What is your favorite indirect setup?

ATLJack

I've been thinking about indirect setups lately.  Its been a long time since I have read up on the subject and am curios as to what everyone's favorite setup is.  The following are some random thoughts and questions I have.

I have a CGW spider and 13" stone in my large egg, I also sometimes use the plate setter.  Both have relatively large gaps on the perimeter for air to escape the firebox and circulate.  This reduces the useable grid space and has me wondering if it is the best option.  I also am concerned that the spider sets the deflector stone too low in the fire box and too far away from the cooking grid.  It seems logical to me that the deflector should be closer to the meat, but I dont know if that is correct or not.

If you look at the KJ sloroller there is relatively little space between the deflector and the base.  I assume the small gap increases the velocity of the hot air and forces it to circulate like a convection oven.  Is this a better indirect setup?  KJ seems to think so.

Would it better for me be to flip the spider, so that the stone is above the fire ring, and use a larger stone (maybe 15") thereby creating a smaller gap between the firebox and deflector and then using a woo/pswoo/adjustable rig to raise the cooking grate? (i have an adjustable rig)

Is there any consensus as to the ideal distance between the deflector and the heat source or the deflector and the cooking grid?

What is your favorite setup?

Thatgrimguy

Ceramic grill store setups on every egg I have ever owned.

buzd504

I also use the spider and stone in my large, and usually cook on a raised grid.  I think center mass of the meat equidistant from the top and deflector works well (as long as the meat isn't so big as to scorch from the reflective heat of the lid.

But also, it depends what I'm cooking and my mood and how lazy I am and a bunch of other completely irrelevant factors.  If I'm cooking something that has a shadow over direct fire, I just use some foil or a drip pan to block it.

fishlessman

i like the spider hanging the stone lower, seems to work the best for me. have used bigger stones like a 15.5 diameter and what it does is cause a bigger fire below the stone with more heat reflecting downward, i dont think thats good for the base. iv literally seen a 1000 degree fire with a dome temp of 190 with big cooks with a big stone

bobroo

On my medium: A legs up plate setter with a 12'" Lodge frying pay with most the handle sawn off as a drip pan. Standard Egg grate sits right at the felt line. 

RyanStl

Platesetter legs up, spider legs up, drip pan, and then standard grate.

4TheGrillOfIt

I have the spider for the large along with the PSWoo.  I usually flip the spider up if I’m doing a half-moon stone and bank the coals toward the open side.  However for this type of half moon indirect cooking I much prefer the Eggspander setup I use on the XL.  

Most often if I need direct and indirect like on a reverse seared steak I use the Conveggtor in the PSWoo for indirect and just take the whole thing out and crank up the heat for direct.  

RRP

Echoing @bobroo here...hard to beat the simplicity of your plate setter with legs up with grate on top!

lousubcap

LBGE - PSWoo and platesetter.  SBGE- woo and stone.  

Langner91

I prefer the platesetter in the BGE Eggspander basket.  My new style bands do not allow for the use of "the claw" to extract the hot plate setter if needed.  The basket allows for easy removal should I need to remove it.

bbracey21

LBGE - PSWoo, 16” stainless drip pan and platesetter. MMBGE - PSWoo, 10” stainless drip pan & 10” round ceramic stone. All except platesetter compliments of CGS.

TrippleRipple

LBGE- CGS PSWoo, plate setter inserted legs up. 12" CI pan with the handle cut off.

RRP

RRP said:

Echoing @bobroo here...hard to beat the simplicity of your plate setter with legs up with grate on top!

Oooops - I forgot to add - I'm in the group who covers my PS with aluminum foil when I'm using it for indirect so as to make clean up easier.

WeberWho

Ceramic Grill Store Spider and Stone in my Large and Small. 

Slkegger

Xl, anything 350f and under, eggspander with 2 half moon deflectors -21ish inches coverage with 18inch drip pan. Over 350f or when I'm lazy, k-ash basket with divider half way, half moon cast iron planchet on bottom of expander over the coals with half grate other side, middle grate and upper sliding eggspander grate. This gives a full 24 inches on the main grid at felt line indirect and the full 18 on upper grid. Upper grid is same temp as dome thermo and lower can be 20-30f cooler. After two hour the cast plancha side drops to about 20-30f below dome also but at 450f dome, everything in the egg is still above 400f. I have done 30+ chicken legs at the same time,  450f, crispy skin, no brine or prep. If it's not a fast cook like legs, eg. Turkey thighs you have to watch you don't get too much grease on the cast iron side deflector. At 450f+ it gives a bad smell when it starts to burn.

danhoo

PS woo, platesetter legs up. 16 inch SS pan covered in foil on top of the platesetter. Standard grate.

Edit: large BGE

dmourati

On this point:

ATLJack said:

I also am concerned that the spider sets the deflector stone too low in the fire box and too far away from the cooking grid.  It seems logical to me that the deflector should be closer to the meat, but I dont know if that is correct or not.

You can change the height of the stone by flipping the spider over.

EDIT: you said the same thing.

abpgwolf

XL BGE - Woo and a stone with a deep dish pizza dish from the local restaurant supply store and a few plumbing Ts for a thermal break between the pan and the stone