Woo vs. AR vs platesetter

DWFII · January 2018

Wondering about the advantages of each and how versatile they are and how many extra grids, stones and so forth you need to take advantage of, at least, the basic intent.

SoCalTim · January 2018

Both are awesome - if you got $$ to burn, go AR. For me, the Woo works just fine. I actually can’t remember the last time i touched my plate setter.

Gulfcoastguy · January 2018

I still use my platesetter but I have an extra cast iron grate to use with brick spacers in order to have raised direct. I also have a medium egg and they don’t make an adjustable rig for it, only a woo.

lousubcap · January 2018

If you have a platesetter I would suggest the following from the Ceramic Grill store:
https://ceramicgrillstore.com/collections/big-green-egg-large-accessories-by-ceramic-grill-store/products/pswoo2-stock-grid-combo You continue to use the platesetter and get the second level cook surface plus you can easily remove any hardware should the situation present itself.
I have this set-up and it meets my needs. FWIW-

dmourati · January 2018

I bought the platesetter with my egg and then bought an AR/spider/stone combo later. Lately, been using the spider/stone for indirects. The placesetter is big and heavy and stays put more often than not.

drumdudeguy · January 2018

The Adjustable Rig gives you a higher elevated cooking surface. Ideal for doing tenderloins or chicken with direct heat high in the dome. I love mine!

SoCalTim · January 2018

lousubcap said:

If you have a platesetter I would suggest the following from the Ceramic Grill store:
https://ceramicgrillstore.com/collections/big-green-egg-large-accessories-by-ceramic-grill-store/products/pswoo2-stock-grid-combo You continue to use the platesetter and get the second level cook surface plus you can easily remove any hardware should the situation present itself.
I have this set-up and it meets my needs. FWIW-

That’s my exact setup. Works great for me.

JohnnyTarheel · January 2018

SoCalTim said:

lousubcap said:

If you have a platesetter I would suggest the following from the Ceramic Grill store:
https://ceramicgrillstore.com/collections/big-green-egg-large-accessories-by-ceramic-grill-store/products/pswoo2-stock-grid-combo You continue to use the platesetter and get the second level cook surface plus you can easily remove any hardware should the situation present itself.
I have this set-up and it meets my needs. FWIW-

That’s my exact setup. Works great for me.

Me too....

DWFII · January 2018

Let's say I had a platesetter (I might have one coming, dunno) what would my best set-up be for spatchcock or upright chicken?

What would my best set-up be for pizza (I have a 16" stone)?

What would my best setup look like for low and slow butt?

I'm trying to visualize an adequate but inexpensive system for those three types of cooking especially.

mEGG_My_Day · January 2018

DWFII said:

Let's say I had a platesetter (I might have one coming, dunno) what would my best set-up be for spatchcock or upright chicken?

What would my best set-up be for pizza (I have a 16" stone)?

What would my best setup look like for low and slow butt?

I'm trying to visualize an adequate but inexpensive system for those three types of cooking especially.

All three cooks can be done the same - platesetter feet up, drip pan, grid then protein or pizza stone. (No drip pan for pizza). However, the chicken and pizza will benefit by raising higher in the dome. There are plenty of cheap ways to get the grid/pizza stone higher - I used fire bricks in the past.

I don't know what size BGE you have. If you have a large, you may not be able to get that pizza stone too high up - 16" is relatively large.

mEGG_My_Day · January 2018

You could also do pizza with platesetter feet down:

DWFII · January 2018

Yeah, the pizza and the chicken need to come up into the dome a little. Is there anything short of a full on woo that will allow a second grid to sit on top of the standard grid? Making a " two story" grid.Thinking I could set the pizza stone on the second level.

cookingdude555 · January 2018

Anything to raise it up is good. When I did pizza on the egg I would do the platesetter, and then actually a platesetter from my small or medium to get the stone as high in the dome as I could without cutting off airflow. It helped it get closer to cooking evenly on top and bottom.

mEGG_My_Day · January 2018

DWFII said:

Yeah, the pizza and the chicken need to come up into the dome a little. Is there anything short of a full on woo that will allow a second grid to sit on top of the standard grid? Making a " two story" grid.Thinking I could set the pizza stone on the second level.

Yes - numerous ways. Use the search function on this site.

DWFII · January 2018

mEGG_My_Day said:

Yes - numerous ways. Use the search function on this site.

No offense intended, but "search the forum" isn't really all that helpful...can you, at least, suggest a search term (or two, if it isn't too much trouble) to help refine the search? Or should I just enter "Big Green Egg?"

DWFII · January 2018

@mEGG_My_Day

FWIW, I have noted your advice to use firebrick (long since) and I have even bookmarked a site to purchase the little porcelain feet.

And this morning I ran across a site where a Pro Zone system can be had for about 30% off. I am doing my@mEGG_My_Day
what i was looking for in this thread was idea...many ideas. And hopefully...maybe even helpfully...photos or descriptions of how to set up for thse cooks.

Eoin · January 2018

You can easily raise the grid with 3 x plain fire brick rectangles about 3/4 inch thick that sit in the recesses for the platesetter and allow you to get the grid higher above the fire. I use this all of the time on my XL for direct cooks, so the grid is just under the felt seal. Dirt cheap, the same stuff that is used for lining multi-fuel stoves.

