OK, on many occassions I want to cook low and slow (say 225F) for meat whether a steak or IN THIS CASE a crown pork roast and then crank it up to as high as I ca achieve and crisp the exterior/sear over grill grates.
Method 1. Leave the diffuser in the whole time. Cook low and slow with handle all the way out (Ok, maybe 80%) to 5 degrees below desired internal. Remove from heat,(POINT A) push the handle in and crank to highest heat with diffuser in. Put the meat back on the left side above grill grates and above diffuser.
Method 2. Risk life and limb by removing the extremely hot diffuser at POINT A above and continue with diffuser out. Seems flat out dangerous but effective.
Method 3. Just cook without diffuser. I dont care for this idea at all.
So far I do Method 1. Occasionally I just do a sear over the gas grill or above coals on an old weber. Tried various ways.
Check out the best BBQ music ever at "Removed by Moderator"
I reverse sear using my gasser equipped with Grill Grates. It is the simplest way to get the desired effect without all the other hassles you mentioned above.
2 - YS640 Silver Competition Carts
Well, let me first say I never did a reverse sear on the YS640, I use the YS1500 for that now. 
However, I have done a reverse sear MANY times on a ceramic, kamado style cooker. What I do with them is cook at 225* until I'm within about 10* of my desired final IT, then I use a really good, heavy duty set of welding gloves and remove the ceramic heat diffuser. It's basically what you are suggesting in option two. The secrets to that are: make sure your gloves are really good (not all high heat gloves are the same, don't ask me how I know) and move very quickly and have the resting place for the diffuser close by. Now, I'm not saying go ahead and do this, this is very much a proceed at your own risk sort of deal, but I would be willing to try it personally since I have done it with my ceramic cooker.
nucornhusker wrote:Well, let me first say I never did a reverse sear on the YS640, I use the YS1500 for that now.
Good gloves or no I think I would involve a pair of pliers or two for that heavy diffuser plate!
Check out the best BBQ music ever at "Removed by Moderator"
This is easy, I do it all the time. Cooker is set up with all the lower grates out and the 3 grill grates installed on the RIGHT (chimney) side, and upper grate in. I use 200 to 225 to smoke, and put what I am cooking on the upper grate until the internal temperature is at my target temp. I then remove what I am cooking and loosely tent with foil. I crank up the temp on the cooker to 350 to 375 and slide the grill grates to the LEFT (hopper) side. When the cooker hits my set temp (about 15 minutes) I spray the grill grates with some high heat oil (canola) and start the searing process. I never move the sliding damper, it always stays at about 6" from fully pulled out.
Using an infrared laser thermometer, the grill grates will be over 450 with the diffuser in and the cooker temperature set at 350, and almost 500 with the cooker set at 375.
Yoder_Herb wrote:This is easy, I do it all the time. Cooker is set up with all the lower grates out and the 3 grill grates installed on the RIGHT (chimney) side, and upper grate in. I use 200 to 225 to smoke, and put what I am cooking on the upper grate until the internal temperature is at my target temp. I then remove what I am cooking and loosely tent with foil. I crank up the temp on the cooker to 350 to 375 and slide the grill grates to the LEFT (hopper) side. When the cooker hits my set temp (about 15 minutes) I spray the grill grates with some high heat oil (canola) and start the searing process. I never move the sliding damper, it always stays at about 6" from fully pulled out.
Using an infrared laser thermometer, the grill grates will be over 450 with the diffuser in and the cooker temperature set at 350, and almost 500 with the cooker set at 375.
Let me get this right... DIffuser in the whole time, smoke on the upper grate....Trouble is for my crown roast the bottom to top of bones is 6" and there is only about 5" clearance on the top shelf. I think I can just set the grill grates on the left and cook at 225F on the bars --take it out and crank it up.
Or is there yet a better idea for tall items? Enquiring minds want to know!
Thanks for the input by the way... I will try my steaks that way as well.
Check out the best BBQ music ever at "Removed by Moderator"
The important thing to take away from this, is that the cooker will not perform correctly for low and slow with the grill grates on the left (hopper) side, as they block the airflow to the thermocouple, and, the cooking temperature above the grill grates is higher than the set temperature of the cooker.
I have used the process I outlined for 2 years, with excellent results. I am sure that you will find an acceptable solution to your cooking task that will give you the results that you are wanting.
EDIT: Oops, forgot about the diffuser...yes, the diffuser is always in the cooker with my process. The diffuser can be left in the cooker to 400 degrees, and should be removed above 400 degrees, and grill grates installed, or it may be damaged (warp).
OK, great! That explains it. I will NOT put the grill grates in while low and slow and just use them on the sear....I hadn't picked up on that bit about blocking the flow to the thermocouple.... SO my plan is to cook on the bars to an internal of 135, remove and tent lightly, put the grill grates on the left and crank to 400, then sear/brown on LHS.
I had inadvertently been doing this for steaks anyway as I usually have so many I cover the whole surface area
Old dogs, new tricks. Gracias
Check out the best BBQ music ever at "Removed by Moderator"
- Disclaimer :
- The views and comments entered in these forums are personal and are not necessarily those of the management of this board.
