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Cooking Grate Temps On The Kettle With The Vortex? The Answer Will Shock You!

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    Cooking Grate Temps On The Kettle With The Vortex? The Answer Will Shock You!

    I don’t know where I got that tagline from…🙄 Anywho, today efincoop posted he was gonna use his new vortex for a chicken cook tonight and was asking for a few suggestions. As I participated in the post I realized that I don’t remember anyone posting about what the cooking grate temps were when using the Vortex. If anyone has, I don’t remember. It got me to wondering what the answer was. I knew what the temps were at the top of the vortex above the coals, which was almost 1000*.
    I used my ThermoWorks grate probe to find out. I first tested it again for accuracy. In boiling water it measured 211.2 Close enough. I lit a full chimney of KBB. When most of the coals were all ashed over I dumped them in the Vortex. Before placing my 6 chicken wings on the grill, I let the SNS Kettle heat up with the lid on and a mesquite chunk in the coals. It got up to 456* with both top and bottom vents wide open.
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    After I placed my wings on the grill and put the lid back on, it rose to 435* and then dropped a little to around 425*. where it stayed close to that for the duration of the cook.
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    ​
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    In a nutshell here’s what to expect when using the Vortex with a kettle grill. After achieving high temps around 455* or so, after adding your food, I’d expect the temps to drop to around 425* or so at the outer edges of the kettle cooking grate. This is where I placed my grate probe.

    Click image for larger version  Name:	6BF02F75-5434-4000-B97A-34A922C628DF.jpeg Views:	0 Size:	4.18 MB ID:	1201748

    Anyone else here tested the temps? I’d be curious to know what you found.
    Last edited by Panhead John; April 6, 2022, 05:02 AM.

    #2
    Oh, so now I see where the Coors Light, PBR, Miller whatever argument stems from. 🕶

    Comment


      #3
      I have never tested the grate temp, but the weber bi-metal thermo in the lid can go over 500°. When that happens, I shut the top vent down a bit. I guess I should try a grate probe the next time I cook wings...

      Comment


      • Panhead John
        Panhead John commented
        Editing a comment
        It seems to me that all the hottest air is going to go to the top of the kettle and out the vent. That’s probably where you’ll always get the highest temps, at the dome thermometer. I had never done grate probes before when using the vortex.
        Last edited by Panhead John; April 6, 2022, 03:09 AM.

      #4
      I don’t have a vortex, and I’ve never done the "at the charcoal" test …. But on my Hasty-Bake, with grill grates in place, and lump charcoal burning white hot, with fire basket all the way up to the grates …. My grill grates run about 950F per my IR therm. That is steak house level fire right there!

      Comment


        #5
        I’ve never checked the grate temps but if I just crack the lid a little I get WELL over the 600 degree mark on the lid thermometer. It actually will bury the needle at bottom dead center. So I’ll assume my grate temp is at close to 500F?

        Comment


        • Panhead John
          Panhead John commented
          Editing a comment
          I had temps hover around 425 or so after food is on the grill and settled in.
          Last edited by Panhead John; April 6, 2022, 04:58 AM.

        • Joey877
          Joey877 commented
          Editing a comment
          I've done the same. With both vents wide open and the vortex at capacity, my temp wasn't quite redlined. When I crack the lid, though, the needle goes as far as it can.

        • Dadof3Illinois
          Dadof3Illinois commented
          Editing a comment
          Panhead John That was even loaded up with wings and using and full chimney of KBB

        #6
        Never checked the temp of a Vortex.....too windy. Did this reply shock you?

        Comment


        • 58limited
          58limited commented
          Editing a comment
          It blew me away...

        #7
        I think I’m sorta, kinda with JB, mebbe. I don’t give a rip what the temp is at the grate, a 1/4” above the grate, below the grate or near the dingle arm.
        Last edited by FireMan; April 5, 2022, 09:50 PM.

        Comment


        • Panhead John
          Panhead John commented
          Editing a comment
          Temps at the dingle arm are normally lower than grate temps……🤓

        #8
        My fireboard was showing around 400 at the grate with everything wide open, I don't have a dome temp gauge but it was not fun pulling the lid off! Full vortex with KBB

        Comment


          #9
          Click image for larger version

Name:	EEEDACF1-A92E-4FEC-80DE-B85076BA4A36.jpeg
Views:	207
Size:	139.5 KB
ID:	1201866 Didn’t do grate temps but saw this the last time. On its way around again.

          Comment


            #10
            Big shout out to Panhead John and everyone else me along on my first Vortex cook. Since it was my first cook with the Vortex I wanted to learn as much as i could for future cooks so I connected my Thermoworks grate probe during my cook. Similar to John I saw temps at the grate between 411° on the low side (right after I added the chicken ) to 429° once I was into the cook. The dome temp is hot enough to make the lid handle too hot to grab without gloves.

            Comment


            • Panhead John
              Panhead John commented
              Editing a comment
              Thanks for the feedback on temps….glad your cook turned out good!

            #11
            That is a helpful picture to illustrate everything.

            Comment

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