Direct/Indirect - Just kinda wondering?

bettysnephew · March 2016

I have read many statements about not being able to cook dual zone (direct/indirect) in the Egg. Most notably by "Meathead" at Amazing Ribs. I understand about the ceramic grills heat retention properties but it seems to me that with a half moon deflector or maybe heaven forbid putting one of Webers' charcoal holders on one side of the Egg I should be able to cook in that fashion as well as any other grill. Has anyone done this successfully or are the naysayers correct?

SGH · March 2016

bettysnephew said:

I have read many statements about not being able to cook dual zone Has anyone done this successfully or are the naysayers correct?

Certainly it can be done. History has shown time and time again that the naysayers are usually wrong. There is a old wise saying that goes "Where there is a will, there is a way". This saying is as true as it gets. The firebox can be divided many different ways as several of us has already demonstrated with bricks, sheet metal, sheet pans and countless other contraptions. You said it yourself above, a half moon stone accomplishes this very feat without dividing the firebox. One can try to argue is it a true dual zone until they are blue in the face, but the fact remains that it certainly is.

fishlessman · March 2016

if its in a pan its indirect. potatoes and loin are direct

that glass fake pyrex pan exploded one day shootin pieces 12 feet across the room.

Carolina Q · March 2016

On the extremely rare occasions that I need direct and indirect at the same time, I just put one (or both) of my mini pizza stones on my lower grid and the food to be cooked indirect goes above it. Half moon would work too, but I don't have one. Sometimes I just put a stone on the upper grid and place a CI skillet on it (with air spacers if needed).

Three 1/4" carriage bolts, nuts and fender washers bolted to a Weber 18" kettle grid (I pretty much cook everything on this)...

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/6o/d2zrcbhnsfo4.jpg

Those pizza stones, BTW, have gone from ambient to 900° (no preheat) with no problem. Use 'em with a mini woo for indirects on the mini and Smokey Joe too.

Focker · March 2016

I'd have to agree with Meathead.

Could a two-zone be half-asssed on the egg? Yes

The fire is below the zones. Heat rises. Ceramic retains heat. Not a lot of space to work with in the eggs to begin with, aside from the XL.....the only size to truly pull it off IMO.

Two-zone to me, is two-zones. One zone, completely being off heat. The $30 CL OTG comes in handy for this.

Some also claim the egg as a great WFO. When in reality, its not even close to being a WFO. Reason due to design, location of fire/heat, draft, fuel sorce.

Joetisserie cooking is a stretch too. The fire is directly below the spit. WIth spit cooking, you want two zones.

The egg is a jack-of-all trades, master of none, grill.

fishlessman · March 2016

Focker said:

I'd have to agree with Meathead.

Could a two-zone be half-asssed on the egg? Yes

The fire is below the zones. Heat rises. Ceramic retains heat. Not a lot of space to work with in the eggs to begin with, aside from the XL.....the only size to truly pull it off IMO.

Two-zone to me, is two-zones. One zone, completely being off heat. The $30 CL OTG comes in handy for this.

Some also claim the egg as a great WFO. When in reality, its not even close to being a WFO. Reason due to design, location of fire/heat, draft, fuel sorce.

Joetisserie cooking is a stretch too. The fire is directly below the spit. WIth spit cooking, you want two zones.

The egg is a jack-of-all trades, master of none, grill.

in the most part its not close to a wfo, but it gets closer above 1000 degrees when the dome gets alot hotter than the stone, its probably more akin to a wood fired broiler with the fire hovering over the stone

Focker · March 2016

fishlessman said:

Focker said:

I'd have to agree with Meathead.

Could a two-zone be half-asssed on the egg? Yes

The fire is below the zones. Heat rises. Ceramic retains heat. Not a lot of space to work with in the eggs to begin with, aside from the XL.....the only size to truly pull it off IMO.

Two-zone to me, is two-zones. One zone, completely being off heat. The $30 CL OTG comes in handy for this.

Some also claim the egg as a great WFO. When in reality, its not even close to being a WFO. Reason due to design, location of fire/heat, draft, fuel sorce.

Joetisserie cooking is a stretch too. The fire is directly below the spit. WIth spit cooking, you want two zones.

The egg is a jack-of-all trades, master of none, grill.

in the most part its not close to a wfo, but it gets closer above 1000 degrees when the dome gets alot hotter than the stone, its probably more akin to a wood fired broiler with the fire hovering over the stone

Even a broiler is a stretch. The fire at these temps blows around the stone and out the top. That's why you see the nuk'd egg pics with flames shooting out.

A WFO fire arcs back to the deck.

fishlessman · March 2016

Focker said:

fishlessman said:

Focker said:

I'd have to agree with Meathead.

Could a two-zone be half-asssed on the egg? Yes

The fire is below the zones. Heat rises. Ceramic retains heat. Not a lot of space to work with in the eggs to begin with, aside from the XL.....the only size to truly pull it off IMO.

Two-zone to me, is two-zones. One zone, completely being off heat. The $30 CL OTG comes in handy for this.

Some also claim the egg as a great WFO. When in reality, its not even close to being a WFO. Reason due to design, location of fire/heat, draft, fuel sorce.

Joetisserie cooking is a stretch too. The fire is directly below the spit. WIth spit cooking, you want two zones.

The egg is a jack-of-all trades, master of none, grill.

in the most part its not close to a wfo, but it gets closer above 1000 degrees when the dome gets alot hotter than the stone, its probably more akin to a wood fired broiler with the fire hovering over the stone

Even a broiler is a stretch. The fire at these temps blows around the stone and out the top. That's why you see the nuk'd egg pics with flames shooting out.

A WFO fire arcs back to the deck.

i can get a blue ball of fire hovering over the stone, its not just the sides and out, you can literally see it just inches over the stone. maybe it only happens with my wok shaped barrier filled with sand, i dont use platesetters

Mickey · March 2016

Would you consider this a hybrid?

ar15203 · March 2016

In the XL I have the room to do direct and indirect cooking without a problem. The ceramic grill store has several different products to reduce the lump load

Skiddymarker · March 2016

The problem I found with a half moon stone deflector over the standard egg firebox is that the fire follows the air path out from under the stone. It works but is not ideal. Like many here, I own a number of grills and I agree with Amazing Ribs, the Primo Oval is a true, easy to control kamado two zone cooker. There is no fire under the indirect side at all.

HogHeaven · March 2016

Direct & indirect cooking on a BGE is NOT left & right! It is up & down with heat control at each step.

Bake your steaks up high in the dome, lid closed, no plate setter, until it reaches 120°. Remove the steak, invert the grate, Grill Dome direct/indirect grate, so it's 2" above your lump. Use the BBQ Dragon to get your lump to Warp 10 heat, less than 2 minutes, and sear your steaks.

Meathead is wrong about the reverse sear on a BGE.

Direct/Indirect - Just kinda wondering?

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