AR and Spider Users

4Runner

Does anyone use the 14" stone on the spider for indirects?  I noticed in the documentation they recommend the 13" stone down low and not the 14" because it "restricts" too much airflow.  Before I experiment, I thought I would as the forum.  Seems like it would be fine.   Thanks 

4Runner

bump.....anyone with a 14" stone on the spider?

DMW

I have a Spider and 14" stone. However I have an XL egg/spider, so any advice I might provide would be fairly worthless.

Oh, and I've never used the 14" stone/spider combo. I did set it up to stage it, but it looks like there would be too much of a gap all around. My XL pizza stone is 21", so that won't work. Maybe I can stagger a bunch of smaller stuff I have...

Sorry for the ramble, hope someone has tried that combo.

SGH

I chose the 13" myself. Because the spider drops the stone down into the fire ring, I feel it's the better choice. However if you intend on using the 14" stone in some other set up that places it above the fire ring, then I don't see a issue. I have never been one to really follow the rules or guidelines. But in this case I concur with Tom from the CGS. Why? I use and have used numerous different types of smokers in my time. The one thing that they all have in common is the affect that air flow has on them. Now I know it is more pronounced on some smokers more than it is on others. Example: offset reverse flow. But the fact remains that good air flow is detrimental to any and every kind of smoker short of a electric. All the above said, I use and recomnend the 13" stone on the spider in the large BGE. Chose wisely my friend.
 

4Runner

Thanks.  I should have mentioned I have a large.   @SGH - that is a 13 in that pic?    

SGH

4Runner said:

Thanks.  I should have mentioned I have a large.   @SGH - that is a 13 in that pic?    

Yes sir. The stone above is 13" in diameter.

grege345

With the stone sitting that low in the fire ring doesnt it keep you from doing long cooks?

texaswig

I have a 14" with my XL. I use it both with the woo and AR. 

SGH

grege345 said:

With the stone sitting that low in the fire ring doesnt it keep you from doing long cooks?

I have ran in excess of 12 hours many times with the above set up. You lose about 2 inches of usable lump space but for the majority of cooks this is insignificant. However if you are wanting maximam loading capacity, use the stone on a AR instead of the spider. The spider drops 2 inches down into the fire ring for searing first and foremost. Using it for a indirect set up is just another useful benefit. I'm sure that you can actually run much longer than 12 hours, I just haven't had the need to see just how long I could run with it. More often than not, if I'm going to do a real long cook I go with the Woo and plate setter. 

4Runner

I have gone 18 hours @ 225 with this setup.  I have an oval stone now and most likely will be going this route moving forward.   Better front to back coverage.   

SGH

4Runner said:
  I have an oval stone now and most likely will be going this route 

 I use my oval stone and AR for brisket. Pretty much use the Woo and plate setter for everything else. My 13" stone pretty much only gets used sitting on the regular grid for Stromboli. 

4Runner

Got it.  I think I figured out my confusion.  Will confirm when I get home but I believe my stone is a 13" and I was thinking it was a 14.  

thegooddocta

I use the 13 and flip the spider upside down to raise the stone just a bit higher if I want to get lump to the top of the fire ring for a very long cook

4Runner

I figured it out.  I have been using a BGE stone on the spider and thought it was 13". I just received my new stone for the spider and it was larger so I assumed it was 14".  I just measured and apparently my old stone was 12" and my new stone is 13".  I have been "missing" an inch for years now.  All good now.   Oh yea, and no wise cracks about missing an inch.   

Jeepster47

@thegooddocta ... duh ... hadn't thought of flipping the spider to legs down and using a stone.  Adding in that approach yields four different levels with a spider and stone:

1) legs up and in the fire ring grooves
2) legs up and on the fire ring flats
3) legs down and in the fire ring grooves
4) legs down and on the fire ring flats

Since the shadow that is created by the stone gets smaller as the stone is moved up, that means there are four different thermo shadow sizes available.

Or, the same shadow size with four different diameter stones.

cook861

whats an inch between bge firends

thegooddocta

Good stuff @Jeepster47 - I've only been doing options 1 and 3, but definitely see the additional opportunity now :]