Heat Deflector

Dobie

Need a heat deflector for my large, must work with Woo but want iron or metal solutions. 

Broke my original one years ago and been using a pizza stone but broke it now, no more ceramic deflectors. 

Thinking cast iron. Metal deflectors what ya got? 

lousubcap

I would rethink the ceramic deflector option.  With care and feeding they will do the job and offer much less radiant heat.  I have a Woo and ceramic stone in the SBGE that has been rolling along for close to 9 years.  The LBGE lives with the platesetter and PSWoo and has 13+ years and no issues.  FWIW-

Dobie

Whats the benefit? Breaks easier and do you really need the thermal mass? I mean couldn’t a stainless drip pan work? 

jtcBoynton

Consider weight, rust, and all the postings of metal fire grates that break from the heat. 

Dobie

Ceramic is heavy and breaks too?

lousubcap

Can't answer your questions as I have only worked with ceramic deflectors but a quick search yielded the following on a cooking site:

"Price and weight aside, the biggest difference between stones and steels is in their relative conductivity. Conductive materials absorb and release energy (heat, in this case) more quickly than less-conductive ones, and steel is far more conductive than cordierite or mullite. This allows steels to pump heat into the bread far more quickly than stones do. It also means that steels absorb heat more quickly than stones, cutting down on preheating time; stones usually need a good hour of preheating before use, while steels are ready to go in as little as 30 minutes. "

It's your call and enjoy wherever you land. 

Dobie

Just trying to justify it, thermodynamic me.

Photo Egg

Amazon has some items. You could also have a local welding fab business cut you a round deflector the exact size you want. 

Lodge also makes some round cast iron pizza pans that can be used as a deflector.
several years ago I used a generic cast iron Dutch Oven lid. But the rust got the best of it in a short time.

bobroo

What is wrong with a sacrificial cast iron Lodge frying pan? 

I cut the handle off one and use it as a drip pan.

Canugghead

I'm aware of this but never used one. You can cook on it too. One user review says legs are too thin and balancing grid on it in legs up position could be challenging.

Edit: not sure if it still comes with lifetime warranty, I've seen some with broken legs.

https://smokeware.com/products/plate-setter

CGS

For any metal with a reasonable amount of carbon, you will need a between cooks, rust prevention program. Using cast iron outside is different than using it inside - inside it gets used more, thus more attention.

Reusable, rectangular/square, metal pans can twist in our round grills. Disposable aluminum pans are popular but they need some type of bottom support, grid or stone. Disposables do best up and above the fire ring. Aluminum melts around 1100°F and it is possible to melt aluminum in kamado grills. 

One of the simple answers to why ceramic deflectors break is folks don't give them ample respect. Think about how deflectors work. Bottom side, they sit directly above a hot fire and absorb/radiate heat at varying temperatures and concentrations. Top side, they absorb virtually any fluid that hits them which can, at varying degrees evaporate/steam out. 

We foil deflectors thinking that helps but it can actually hurt as it holds in moisture that seeps through the foil. All the creases and bends we put in foil when handling are suspect to leaking fluid, even with the so-called heavy-duty foil. If you use foil, cover loosely and don't foil the bottom, why chance melting it.

Ok, I know there is folks who never protect deflectors, throw them in cold, basically abuse them and had them for years. Best I can say is...consider yourself lucky.

t



   

lousubcap

All two ceramic deflectors I have (listed above) are foiled on the top and edge but when used are paired with an air-gapped drip pan.  Now likely jinxed! 

nolaegghead

You can use two round stainless pizza pans stacked together to form a double walled shield that won't radiate all the unwanted heat from a single cast iron or steel shield.

Dobie

Thanks for all the replies. Smokeware is local and have thought about their cast iron one. But just thinking why should deflecting heat need to be $90? 

Dobie

Tom if I got one of your 16 drip pans and laid it in the PS Woo how long do you think it would last? 

Dobie

nolaegghead said:

You can use two round stainless pizza pans stacked together to form a double walled shield that won't radiate all the unwanted heat from a single cast iron or steel shield.

Something like this is what I’m thinking

CGS

Dobie said:

Tom if I got one of your 16 drip pans and laid it in the PS Woo how long do you think it would last? 

With the PSWoo you need the large 3-leg spider to lift and hold a 16" deflector above the fire ring. The Large EGG's Fire ring's diameter is sub 16". You don't want to create a cap over the top of the fire ring.

Depending on how your stone broke, the 3-leg spider may hold it. We recommend using 15" or 16" diameter half stones on the spider in conjunction with the PSWoo. 

Our drip pans are stainless but I would not recommend using any pan as a primary deflector. It will get hot and anything dropping in it will burn off at a higher temperature. I am not sure it would add a positive flavor. 

On deflectors, this is one area where our large adjustable rig really outperforms the Woos, EGGspander and Joe's Divide and Conquer. On the rig you have 3 height options above the fire ring and multiple more options if using a stone/drip combo.

If you go low and slow a bunch, you almost have to consider a deflector stone as a consumable accessory. This is across all ceramic types and manufacturers. The ceramics take so much abuse, at some point, they call it quits and you'll need to replace them.

    

t

dbCooper

This paragraph from @CGS is very valuable.  For me, drippings that have vaporized on the drip pan impart nasty flavor.  I always allow a air gap between the pan and deflector.

"Our drip pans are stainless but I would not recommend using any pan as a primary deflector. It will get hot and anything dropping in it will burn off at a higher temperature. I am not sure it would add a positive flavor."

Dobie

Bought the Smokeware on sale a few weeks ago, I’m digging it. Cooked a couple steaks directly on it, nice crust but cooks faster than on the grid so overshot my temps a bit. When used legs up the raised parts on the defector surface give a small air gap for the drip pan.

Photo Egg

Glad you like it. Just make sure it doesn’t fit tight to the sides of the egg. It won’t expand and contract equally to the ceramics and could get wedged or possibly crack the ceramics. The molding process for the BGE base means each base is slightly different and it’s never going to be perfectly round.
I have 2 Small Eggs. The cast iron setter fits perfect in 1 Egg but not the other.

Dobie

Plenty of clearance 

fishlessman

wok full of sand with a pizza stone on top works extremely well at those 900 to 1200 f pizza cooks

xfire_ATX

in my large and xl I use two half stones on the PSWOO as a deflector- this is the best solution as you get direct, partial indirect and indirect.

Buckwoody Egger

Dobie would you mind posting a pic of the underside of the one Smokeware is selling?  Most of the ones online (various resellers) have that structural iron on the underside. I would like to know if it is the same depth (or shortest in the center) and therefore suitable for a level spot to place a drip pan. Thanks

Canugghead

I know @Buckwoody Egger is not asking me but thought I'd share.
I was wondering about the underside too, thinking if it's same as the topside then 50% of the drip pan will still be touching the heated cast iron. This is what I found, so no worries.

Canugghead

Is this thread sinking?

Buckwoody Egger

Thanks Canugghead. I looked but there seem to be a few versions of that cast iron deflector and thought it was worth confirming one. 

Not sure if this one is sinking or not and replying to test. If sinking, someone will have to start a new thread about the new soft grip option for the egg. 

 https://shop.biggreenegg.com/soft-grip-replacement-handle-for-large-egg/