new Fishbone grate - another alternative

RRP

Anybody bought one of these yet? Looks like the design and gauge is heavy duty and up to the task.

http://smokeware.net/Fishbones_Charcoal_Grate/Fishbones_Charcoal_Fire_Grate_Upgrade_for_Large_BGE.html

hapster

Looks cool... like the HiQue without the outer rim...

NPHuskerFL

@RRP‌ ooh awww! SS! I love SS And it definitely looks up to the task. Hmmmm Amazon?

Moosebranch

I may purchase this. My EGG "choked" up on me during an overnight cook, which could've been from fire grate or the million smalls pieces from my RO lol

ads75

Moosebranch said:

I may purchase this. My EGG "choked" up on me during an overnight cook, which could've been from fire grate or the million smalls pieces from my RO lol

My stock grate "choked" on me exactly once before I upgraded. I didn't want to bother risking another cook.

I went with a High-Que, although this looks like it would work also.

Eggcelsior

I like this, especially since Jonathan is no longer making them. The lack of the rolled edge will help prevent shifting.

Skiddymarker

Eggcelsior said:

I like this, especially since Jonathan is no longer making them. The lack of the rolled edge will help prevent shifting.

Interesting. The outer edge on the High-Que does allow it to move around a bit, but under high temp and years of use, the SS will bend and deform. The outer rim helps prevent/minimize this, IMO. This even has the same number of bars as the High-Que grate. It is $5 less than a High-Que for those interested and it is a charcoal grate where looks and appearance are not that important.  

Dobie

I'm a newb but it looks like that smaller pieces of coal would fall through along with ash to the bottom of the egg easier?

RRP

Dobie said:

I'm a newb but it looks like that smaller pieces of coal would fall through along with ash to the bottom of the egg easier?

BINGO! as well as better airflow in general!

R2Egg2Q

Skiddymarker said:

Eggcelsior said:

I like this, especially since Jonathan is no longer making them. The lack of the rolled edge will help prevent shifting.

Interesting. The outer edge on the High-Que does allow it to move around a bit, but under high temp and years of use, the SS will bend and deform. The outer rim helps prevent/minimize this, IMO. This even has the same number of bars as the High-Que grate. It is $5 less than a High-Que for those interested and it is a charcoal grate where looks and appearance are not that important.  

I got a look at them at the GA Mtn fest.  The grate on the right looked to have been singled out with some bars a bit out of alignment from the others.  I would hope this is not typical. This was probably not material to impacting performance but if you like the look of having them aligned this might be or become an issue for you.

mahenryak

FWIW for those who do a lot of ordering from Amazon, I checked and while the HiQue qualifies for free shipping, the Fishbone grate does not--at least this was the case at the time of this post for me.  This pretty much puts them at the same price. when shipped to my location in Alaska, since the shipping was around $8.95.  Caveat being that you do have to add another small item to the tune of around $3 to actually qualify for the free shipping if going with the HiQue.

mahenryak

ads75 said:

My stock grate "choked" on me exactly once before I upgraded. I didn't want to bother risking another cook.

I went with a High-Que, although this looks like it would work also.

Perhaps slightly OT but @ads75 have you found any problems with too much ash or small charcoal building up beneath the grate when using your HighQue?  (I'm thinking of getting one.)

Dobie

RRP said:

Dobie said:

I'm a newb but it looks like that smaller pieces of coal would fall through along with ash to the bottom of the egg easier?

BINGO! as well as better airflow in general!

So no concern about too much passing through and burning in the bottom?

DMW

Dobie said:

RRP said:

Dobie said:

I'm a newb but it looks like that smaller pieces of coal would fall through along with ash to the bottom of the egg easier?

BINGO! as well as better airflow in general!

So no concern about too much passing through and burning in the bottom?

Nope, the unburnt pieces that fall down will continue to burn during the cook.

Dobie

I may consider this then. My stock unit hasn't failed me yet but it's new and only one long cook so far.

RRP

Dobie said:

I may consider this then. My stock unit hasn't failed me yet but it's new and only one long cook so far.

I don't think it's a must have item for your new egg - in fact my suggestion is to put it on your wish list along with a SmokeWare cap from this same company, but spend your "butter and egg money" on a Thermapen first.

Dobie

RRP said:

Dobie said:

I may consider this then. My stock unit hasn't failed me yet but it's new and only one long cook so far.

I don't think it's a must have item for your new egg - in fact my suggestion is to put it on your wish list along with a SmokeWare cap from this same company, but spend your "butter and egg money" on a Thermapen first.

