High-que grates

Philicious · November 2012

I know many of you have and use these and everything I have read is extremely positive. I believe that I am going to pull the trigger on one for my large. I guess my question/concern is whether the grate gets distorted due to the high heat. Does the thing ever get out of round? Does that even matter? I guess it would not sit right, but I don't know. Looking for your comments.

nolaegghead · November 2012

That grate is built like a tank. No deformation in mine.

Focker · November 2012

So far so good, have a large and small with one. The charcoal grates on my Weeber kettles would warp, they weren't SS. Go ahead and pull the trigger, glad I did.

Mickey · November 2012

Have three and they are fine. Not something to worry about.

dweebs0r · November 2012

I didnt like how much lump dropped down into the area where you normally clean up ash. Temps got hot much faster, no question. Didnt try to use it with a low and slow. No warpage to speak of, even after a super hot pizza bake.

nolaegghead · November 2012

I was a little disconcerted about the lump dropping into the ash pit, but then I rationalized it as - it's gonna burn the same above or below the grate. ;)

Eggcelsior · November 2012

I didn't like how grape-sized pieces of lump would drop through, but like nolaegghead said, they keep burning due to the access to more oxygen. I also realized that these pieces were clogging the holes on my stock grate. Once my lump is going, it ZOOMS to temp. Awesome on high burns and low and slows. Burns through lump a little faster due to increased air flow.

Skiddymarker · November 2012

Eggcelsior said:

I didn't like how grape-sized pieces of lump would drop through, but like nolaegghead said, they keep burning due to the access to more oxygen. I also realized that these pieces were clogging the holes on my stock grate. Once my lump is going, it ZOOMS to temp. Awesome on high burns and low and slows. Burns through lump a little faster due to increased air flow.

Absolutely the reason to buy one. I can't believe BGE has stayed with that clogging pita cast grate when this thing is so much better. For low and slows the temp control is rock solid with the High-Q grate. Have not seen any deformation in mine.

nolaegghead · November 2012

Yeah, doesn't make any sense. I'd think the high-que grate costs less to make than the cast iron. Even so, we pay a premium for the egg.

Maybe it's the same deal as the felt gaskets - they're using up some huge stock-pile of grates before they switch over.

EggRacer · November 2012

First use was for a low and slow. It was rock solid. I'm going to do a regular cook tomorrow. I anticipate not having to unclog holes with every cook.

Fred19Flintstone · November 2012

I just bought them for my large & small and used them this weekend for the first time. I was surprised at first because vent positions I would normally use yielded higher temps! With the air flow less obstructed the Egg became more efficient at burning fuel which increased it's consumption of fuel and it's output (burned hotter, quicker).

Folks around these parts are gearheads so to explain it that way: It's like going from a standard carburator and intake manifold to a 4 barrel carb with a bored out intake. Talk about high performance! Burns rubber like a dragster!

JerkChicken · November 2012

+1 on the High Que grate

SMITTYtheSMOKER · November 2012

I also endorse the high que grate, nice improvement on the large Egg.

BGE just reduced the hole size on the XL stock cast iron fire grate, bad move IMO. Someone must have complained that the XL burned too much fuel?

Air flow is good.

nolaegghead · November 2012

I'm not buying having more airflow makes an egg less efficient or burn more fuel. It definitely makes it capable of burning more fuel faster (and get hotter) if that's what you want. But you adjust the dampers to allow enough O2 to flow through the lump to generate enough heat to reach a temperature we desire.

If you burn more fuel, you're running hotter. The high-queue doesn't make you cook stuff hotter, you control that with the dampers.

I'm being a devil's advocate here, but I would argue because the high-que grate mixes more air into the lump (and much more evenly than the CI holes), you burn lump more thoroughly - less wasted unburnt when you clean it out. On the flip side, I can see temps going nuclear much faster when you're absent off refreshing your drink (oh noes, not another gasket, and the temp only says 200F!)....

