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New Ceramic/metal grate

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Tim M
Tim M Posts: 2,410
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
grate3.jpg
<p />Just when the water is calming down on the great grate debate (say that fast) along comes BGE and Woody to give us a gizmo like this. I just received this jewel from Woody and I plan to test it and compare it to the cast iron and original ceramic grates. Here is a picture of the new grate next to Mr Original.[p]The next posts have other pictures of it.[p]Tim
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  • Tim M
    Tim M Posts: 2,410
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    grate4.jpg
    <p />Tim M,
    Here is the new ceramic/metal grate along side my 1 yr old cast iron grate. You can see a sag in the iron, so I rotated it every few months. [p]Tim
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  • Tim M
    Tim M Posts: 2,410
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    grate5.jpg
    <p />Tim M,
    Here is the new ceramic/metal grate in place and ready to rock!![p]Tim
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  • sprinter
    sprinter Posts: 1,188
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    Tim M,[p]The picture on my system is a bit unclear. Is that a ceramic circle around the expanded metal grate or is it all metal? Is it just in test mode now or are they available from somewhere? That looks awesome.[p]Troy
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  • sprinter
    sprinter Posts: 1,188
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    Those following posts answered my question about ceramic/metal, are they available somewhere?[p]Troy

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  • bdavidson
    bdavidson Posts: 411
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    Tim M,
    Leave it to you to get all the new gizmos! Did you manage to get the new BGE plate setter?
    bd
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  • MAC
    MAC Posts: 442
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    Tim M,
    Great grate. Hope it doesn't grate on you to change these grates when testing. Have a GRRRRR.... ATE Time! And solve the grate debate. Question?, Is this a ceramic ring with the expanded metal laying in the center? Or is the metal fused to the ceramic some how?[p]MAC

