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Indirect cooking

Cory430
Cory430 Posts: 1,073
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
What is the best way to go about cooking indirectly if you dont have a plate setter. I cannot afford to buy a plate setter at the moment. I do however have 2 grates. I have put one grate between the fire ring and the box with a pan full of water, but was curious if there might be a better way.
Thanks,
Cory

Comments

  • ThrRoff
    ThrRoff Posts: 169
    Interesting question. I think that a pan filled with sand would work much better than water. You need something to block the heat and distribute it. It seems water would boil away too quickly to do much good. How about some fire bricks arranged on the lower grate?

    I am sure other will chime in.
  • Cory430
    Cory430 Posts: 1,073
    Hmmm...I hadn't thought about the sand. I have thought about the bricks and was curious if anyone had used them and how it worked. Also, yes, the water does evaporate very quickly.
  • ThrRoff
    ThrRoff Posts: 169
    If you use bricks, be sure to use fire bricks.
  • Cory430
    Cory430 Posts: 1,073
    Please pardon my ignorance, but what is the difference between fire bricks and any other bricks?
    Thanks,
    Cory
  • Hey Cory sorry for jumping in like this. Take a look at the link #44 should answer your question.

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm
  • Cory430
    Cory430 Posts: 1,073
    Mike,
    Thanks for the info. I should have known that the Whiz would have a good dissertation on the qualities of the fire bricks.

    Without the plate setter, is this still the best way to go indirect?

    Thanks,
    Cory
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Cory,

    There are a lot of different ways to cook indirect. From what I understand there are two goals. Keep the direct reflecting heat off of the item being cooked and keep the flames from reaching the food.

    I have used a heavy 15" x 1" deep pizza pan (walmart 3 to 6 bucks) to cook indirect. I am going to get a 16" also. I line the bottom with tinfoil - shiney side toward the lump. No water, no sand, just the pan.

    I have cooked ham, butt, spatchcock chicken, chicken parts, chicken leggs, turkey leggs, baked patatoes, corn all using that pizza pan as a barrier. All turned out well.

    I also use the plate setter (not so much now) inverted with that same pizza pan as a drip pan on the plate setter. I have 4 - 1/4" copper el's to keep some air space between the plate setter and drip pan.

    I also have a (tvj) spider which I use inverted and the pizza pan and then the grid.

    The fire bricks are a great idea and work well. If you want to keep them clean wrap them in tinfoil.

    As said above sand would work, lava stones in a pan would work - almost anything that will not melt or burn.

    For me the pan alone works well. Liquid in the pan will evaporate most of the time.

    A pizza stone would also work (about the same price as a plate setter).

    I use a raised grid and cook chicken, direct. That works great too.

    Don't be afraid to use your egg and try different things. When you are testing use something cheap (chicken for example).

    Your egg is a very efficient heat source, it is not mystical and cooks do not have to be exact. The only thing I ruined on the egg was when I wasn't checking the food temps.

    Get cooking and let us all know how things turn out.

    Kent
  • Cory430
    Cory430 Posts: 1,073
    Thanks for all the ideas. I will be testing some of them on Monday and will be sure to let ya'll know how it turns out. I got a 6lb butt that HAS to be cooked before Tues. and am intent on not turning it into a 4lb piece of charcoal. My cooks have come out pretty good so far but I have had to raise the lid and turn things far to often. The aluminum water pan worked great until I got a little lazy and let the water boil away. The fire quickly burnt a hole in the pan and jumped WAY up in temp getting one of my racks of ribs a bit too charred for my taste. I don't think that I will have the time to hunt down the fire bricks before Monday, but I should be able to slide by wally world and grab one of those pizza pans.
    Again, thanks so much for ya'lls help,
    Cory

    Of course, in all this testing, I will have spent more than the plate setter cost in the first place :laugh:
  • RNLV
    RNLV Posts: 42
    Stop by a wood stove store or fireplace shop for fire brick. Experimenting and finding what works for you is
    half the fun.
    Ron
  • Broc
    Broc Posts: 1,398
    Sometimes I use a water/juice/cola [whatever!] filled pan deliberately in my indirect setups... in order to keep high levels of moisture within the Egg... Don't ditch this concept altogether.

    But, especially when your food is dripping fats into the [water], keep replenishing the water. I have a garden sprinker with the diffuser taken off, which makes adding [water] easy. I heat the [water] to near boiling before I add it to the cook, so that the aded water doesn't cook the cook down so much.

    ~ Best Wishes!

    ~ Broc
  • 2EggTim
    2EggTim Posts: 170
    If you have a small egg then Chubby's grate Mates are the ticket.

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/productreviews/gratemates/gratemates.htm
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,674
    ive been egging for 7 or 8 years, you want fire brick splits, make sure to ask for splits. they can be used for inderects, and two on edge will lft the grill for raised grill cooks. a pizza stone also works well as a barrier
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Cory430
    Cory430 Posts: 1,073
    Thanks for all the advice everybody. I will use the pan for monday's cook and then grab the fire bricks sometime next week. I will keep ya'll informed about my progress.
    Thanks again,
    Cory