Max Temperature for Slow 'n Sear

[jgg85234]

I've looked around to see how hot we should be able to get a kettle + SnS up to. I've found references to "highest temperature recorded in a kettle", but I haven't found an actual number.

Anyone measured their sear temperature?

Best regards,
Jim

[Ernest]

I haven't measured while searing but I was cooking pizza one day and I got it to 650. I'm sure it gets plenty hot.
It was fun to see the stock lid thermometer max out

[David Parrish]

Is that 650 per the dome thermometer? The highest temp I've gotten on the indirect side is around 480F.

[Ernest]

David Parrish I'm guessing you used kingsford blue bag?
This was taking on the way to 600 on indirect side.

[David Parrish]

Yeah KBB. What were you burning?

[Ernest]

Kingsford competition.
I still got KBB from Labor Day sale 2 years ago, I don't touch that stuff.

[David Parrish]

KBB works much better than competition for low and slow cooks.

[Huskee]

I've only ever gotten to 418 on the indirect grate, but that was because I had chicken on and didn't want to get any higher. Never tested a max.

[jgg85234]

Did I ask the wrong question? You're responding with indirect temperatures.
My question is about the direct temperature (searing).

With an infrared, I've read 700 on the grate with the Weber charcoal trays. Just never tried it with the Slow 'n Sear.
I have a Thermoworks Tw8060, but the highest temperature probes that I have only go to 660.

Jim

[Huskee]

Ahhh, I missed the sear temperature in your question. NO clue, I don't have an infrared. Hot. That's my answer.

[jgg85234]

That's the summertime weather forecast for Phoenix.

Since I keep reading that a Kamado can get up to 800+, I just wondered.

I'd be curious for either the blue bag, the Kingsford Competition, or even mesquite lump.

Burned up the first BBQ I bought in AZ with mesquite charcoal. Made holes in the bottom of the unit. Fortunately, the BBQ was on concrete when it did it. Never burned through a Weber Kettle though.

Jim

[David Parrish]

On the Sear side temps over 1,000 are easily achievable with plain old Kingsford Blue Bag. High temp charcoal can go even higher.

[David Parrish]

My Infrared Gun reads up to 1022F then just says "Max" after that. I can easily get it to read "Max" with Kingsford Blue. What you're gonna find with the Slow 'N Sear is that the Sear zone is so friggin hot you have to flip at least every minute. I've gotten to where I flip every 45 seconds, and am thinking I may need to flip even more often. If you want less heat, that's easy, just use less charcoal or keep the fire burning less fiercely by closing the vents a bit.

[Huskee]

I think instead of "Max" it would better suit manufacturers to have the high reading say "Friggin Hot". Just my $0.02...

[jgg85234]

Now that I think about it, the reading I got on my Infrared with the Weber baskets was over 900, not 700.

I guess next time we order stuff from Thermoworks (they make a lot more than Thermapens and ThermoPops - I have customers that use their temp/humidity recording equipment), I'll have to include a 2200 degree probe, so I can clip one at the food level and see what we can really get.

This means that the Kamados don't have an advantage over the Kettle/SnS combo for high temperature searing.

Jim

[David Parrish]

Without accessories a Kamado cannot come close to the searing temps of the SnS because the charcoal is too far away from the food, which handicaps radiant heat severely. I've got a friend that bought an SnS and has a BGE. He said that the proximity of the charcoal to the meat took getting used too because it was so much hotter than what he got with his BGE.

[The Burn]

David Parrish - Can't believe you haven't tried an SnS on each side of a kettle. Might make for a great high heat rotisserie

[David Parrish]

David Parrish - Can't believe you haven't tried an SnS on each side of a kettle. Might make for a great high heat rotisserie

That's just it though, the SnS has such even heating you don't NEED the rotisserie

[Ernest]

The Burn If you look at my chicken cooks, you'll notice that I never turn them. They cook evenly throughout. A Rotiserrie setup would be a waste of space and money.

[jgg85234]

OK, I ordered the probe from Thermoworks that goes up to 2200 degrees (Fahrenheit).

Last weekend, I cooked some NY strips, potatoes and corn. Usually start with the potatoes, as they take longer.

Started the SnS with about 3/4 of a chimney of KBB, and opened all the vents to see how hot I could get it.

My Infrared, like @Pit Boss's registered over temperature (max at 1022). I figured it was reading the coals directly (well below the grate), and I was right.

Max reading I could get from the wire probe right above the grate was 805 degrees. Not quite 1000, but impressive, nonetheless.

I'll have to try with some Kingsford Competition, and some lump, but that's my current max.

When the potatoes and corn were finished, I had another chimney of KBB ready for the SnS. The reverse seared NY strips were EXCELLENT!

Best regards,
Jim

[Spinaker]

Ive had my Kamado up over 900 F. Not a good idea. Ruined the gaskets and took the seasoning right off my grate. My infrared cuts out at 914 F and thats about what she was reading at. I had to replace the gaskets and preseason the grate several times.