Pizza stone and meat hanger fabrication

JonLadd

<p />Taking a que from the k-camp I decided to play around and make a meat hanger and lowering bracket for the pizza stone. The combination increases the cooking room vertically. I haven't tried to hang anything on it yet but have used the pizza stone on the "Y" brace to do a chicken at 350 degrees (The oem bge cooking grate/grill fits over the "Y" pizza stone hanger too). It has no problem going higher in temp even though the gap around the pizza stone to the inner firebox is pretty small. I believe I had it up to 450 before I brought it back down.
I like the "Y" bracket/pizza stone set up so far, even better than the plate sitter because the heat is forced to the sides of the firebox at a lower level. A chicken on a vertical stand doesn't sit up close to the upper vent anymore either. I believe this reduces un-even browning.
Hope someone finds this interesting or helpful.
Regards,
Jon Ladd

RhumAndJerk

jonladd,
I really, really, really like this Idea!
RhumAndJerk

Chef Wil

jonladd,
Great thinking cap you got there jonladd, I had placed a grill between fire box and upper ring and used the pizza stone for deflection, but I really think you got something there, thanks !!!

JSlot

I guess everything reverts back to the good ol' days if you give it enough time! LOL! With the eggception of not having a meat hanger, you can get the same results with a Weber charcoal grate placed under the fire ring. Just set the pizza stone on that. Voila! Back to pre-platesetter indirect cooking![p]Frosty Ones!
Jim

RhumAndJerk

JSlot,
That part that has always intrigued me is being able to hang the meat to cook it. I don’t know why, it just seems cool. It is kind of a Tandoori fashion of cooking. Meat is placed on a metal skewer and then inserted in the top of a heated clay pot. I have tried it a couple of times with my small, by using metal skewers with loops in one end and using another skewer a cross member of the top.[p]I know that the actual cooking is probably the same as a using a plate setter with a v-rack. [p]Man I need a beer,
RhumAndJerk[p]

AZGator

This seems easier to load charcoal than pulling the fire ring. [p]Paul

WessB

AZgator,
It would be VERY rare that you would ever need to reload charcoal..I have done cooks for a constant 26 hours and never added more lump...I honestly dont think there was any disrespect intended, just experience of those who have already lived through those learning experiences and adaptations as this one is ( and very inventive I might add ) and have come to use the tools that are available today from BGE......[p]Wess

djm5x9

jonladd:[p]Interesting . . . I have both of those in my cooking arsenal . . . You make them or does BGE have them available for sale?

Nature Boy

jonladd,
Beautiful. Old Dave told me about his setup, and I made a similar bracket that hangs a drip pan (or shield) below the main grate. Makes total sense, and not only makes a great low baffle, but opens up a load of cooking space up top.[p]Your "Y" bracket is slick. Please put me on the list if you ever get around to making more of them! That is the best design I've seen yet. Surely a piece that a lot of folks would want.[p]Have you used the hanger yet? What did you hang?
Cheers. and 'appy 'olidays!
Chris

WilliamH

jonladd,[p]Nice job Jon. Slick and simple. Hats off to you.

Unknown

jonladd, Now that Stump Baby is all "wrote out," I feel safe asking, how and why do you hang your meat? Can you post a picture of hanging meat? Don't you think you should have a third leg on the meat hanger for stability?

Unknown

Petear,[p]Beulah has a third leg? Spare me the details Stump Baby..oh please, oh please, spare me the details but I know Stump Baby can't let that pass us up.[p]Marty[p]

JonLadd

Petear,
Probably will add another section that will be in the back.
I haven't tried it yet. I'm more happy with the pizza stone holder.
Jon

Unknown

jonladd,
I've got a plate setter and it works great for me, so I'm more interested in your meat hanger. I don't know why. Maybe I've walked past too many chinese resturants with ducks in the windows, but I'm smitten with the idea of smoking some meat while it's hanging.

JonLadd

JSlot,
I like that I don't have to lift the fire ring out and remove the weber grate to load the egg. My adapter isn't quite as low either. This works fast and easy. [p]I must say I've never been in love with my plate sitter. I bought the sitter when bge first offered it and have used it mostly for pulled pork and pizza. I didn't like the results when roasting chicken vertically since a large bird was right up to the top vent. Spatchcock chicken was the only way I was happy.[p]For the most part I use my small and mini for grilling since there's only two of us. The large is used mostly for big slow cooks (pork) or group feeds (probably more pork).[p]The last time I was in Trader Vic's (Atlanta) I saw their Chinese ovens that stand 5 foot tall made of clay (meat is hung down the middle) and figured I had and egg, so... I started playing around with the large with indirect roasting temps. Two peices of rod, a couple of bends and one weld and this works well for me. [p]As far as hanging meat thing goes... I don't know until I try but I think the steel rod going though the meat will transfer heat and cook from inside also. I don't know if thats bad or good. I'll have to stick a picnic/butt combo on there next week and see how it comes out. It works with baked taters so why not. Maybe post a pic too.[p]Thanks everyone for the kind words, happy holidays,
Jon Ladd
Jacksonville, FL

JonLadd

Petear,
Yup, visceral reaction for me too.
Jon

Bordello

Jon Ladd,
Did you ever see the "other" cooker where a person added a rotisserie to it. Yes, he probably voided his warranty but there are those of us that like to play and a little grinding here or there is not a big thing.[p]Cheers,
New Bob