New Medium Cooking Grate is a Beast

Ragtop99

Shortly after getting my Medium, I made an extra raised grid for it by getting a spare 15.5" brinkmann gird and attaching three 4.5" bolts to it.  It worked, but the grid wires are very thin and widely spaced compared to the BGE SS grid that came with medium.  While it worked, it didn't have that nice sturdy feel of the BGE grid or a cast iron grid.  At 15.5" diameter, it also didn't fully fill the opening at the felt line which I measure at 16 3/8", so I felt like I missing some space, whether or not I would truly ever use it.  

I was going to remedy this by either buying a Woo and using the BGE grid with it, or buying another BGE Grid and putting the bolts on it.  Then I came across the Wiz's review of a Michael's Custom Custom Grill Work. It was a more expensive than a BGE, but his work looked pretty sweet   As a birthday present to myself, I had Michael make a custom grid for me.  Its 16" diameter (so there's some room for thermal expansion) and has 3 legs equally spaced.  The legs are designed so that they can be on top of the fire ring or they can sit in the 3 valleys on the fire ring, which gives a little adjustability in the height.  The ring and legs are 3/8" and cooking grids are 1/4" stainless steel.  It's much heavier than the BGE grid, but I don't know the exact weight, only that it is more than my food scale can read, which maxes out at 5 lbs.

Here are some pics.  Sitting in the Egg:

Here are the legs

Compared to the BGE 15.75" SS Grid

Compared to my Brinkmann Grid

Thatgrimguy

Sweet looking grid!! can you use it with the platesetter?

Dobie

Nice looking work he does.

Ragtop99

Thatgrimguy said:

Sweet looking grid!! can you use it with the platesetter?

Yes.  If I put the platesetter in the fire ring valleys, the grate will stand on the fire ring.  I didn't measure it, but it would provide another 1/2" to an 1" clearance between the platesetter and the grate.  Helpful if a deep drip pan is used.  

It won't add a second level to plate cook because of the 16" diameter.  Standing on the platesetter legs, it's high enough in the dome where it feels like it might be touching the dome when closed.  I wouldn't chance that it is touching and expand when it gets hot.  I have an arm that acts like a swing rack that I can attach to the BGE grid to create the second level if needed.

Gogogordy

Very. Nice piece and thanks for representing the medium!

shtgunal3

Nice, I like it.

cookingdude555

I like it. What was the cost?

grege345

It is a beast. Is that a standard piece or did you tell him what you wanted?

Griffin

That looks pretty hefty for sure. Have you cooked on it yet?

Ragtop99

@cookingdude555  The medium grate with 1/4" SS is $65.  He lists the old size on his website (15"), but he will do the current size of 15.75" for that price.  It was $30 to add the legs.

http://michaelscustomgrillworks.com/products.htm

@grege345  Custom piece.  We traded some e-mails so he understood how I would use it and I sent him some dimensions.  Easy guy to work with.   

@Griffin  It arrived yesterday. Last night was left overs so I just wanted to make sure it fit as planned.  I expect its first cook will be tonight.   Depends upon what the wife brings home from the store today.  

cookingdude555

@Ragtop99‌ thanks for the heads up on the price. My medium is my favorite egg, and I put my cast iron on my woo in it for nearly all my grilling. The problem comes when I clean the grid. The grid actually slides into the lip of the egg frequently. I get around this by using the ash tool to hold it while brushing with the other arm. But I like the looks of your setup. Thanks again for the info.

TheMowDown

That thing looks legit! Thx for sharing, need to look into one of those. 

Ragtop99

I use my medium a lot as 2 of my kids are now off at college.  It's a perfect size for most meals when cooking for 2 - 4 people.  Sometimes I'll use the XL just to cook on it and make sure it doesn't get moldy from non-use.

The 15.5" brinkman sitting on the bolts would move a bit when cleaning or if something stuck to it.  The thin wire grates also increased the chance of things like zucchini slices falling through the grate if the food slipped during being flipped.

grege345

@Ragtop99‌ only thing I would have done different is add 2 cross pieces to set a stone on. I think I might looki into it for my small. Replaces the small woo maybe??

Ragtop99

grege345 said:

@Ragtop99‌ only thing I would have done different is add 2 cross pieces to set a stone on. I think I might looki into it for my small. Replaces the small woo maybe??

I use a Woo with a stone on my XL in lieu of the platesetter.  My Medium came with a  platesetter or I would have gotten the Woo and probably not done this.   

I'm not sure I follow the need for the cross pieces, but he will make it anyway you draw it up.  So design it to solve the cooking challenges you have and go for it.  I'm really pleased with the workmanship.

Ragtop99

First cook on it.  Salmon filet (skin on) with Pesto.  I was hoping for salmon steaks to see what grill marks I'd get, but it passed its first test.  I see chicken breasts in the fridge.  I'll have to find out the plan for them...

grege345

The cross pieces would be for a pizza stone for indirect cooking that's all

Ragtop99

I don't understand why the stone can't just sit on the normal part of the grid.  

To come back to your original idea about indirect cooking...If I didn't have a platesetter, I could put put the BGE grid in first (upside-down if the stone needs to sit on the cross pieces), put the stone on the BGE grid and then and then put my raised grid in.

EggPlant

I like the ideal, but don't really need a grid.  Anyone smart enough to create a design for  just a stand, so I can put a grid at any level for a medium egg?

 

Ragtop99

I haven't seen an adjustable height stand.  Lots of other solutions such as using some bricks or 1" diameter pipe sections to raise the grate off the fire ring.  

A Woo from ceramicgrillstore is a stand and can be used for indirect cooks too.  I use that on my XL.