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turbo grate?????

probie
probie Posts: 102
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I am thinking of buying the turbo grate for both of my large bge. I am wanting to get some input on this product. From what I have read it is a great product for low and slow cooks and for creating a small nuclear reactor. i would like some input on this before i make this purchase.

Comments

  •  
    Probie,

    There sure have been a lot of threads over the TG. Some folks love it and wouldn't be without - Ross in Ventura. Others almost couldn't wait to give theirs away, I know because Mickey gave his to me.

    What ever you decide get 1 first and see if you like it.

    I wish I have some credible way to test some of the comments about the TG, like using to much lump, problems with overnight cooks (sometimes the lump burns out), Easy ash removel and on and on.

    After using Mickey's for a while, I am not sure if I would buy one.

    I think the comments about using too much fuel have more to do with loading the lump. The shape of the veins provide a lot of air space between the lump. A log air space in the lump bed will allow quicker burning and faster response to upward temperature changes.

    Fuel doesn't last all the way through a long cook, again I think that is more to do with it is hard to get a really large load of lump in the firebox/fire ring than if no TG.

    I did an overnight cook and still had a reasonable amount of lump left over and there was no problem holding the temperature at 225° grate. However, I was using the Stoker with a 10 cfm blower which has a gravity flapper which restricts most all free air into the lump bed.

    This a chart of the low and slow I was doing. I had the temperature stable and then opened the dome for a while and you can see the starting temperature was much higher than that of my setting of 225° to put. The highest line of the left side (red) of the chart is the grate. The 2nd highest line (green) is the dome which was controlling the blower on off cycle.

    The blower didn't cycle on until a little over 2 hours, you can see blue vertical lines on the bottom of the chart.

    Dome open at about 6.5 hours (sharp drop in it the dome and grate probes. At about 10:15 I had the computer bump the dome pit to 150° you can see the blower kick on and the quick increase of temperature. Again, bumped the temperature to 275° and again the quick response and then the hold. At about 15:30 hours (3:30 pm) I again bumped the pit (dome probe) up to 345°.

    The sharp drops on the right side of the chart are due to me testing the brisket for tenderness. That total cook was 13 and a half hours.

    I talked with Ross and he said he has no problem with the longer cooks using the TG.

    brisketlog.jpg

    There is no question the TG will get you a hot fire quickly.

    turbograte1.jpg

    turbograte2.jpg

    This has the sparks a little exaggerated as it was a hand held timed shot. But it was sparky and this wood was Mexican Mesquite.

    turbograte36secexp.jpg

    I would think there are enough people on the forum where you could get some kind of a deal on a used TG.

    Ross has a top part wearing out on the TG and contacted the GURU folks, the GURU folks won't sell the part separately. If Ross want's a fix he will have to buy a new TG - that's a bit of a bummer IMHO.

    Hope this is of some help.

    GG
  • I've had my TG for three years and never had the fire go out. I do low and slow, high heat 700* pizza, and seared steaks. the one thing that is interesting thing is the fire stays centered in the Egg. Like Kent said buy one and try it yourself

    Ross
  • This grate has worked very well for me. Low and slow cooks both go well. Charcoal consumption seems to be very efficient.

    I just did brisket for 12 hours. I did one short cook before that and have just done steaks. This is all on 10lbs of RO. I am guessing I can get 3 or 4 more short cooks on this bag of lump before I need to add.

    I agree with those who say you need to buy one and try it yourself. The principle seemed very sound to me so I just did it.

    Like it alot.
  • BobS
    BobS Posts: 2,485
    GG, those were great pictures of the fire with the TG. That is what I remember when I saw the Guru folks using them at Waldorf.

    I have considered getting one, but have decided that I like the flexibility of having spots that are hotter/colder on the surface -- especially when cooking on a raised grate.

    I will often light it just in the back (seems to naturally burn better there) and then I will start baked potatoes on the front edge. By the time I want to throw on the meat, the fire has built toward the center and I have plenty of heat/fire. If I want a more even bed of coals, I give it a stir and wait a couple of minutes.

    As I said, I have seen a couple of demos on the TG and have no doubt that it helps center the fire and helps with air flow on high temp cooks (as per GGs pics). The principle of good air flow probably helps with lo-n-slo - especially if you are not using a temp controller with a fan.

    I have a hard time understanding how it could affect lump use overall. If you are using more lump over the same period of time, it means you had a hotter fire. If you had a hotter fire, you either wanted it hotter and should have expected more lump to burn or you over cooked somethign. :ohmy: The same goes in reverse.
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    Kent said it all ;)
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.