XL Raised Grid + Plate Setter?

eggzlot

All -

As usual, I save things to the last minute, doh! I am always meaning to get the new Adj Rig for my XL, but I've yet to do it.

This weekend I want to do my first brisket, and part of my attempt is going to be keeping the natural juices to top off the brisket and serve it with natural a jus sauce.

In the past while making butts overnight, I've attempted to put a drip pan on top of the plate setter and below my cooking grid. I prop up the pan using small balls of tin foil, yet every time, I get burned drippings, especially with over night low and slow cooks. Plus, there is such little room between the plate setter and grid, I can barely get a pan in there, with or without the tin foil balls.

I looked and saw old posts of people using bolts, but everyone seemed to make me think those were for direct raised grid, but I am looking for indirect raised on an XL using a plate setter. I can go get some bolts and washers and do something at a hard ware store, but I'd be interested to know what sizes of the hardware to get, etc.

Any help is appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

SmokinSoCal

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=1023105&catid=1#

See the above link. I have an XL also...

eggzlot

Thanks smokinsocal,

I remember that thread from a few months ago, but I follow the general advice from that thread - find a way to raise the drip pan off the plate setter. Since I do not have the little egg feet, I do it with balls of foil.

But there is only so much space between the cooking grid and the plate setter to begin with, I am having trouble cramming balls of foil then a pan and putting the grid on top of it all.

Am I using too big of a drip pan? I've tried many disposable ones from the super market with no luck. I've tried the half shallow ones but they are too tall, I've tried small broiler ones but they are not deep enough to catch anything.

I had an old non stick pan around, and I tried that, with some foil balls under, with some butts a few weeks ago, and I swear I totally messed up the pan for good.

So I am thinking of using bolts or something, have those bolts sit on the fire box, and help raise the grate or something?

Capt Frank

You could do something like this,

P6110017 by Capt Frank1, on Flickr
Use whatever length U-bolts you need to get the required height. This is a smaller grid [14 inch I think] that will sit on another grid in my large or it will sit directly on the platesetter. It gives more height than using a full size one, but if you only need an inch or two a full size will work fine

eggzlot

captain frank - thanks for the pic and suggestion.

Do you suggest lining up the U bolts to sit on the plate setter, or to sit on the lip/edge of the fire box? I guess I could position them to sit right in front of the 3 legs of the plate setter, put on top of the legs of the plate setter, or set on the fire ring.

Any opinions? I'll go outside and measure tomorrow then go buy the appropriate U Bolts.

Capt Frank

The one you see is a 14" weber grid [actual measurement 13.5"], so it would have to sit on the platesetter. I usually use this one as an additional level to my standard grid, so it just sits on the grid. The smaller diameter allows it to be pretty high in the dome when the standard grid is at the felt line. A little longer u-bolts on a standard grid would allow you to utilize the firering if you just need a little bit of extra clearance.
There are several sizes of grids available, so it is just a matter of finding one that suits your needs.

Another handy accessorie that I have is the WOO3 from Tom at the ceramic grill store. With a pizza stone as a heat deflector it works just as well as a platesetter for indirect setups as well as providing an excellent platform for raised direct cooking.
Hope this helps a little