Let’s do an Honest Review, Installation and 7 Hour Cook on a 22” Weber Kettle using the Spider Grills Venom Temperature Controller! 7.5 pound Pork Butt, Very Nice! www.spidergrills.com
Just pulled the trigger on one a couple minutes ago. Love that it actually stays on the grill and seems to keep very consistent temps. No need to worry about hoses melting or where to put the module. Thanks for the review and making my decision easier!
Ordered mine. They're currently taking pre-orders for the next shipment. I e-mailed their customer service and they immediately responded telling me it should ship early February. I'm really looking forward to trying this bad boy out. Thanks Tom!
Nice review Tom as always. You just let the products do what they’re intended for and no bs. An automatic vent for a kettle grill. Kinda nice for the exact type of cook what you have done. Set it and do something else and periodically take a look see what is going on.
Thanks Tom, you delivered as promised! I have been waiting for this review! I mentioned to my wife that I am going to buy this and I got the old eye roll 🙄 from her. Now I have your honest review to show her it works! Thanks Tom!
Out of all the items reviewed on your channel this one is the game changer for me, My wishlist just got a whole lot shorter. If I get this then I dont need a sns grill with a smoke hole or I dont need to buy and install a smoke hole in my weber. I dont need to buy a thermoworks smoke and billows. Best of all it looks like my Vortex will fit and work and since wings are my most requested meal that means this is a winner. Cheaper than everything mentioned and lets me keep and use all my Weber toys.
Great review Tom! Made me feel like I purchased it and was installing it myself. Great explanation of the install process and how it works with your basket ring set-up. Looking forward to more cooks with this Temp Controller. Thanks!
This thing is great! I got it and the first thing I did was a Pork Butt (225 Degrees for 8 hours with B&B Competition Char-Logs and Pecan) and it delivered like a Champ! I've followed that up with whole chickens using a Slow-N-Sear, reverse-sear pork chops/burgers/chicken quarters...seriously, cannot recommend the Venom enough!!!
Thanks for your review, great as always. Your kettle mod ideas are good food for thought. I smoked a brisket point yesterday with my newly received Venom combined with my go-to kettle tools including Gabbys Grill Smokebomb, and Smoke-EZ stacker. It came out awesome. I especially like the fact that it saves on coals. The remote phone app feature was especially useful when I drove across town after wrapping and could still monitor the cook temps on the probes via 5G and WiFi. While I also have their kettle pellet attachment from their earlier days, I prefer the Venom due to all of the benefits of cooking with charcoal. Looking forward to your next cook with it.
Great video. Really great explanation of what is does and the video is excellent. The cost is the downer. It cost almost as much as the grill. I was interested because I use a FireBoard for both my smoker and my Weber kettle. The FireBoard works great on the smoker, however to get it to work on the Webber is a lot of trial and error before it’s dialed in. If you don’t adjust the fan speeds correctly, the FireBoard blower will blow ashes all over your food. I really like this device though.
Been rewatching this video. This thing is really growing on me! I really prefer charcoal to wood pellets! This seems offer much of the benefits of a pellet grill with the flavor I want 🎉 Exciting 😊
I’m on my fourth cook and I’m never going back. The spider venom is a game changer in every way and has made my pellet grill, my char grill or 980 gravity fed, and my stick burner all obsolete. Could not be happier with my purchase.
Your reviews are the best Tom. Looks like the Venom would be a good alternative to either a Masterbuilt or Chargriller since it’s half the price? Keep up the good work. Appreciate what you do.
The wind noise at the start is very distracting, but I am happy to see a real world review of this. Kind of a neat product if you a die hard kettle head. If not, buy a pellet grill or a gravity feed.
This is by far the best product for your Weber 22”. With the combination of your Slow & Sear, or Sky flame charcoal basket ring that you reviewed is a great combo. If you want more real estate use the Cajon Bandit Stainless steel ring. Up to 3 tiers of grill grates and hold the heat like a ceramic cooker.
I enjoy all your videos. To clarify one thing because I saw it in this video and at least one other....5G is a cellular signal. 5 GHz is a router signal. A bunch of products only work on 2.4 GHz. I am only pointing this out because it might confuse people that have 5G phones thinking this won't work with them. It is really the router that matters. Almost all support 2.4 GHz though which is what this runs on. So...you have routers that support wifi at 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz and phones that support 5G, 4G, 3G and 2G mobile signals.
Awesome. They don’t ship to Canada! I had pre-purchased and everything, spend $99 on shipping and conversion rates….was nearly $400CAD when done. But I waited and waited and….they said it wouldn’t come. I got a refund but I am sad to say I didn’t get mine! Thanks for the review Tom. Really love your vids.
I love it. I also have the pellet adapter they made and it’s killer for chicken. I grew up with charcoal so this tickles a lot for me. It’s super easy to use. I was finally able to throw away the beat charcoal chimney because the venom does it for me. Helps charcoal last long for low and slow. I can’t wait to see what comes next from these guys.
