XL drip pan - 18" round vs. 13x18" half sheet

Canugghead

I have been using the 18" round all along. In another thread @Cowdogs mentioned he prefers the 13x18 half sheet so I picked one up today. Here's how they stack up and my thoughts ... the rectangle gains on the four corners but loses on the 'bulges' of the round.

IMO

2 racks of ribs flat or 2 butts - rectangle wins

3 racks of ribs flat or 3 butts - round wins

pile of wings - round wins?

Cowdogs

With 3 racks of ribs, I am cooking on 2 levels (grids) with the adjustable rig, and I still use the sheet pan.  A full packer brisket does better on the sheet pan too.  

I'm with you on chicken, and I always use the round pan. 

I think the sheet pan will also slide right into (and out of) the adjustable rig, and that can be useful at times.

Canugghead

You're right, I forgot about the AR, and seldom cook brisket!

ElCapitan

I got tired of rectangles leaving exposed areas and bought a used 21" deep dish pizza pan for my XL.  Its worked great so far.

Canugghead

No issue with restricted air flow with 21" round pan?

bettysnephew

Another fan of the deep dish pizza pan here.  I line it with HD foil if it's not going to be used for gravy/sauce.  Got mine at a local restaurant supply store.  Be sure to put a spacer between pan and platesetter to preclude burning and acrid smoke.

Cowdogs

My roll of HD aluminum foil roll is only 19" wide... This means I will have a seam when I cover my 21" drip pan.  We all deal with some serious issues cooking on the BGE, but this one might be too much.

Fred19Flintstone

I have a XL with an AR & the round pan and my method for foil coverage is to criss cross the sheets. Works for me.

Canugghead

I pour/scrape off the grease/crud and soak for couple of days.

ericp

i have an xl with a round 16in and was just going to upgrade to an 18 this weekend. Ceramic grill store advises this is the perfect set up for their 17.5 stone which i use with my AR. 

ElCapitan

@canugghead - I haven't notice any, it does overhang the placesetter openings by about an 1".  If I had to do it again I'd probably go with a 20 or 19.

Canugghead

@ELCapitan - Thanks for sharing, my 18" matches the platesetter perfectly, works well most of the time.

For 'elongated' cooks, I'm wondering if I should get the 15x21 instead of the 13x18 and bend the corners to fit, hoping it'll have enough clearance next to the long sides for circulation.

Cowdogs

I'd just do a 20" round and skip the bending.  But after 2 years of using the 13x18 sheet pan, I find it is the perfect shape for what I cook even if it is only slightly different than the 18" round.  

If you go any bigger then you have a lot of bare metal getting a lot of direct heat (no stone blocking).  Aluminum is a great conductor of heat, which means your going to put a lot more heat on the drippings which will make them burn smoke more and/or burn faster.