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platesetter

daveshannon
daveshannon Posts: 4
edited January 2012 in EggHead Forum
do i start coals before i set the platesetter / iv,e never used one so i,m not sure how to set it up. it rained all weekend so i did not get to try cooking the two butts i bought.hoping to get to this weekend.whats the best way to season them.

Comments

  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    edited January 2012
    not to be a wise-arse... but you will have a hard time starting the egg with the platesetter in place.

    light it as you usually do.  whether the PS goes in right away or not is your choice.  if you put it in right away, it will warm up as the egg comes to temp, and when you put the meat on, the only cold mass will be the meat.  the egg will take a little less time to return to your dome temp.

    or, you can leave the PS out, and put it in when you put the meat in.  i do that sometimes, either because i forgot to put it in, or because i want the dome temp to stay lower for longer.  for example, i might get a better smoke ring the longer the dome temp is relatively cooler. so, if my egg is 250, and i toss in the PS and a pork butt, their relative cold temp will drag the dome temp down for a long while before it returns to 250.

    i don't ever open vents after adding meat in order to try to return to 250 quickly. i just keep the vents at their '250' setting, and she eventually gets there on her own again
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    edited January 2012
    Stike I would say that was put as subtle as one could put it <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
    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.   

  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    he might be starting from below the fire grate though...
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • KingRover
    KingRover Posts: 115

    "he might be starting from below the fire grate though..."

    After putting in the High-Que grate, I've been starting with newspaper that I wedge through the draft door into the bottom of the firebox. I still leave the platesetter out though because I figure it restricts airflow and might inhibit getting to temp as fast as possible.

  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    it's not going to inhibit airflow.  the open area of the lower vent door is much smaller than the open area that's still left after you add the platesetter.

    it is a heat sink, though, holding dome temps down until it heats up.


    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669

    Stike, you gave me an idea. On the mini I have a High-Que. Why not use the Mapp and light from the bottom? Not sure if it would make any dif.....

    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.