Plate Setter, Legs up or down, and WHY ?

jbstack · October 2012

OK, newbie here, well compared to most of you guys and gals. A few months and love it as expected.

My question, the plate setter is it intended to be uses Legs up, or Legs down? Or does it matter? I have read entries about blowing out gaskets if used legs down. But seems like only in higher temps, correct? So what is the answer, or is it simply personnel preference? Or is there a tried and true, down for this, and up for that.

Thanks so much,

Charlie Stackole

Griffin · October 2012

I go legs up for low and slow. Allows you to put a drip pan underneath your brisket/butt/turkey etc.

I go legs down for higher temps like pizza or when I'm going to bake something (cakes, cookies, pies, bread)

Of coarse, I blew my gasket along time ago. Eventually you will too no matter what you do.

tyenic1 · October 2012

As a general rule of thumb anything your smoking low and slow you go legs up. Anything your baking legs down and as far as very high temp cooks like pizza you will probably get a 50/50 response, I still go legs down with pizza and my gasket is still going strong. This is strictly my opinion and sure you will get some more responses. Hope it helps.

nolaegghead · October 2012

There's no right or wrong way.

True, at high temps it deflects heat toward the gasket when legs down. That can accelerate the demise of your gasket.

The plate setter does two primary things - gives you a shadow (or shield) from the direct heat (infrared radiation) coming from the burning coals, basically allowing you to bake or roast.

Second, it give you a raised structure that moves the food higher up in to the dome. Many people, myself included, stack grates, bricks, drip pans, baking stones, salt blocks, roasting racks, etc, on the plate setter to configure our cooking setup.

tgkleman · October 2012

Legs Up for a low and slow for all the above reasons + a place to put the drip pan.

Skiddymarker · October 2012

tyenic1 said:

As a general rule of thumb anything your smoking low and slow you go legs up. Anything your baking legs down and as far as very high temp cooks like pizza you will probably get a 50/50 response, I still go legs down with pizza and my gasket is still going strong. This is strictly my opinion and sure you will get some more responses. Hope it helps.

+1, could not have said it better.