Hi Tom, thanks for your great video on the SG Venom. I’d appreciate your opinion about which one of my Weber kettles this would be more advantageous to install this on. I recently acquired the Spider Grills Venom and a new Master-Touch PREMIUM (the one with the hinged lid and char ring with diffuser plate) which I haven’t assembled yet. I also have a 2022 MasterTouch which I have been using since last summer. I use my Weber Genesis for quick week night grilling. Out of all the different 22” Weber kettles you own, I saw you installed your SG Venom in the Master-Touch Premium. Is it because you prefer using the MT Premium as a sort of “Guinea pig” or because it’s more versatile and therefore a better candidate for the Venom? Would appreciate your opinion, please.
This is a five star product. The one exception being the app. It’s just ok. The concept and execution are great. Had mine for a few months now, and I’ve “hacked” a few systems to work with it that make it the absolute best temp control system ever.
@@jasonjansen9556 I bought a couple of dirt cheap pizza pans the same diameter as the charcoal rack (17”? Maybe 18”) For one, I cut it down to cover the entire bottom of the grill except for my Bro-N-Sear. This directs all air from the spider up and through the diy charcoal basket. The other, I cut a hole smack in the middle of the pizza pan the same diameter as my charcoal chimney. Put a tumbleweed in the middle of that hole, then set a chimney on it, and your charcoal will ash over in record time. It’s also the right size to set my Weber charcoal baskets on and force the air up through them. Gets as hot or hotter than a vortex, but faster. I do love it
I think the way that fastens to the bottom of the grill and the locking ash pan it would be safe from a fire hazzard standpoint from hot as escaping. It would be interesting to see how it works in grill mode.
I have the Billows but have not used it yet, this looks like it would do the same. Wonder how they compare. On another note, that hickory lump is my go to to get good hickory flavor when using the Akorn. Good video, thanks!
Been considering getting the master touch premium, costco has them for 325.00 comes with cover and charcoal baskets. But I'm also thinking about a 26 inch kettle.
I really like that Spider grills Venum controller Tom! Did a great job on that pork butt! Especially in that weather! Same up here in Buffalo. Yeah, I’d rather watch you then the install video. Thanks for sharing! Cheers!
Interesting thanks. Lots of $$ money to make a Weber kettle work. My WSM holds temps really well so wouldn’t need that. I like the idea of an extended charcoal ring though. That I could use. ❤️🙌 .
Awesome review as usual! 👏🙇♂ I have a similar setup on my 26" kettle. I use the same deflector plate but I'm using the charcoal ring from a WSM since it's double height. Height is an issue on the 26" as well so I got an riser ring for more room. 🍻
How would this work for a direct heat cook or high temp sear? What happens when you open the vent on the venom? Does it still leave the kettle air intakes wide open?
Please tell me where to order the lid hinge that you have installed on your Weber 22" grill. It's heaps better than putting he lid in a cradle. Nice Venom tutorial. Cheers.
Hi Tom, do you think the venom would fit on a Weber performer deluxe? I assume I would need to put aluminum tape or something else to control air flow.
This is a really interesting device. Does it close off air completely after shut down to snuff the left over charcoal? Sorry if you mentioned that. Best.
I've been wanting one of these for the longest time but for some reason (cough the wife cough cough) I just can't pull the trigger just yet. Great vid!
I mean, it's a great idea. For me, it takes the fun and artistry out of the whole process. I get a little bit of joy out of going in completely blind, not using thermometers, managing my coal by general feel, how the meat looks, how it cuts and how much 'bounce' it has. Yeah it's not precise and I don't get consistent perfect results, but I love that part of BBQing
@@Aaron-L Yeah why not ride to work on your horse and cart or power your light bulbs via a dynamo wheel. This thing takes the tedious work out of smoking.
Put in in perspective imagine you have put a whole season of raising and preparing g an animal. Something that may require a full six hour or longer slow cook that may be intolerant to changes in temperature that could gravel alter the structure, or texture. The difference between a good high quality sausage or some other variant of a meatloaf that doesn’t complement the all the inputs or time. There is a good time and place to go primitive and fundamental with fantastic results like Hawaiian Pig or a New England Crab Bake wrapped in seaweed and buried in the sand. I just want to make the best of what I have, either by scarcity, price, or something that can all too easily be cast off as undesirable but otherwise wonderfully utilized by the precision that something like this has to offer. Food is sacred, especially the ones I raise or have hunted myself.
Tom, great review as usual! I’m confused as to what grill you’re using. You mentioned it was the master touch premium, assuming it’s 22”? I noticed the lid had the plastic handle on the lip vs the one on the center top of the dome. I can’t find any kettle that looks like yours, can you clarify which model it is? Was yours a mod? Also will the venom fit on the S&S 22” kettle?
