Drip Pans, V racks - just getting started

Better Days

Santa came early last night as my large bge arrived. Now I am getting ready to cook everything I have in the house! [p]Could anyone help me with a few concepts: what is the best thing to use for a drip pan? Do you need to buy a specific V rack? Do you
put the v rack ontop of standard grid or take that piece out when using a different rack? Thanks for any help!

Wise One

Better Days, Santa is good. The best thing to use for a drip pan is a disposable aluminum pan. You can actually cover it with aluminum foil and get more than one use out of it but you can also just use it and toss it. You can also buy some heavy duty dark pans (no use trying to keep a shiny pan shiny) which obviously you can get more than one use out of. To make clean up a snap, line the inside with aluminum foil and toss that. Then you can clean up in a sink without creating a complete mess. In a pinch you can fashion a drip pan from aluminum foil. Remember that the main purpose of the drip pan is to keep very hot grease from dripping onto your fire and creating either a mess or a grease fire. You can put water (or other liquid)
in the drip pan but it is there primarily to help from creating such a gunk in your drip pan not to provide moisture to the meat. The drip pan also provides a barrier between the fire and the meat thereby allowing you to cook "indirect".[p]A V-rack is best utilized by placing it inside a drip pan. You can accomplish the same effect by using a platesetter (a three legged ceramic piece designed to sit on the fire ring with its leggs up) by placing the drip pan directly on the platesetter, then placing a grill on the legs and placing the meat on the grill. This keeps it elevated above the drip pan. You can also buy a second grill and place a drip pan directly on the first grill and then place a second grill directly on the drip pan. Then place the meat on the top grill over the drip pan. The object is to keep the meat from touching the bottom of the drip pan. A V-rack works well but these other methods work as well. As far as what size to buy, buy the biggest V-rack you can that will fit inside your EGG.[p]Hope this helps.

Parrothead

Better Days,
I echo Wise One's post. I buy my disposable drip pans @ Sam's Club, use them then throw them away.[p]I can tell you from eggsperience...don't use your wife's good 9x13 pan!! Needless to say, I hardly have any butt left from my wife chewing on it, and I had to replace it. Oh well...I guess I don't need disposable drip pans anymore!! [p]Cheers![p]PH

Better Days

Wise One,
Thanks for the good info. I appreciate the help.

Unknown

Better Days,[p]Personally, I use HEAVY DUTY aluminum foil in the tube that is about two feet long. I tear off a piece and shape the edges to have a lip like a pan and when I'm done cooking I wad it up and toss it in the garbage can outside. The HEAVY DUTY foil is very stiff and can be shaped to shape and size you want. [p]Marty

JSlot

John, is that you? Or just another Parrothead? LOL.[p]Happy Holidays either way!
Jim

Parrothead

JSlot,
Just another parrothead! Name's Chris from Oklahoma. According to toomanybbqgrls, i am one of 4 eggers in this great state. [p]Margaritas to ya, LOL[p]PH