2 zone cooking variation

[Basher]

I like that cork option and will definitely be trying it. Thanks

Back on track, is there a significant temperature difference over the indirect area in a front fire to a back fire?................ Pretty sure I'm going to have to buy a 23" to find out! 

[Pequod]

32 minutes ago, Basher said:

I like that cork option and will definitely be trying it. Thanks

Back on track, is there a significant temperature difference over the indirect area in a front fire to a back fire?................ Pretty sure I'm going to have to buy a 23" to find out! 

No easy answer to that. Depends on whether you’re heat soaked (I.e., at thermal equilibrium), or have a raging bed of coals for grilling, etc. Also temperature only tells you about potential for convective heat transfer, while in two zone you’re looking for a strong contribution from infrared on one of those sides. 

Also, see this thread for two-zone in the 23 with the configuration you’re talking about: 

 

 

[Basher]

That's a great post thanks Pequod. I hadn't found this one before. I thought I had read just about every post.

BTW, Loved the Archimedes principle in play with the beer. Very clever.

While I'm handing the compliments out, Pequod your bread posts are amazing. Never realised there was so much science to such a simple( and delicious) product. I could get into the habit of trying to master this early every Sunday morning.

Edited May 30, 2019 by Basher

[Pequod]

1 hour ago, Basher said:

That's a great post thanks Pequod. I hadn't found this one before. I thought I had read just about every post.

BTW, Loved the Archimedes principle in play with the beer. Very clever.

While I'm handing the compliments out, Pequod your bread posts are amazing. Never realised there was so much science to such a simple( and delicious) product. I could get into the habit of trying to master this early every Sunday morning.

Thanks! Bread is a rabbit hole all its own. Make sure you steel yourself before diving in. Literally. You'll need lots of steel for thermal mass to generate steam! 

[alimac23]

@tony b There are some nice looking hop cones in the background of one of your pics above, what varieties are you growing?

[tony b]

That's my Cascade plant. It's about 10 years old now. It's already reached the top of its trellis (15 ft). I typically get about 2 lbs of dried cones off it every year. I rarely use all of it, as I tend to newer hop strains now. 

[Bruce Pearson]

Thanks Tony good information to know. 

[Dennis]

@Pequod Great info and I realize this is an older post but I am going to ask.  

would like to understand the current thinking of setting our KK's for indirect cooking.  I use the term current because as I peruse the forum as a new KK owner, its very easy to have missed something in a search. 

Many set-ups or pic's of indirect grilling use the cool side of the coal splitters to grill over with the deflector (foil or stone) placed above on middle grate. The coals are then on the opposite side and open, meaning nothing above, until a sear for a steak as an example.   Speaking with Dennis he suggests putting the food and deflector over the coal or hot side for a more even heat distribution.  I am doing this but have to admit it feels somewhat counter intuitive.  

Would be great to have some clarity on this subject, as many of us really like the idea of 2-zone smoking/grilling.

Thanks in advance! 

[C6Bill]

Honestly i don't think it makes much of a difference at all but if that is what Dennis suggests then I would say that would be a good place to start. It's not rocket science so I tend to not overthink it. 

[Pequod]

On 3/25/2024 at 1:48 PM, Dennis said:

@Pequod Great info and I realize this is an older post but I am going to ask.  

would like to understand the current thinking of setting our KK's for indirect cooking.  I use the term current because as I peruse the forum as a new KK owner, its very easy to have missed something in a search. 

Many set-ups or pic's of indirect grilling use the cool side of the coal splitters to grill over with the deflector (foil or stone) placed above on middle grate. The coals are then on the opposite side and open, meaning nothing above, until a sear for a steak as an example.   Speaking with Dennis he suggests putting the food and deflector over the coal or hot side for a more even heat distribution.  I am doing this but have to admit it feels somewhat counter intuitive.  

Would be great to have some clarity on this subject, as many of us really like the idea of 2-zone smoking/grilling.

Thanks in advance! 

Most of the time, if I’m doing “2-zone” in the 23, I’m fudging indirect by grilling on the main grate with a full basket below and with or without a sheet of foil on the middle grate. Then remove those grates and go low for the sear. Not a true 2-zone, but distance squared works pretty well.

8 hours ago, C6Bill said:

Honestly i don't think it makes much of a difference at all but if that is what Dennis suggests then I would say that would be a good place to start. It's not rocket science so I tend to not overthink it. 

Turns out I used to do rocket science. I wish the rocket folks would think a bit more, and the grilling folks think a bit less.

[tekobo]

On 3/29/2024 at 12:36 AM, Pequod said:

Turns out I used to do rocket science.

You couldn't resist, could you?  If I had done rocket science I would tell everyone about it too!

[Pequod]

On 3/31/2024 at 3:18 PM, tekobo said:

You couldn't resist, could you?  If I had done rocket science I would tell everyone about it too!

As I’ve been telling the young engineers I work with, you know it’s time to retire when you walk around an Air & Space museum and keep thinking, “I remember working on that…” 😳