Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Firebox grate alternative

I bought the HiQue grate and I'm not crazy about it. When I smoke a pork butt it usually takes me about 2hrs/lb so a 10lb butt would be about a 20 hour smoke. I tried the new grate last week and after 17 hours I noticed I could barely get 225F because I was just about out of charcoal. It is actually too efficient for me!

I did some searching on the Internet and found this cast iron grate which happens to be the same diameter (9") as the HiQue grate. What is everyone's thoughts of this one? See pic. I found it on eBay for $25 delivered. 

Comments

  • Why does is take 2 hrs./lb.?  I've never had a pork butt take that long.  Mine are usually done in 10-12 hours.
    LBGE & Masterbuilt 30" Stainless Electric Digital Smokehouse w/Cold Smoker
  • Not sure. It's has always been 2 hrs per pound even with the BGE grate. 
  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
    The firegrate has no effect on cooking durations or charcoal consumption if the cooking grate temp is kept the same.  You could take it out altogether and maintain 24+ hrs at 225......the amount of air coming in and the amount of smoke leaving is the same.  

    The only thing that the new firegrates do is eliminate a possible choke point on long low & slows.....Where the ash builds up on top of the stock plate and doesn't fall through.  They do allow a lot more O2 get to the charcoal if you have the draft door wide open, but that will be accompanied by a lot of fire and a pegged dome temp gauge.

    What was the last time you checked your dome temp gauge?

    Btw, I go about 20 hrs on my butts too.  Usually two or three of them, 7-8# each.  They'll take at least 20 hrs at 225f.
  • The firegrate has no effect on cooking durations or charcoal consumption if the cooking grate temp is kept the same.  You could take it out altogether and maintain 24+ hrs at 225......the amount of air coming in and the amount of smoke leaving is the same.  

    The only thing that the new firegrates do is eliminate a possible choke point on long low & slows.....Where the ash builds up on top of the stock plate and doesn't fall through.  They do allow a lot more O2 get to the charcoal if you have the draft door wide open, but that will be accompanied by a lot of fire and a pegged dome temp gauge.

    What was the last time you checked your dome temp gauge?

    Btw, I go about 20 hrs on my butts too.  Usually two or three of them, 7-8# each.  They'll take at least 20 hrs at 225f.
    And you haven't consumed all the lump at 20 hrs?
  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    I have a high que and ran my large for 36 hours and still had some lump left. 

    Also the grate has nothing to do with length of a cook. If the temp is 250 the cook will take the same time regardless of type of grate. 
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
    The firegrate has no effect on cooking durations or charcoal consumption if the cooking grate temp is kept the same.  You could take it out altogether and maintain 24+ hrs at 225......the amount of air coming in and the amount of smoke leaving is the same.  

    The only thing that the new firegrates do is eliminate a possible choke point on long low & slows.....Where the ash builds up on top of the stock plate and doesn't fall through.  They do allow a lot more O2 get to the charcoal if you have the draft door wide open, but that will be accompanied by a lot of fire and a pegged dome temp gauge.

    What was the last time you checked your dome temp gauge?

    Btw, I go about 20 hrs on my butts too.  Usually two or three of them, 7-8# each.  They'll take at least 20 hrs at 225f.
    And you haven't consumed all the lump at 20 hrs?

    No, I've gone 30 hrs before the temp starts to drop off.......with the old ceramic stock grate, with the newer cast iron stock grate, and my own stainless steel higher flow grate.  Doesn't matter.

    Are you filling the lump all the way to the top??  And are you truly at 225F or just going off what the gauge says?

    The only other thing that can make a difference is outside air temp.  If you're egg'ing when it's really cold outside, then a lot of heat can be lost through radiation while maintaining the same internal temp.  But even at 10-20F, you still should be able to go at least 18 hrs if the firebox is full.


  • It was probably 40f outside and I filled the lump just past the firebox and slightly above the fire ring. I calibrated the gauge about 3 mos ago and will check again but I don't think that's it. 
  • Do you all fill a water pan when smoking shoulders or briskets? I'm wondering if too much water will cause the smoke to take longer than without water in the pan. 
  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
    Fill it up to the top.

    A water pan will screw with things a little bit--you need to be measuring grate temp, not dome temp if you're using one.

    If your dome temp is showing 225F, that's above a pan of water and a big hunk of cold meat full of water.  Evaporation drops the temp like crazy, so for all you know, the grate temp could be quite a bit more.  As time goes on, the water pan will dry out and the meat will get up to temp--the difference between the two will be minimal.

    That being said, I always use a pan with a little bit of water, beer, or wine in it.  It's more to catch the drippings and to keep them from producing that bitter grey smoke when they burn.


  • Fill it up to the top.

    A water pan will screw with things a little bit--you need to be measuring grate temp, not dome temp if you're using one.

    If your dome temp is showing 225F, that's above a pan of water and a big hunk of cold meat full of water.  Evaporation drops the temp like crazy, so for all you know, the grate temp could be quite a bit more.  As time goes on, the water pan will dry out and the meat will get up to temp--the difference between the two will be minimal.

    That being said, I always use a pan with a little bit of water, beer, or wine in it.  It's more to catch the drippings and to keep them from producing that bitter grey smoke when they burn.


    Fill the water pan up to the top or just put in a little bit of water? Confused by your earlier post. 
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    Is your 225℉ dome really 225℉? Check calibration. Also FWIW 225℉ in the Q World is so cliche. Why not 275℉ especially on a shoulder?  You're not gonna see a difference using the egg. 
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
    edited January 2016
    I use those half buffet trays, and I'll squeeze two of them in the Large BGE.  Then I fill mine about 1/3 - 1/2 way up.  Most people don't do this, I just can't stand the taste of burned fat.

    But all of my temps are regulated from a grate level temp probe clipped above a plate setter leg.  It's isolated from the direct fire, and it's far enough away from the meat and water pan.  So, it's a true reading of the heat on the meat.  The dome temp gauge will read 25-50F lower until the meat temp starts getting up to 160-170F+.

    Also, if you squeeze a bunch of tall butts or a turkey in there, the dome temp gauge can actually stick into the meat giving you a reading that's WAY off.  Watch for the gauge to move when you close the lid--if it does, it's touching the meat.
  • I actually had the grate temp measuring 225F and the dome around 250F
  • My experience is the dome temp is always hotter starting out than grate temp until hours later in the cook on a butt cook...  Over time of cook the two will level out. I suggest going 260 - 275 dome starting out. And use no water in pan. Not needed. If you raise drip pan off plate setter it will not burn. I use 6 stainless steel nuts to raise. Works great. 
    Charlotte, NC - Large BGE 2014, Maverick ET 733, Thermopen, Nest, Platesetter, Woo2 and Extender w/Grid, Kick Ash Basket, Pizza Stone, SS Smokeware Cap, Blackstone 36"