Skiddymarker · November 2012

OK Nola, what's with the new pic, give up on the Saints?

nolaegghead · November 2012

Skiddy - I'm just looking the part of the troll. Saints beat the Falcons. We've won 4 out of our last 5 games. We're down but not out.

I actually hate the new icon, 'cause it's a troll. I'm gonna switch back. Maybe tomorrow.

Fred19Flintstone · November 2012

nolaegghead said:

I'm not buying having more airflow makes an egg less efficient or burn more fuel. It definitely makes it capable of burning more fuel faster (and get hotter) if that's what you want. But you adjust the dampers to allow enough O2 to flow through the lump to generate enough heat to reach a temperature we desire.

If you burn more fuel, you're running hotter. The high-queue doesn't make you cook stuff hotter, you control that with the dampers.

I'm being a devil's advocate here, but I would argue because the high-que grate mixes more air into the lump (and much more evenly than the CI holes), you burn lump more thoroughly - less wasted unburnt when you clean it out. On the flip side, I can see temps going nuclear much faster when you're absent off refreshing your drink (oh noes, not another gasket, and the temp only says 200F!)....

I agree that airflow is totally controlled by the vents no matter what grate you use. My observation is I have to close my vents a tad bit more than when I had the stock fire grate due to increased air flow to achieve the same temps. I like more power! Also, I don't like messing with wiggle rods and from what I've heard, that's not a concern using a High Q grate.

SmokeyPitt · November 2012

I have one for my large and small. No warping at all...think I have had them about 6 months now.

Griffin · November 2012

Whatever became of the discussion on whether High Q Grates void your warranty?

Austin Egghead · November 2012

I have High Q for all three. Always use in large because the "drain cover" started flaking away.

The small and mini I go back up between the two.....no reason, just cause I can. Also HighQ is an excellent to use as an air spacer for baking.

No problem with the quality of the product, warping or any other problems.

Skiddymarker · November 2012

Fred19Flintstone said:

nolaegghead said:

I'm not buying having more airflow makes an egg less efficient or burn more fuel. It definitely makes it capable of burning more fuel faster (and get hotter) if that's what you want. But you adjust the dampers to allow enough O2 to flow through the lump to generate enough heat to reach a temperature we desire.

If you burn more fuel, you're running hotter. The high-queue doesn't make you cook stuff hotter, you control that with the dampers.

I'm being a devil's advocate here, but I would argue because the high-que grate mixes more air into the lump (and much more evenly than the CI holes), you burn lump more thoroughly - less wasted unburnt when you clean it out. On the flip side, I can see temps going nuclear much faster when you're absent off refreshing your drink (oh noes, not another gasket, and the temp only says 200F!)....

I agree that airflow is totally controlled by the vents no matter what grate you use. My observation is I have to close my vents a tad bit more than when I had the stock fire grate due to increased air flow to achieve the same temps. I like more power! Also, I don't like messing with wiggle rods and from what I've heard, that's not a concern using a High Q grate.

Nola and Fred, you guys are in what my boss used to call "violent" agreement, knowing that neither of you are in any way violent. The air flow is controlled by the vents as designed, BUT, airflow can be uncontrollably affected by a blocked grate. In other words a top and bottom vent setting that should result in precise airflow can be significantly reduced when lump blocks the CI grate holes. The High-Que SS grate is almost impossible to block, the air flow is much more precise, and easier to control. My wiggle rod is enjoying its retirement.

doncarl · November 2012

I don't know about all of the discussion around "airflow/use of fuel/temp control/etc. What I do know is that the HighQ grate is aces!

scottc454 · November 2012

It is great for grilling but sucks for low and slow.

I find it hard to get below 275 with the High Que on my large egg. Normally I can choke off enough air with the daisy wheel on a low and slow such that I don't have to be very accurate with the lower vent. The daisy wheel can only close so much, though. With the High Que, I have to pay way more attention the lower vent and often I end up closing it too much and killing the fire.

