Fire grate

hizzoner

Somebody tell me why the fire grate is cast iron with holes in it rather than a stainless steel grate that would allow for a lot more air and less ash retention??

SpecialK-MD

I was thinking the same thing. See my post below about low temps. I was tempted to replace the grate with a turbo grate recommended on this forum. Or just find or make something, but I figure I'd just go with better charcoal. If that doesn't work I'm going to be pissed. What kind of charcoal are you using by the way?

hizzoner

Ozark Oak

Celtic Wolf

If you are referring to the thin stainless steel mesh it's because that mesh won't last long at the temps lump actually burns at..

hizzoner

Wasn't necessarily referring to anything in particular. I'm just thinking that maybe there is something better than the cast iron plate with holes in it. It seems like folks are always fighting keeping those holes cleared. A good thick grate of some sort might work better for breathing and letting ash fall to the bottom

Celtic Wolf

It's not a fight.

Just need a wiggle stick and all is good. I have never had to clean out the grates on a hot and fast cook and maybe only once during a low and slow.

Build the fire right in the first place and it's not a struggle..

Semolina Pilchard

I grew tired of clogs and wiggle rods. I made a grate out of expanded metal at least a year ago and have never used a wiggle rod since.

Bacchus

I have never had any issue with the original grate. I have never used a wiggle rod. In 1.5 years of egging at least twice per week I have had only 1 fire that was affected by clogged holes, and I am a "dump & light" guy. There is nothing wrong with the design or material of the standard grate.

Spring Chicken

You mean like this?



Watch this video:



And here are front and back comparisons of the stainless grate and the BGE cast iron grate:





Notice the larger holes in the SS grate. It allowed larger pieces of lump to drop into the ash pit when I first started using it but I've since learned that if I rake back the old lump and load my new lump using larger pieces in the center I don't have that problem.

Also, the beveled edges work best turned down.

Hope this helps.

Spring "Slightly Tarnished" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

Cactus Doug

Chicken, hows it holding up? I have been thinking that maybe elongated slots in the plate instead of holes would increase airflow and reduce lump drop. Maybe a second prototype is in order.

Spring Chicken

Ever since you sent the SS grate to me I've been thinking of all the ways it might be improved upon. Those ideas even included disposable expanded wire grates to lay over the top of the SS grate.

But then I remember some of the 'cautions' thrown out by people in the know about using metals that give off toxic bi-products. So I defaulted back to the original design.

Meanwhile, I keep trying different methods of loading and refilling the lump and finally concluded that the lump size near the grate is ultimatly what determines air flow and how much unburned lump falls through to the ash pit.

So now I spread large pieces by hand when starting with a clean Egg. Then I can dump in the rest, assuming it is not a bad bag of lump to begin with.

When I am adding new lump to the old lump I make a clean hole down to the grate by pulling the old lump to the side using my LR Gridlifter. Then I add the new lump. A few large pieces in the center seems to do the trick. Then I dump in over that.

I pretty much use Royal Oak all the time (mostly because it is readily available at Walmart up the street) and I figure I might end up tossing a shoe box full of too-small lump over three or four bags. I can live with that. I never have draft problems that would require a wiggle rod.

So in a nut shell, your design is now working fine for me.

Even so, I like your idea about elongated holes. But wouldn't that add to the construction costs?

I'm sure you will eventually solve the problem forever. Inventors and Modifiers usually do.

Thanks again for letting me be part of the process.

Spiring "Testing Testing Testing" Chicken

fishlessman

i made my own, its bigger in diameter and has alot more holes. works really well. i have destroyed a few castiron grates and expanded metal ones in the past, my currant grate is made of some high alloy inconel that was left over from a job i had done. the reason for the castiron is that for regular use it holds up well and is a low cost item to produce compared to other alloys. problem is that we are using the eggs at temps that were not traditionally used, we keep going hotter and hotter. :laugh:

Ross in Ventura

http://secure.thebbqguru.com/ProductCart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=36&idproduct=234

Ross

SpecialK-MD

So now I spread large pieces by hand when starting with a clean Egg. Then I can dump in the rest, assuming it is not a bad bag of lump to begin with.

When I am adding new lump to the old lump I make a clean hole down to the grate by pulling the old lump to the side using my LR Gridlifter. Then I add the new lump. A few large pieces in the center seems to do the trick. Then I dump in over that.

I pretty much use Royal Oak all the time (mostly because it is readily available at Walmart up the street) and I figure I might end up tossing a shoe box full of too-small lump over three or four bags. I can live with that. I never have draft problems that would require a wiggle rod.

Thanks a lot for these suggestions Spring Chicken. I think that might fix all my issues. Will try them out next few days.

hizzoner

I was thinking more along the lines of grid made from 1/2" rebar

SpecialK-MD

I had considered that but was scared about the metal expansion cracking the firebox

Semolina Pilchard

Metal expansion and cracking the egg has happened before. A way around it for the rebar plan would be to bend all the rebars so the grate would be bowled shaped, that probably would work. Although I have to say that half inch rebar sounds like serious overkill. I am not sure what size expanded metal it is that my fire grate is made of, but it is not the largest I have seen and it as beefy today as the day I put it in the egg well over a year ago. Someone, Fishlessman I think, burned through an expanded metal grate. I dont know if I lucked out and got ahold of a piece of expanded metal that is made of the right alloy for using as a grate or what. Instead of cutting it the size of the original grate I cut it 2 inches larger and after heat and gravity took its toll it became bowl shaped. If you are interested, next time I clean out the egg I will take a pic.