A double grid can be achieved using stainless bolts as spacers - bolt to the top grid and use the bolts as legs to stand on the lower grid, with nuts / washers as feet. Dirt cheap again, and you can use whatever grid you can get hold of locally as the upper level.

DWFII · January 2018

Eoin said:

You can easily raise the grid with 3 x plain fire brick rectangles about 3/4 inch thick that sit in the recesses for the platesetter and allow you to get the grid higher above the fire. I use this all of the time on my XL for direct cooks, so the grid is just under the felt seal. Dirt cheap, the same stuff that is used for lining multi-fuel stoves.

A double grid can be achieved using stainless bolts as spacers - bolt to the top grid and use the bolts as legs to stand on the lower grid, with nuts / washers as feet. Dirt cheap again, and you can use whatever grid you can get hold of locally as the upper level.

Thank you.

Those are great ideas. That one about making legs, especially. Unfortunately I don't have recesses in my fire ring--it is too old (and it is cracked).

I wonder has anyone tried putting two fire rings together...one on top of the other?

bikesAndBBQ · January 2018

I don't use the search function on this site. I use Google and start with egghead forum. After that, just type in what you want to search for. That is what I do to search this site. I never use the built in search.

MasterC · January 2018

I picked up this to 2in Fire Ring extension from my egg shop.

DWFII · January 2018

MasterC said:

I picked up this to 2in Fire Ring extension from my egg shop.

You don't happen to know the part number do you?

MasterC · January 2018

Item code: 401236/half ring EAN 0665719401236
My dealer had this around awhile and let me have it for cheap

run53 · January 2018

lousubcap said:

If you have a platesetter I would suggest the following from the Ceramic Grill store:
https://ceramicgrillstore.com/collections/big-green-egg-large-accessories-by-ceramic-grill-store/products/pswoo2-stock-grid-combo You continue to use the platesetter and get the second level cook surface plus you can easily remove any hardware should the situation present itself.
I have this set-up and it meets my needs. FWIW-

Same set up I have. Highly recommend it. Works great with plate setter if you have one.

mEGG_My_Day · January 2018

DWFII said:

mEGG_My_Day said:

Yes - numerous ways. Use the search function on this site.

No offense intended, but "search the forum" isn't really all that helpful...can you, at least, suggest a search term (or two, if it isn't too much trouble) to help refine the search? Or should I just enter "Big Green Egg?"

I guess we will just have to disagree on the search function - I use it all the time and find it helpful. I just searched "how to raise a grid" and came across this thread that you may find useful.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1151143/raising-the-grid

The Naked Whiz has a link to his site in that thread that explains the use of bolts to raise the grid. (If you haven't looked at his site, do take a look. It has a ton of great information.) There is also a pic of a raised direct setup using fire bricks.

When I first started, I didn't have a plate setter. For indirect cooks, I would lay several (I think it took three if I recall) firebricks on the grid next to each other. Then I would put two more fire bricks on their sides on top of those. Then I added the grid off my old Weber on top. It certainly wasn't glamorous, and it was a PITA if you needed to add lump or smoke wood. But it did create a heat deflector and raised the grid. I cooked a lot of pork butts that way and it worked just fine.

Good luck.

THEBuckeye · January 2018

I typically cook for two.

Woo

J-dubya · January 2018

I run an AR with a spider. I had a woo, but didn’t like balancing the AR on top of it (XL egg).

DWFII · January 2018

mEGG_My_Day said:
I guess we will just have to disagree on the search function - I use it all the time and find it helpful. I just searched "how to raise a grid" and came across this thread that you may find useful.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1151143/raising-the-grid

The Naked Whiz has a link to his site in that thread that explains the use of bolts to raise the grid. (If you haven't looked at his site, do take a look. It has a ton of great information.) There is also a pic of a raised direct setup using fire bricks.

When I first started, I didn't have a plate setter. For indirect cooks, I would lay several (I think it took three if I recall) firebricks on the grid next to each other. Then I would put two more fire bricks on their sides on top of those. Then I added the grid off my old Weber on top. It certainly wasn't glamorous, and it was a PITA if you needed to add lump or smoke wood. But it did create a heat deflector and raised the grid. I cooked a lot of pork butts that way and it worked just fine.

Good luck.

Thank you. I'm aware of the naked whiz but the link is most helpful. As for the egg head link, I'm gonna look at it again but I think I ran across that a coule of hours ago.

Anyway thanks again for your help.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 2018

AR also works great for doing kebabs

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 2018

Btw- I have AR R&B combo with extender and sliding grid, spider, SBGE Stone and cast iron grid. I can’t think of anything it won’t do. I have a platesetter that has been sitting since the day I got the rig setup (years)

tml1230 · January 2018

DWFII , thanks for asking the question, as usual, I learned a lot by reading through it.

mEGG_My_Day · January 2018

lousubcap said:

If you have a platesetter I would suggest the following from the Ceramic Grill store:
https://ceramicgrillstore.com/collections/big-green-egg-large-accessories-by-ceramic-grill-store/products/pswoo2-stock-grid-combo You continue to use the platesetter and get the second level cook surface plus you can easily remove any hardware should the situation present itself.
I have this set-up and it meets my needs. FWIW-

One final post to this thread - if you already have a platesetter and are willing to spend $, this is the long term answer.

Woo vs. AR vs platesetter

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