Seeking opinions on the CGS Spider for hanging grates

[KimberlyO]

Non-eggers probablly have a similar device; it hangs the grate low in the base closer to the fire. I have recently been introduced to reverse-searing and am very intereted in getting this. I am wondering what other peope have experienced with having one (or others like it).

I too hope more people use this forum, I for one would learn a lot from it.

 

[gmc2003]

Sorry I've never used them, but there are a few eggheads on site that should be able to help you out.

 

[dr k]

I bring the fire up to the cooking grate to not lose cooking area vs a smaller cooking grate down to the original charcoal grate. I can't find a pic but 3 or so inches below the top 21" cooking grate in my Akorn are three brackets to hold the Akorn smoking/pizza stone. There's a hack to get a 17" charcoal grate for a 22" Weber kettle that fits perfectly on it for a 15" pizza stone for indirect cooking. I put the pizza stone on the cooking top grate fot pizzas. This lower 17" grate is also a charcoal grate for steaks/chops etc. You can measure the tapering diameter down to where your original coal grate is and find 9, 11, 13 ,15, and 17" charcoal grates at Home Depot, Menards etc where I got mine that fits where it stops in your lower tapered diameter. I found this pic with the grey ash on the bottom stock grate, then the 17" grate above it, then the cooking grate then the elevated cooking grate.

 

[KimberlyO]

I bring the fire up to the cooking grate to not lose cooking area vs a smaller cooking grate down to the original charcoal grate. I can't find a pic but 3 or so inches below the top 21" cooking grate in my Akorn are three brackets to hold the Akorn smoking/pizza stone. There's a hack to get a 17" charcoal grate for a 22" Weber kettle that fits perfectly on it for a 15" pizza stone for indirect cooking. I put the pizza stone on the cooking top grate fot pizzas. This lower 17" grate is also a charcoal grate for steaks/chops etc. You can measure the tapering diameter down to where your original coal grate is and find 9, 11, 13 ,15, and 17" charcoal grates at Home Depot, Menards etc where I got mine that fits where it stops in your lower tapered diameter. I found this pic with the grey ash on the bottom stock grate, then the 17" grate above it, then the cooking grate then the elevated cooking grate.
View attachment 661237

There is a place to put a grate a few inches below the 'food' grate. That would work well for cooking close to the fire in general. Thank you. I am wondering, though, how that would work for reverse searing. I would already have a fire going in the bottom of the base for smoking and would be bringing that fire up to searing temp quickly to sear quickly. Starting a new fire may be too time consuming. I may be misunderstanding, though...

 

[dr k]

There is a place to put a grate a few inches below the 'food' grate. That would work well for cooking close to the fire in general. Thank you. I am wondering, though, how that would work for reverse searing. I would already have a fire going in the bottom of the base for smoking and would be bringing that fire up to searing temp quickly to sear quickly. Starting a new fire may be too time consuming. I may be misunderstanding, though...

If doing steaks I start the fire on the upper coal grate not the bottom with the fire close to the wall , then put on the cooking grate and put the steaks on the opposite side of the fire by that wall away from the fire. When ready to sear it goes directly over the coals 3" below the steak. You can make smaller fires up higher since the dome lid directs heat to the opposite side with this off set fire and you can put the steaks not exactly opposite the fire in a center line through the middle of the smoker so not as hot to reverse sear. These insulated kamados with dome lids get heat all across the grate if the fire is in the middle and you'll have to work with this dynamic and start cooking off center before all the coals are lit for a lower temp before searing or make a smaller fire for a lower reverse sear for even cooking. I do this for thick steaks and frequently flip before searing. So med rare from sear to sear and no over cooked layers under the sear and letting out heat or keeping lid open and flip, after 1.5 min spin 180° after 1.5 min,flip, then spin and flip. Every 1.5 min flipping or spinning till 15° below finished temp, then sear.

 

[thirdeye]

I think your idea is workable, you may opt for a smaller grate to sit atop the spider depending on how low you want to go. I use my spider to hold my wok. HERE is a link that shows the many uses for a spider, and one photo shows a 14.5" grate, and the comment at the bottom of the page suggests a 13" CI grate, which I believe is the one for a Small Egg.

I knew Tom from the original BGE forum, when he first started experimenting with all of his designs, and was a field tester for some early designs.

 

[KimberlyO]

If doing steaks I start the fire on the upper coal grate not the bottom with the fire close to the wall , then put on the cooking grate and put the steaks on the opposite side of the fire by that wall away from the fire. When ready to sear it goes directly over the coals 3" below the steak. You can make smaller fires up higher since the dome lid directs heat to the opposite side with this off set fire and you can put the steaks not exactly opposite the fire in a center line through the middle of the smoker so not as hot to reverse sear. These insulated kamados with dome lids get heat all across the grate if the fire is in the middle and you'll have to work with this dynamic and start cooking off center before all the coals are lit for a lower temp before searing or make a smaller fire for a lower reverse sear for even cooking. I do this for thick steaks and frequently flip before searing. So med rare from sear to sear and no over cooked layers under the sear and letting out heat or keeping lid open and flip, after 1.5 min spin 180° after 1.5 min,flip, then spin and flip. Every 1.5 min flipping or spinning till 15° below finished temp, then sear.

Thank you for your info and the specifics instructions; I can see I have some experimenting in my future! I had not thought of this approach. THANK YOU! I will probably have questions again later!

 

[KimberlyO]

I think your idea is workable, you may opt for a smaller grate to sit atop the spider depending on how low you want to go. I use my spider to hold my wok. HERE is a link that shows the many uses for a spider, and one photo shows a 14.5" grate, and the comment at the bottom of the page suggests a 13" CI grate, which I believe is the one for a Small Egg.

I knew Tom from the original BGE forum, when he first started experimenting with all of his designs, and was a field tester for some early designs.

Thanks, thirdeye, it was on another site that I heard of the spider and was hoping to hear from folks who have used it (or something like it) and if it has worked for them. Hearing other methods people have used to achieve same goals has been helpful too. Thanks for your help.