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  • Tim M
    Tim M Posts: 2,410
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    bdavidson,[p]No - haven't seen the new one. I was tring to get them to get 2 up to Eggfest2000 to use for pizza and sell after the event (I am sure they would easily sell) and I am told that they are not available even from BGE. [p]Tim
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  • Tim M
    Tim M Posts: 2,410
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    MAC,[p]It only took 1-2 min. The last cook was a calzone so the lump was almost all gone anyway. I did notice that I now have two pretty little cracks in the firebox but neither go all the way from top to bottom - yet.[p]C~W will jump in here soon and eggsplain the doughnut setup for everyone. I just take the pictures.[p]Tim
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  • Mike Oelrich
    Mike Oelrich Posts: 544
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    Tim M,[p] Ummm, I just received mine from the UPS guy last week, along with the grid extender. Haven't put it inside the BGE yet. Maybe I got one of the old ones :-0. I'll check as soon as I get home tonight and let you know.[p]MikeO
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  • MAC
    MAC Posts: 442
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    MikeO,
    I just picked up mine from my not so local BEG store. They didn't even know what a plate setter was. Told them to read MACthe forum more often. How do I tell If I got a new Setter?
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  • Mike Oelrich
    Mike Oelrich Posts: 544
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    MAC,[p] The "What's New" page (link is on the main BGE Forum Page) says the new one has been specifically modified to fit the Large BGE and fits "perfectly" on the fire ring. Since I never owned the old one, I can only assume the old plate setter was a bit too small to use on the Large BGE w/o the grid. I can't tell from TimM's pictures if this is really true or not. Before I get home tonight, I'll look up what the definition of "perfect" "is" ;-).[p]MikeO
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  • MAC
    MAC Posts: 442
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    MikeO,
    Now THAT was Good
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  • MRM
    MRM Posts: 6
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    Tim M,
    This is off-subject, but I've been noticing the side shelves in your photographs. Are they the ones sold by BGE or custom? I ask because it looks like your shelves fold down and the ones sold by my dealer are fixed. (I think they told me one time they considered the BGE version inferior and had someone local make a "better" set of shelves.) I'd like to get some that fold and your's look like just the thing. If they are a BGE product, any complaints?[p]Currently I've got a five foot stainless steel restaurant table sitting beside my Egg. You need to use welder's glasses around it when the sun shines, but it sure is pretty. Unfortunately, my wife says I need to scale down a little.[p]Thanks. Mike Miller
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  • Char-Woody
    Char-Woody Posts: 2,642
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    BGE Group and Tim M.[p]These experimental grates have been in the works for the last year. I have procrastinated for 6 months before sending out the only copies made so far. The proto type molds were made in my shop and BGE made 6 castings at the factory. One was broken. One has been in my BGE for the last 6 months with the original diamond mesh insert, and still going strong. The metal turns red hot when in use.[p]The diamond mesh will sag just a bit over time, but so far in 6 months, I have yet to remove it and reverse it or flatten it out by stepping on it. These are meant to be expendable metal inserts and you will toss em over a period of a year or two.[p]The product you see in the photos is still a proto type, and the diamond metal disk will be perfect cut to fit the insert to allow a minimal expansion and contraction of the metal with no undo force against the edges of the fire chambers. All the expansion and contraction is contained in the slot in the ceramic ring. [p]Yes, these inserts could be made of stainless steel, but over time, the stainless will also deteriorate, but much slower. Its a cost factor vs time..IMHO not worth while.[p]There are only 5 of these that were available at present and the finished "factory approved" product still is some month's away. The final donut will have a slightly different conformation from the test models being used by myself, KennyG, Brant Warren, Tim M, and Grillin Bill who recieved his from BGE with the diamond mesh from C~W. A sixth one was broken in shipment to me.[p]I hope this explains it a bit, and as you can see, BGE is working to improve and modify as the "testing over time" proves the product. They want it to be right![p]So hang tight..let's see how these trials work out..So far I am happy with this one..[p]Cheerio..C~W[p][p]
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  • Mary
    Mary Posts: 190
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    Char-Woody,[p]Those look like a good design, but the issue with stainless steel vs. galvanized matal is not longevity, but of safety. Many have warned galvanized steel when heated gives off toxic fumes. for that reason, I have to stick with the cast iron grate, no matter how appealing the new design looks. I would think BGE would be cautious about this too in our litigious society.
    Mary
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  • Brant
    Brant Posts: 82
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    Mary,[p]The grates are not galvanized. I imagine they are just carbon steel (at least that is what they'll become after a few steak cookouts!). Whatever the material is, it rusts.[p]Brant
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  • Tim M
    Tim M Posts: 2,410
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    Brant,
    You are correct - mine is rusted showing its not galvanized.[p]I am doing pizza with mine tonight. Congrads Brant - I trust this prototype made it to you unbroken unlike the plate setter.[p]Tim
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  • Tim M
    Tim M Posts: 2,410
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    MRM,
    The shevles are 100% BGE quality stuff. They do fold down and are quite usefull. I love them!![p]Tim
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  • Brant
    Brant Posts: 82
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    Tim M,[p]I had to tell C~W that he knows how to package something that even UPS can't break. Styrofoam sheets, bubble wrap, and styro "peanuts" in a well sealed, double-corregated box. I could have set my Egg on that package and not had the grate damaged![p]It was conventient that yesterday's 21-hour long Boston butts pretty much cleaned out the firebox. Only couple of pieces of charcoal and a hunk of Guava survived. I shouldn't even have to get my hands dirty swapping the grates. The only problem is that we'll have left-overs for the next week, meaning I doubt I'll be Egging much for a little while.[p]Brant
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  • Char-Woody
    Char-Woody Posts: 2,642
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    Mary, The guys are correct. And so are you :-) No galvanized and they are a iron composite material. I have tested em in raw form for over 1.5 years, and 6 months in the donut. The reason the two units is to give the metal flex room in the ceramics. Trying to mold the two together would have been counter reactive to each other. I would guess that someday, if produced, there would be 2 or three diamond disks sent with each donut to insure at least 3 years of use. There are other fine mesh materials that can be used other than the diamond mesh as you see here. I believe KennyG has a mesh he is using also. Lots of avenues to pursue. The idea is to get sufficient air available to the charcoal to and also to prevent clogging of the vent holes.
    This seems to work rather nicely. The independent 4 out there will give it a trial and add suggestions of their own..:-)
    Cheers..C~W[p]Cheers..C~W[p]

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  • Tim M
    Tim M Posts: 2,410
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    setter1.jpg
    <p />MikeO,[p]If you got an old one or a new one - it will be wonderful and you'll love it. This is my plate setter when I got it last year. Its black now. Notice the little dimples in the top of the legs and the the little extention on the bottom of the leg itself. I think they were going to remove those and the diamiter is a little larger.[p]Tim
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  • Mike Oelrich
    Mike Oelrich Posts: 544
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    Tim M,[p] Thanks for the picture. As fate would have it, I got stuck at work until well after dark so I didn't get time to pull mine out of the box and play with it last night. Hopefully I'll get a chance this afternoon. The only reason I mentioned it was because you said you were having trouble getting one. I thought I did get one so I wanted to let you know they should really be available.[p]MikeO
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