LPG VS NATURAL GAS

Q You might recall I emailed you a while back about the difference between

bbq's run on LPG vs natural gas (and I got an interesting reply - thanks).

Well I thought you might like to hear of my experience (which incidentally
backs up your mate’s view), that natural gas doesn't have the 'oompf' of LPG.
Consequently, foods generally take longer to cook.

I bought a weber bbq with a hood, and it is different from most others of
it's type in several respects. Firstly, the burners go from left to right, rather than

front to back. Weber says that this eliminates hot spots, and I think it is generally

an improvement, but not perfect. Rather than use flame diffusers or hot rocks,
they use "flavouriser" bars, that sit above the burners and actually prevent
drippings from getting onto the burners - a good feature. These bars
vaporise any moisture that drips onto them, providing the smokey bbq
flavour.

The other weird thing about this bbq is that they say in the book that ALL
cooking should be done with the lid down. At first I didn't believe that
this would apply to steaks and snags, but through trial and error I've found
that they are correct. It makes for great juicy steaks and brilliant snags,
but is somehow unsatisfying as a bbq cook, as I feel that it's more like an
oven than a bbq. Can't complain about the results though.

On balance, I'd recommend the bbq - while it has taken me a little time to
get used to (I guess all new bbqs do), I can't complain about the results.
I thought you'd be interested to hear some more info about using natural
gas (which I've found very convenient).

Thanks again for your site and your earlier reply. I hope you find my info
useful.

Andy

Wheller Heights

NSW


A Thanks for this Andy. Quite a few people have asked me about these Webers.

Why don't you try using wood chips soaked in water to flavour the food? You
can't do that in an indoor oven.

Some of the Weber gas barbys have a neat sliding smoker box. But if your
version doesn't, just wrap up a small handful of the chips in a pouch of
aluminium foil, poke a few holes in the top to let the smoke escape and put
it directly on the flavoriser bars. When it starts smoking, put on  the food
and close the lid. Wonderful!

Always remember the first rule of barbecue - have fun!

BBQ Blue

 

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