 29mg; SODIUM 741mg; FIBER 0.5g; IRON 2.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 10g Cooking Light, AUGUST 2003 Photography: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lydia DeGaris-Pursell Beer-Can Chicken with Cola Barbecue Sauce "I like any recipe that starts with 'open a can of beer and drink half,'" says Raichlen. American ingenuity has produced a variety of beer-can roasters that hold the can in place and stabilize the tipsy chicken. Aluminum cans bend easily under the pressure, so when piercing holes, it's a good idea to use a can-holding gadget. Chicken: 1 (12-ounce) can beer 1 cup hickory wood chips 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt 2 teaspoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons sweet paprika 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1 (4-pound) whole chicken Cooking spray Sauce: 1/2 cup cola 1/2 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon instant onion flakes 1/2 teaspoon instant minced garlic 1 1/2 teaspoons steak sauce (such as A-1) 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Open beer can; drink half. Carefully pierce top of beer can with "church-key" can opener several times; set aside. To prepare chicken, soak wood chips in water 1 hour. Combine salt, sugar, paprika, and pepper; set aside. To prepare grill for indirect grilling, place a disposable aluminum foil pan in center of grill. Arrange charcoal around foil pan; heat to medium heat. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Rub 2 teaspoons spice mixture under loosened skin. Rub 2 teaspoons spice mixture in body cavity. Rub 2 teaspoons spice mixture over skin. Slowly add remaining spice mixture to beer can (salt will make beer foam). Holding chicken upright with the body cavity facing down, insert beer can into cavity. Drain wood chips. Place half of wood chips on hot coals. Coat grill rack with cooking spray. Place chicken on grill rack over drip pan. Spread legs out to form a tripod to support the chicken. Cover and grill 2 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into meaty portion of thigh registers 180°. Add remaining wood chips after 1 hour and charcoal as needed. Lift chicken slightly using tongs; place spatula under can. Carefully lift chicken and can; place on a cutting board. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently lift chicken using tongs or insulated rubber gloves; carefully twist can and remove from cavity. Discard skin and can. To prepare sauce, combine cola and remaining ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes. Cool. Serve with chicken. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3 ounces chicken and about 2 tablespoons sauce) CALORIES 215(20% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 1.1g,mono 1.4g,poly 1.3g); PROTEIN 31.8g; CHOLESTEROL 100mg; CALCIUM 29mg; SODIUM 741mg; FIBER 0.5g; IRON 2.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 10g Cooking Light, AUGUST 2003

I do the same as lakeguy. Long and slow with indirect heat is the only way to smoke ribs. Anyone who is making them over direct heat is grilling them and that is a totally different method completely. I use a dry rub on the ribs and let them sit overnight in the fridge. The flavors seem to really sink in well that way. When I get the smoker started, I like to keep the temp around 250. I have an off-set smoker box, so it takes a little fiddling, I'm not sure how the electric ones work (do you st the temp?), but you are shooting for the meat to be at 250 for about 4-5 hours. I like hickory or fruitwood the best with pork, but that is certainly a personal preference. BBQ sauce should either be passed separately at the table, or put on at the very end and the ribs should then be grilled over direct heat for a very few minutes. Alexa Classic BBQ Rub: 2 tablespoons smoky paprika 2 tablespoons kosher salt 3 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon celery salt 1 teaspoon oregano, crushed Combine paprika, salt, sugar, brown sugar, cumin, chili powder, pepper, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, celery salt and oregano in bowl; mix well. For a smoother rub, puree ingredients in a spice grinder until well combined and all pieces are uniform (the rub will be very fine and tan in color). This step is important if adding to any homemade barbecue sauce. Extra rub can be stored in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Yield: about 1 cup

oh thanks Trixie - I like them started in the oven too - just wanted to play a bit with my grill and get more used to it. Shaun, they were GREAT! I took them off and added the corn to the fire (soaked with husks on - in water for a couple hours) and roasted the corn - then threw the ribs back on after the corn came off. That's when I added the bbq sauce over a hot fire before serving. I'd say they were on for close to 3 hours - maybe a bit more - totally on the side of the grill without the fire. I think I'm getting the hang of that thing - lol. I have unfortunately, gotten out of my photo taking habit - besides my hands were all black from peeling that roasted corn. :-) Yummy summer supper. Stacy