Since you brought up the Thermapen, what makes it worth 10 X the cost of the $10 digital I'm using now? I know it reads fast but is that all? I like nice quality stuff that lasts but is there some performance benefit I'm not understanding?

DMW

@Dobie Aside from being fast (really useful for hot and fast cooks like thin steaks) it is also lab calibrated and super accurate.

Eggcelsior

DMW said:

@Dobie Aside from being fast (really useful for hot and fast cooks like thin steaks) it is also lab calibrated and super accurate.

Your arm hair will thank you when checking a temp while the egg is 600+. What takes me 6-10 seconds used to take 30-45 with my cheap Taylor.

RRP

Dobie, you raise valid points and trust me I had the same doubts 13 years ago when I finally bought mine. Btw it's still on the original battery! The super fast and accurate aspect means a lot when say you are searing steaks at 700 degrees and honestly seconds make a BIG difference! Ruin $200 worth of steaks and that $100 Thermapen sounds cheap. Or say you are cooking several steaks for a party or family and some want bloody rare, some rare, some medium and some well. Checking the internal temp is fast and easy. Another point is holding your hand over a towering inferno while reading the temp and you'll again appreciate the speed and accuracy. Whether I or others convince you tonight is neither here nor there, but eventually you'll come around to realizing why us believers believe the way we do. Cooking to time doesn't create the UMAI that cooking to temperature does...trust me...

caliking

@Dobie‌ - the thermapen is not a must-have, as there are cheaper alternatives from the same company. Thermoworks makes great, accurate products that will definitely make you a better cook outdoors as well as indoors. . I use mine when baking bread, making yogurt, egging, and to check the temp of the pool.

Check out the thermapop or the RT-600c for examples.

But just so you know, questioning the thermapen is probably the second most controversial topic here (lump preference is the first)

Dobie

@RRP believe me I cooked by feel for years but a couple years ago decided science was better. I've used my Weber mitts plenty of times to stick the meat. I will likely get around to this upgrade like you mentioned. Having a monitor that keeps the lid down will likely happen first but I'm learning the manual stuff first. I might not have a stick shift equipped tranny vehicle anymore but I think everyone should know how to drive one, same with the BGE to me. Sorry for the thread hijack.

RRP

Dobie said:

@RRP believe me I cooked by feel for years but a couple years ago decided science was better. I've used my Weber mitts plenty of times to stick the meat. I will likely get around to this upgrade like you mentioned. Having a monitor that keeps the lid down will likely happen first but I'm learning the manual stuff first. I might not have a stick shift equipped tranny vehicle anymore but I think everyone should know how to drive one, same with the BGE to me. Sorry for the thread hijack.

Not a hijack...btw I too grew up with stick shifts, but now even my Corvette is an automatic! LOL

Dobie

@caliking‌ every forum has those topics that some newb like me stumbles on and either gets shut down and told to use the search function or starts a sh!t storm with the senior members so I know what you're saying. Don't ban me yet !

caliking

@Dobie - just yanking your chain a bit Nobody gets banned, because there are no moderators here. The natives do a pretty good job of taking care of miscreants!

I was serious about the other thermoworks products though. Used the rt600c for a few years and really liked it for the price.

Now back to regular scheduled programming...

ads75

mahenryak said:

ads75 said:

My stock grate "choked" on me exactly once before I upgraded. I didn't want to bother risking another cook.

I went with a High-Que, although this looks like it would work also.

Perhaps slightly OT but @ads75 have you found any problems with too much ash or small charcoal building up beneath the grate when using your HighQue?  (I'm thinking of getting one.)

@mahenryak Yes, some small pieces fall through the Hi-que, but not a substantial amount. I still wait several cooks before cleaning the bottom of my BGE. Some small pieces fall through, a small, but acceptable amount. I have no regrets. In the 2 years I've been using a Hi-Que, I would be surprised if the dollar value of the lump that has fallen through exceeded $5.

mahenryak

ads75 said:

@mahenryak Yes, some small pieces fall through the Hi-que, but not a substantial amount. I still wait several cooks before cleaning the bottom of my BGE. Some small pieces fall through, a small, but acceptable amount. I have no regrets. In the 2 years I've been using a Hi-Que, I would be surprised if the dollar value of the lump that has fallen through exceeded $5.

Thank you.  I've placed my order.

billybon

I received mine today and will use it Sunday. I will let you know how it performs.