Getting a new Weber Kettle is an exciting day for any grill owner! You go pick out your new grill, bring it home and put it together, get your coals going, but what’s this?! Smoke is coming out from between the lid and bowl!
We’ve got some good news. It’s totally normal for smoke to come out from between the lid and bowl on a new kettle, and it won’t affect your ability to grill great food!
The lid and bowls on a brand new kettle often do not form a perfect seal.
Over time, the lid and bowl will form a natural seal of carbon that builds up by using the grill.
My own 2 year old kettle still has a little bit of movement between the lid and bowl and smoke will occasionally escape, depending on what I’m grilling.
Also, on models that come with a thermometer, it isn’t uncommon for some smoke to escape from around the thermometer. Reinstalling the thermometer to get a better seal might help, but over time the carbon will buildup and create a natural seal and the amount of escaping smoke should decrease and eventually stop.
It is hard to say how long it will take for the seal to build up because it depends on how often you grill as well as what you grill, but it will build up eventually and in the meantime there is nothing to worry about. So get out there and enjoy your new Kettle and don’t let a little smoke stand in the way of a good time!