I put two tuna cans of soaked Hickory chips in for a little bit of smoke, one in the front and one in the back. By the time the grill had reached cooking temp, the rear can had burst into flames, whereas the front can was barely even smoldering. When I went to cook the chicken thighs, I noticed that the back burner was burning hotter than all the rest, the middle was not quite as hot, and the front was barely warm enough to sear the meat -- despite all of them being at the same setting.

So I'm wondering, could the small degree of incline have something to do with the uneven heating of the grill?

Weber grills have always been know for even heat... it seems odd that I would have this issue. If I get another chance to grill this week, I will try to find a more level spot (or use leveling blocks) to see if it makes a difference.

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.