Greetings Brothers and Sisters of AR: Although i searched the subject, did not locate any reference and sorry if i missed an earlier post. Am looking for experience/advice for setting up a vortex inside my standard size PBC for higher chicken cook temps (approx 425-450), please. (Yes, i have tried removing the rods, but am still not getting temps that high.) Am pretty sure a vortex setup requires a grate on which to rest for air circ, and i have experimented reasonably well--the final product was great; but am not entirely happy with temporary mod and some of the clean up issues. Many thanks for considering; would be most grateful for your thoughts.
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Last edited by John Henry; February 19, 2024, 12:41 PM. Reason: Add'l lnfo: Am running B&B Briquettes. Thanks to all. -
I run a vortex in my SnS kettle.
I've NOT run one in my PBC.
When I wanted higher temps in the PBC, I stood a cinder block, long ways, in the bottom to raise the charcoal basket.
If you go this route, make sure you have REALLY good gloves.
IF I were going to try this..... I'd set two grates, rotated 90 degress from each other, to hold the charcoal up. set the vortex and coals on that. Have a third grate above the vortex level. I'd also open all the vents on the PBC.
Of course, my PBC has extra vents. So, maybe cracking the lid, and opening the bottom hole is enough.-
In order for this to be effective you do need to get the basket closer to your cooking grate. Any type of concrete block or conduit will work. It’s going to be tricky getting the vortex to fit in the basket, I’m not sure it will fit under the handle. Instead i recommend getting a no 10 can and snipping the sides so you can put it in the center of your basket. For other cooks this will allow you to dump lit coals in the center of your basket which was a game changer for me with the PBC. 🔥🔥🐿️Last edited by MsTwiggy; February 19, 2024, 05:08 PM.
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What charcoal are you using? I ran 450 and it is more than just removing rods. Haven't used the Vortex is years but I'm pretty sure it is much smaller than the charcoal basket in a PBC.Comment
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Did you try lump charcoal? It seems to run hotter.
Also remove rods and crack the lid.Comment
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Airflow (or the lack thereof) is a likely culprit in addition to your choice of fuel. A few years ago I pulled together a lot of info about just how best to set the bottom vent based on your elevation ... in a bit more detail than the PBC folks provided at the time.
If you'd like to share your vent setting and your PBC's elevation, I'd be happy to check and see it seems optimal ... assuming I can find all those old docs and spreadsheets, of course.Comment
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You need to overload the basket with the B&B, leave the bars out and leave the lid off to get it all HOT. Then you'll need to crack the lid during the cook.Comment
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John Henry - Just checked the vent opening calculator that I developed and it recommends 37% (about 3/8) open:
Which should look about like this:
Might be worth cracking it open just a bit more.
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The reason I ask is once I removed the rebar and/or crack the lid, the vent opening was moot. -
Many thanks, MB. Your research is amazing and can't wait to give this a try. Truly appreciate your kind help, sir. -
That's very cool.
Just for reference, I found that the setting for near sea level, has the same area as the opening in the attachment for the Pit Viper fan.
When I was overly concerned about running lower temps, I installed the pit viper / fireboard, but not putting the fan in the port, was the same as factory setting.
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I'd have to assume you'd lose the benefit of the vortex by being so far from the cooking area.
I know you said you removed the rebars but have you also opened the bottom vent more than normal for higher temp cooks? The second any air gets in my PBC the coals light like crazy and the temp jumps. if you either prop the lid using a stick or open the bottom vents more, I would think that should give you sufficient airflow to get up to those temps. The other idea would be to get the coal basket closer to the grate/rods using bricks or cinderblocks.Comment
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I in the camp of saying that the Vortex probably isn't a great fit in the PBC, just due to the design and height. Work on making the fire hotter as everyone suggests above, with possibly lump charcoal or with a bigger vent opening...Comment
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