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

Original XL cast fire grate finally bit the dust. Here's the new SS one

Options
MisterCode
MisterCode Posts: 69
in EggHead Forum
We all expect this to happen sooner or later...


It finally happened to me on my XL after almost 7 years. When I burnt out my original Nomex gasket I replaced it with a Cotronix gasket and it has performed excellently ever since. In that same vein I wanted a permanent replacement for the original fire grate. In researching options I came across a company called Fishbone and wanted to buy their Stainless offering. Alas, they don't make one for the XL. So with that inspiration I fabricated something similar for myself made of all 304 Stainless. 5/16" round stock with a half inch spacing between each. 17" diameter grate. I thought the dual 3/4" flat bar would give me adequate rigidity. Here's the result. 


XL 2010 w/ Self-made hardwood lump charcoal
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Ladeback69
    Ladeback69 Posts: 4,482
    Options
    I replaced my grate this last summer when it started to crack.  The new one is thicker and better then the original.   Dealer covered it under warranty.


    XL, WSM, Coleman Road Trip Gas Grill

    Kansas City, Mo.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MisterCode
    MisterCode Posts: 69
    Options
    That works too! It didn't even cross my mind to contact the dealer. :s I fell for the marketing hype of the better performing Fishbone design and kinda wanted that. And I've experienced the midnight lull on low and slows where the holes all get clogged. I don't like waking up to a 175F dome temp. I'm looking forward to seeing if this design indeed improves performance on start up times as well as the anti-clogging aspect. It would make a great grill even better!
    XL 2010 w/ Self-made hardwood lump charcoal
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Hans61
    Hans61 Posts: 3,901
    Options
    How many years is that part covered?
    “There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.”
    Coach Finstock Teen Wolf
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Options
    You'll like it. When my OEM died, I took the fire grate out of my Smokey Joe and started using it in my large. Same design as yours, but with a ring around the circumference. If it's good enough for Weber, it's good enough. It won't last as long, but it's only $7. The rods are farther apart  and some lump falls through, but that doesn't matter - it still burns. Lights faster, hasn't clogged yet and I doubt it ever will.

    I really like yours. Did you tack the rods to the bar stock or do they move?

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MisterCode
    MisterCode Posts: 69
    edited December 2016
    Options
    Carolina Q said:
    I really like yours. Did you tack the rods to the bar stock or do they move?
    They will all get tack welded next week when my neighbor is back in town. I wish I had my own welding rig. But having good neighbors with welding rigs will have to do for now. 
    XL 2010 w/ Self-made hardwood lump charcoal
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,026
    Options
    Hans61 said:
    How many years is that part covered?
    5 years for BGE grate 
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,026
    Options
    @MisterCode That is impressive! 
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Sweet100s
    Sweet100s Posts: 553
    Options
    You have a very pretty and shiny new grate there @MisterCode! 
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    edited December 2016
    Options
    MisterCode said:
    We all expect this to happen sooner or later...


    It finally happened to me on my XL after almost 7 years. When I burnt out my original Nomex gasket I replaced it with a Cotronix gasket and it has performed excellently ever since. In that same vein I wanted a permanent replacement for the original fire grate. In researching options I came across a company called Fishbone and wanted to buy their Stainless offering. Alas, they don't make one for the XL. So with that inspiration I fabricated something similar for myself made of all 304 Stainless. 5/16" round stock with a half inch spacing between each. 17" diameter grate. I thought the dual 3/4" flat bar would give me adequate rigidity. Here's the result. 


    Looks pretty...and your skills are excellent.
    Be careful with this design. When the firebox expands the grate will drop. When it cools, the ends of the round bar has a tendency to dig in and not slide back up. This can crack the firebox, even with the single relief split from the factory. Once it breaks in half, you are good.
    It looks like your firebox has a little "lip" and your grate might have some free movement. If you do then ignore this as it should not an issue.
    I popped 2 fireboxes in 2 cooks with a similar design.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,518
    Options
    Photo Egg said:

    ...
    Be careful with this design. When the firebox expands the grate will drop. When it cools, the ends of the round bar has a tendency to dig in and not slide back up. This can crack the firebox, even with the single relief split from the factory...
    good point, perhaps attach 'legs' to create a small gap between the grate and the firebox?
    canuckland
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,888
    Options
    Canugghead said:
    Photo Egg said:

    ...
    Be careful with this design. When the firebox expands the grate will drop. When it cools, the ends of the round bar has a tendency to dig in and not slide back up. This can crack the firebox, even with the single relief split from the factory...
    good point, perhaps attach 'legs' to create a small gap between the grate and the firebox?
    Yes on the legs! Here's the underside of a grate a friend had fabricated for me at a machine shop client of his. Those legs are 3/8" so that are solid and hold the grate "proud" so it never rests on the fire box.

    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MisterCode
    MisterCode Posts: 69
    edited December 2016
    Options
    Photo Egg said:
    Be careful with this design. When the firebox expands the grate will drop. When it cools, the ends of the round bar has a tendency to dig in and not slide back up. This can crack the firebox, even with the single relief split from the factory. Once it breaks in half, you are good.
    It looks like your firebox has a little "lip" and your grate might have some free movement. If you do then ignore this as it should not an issue.
    I popped 2 fireboxes in 2 cooks with a similar design.
    There are 3 "lips" around the perimeter that the old fire grate rested on. This rests on them too. But I do like the legs idea. I did keep thermal expansion in mind. However only of the grate. I didn't think about the ceramic expanding. I ground a boat tail bevel to the ends of the flat bar so that the bar has a taper that matches the taper of the fire box. But with 10 lbs of charcoal pushing down on it plus its own weight it may not slide up and down like I was figuring on. I've got plenty more of that bar stock left. I'll go ahead and add legs so it sits 1/8" proud of the 3 resting points. That should be plenty. Agree??  
    XL 2010 w/ Self-made hardwood lump charcoal
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories