I would like to introduce myself. My name is Scott and I'm an engineer from the Boston area. We don't have the rich history of BBQ as other regions do, but we definitely have fans here.
I joined the site to learn. I consider myself a very good cook, but I am a rookie with respect to BBQ and smoking although I have used a grill for years. I've read virtually everything on the free site and I'm 3/4 of the way through The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling. I am definitely a fan, especially of the science side. I got the science of cooking bug from watching Good Eats by Alton Brown. I love to learn techniques as much as recipes. I watch the Food Network to learn techniques and hope to learn a lot from the folks on this site.
I like this site because it answers the question why and dispels myths that frankly I have adhered to in the past.
I'm also lucky to have a Penzey's Spice store about 8 miles away, so yes, I have a lot of spices!
Right now I have two Weber gas grills, a Genesis at my residence and a Spirit Special Addition at my cottage. I've used a Thermoworks Thermapen for years and gave them as gifts to friends and family. I bought the Smoke for both grills and have begun dialing in the grill for 2-zone temperature control. I have the Weber cast iron griddle for the Spirit, which works great.
I also bought Grillgrates for the Spirit to test out and will pick up a set for the Genesis when they become available. I think the Genesis will be easy to set up for two zone including a water pan. I picked up some pellets of different woods to test on the grills from BBQ Delight.
For the Spirit, the issue I have is the the heating tubes run left to right instead of front to back. So to set up a 2-zone cooking area, I have to use the back burner on low and put the food in the front. The burners run pretty hot. I tested temperatures using the Smoke. With 3 burners on at 50%, the grill area is 490F. All three on low, 470F. With just the back burner on low, I can get it down to ~225F. But if I use a water pan, I would need to put it over the front two burners (I think). I am going to do more testing this weekend.
My question is has anyone else worked with this kind of set up? What did you do to best set up a 2-zone system?
I also want to start smoking and may buy a dedicated smoker. I'm reading all the reviews and scanning the site for member preferences. Pellet smokers are interesting for convenience, charcoal seems more versatile and cabinet types look cool too. I am leaning towards a set up that I don't have to stand over and tend all the time.
Outside of cooking, my interests are music (I play guitar and sing), golf, the beach, cycling, hiking and travel. My wife (33 years) and I like to drive back roads in find out-of-the-way places to check out.
Thanks for reading.
My avatar is my late, great beagle Skippy. Miss the little guy.
I joined the site to learn. I consider myself a very good cook, but I am a rookie with respect to BBQ and smoking although I have used a grill for years. I've read virtually everything on the free site and I'm 3/4 of the way through The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling. I am definitely a fan, especially of the science side. I got the science of cooking bug from watching Good Eats by Alton Brown. I love to learn techniques as much as recipes. I watch the Food Network to learn techniques and hope to learn a lot from the folks on this site.
I like this site because it answers the question why and dispels myths that frankly I have adhered to in the past.
I'm also lucky to have a Penzey's Spice store about 8 miles away, so yes, I have a lot of spices!
Right now I have two Weber gas grills, a Genesis at my residence and a Spirit Special Addition at my cottage. I've used a Thermoworks Thermapen for years and gave them as gifts to friends and family. I bought the Smoke for both grills and have begun dialing in the grill for 2-zone temperature control. I have the Weber cast iron griddle for the Spirit, which works great.
I also bought Grillgrates for the Spirit to test out and will pick up a set for the Genesis when they become available. I think the Genesis will be easy to set up for two zone including a water pan. I picked up some pellets of different woods to test on the grills from BBQ Delight.
For the Spirit, the issue I have is the the heating tubes run left to right instead of front to back. So to set up a 2-zone cooking area, I have to use the back burner on low and put the food in the front. The burners run pretty hot. I tested temperatures using the Smoke. With 3 burners on at 50%, the grill area is 490F. All three on low, 470F. With just the back burner on low, I can get it down to ~225F. But if I use a water pan, I would need to put it over the front two burners (I think). I am going to do more testing this weekend.
My question is has anyone else worked with this kind of set up? What did you do to best set up a 2-zone system?
I also want to start smoking and may buy a dedicated smoker. I'm reading all the reviews and scanning the site for member preferences. Pellet smokers are interesting for convenience, charcoal seems more versatile and cabinet types look cool too. I am leaning towards a set up that I don't have to stand over and tend all the time.
Outside of cooking, my interests are music (I play guitar and sing), golf, the beach, cycling, hiking and travel. My wife (33 years) and I like to drive back roads in find out-of-the-way places to check out.
Thanks for reading.
My avatar is my late, great beagle Skippy. Miss the little guy.
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