A while back I had a pork shoulder going overnight and it went out with the High Que. Recently, I put the cast iron grate in and smoked chipotles for a couple days at below 200.

Henceforth, I will be using the cast iron grate for any long cooks.

nolaegghead · November 2012

I don't have any problems with low and slow and a high-que grate.

dlk7 · November 2012

SMITTYtheSMOKER said:

I also endorse the high que grate, nice improvement on the large Egg.

BGE just reduced the hole size on the XL stock cast iron fire grate, bad move IMO. Someone must have complained that the XL burned too much fuel?

Air flow is good.

I had one of my XL fire grates crack and they replaced it with the new smaller hole grates. Clogged much easier and required the vents to be opened a lot more to reach higher temps. I talked one of the BGE sales guys at the Eggtoberfest to sell me one of the older grates out of one of the XLs they were displaying. Much happier now.

brycos · November 2012

scottc454 said:

It is great for grilling but sucks for low and slow.

I find it hard to get below 275 with the High Que on my large egg. Normally I can choke off enough air with the daisy wheel on a low and slow such that I don't have to be very accurate with the lower vent. The daisy wheel can only close so much, though. With the High Que, I have to pay way more attention the lower vent and often I end up closing it too much and killing the fire.

A while back I had a pork shoulder going overnight and it went out with the High Que. Recently, I put the cast iron grate in and smoked chipotles for a couple days at below 200.

Henceforth, I will be using the cast iron grate for any long cooks.

Wow! This has not been my experience at all.

Skiddymarker · November 2012

@scottc454, interesting you note the High-Que grate to be "great for grilling but sucks for low and slow". Low and slow is where I found it to be the best in my medium. I basically set it and forget, but with the CI OEM grate, I would have the fire die as the grate choked off air and then suddenly come back to temp. Mav alarms going off constantly. To each his own, use what works for you.

Eggcelsior · November 2012

Skiddymarker said:

@scottc454, interesting you note the High-Que grate to be "great for grilling but sucks for low and slow". Low and slow is where I found it to be the best in my medium. I basically set it and forget, but with the CI OEM grate, I would have the fire die as the grate choked off air and then suddenly come back to temp. Mav alarms going off constantly. To each his own, use what works for you.

This was my issue to the "T" with my medium. I also had an excessive ash issue as well, but switching to the Hi-Que solved the issue even with the ash-y lump.

scottc454 · November 2012

Skiddymarker said:

@scottc454, interesting you note the High-Que grate to be "great for grilling but sucks for low and slow". Low and slow is where I found it to be the best in my medium. I basically set it and forget, but with the CI OEM grate, I would have the fire die as the grate choked off air and then suddenly come back to temp. Mav alarms going off constantly. To each his own, use what works for you.

I really don't know what's different. Maybe my daisy wheel isn't as tight as it should be.

I was smoking a pork shoulder overnight. The thermometer was at 275 and I wanted to dial it back a bit. I closed the lower vent some then went to bed soon afterward (an Egg sin, of course). It went out, something that never happened with the OEM grate. How many coals are burning during a low and slow? What if the only coals that are burning are small and toward the bottom and fall through the High Que grate? That may be a crazy theory, but it didn't look like I closed the bottom vent too much.

nolaegghead · November 2012

@scottc454 Try making a pyramid and lighting the top of it for low and slows. You don't need much lump burning to keep an egg under 300F. In fact, if you get too much burning and try to damper it way down, it ends up going out - too many oxygen hungry lumps going at once (versus one nice little fire in your sea of lump). I can see how the high-que grate could exacerbate this condition.

SamFerrise · November 2012

Hi-Q grate is ridiculously priced and does not perform any better than my original CI plate. I opened the holes up to 3/4" and it took it to the next level. I am a retired engineer and I like to make things. With a little creative thinking you don't have to spend much to get the same results as some over priced grilling items. The Thermapen and other expensive time and temp toys are such a waste. I can buy a lot of grilling meat for $400 while using my $40 Green Egg digital temp probes.

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