Thanks for Watching Jack! Weber Master Touch Premium it is 22” I believe they still sell it, only 2 years old. It’s made for 3 legs so no to the SNS kettle
Install your charcoal ring, snake your lump coal around the ring leaving a break, place your drip pan in the ring, light one end of snake. Yes, this works well with fan induction systems. The fan will run a bit more due to coals being outside the ring, but it works the same. I simply put a drip pan in the bottom and snake around the kettle
@@TomHorsmanAmateurBBQ this was my first video on your channel. I enjoyed the detailed layout and will check out more videos. If the wind was affecting your temps try sealing the lid, if you haven’t already. It made a drastic improvement on mine. Maybe you can stir up a project. At competitions when it’s cold out, we would lay old military wool blankets on our smokers for insulation. I’m waiting for someone to make a 2 piece (top and bottom) “insulation blanket” that fits the kettle. The top would need cutouts for handle, thermometer, etc. the bottom could tie, snap, button to the handles with appropriate cutouts. Anyways, thanks for the product review/tutorial.
I know it has been a while since you posted this video but I am just learning about this product. How is the gasket holding up? It seems like the hot ash falling on it would burn it.
Will the Venom work on the old original Weber kettle, or is it only for the premium one? Also, do you have a video showing how to make the expanded metal extender you used?
Thanks for Watching John, if you are referring to the one with the the 3 daisy wheel vents on the bottom, no it does not. Here’s the video for the charcoal basket and diffuser plate…. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QdeNRoUPPIc.html
I a little confused on how it work by maintaining the heat. How does it maintain the charcoals? Obvious it blows air to make it hotter but what If it gets too hot does it cool it down?
Can you still use your weber normally with the Venom installed? I mean, if I wanted to BBQ normally and control the vents myself, will my weber still work or will I have to remove the Venom attachment?
Good video Tom, website states venom not compatible with 26 inch kettle but ash catcher is same, any idea why it wont work?? ps will work on weber kamado though!!
I'd like to know if you had difficulty installing the venom and what you might have done to overcome it. I ordered a venom and was unable to install it. I was able to install the anchor tab and one of the other tabs but not the third. There was a small gap between the post slot and the tab so the tab could not reach the slot. If you have any suggestions I'd appreciate it.
I have the Spider-22 pellet grill attachment for my Weber and I’ve been pleased with it so far. My other kettle is an SNS and I wonder if the Venom will work with that in conjunction with the Slow n Sear basket?
@@HeavyMetalBarBQue Do you have recommendations? I know of the BBQ Guru and that seems to generally make people happy. Curious what others think. I will say I generally don’t have any issues maintaining temps in a 225 - 275 degree range with the SNS basket in my Weber or in the SNS kettle. Some days though I want to smoke and don’t have time to babysit and I’m just looking for a little piece of mind.
Here’s a review I did and a mod to make it better….ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FZl54Kcrp-k.html……ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fMzz-vmxfBo.html
Had a question Mr. Tom. I have a One Touch Platinum 22" Weber Kettle with 2 side tables, like yours, mine is black. As you are aware the lid has the vent directly in the middle not to the side as most Weber's. As per your reviews, I also use the Skyflame Upgrade Stainless Steel Charcoal Chamber with Stainless Steel Heat Deflector. My question, do you think the Venom would be a good add on, and would it work due to vent in the middle of the lid? Thanks and God bless. Always very informative and instructive videos, Thanks again...
@@TomHorsmanAmateurBBQ wow!!! What a quick reply. Thanks so much. Was watching your video on the Kingsford charcoal and b & b charcoal...Wow!!! God bless you sir, thanks again
Tom, can you do a video testing the heat up time to the max temp? I'm interested to see how it compares to the 980 and the Masterbuilt. Obviously those can get a couple hundred degrees hotter. Curious if this would be a good option over spending $500+ on a new girll.
Thanks for Watching Joe! Hard choice since one is a Kamado and one is a kettle. The cast iron grate of the Kamado for searing makes a big difference. I believe the will both perform well at low and slow. The Kamado because of its insulation will be much more efficient. For me it’s a toss up….but I would lean toward the auto kamado
Sorry, I wasn’t specific. Have you used the venom controller along with the slow n seat basket inside the 3 legged Weber kettle. I currently have a slow n sear basket inside an original kettle and I was wondering how the venom worked along with it.
Tom, have you tried removing the Venom? I like to scrub and clean out my Weber after use, and am wondering if it’s easily removable for cleaning. (I know, I know, seasoning, but with other cookers and bad weather, I may go weeks or months without touching it and like to keep them clean)
So far I have only found one "con" about using this device. You really should clean out as much ash as you can before every cook. The blower seems to kick up ash dust on your meat. Easily remedied with a quick rinse of beer however. Seriously, that is my only so-called "con".
Thanks for watching! Weber doesn’t sell it separately, it comes with the grill. I did a homemade mod for it and have found a after market that i will be featuring in the next couple of weeks
Thanks for Watching! They do not sell it as an accessory… here’s a video about a guy building them out his garage…ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DBcn0ZGqvqU.html
got mine last week after a pre order and they included the battery with it, the battery mounts underneath the unit right under the display magnetically i talked to miles at spider grills he told me the battery will last up to 12hrs
