middle vs side indirect cook gasser

[Hugh]

Meathead recommends using the side when indirect cooking with three burners. I'm using a Genisis II 320 with 3 burners running front to back, so I would light the left and the middle for example and cook indirect over the right.

Are there times when it is better to cook indirect in the middle with the two outside burners on?

I'm cooking chicken tomorrow so will need two burners on to maintain 325 degrees. I'm not going to smoke them.

Previously when I cooked on the side I noticed quite a difference in the pit temp on either side of the meat. I had to rotate the meat to get an even cook side to side.

I'm curious to know what I'm giving up to go back to cooking indirect in the middle? I'll get a more even cook. I don't see there being a big cooking area difference. I don't understand the benefit of cooking on the side??

Thanks, Hugh

[FlaBouy]

My gasser is a 5 burner and I have baffle plates down low I can move between the burners to isolate the indirect zone. If I do anything other than sear, I run the outer most left and right burners on low with baffling that leaves me three burner widths indirect and in my opinion it cooks more even. I also tossed my stock 1/2 pound regulator and installed a 0-20 psi regulator with pressure gauge that I typically set at about 2 psi for low burns. If you think about the SNS in the kettle, they isolate the indirect chamber with a wall of water. I do the same with the baffles and place my water pan beneath the middle zones and infuse my smoke with my Smoke Daddy in this area. It works for my rig but like most things, it is trial and error for your style of cook and equipment. I hope this helps...

[Hugh]

Yah I kind of wish I had gotten the 4 burner gasser now instead of the 3. Oh well.

Tell me about the baffles. Are they somthing that came with the bbq or somthing you picked up?