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Plate Setter, Legs up or down, and WHY ?

jbstack
jbstack Posts: 13
edited October 2012 in EggHead Forum
OK, newbie here, well compared to most of you guys and gals.  A few months and love it as expected.

My question, the plate setter is it intended to be uses Legs up, or Legs down?  Or does it matter?  I have read entries about blowing out gaskets if used legs down. But seems like only in higher temps, correct?  So what is the answer, or is it simply personnel preference?  Or is there a tried and true, down for this, and up for that.

Thanks so much,

Charlie Stackole

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Comments

  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200

    I go legs up for low and slow. Allows you to put a drip pan underneath your brisket/butt/turkey etc.

    I go legs down for higher temps like pizza or when I'm going to bake something (cakes, cookies, pies, bread)

    Of coarse, I blew my gasket along time ago. Eventually you will too no matter what you do.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

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  • tyenic1
    tyenic1 Posts: 150
    As a general rule of thumb anything your smoking low and slow you go legs up. Anything your baking legs down and as far as very high temp cooks like pizza you will probably get a 50/50 response, I still go legs down with pizza and my gasket is still going strong. This is strictly my opinion and sure you will get some more responses. Hope it helps.
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,109
    There's no right or wrong way. 

    True, at high temps it deflects heat toward the gasket when legs down.  That can accelerate the demise of your gasket.

    The plate setter does two primary things - gives you a shadow (or shield) from the direct heat (infrared radiation) coming from the burning coals, basically allowing you to bake or roast. 

    Second, it give you a raised structure that moves the food higher up in to the dome.  Many people, myself included, stack grates, bricks, drip pans, baking stones, salt blocks, roasting racks, etc, on the plate setter to configure our cooking setup.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • tgkleman
    tgkleman Posts: 216
    Legs Up for a low and slow for all the above reasons + a place to put the drip pan.
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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,523
    tyenic1 said:
    As a general rule of thumb anything your smoking low and slow you go legs up. Anything your baking legs down and as far as very high temp cooks like pizza you will probably get a 50/50 response, I still go legs down with pizza and my gasket is still going strong. This is strictly my opinion and sure you will get some more responses. Hope it helps.
    +1, could not have said it better. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • MO_Eggin
    MO_Eggin Posts: 284
    Legs up all the time.  Reduces that lovely gasket burning smell. 
    LBGE - St. Louis, MO; MM & LBGE - around 8100' somewhere in the CO Front Range
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  • Fred19Flintstone
    Fred19Flintstone Posts: 8,173
    MO_Eggin said:
    Legs up all the time.  Reduces that lovely gasket burning smell. 
    +1
    Flint, Michigan
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  • cortguitarman
    cortguitarman Posts: 2,061
    I've switched to legs up for pizza cooks. After the 3rd gasket in a year, I thought I'd make a change. No noticeable difference.
    Mark Annville, PA
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 34,199
    There was a post very much related not long ago where it was commented about "legs up and women".  No arguments here :)>-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • Buzilo
    Buzilo Posts: 185
    I bought my egg 3 months ago and have cooked a whole bunch of pizza's. Recently my egg developed a HUGE underbite. It was so bad that 75% of my gasket looked cooked. I called big green egg and they explained that if you cook with legs down all the heat is near the gasket/bands therefore, expect your metal parts to bend and shift. Going forward, I am only cooking with legs up. Not worth the wear and tear and having to adjust the egg every so on. I don't think it makes a huge difference in terms of cooking but I might be wrong. Hope this helps.  
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  • Grillmagic
    Grillmagic Posts: 1,600

    I'm a Legs up guy, but that's also what I know from past cooks. I think there is a learning curve and I am comfortable with this method for my cooks.


    Charlotte, Michigan XL BGE
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  • mahenryak
    mahenryak Posts: 1,324
    @Buzilo FWIW you may want to consider contacting @RRP if you want to purchase a highly recommended replacement gasket -- Rutland.  A number of us in here have this gasket in service in our Eggs now.
    LG BGE, KJ Jr, Smokin Bros. Premier 36 and Pizza Party Bollore



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  • Buzilo
    Buzilo Posts: 185
    + 1 on the Rutland Gasket. I just ordered it and received it. 
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,083
    Buzilo said:
    + 1 on the Rutland Gasket. I just ordered it and received it. 
    And I thank you, Arie!
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  • EGGjlmh
    EGGjlmh Posts: 822
    Buzilo said:
    + 1 on the Rutland Gasket. I just ordered it and received it. 

    Received mine this week from him as well, he is FAST. 

    1MBGE 2006, 1LBGE 2010, 1 Mini Max, Fathers Day 2015

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  • Buzilo
    Buzilo Posts: 185
    Fast and helpfull. Thanks for taking the time to help everyone Ron. If you were local I would have you over for a bruski!
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  • Zmokin
    Zmokin Posts: 1,938
    Legs up, not sure how or why I would want to use it legs down
    Large BGE in a Sole' Gourmet Table
    Using the Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter,
     and a BBQ Guru temp controller.

    Medium BGE in custom modified off-road nest.
    Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter, and a Party-Q temp controller.

    Location: somewhere West of the Mason-Dixon Line
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,083
    Zmokin said:
    Legs up, not sure how or why I would want to use it legs down
    Sometimes when I'm baking a cake I put the legs down. That raises the cake higher in the dome.
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,083
    edited March 2015
    RRP said:
    Sometimes when I'm baking a cake I put the legs down. That raises the cake higher in the dome.
    Just to be more specific - when I bake this two layer carrot cake it obviously means 2 cakes and in the past when I have baked it with feet up the bottoms of my cakes would burn. With legs down that doesn't happen. OTOH If I'm baking a cake using a bundt pan then legs are up. Otherwise the dome thermometer rests in the cake batter!



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  • rclaz
    rclaz Posts: 16
    i have read everybody's comments (I appreciate these comments) regarding plate setter orientation. I assume 350 degrees that i plan to cook the 20lb turkey in BGE XL is not considered high temperature, so i am still confused regarding the orientation.
    Richard - Scottsdale, AZ
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