Question - hot zones

Janet

When egging direct, are "hot zones" typical? When direct cooking things like chicken pieces, some pieces tend to get brown/burnt very quickly while the others barely look touched. I do try to well-distribute the hot lump, but still get these hot areas. The areas tend to be those furthest from the lower vent. Any ideas to avoid this (other than go to indirect)?

Spin

Janet,[p]Hot spots are part of charcoal cooking and not avoidable. Working with them is not hard. The grill will spin with a good grip of the tongs, and flipping/moving the pieces is all a part of creating an even cook of the entire meal.[p]Aside from going indirect, lowering the temp and lengthening the cooking time will minimize any effects of the hot spots.[p]Indirect doesn't taste as good as the directly cooked (my opinion only).[p]Spin

Nature Boy

Howdy Spin,
I totally agree. Though I cook indirect maybe half the time, I have been leaning toward direct foods lately...as a flavor thing. And it is agreed that hotspots are unavoidable. I have even been playing around with lighting 3 or 4 small fires all around the outside of my lump pile, but it seems that the fire ends up conglomerating in 1 or 2 areas...often in the center. Still have not figured out a way to avoid the hot spots, so I've been usin' them to my advantage.......utilizing the cool spots to cook the thinner pieces of meat, and the hot spots for the thick pieces. With a little attention and moving the food around, it is possible to get even and brown-sizzling-crusted results.[p]Best to you, Sue, and the whole fam-damily

Janet

Spin,
Thanks for the response - glad to know that my frequent grill turnings are normal - regardless of variations in degree of brown - the chicken pieces sure taste good![p]

djm5x9

Spin:[p]I share your opinion regarding direct cooks . . . That is what ceramic cooking with lump charcoal is all about. I know there are times when some folks have better results with indirect - for me it is brisket. Regardless, when ever possible, I try to cook direct.

Sippi

Janet,
I often place a second grill (weber with handles} on top of the ceramic BGE grill, so that I can rotate a quarter turn very quickly. When cooking whole birds or halves I raise the second grill with firebricks but use no heat barrier to result in an indirect cook. This was a suggestion made by CharWoody several months ago and has worked well for me. George

Janet

Sippi,
Thanks (and indirect thanks to C-W)for the good idea. Makes me happy to scavenge parts from my old Weber!