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Definition Explanation

In reading many of these posts, I see people referring to upper grid and lower grid. I am guessing that lower grid is direct cooking with the grid right above the fire ring. Am I correct in thinking that the upper grid is cooking indirect with the plate setter legs up? Or is there a way to raise the grid to some high point while still using direct heat?  Does anyone know of a way to cook with direct heat but having the grid at a high level?? Still learning and trying to figure things out. Thanks.
Palm City, FL

Comments

  • Set firebricks on the ring, or buy one of the many contraptions sold to raise the grid
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    There are some commercial options, BGE grill extender and the ones offered by the Ceramic Grill Store come to mind. And there's home brew. One can buy 3 fire brick splits, usually less than a buck apiece from contractor supply. Sit those on edge on the fire ring, and place grill on them. Or buy a replacement grill, and several long bolts w. washers and nut to fasten, and turn those into legs.
  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    Or buy a replacement grill, and several long bolts w. washers and nut to fasten, and turn those into legs.... +1 on @gdenby, my favorite raised grid method.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • Check out the picture at the top of this post by @busmania for one way to get raised direct.

    I believe that references to upper and lower grids refer to multi-level (2) cooks where one grid is above the other. As already mentioned, this can be done with a separate grill extender or make-shift.

    Upper grid does not necessarily mean indirect.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,170

    There are basically two styles of BGE cooking, direct and indirect.  Direct means that the cooking grid is directly exposed to the burning lump, at some height above the lump.  Indirect means there is a heat deflector between the cooking grid and the burning lump.  Having said, that there's also regular and raised grid cooking.  Regular has the cooking grid sitting on top of the fire ring about 3 inches below the gasket line.  Raised grid means the cooking grid is elevated above the fire ring position as mentioned above. 

    Related from a temperature perspective, when running indirect, you can expect the dome thermo (calibrated) to initially run about 20-40*F hotter than the cooking surface-longer the dome is shut the closer the temps get.  For Direct, the cooking grid is getting the full measure of radiant heat from the lump so the cooking surface temp will be higher than the dome reading.  FWIW-

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • Luvflt
    Luvflt Posts: 63
    Thanks folks for all your input. I get the picture now as far as the raised grid. Another question I had was what situations dictate when you use the plate setter legs down or legs up. Again, I can only assume that it has to do with the grid or top of the place setter being further away from the lump and is more a temperature thing.
    Palm City, FL
  • About the only time I use legs down is when I do pizza. I'll put some bricks on the plate setter and the my stone on top of those to get the pizza up higher in the dome.

    In terms of deflecting the heat I don't think it really matters but, it is usually very important to have some sort of drip pan between your cook and the plate setter  and legs up makes that easy to do. Just keep in mind that you want a small gap between your plate setter and your drip pan, otherwise the drippings can burn. I do this with some (plumbing) copper tees but, there are other options that some use.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
  • Luvflt
    Luvflt Posts: 63
    Ok makes sense to me. I am doing my second dinner on the BGE tonight (spatchcock chicken) then I can bump up the temp and do my pizza on the weekend. We shall see how it all unfolds. Thanks again for the input.
    Palm City, FL
  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    edited October 2013
    With the setter legs up, you can put a drip pan, with some spacers on the setter to provide a small air gap between the setter and the drip pan, then a grid on the setter legs. Allows for better air flow around the food on the cooking grid. 
    Although TOTN uses his pizza set-up with good results, I like a setter legs up, grid on the setter and bricks on the grid if I need to raise the stone, Legs down is harder on gaskets than legs up. 

    While we are on definitions - a grate is the thing the charcoal sits on, a grid is the thing we cook food on. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • Luvflt
    Luvflt Posts: 63
    Sounds good to me. I think I am going to get some fire bricks. I think they can be usefull in several ways such as you mentioned to sit the drip pan on. I have seen people comment on not putting the pizza stone directly on the plate setter but rather having a buffer of some sort. I think the bricks would work there as well. I'll know more this weekend when I try pizza for the first time.
    Palm City, FL
  • minniemoh
    minniemoh Posts: 2,145

    Although TOTN uses his pizza set-up with good results, I like a setter legs up, grid on the setter and bricks on the grid if I need to raise the stone, Legs down is harder on gaskets than legs up. 
    New gasket going in mine this weekend due to a pizza cook with legs down and burning for 3+hrs. I was looking for an excuse to upgrade  to a Romex anyway. I put a Romex in my other L this summer and it works great.
    L x2, M, S, Mini and a Blackstone 36. She says I have enough now....
    eggAddict from MN!
  • Cookinbob
    Cookinbob Posts: 1,691
    edited October 2013
     have an XL, bought a standard Weber 22-1/2" grill for a raised grate, use 3 flower pots to raise it.   I have used for both direct and indirect cooks.
    image

    FYI, I have done several pizza cooks and tried several different approaches.  I am with @Skiddymarker in that I have had best success with the plate setter legs up, the regular grid, then the stone raised on top of my flower pots, so there is a good 7" or so between the PS and the stone.  Without the PS, the stone gets too hot.  Higher in the dome the toppings cook at the right rate relative to the crust.  I make my dough with all purpose flour, 450 seems to be just right for me.
    image
    XLBGE, Small BGE, Homebrew and Guitars
    Rochester, NY
  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    Luvflt said:
    Sounds good to me. I think I am going to get some fire bricks. I think they can be usefull in several ways such as you mentioned to sit the drip pan on. I have seen people comment on not putting the pizza stone directly on the plate setter but rather having a buffer of some sort. I think the bricks would work there as well. I'll know more this weekend when I try pizza for the first time.
    If I understand this correctly, you might want to rethink your set up. Put the setter in on the fire ring with legs up. Put a grid on the setter legs, as if you were going to do an indirect cook at the felt line. Put a couple of bricks on the grid and then your pizza stone on the bricks. This raises the stone the thickness of the bricks, 1-1/2" if flat, above the felt line. Make sure the stone is at least 2" smaller than the diameter of the dome it sits in, there has to be air flow around the stone. Good luck! 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • Luvflt
    Luvflt Posts: 63
    Thanks guys...picked up some fire bricks so I will use that to sit the PS on and will remember to put the placesetter legs up. We shall see how it goes.
    Palm City, FL