Fire Brick Question


 
Those look like the ones I got from HD. You would probably only need maybe 2. That is all I use. They probably sell them as singles also.
 
That's what I use in my kettle. I couldn't find them at Home Depot, but order a box of six from Home Depot.com I think I paid $20. I love them
 
They are used to keep the coals to one side so you have 2 heat zones. One cooler and one hot. As an example, if you are cooking a steak, you can use the reverse sear method. You would cook the steak over the cooler side until it comes of to an internal temp of say 125* and then sear each side on the side with coals for the char and it will come up to say 130* to 135* for medium rare. It works really well. I am now using my Vortex instead of fire bricks but that is just another way to do it.

Tom Jordan said:
Hey guys,,, I'm new to performers and coal,,,, what would you need the bricks for in a performer?
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Bob Ivey said:
They are used to keep the coals to one side so you have 2 heat zones. One cooler and one hot. As an example, if you are cooking a steak, you can use the reverse sear method. You would cook the steak over the cooler side until it comes of to an internal temp of say 125* and then sear each side on the side with coals for the char and it will come up to say 130* to 135* for medium rare. It works really well. I am now using my Vortex instead of fire bricks but that is just another way to do it.
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Oh, OK. That's what I thought, just wasn't sure,,, i use the charcoal baskets pushed to one side and essentially get the same results (I think)
 
Tom Jordan said:
Oh, OK. That's what I thought, just wasn't sure,,, i use the charcoal baskets pushed to one side and essentially get the same results (I think)
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Yes you do. The only reason I like the bricks is because I can get better zone separation and I can pile in way more charcoal which provides for much longer cooking times
 
Those would work, but as others have noted, they're a bit pricey. If you have a Tractor Supply store nearby, they have them for $2.99/each. That's where I got mine.

I use them in my kettle and have several that I wrap in foil for use in a cooler when I need to keep stuff warm for a long time. For example, on a scout camping trip, we had 8 pans of mac-and-cheese (cub scouts - M&C is ALL some of them will eat) and I could only bake 4 at a time in the WSM. I lined the bottom of a large cooler with a heavy towel, then 4 of the foil-wrapped bricks that had been heated over charcoal for about a half hour, then another thin towel, then the M&C with cardboard between each layer. When we got to the bottom layer (about 2 hours after putting them in there), they were just as hot as they were coming out of the cooker!
 
Just go to any landscaping outfit. They have real fire bricks in two thicknesses. They are the same size as normal bricks. Just get the thicker ones. Cheap.
 
I had a friend cut about 1/4 off of one.

One and 3/4 bricks on the kettle is just the right length for me to create an area for the charcoal.

I can fit 2 racks of ribs on the remaining grill.
 
I went to brick supplier for home building, they had several different sizes to choose from and I only had to buy two. They had taller or wider which ever way you look at them . So you can adjusr for you grill they can also cut they if you wanted them to fit bowl better.
 
I have used two fire bricks, as illustrated, for many years for a two stage fire on my Kettles. I bought mine at a building supply place that normally sells them by the pallet. They actually laughed when I told them I only needed two but they were only about $2.00 each. When I was visiting my Daughter and Son-in-law in SLC, Utah, I bought them a pair at a fireplace store (they build fire places, etc) for about $3.75 each (still a deal).

While, I have a Vortex that I often use, I still have many uses for the bricks and THEIR two stage fire.

Pork steaks are often grilled here. They are rather large and I prefer the bigger area that a couple of bricks offer for searing (put two bricks end to end on the charcoal grate at about the 1/3-1/2 way mark) and dump a full lit Weber large chimney behind the bricks. By using just half of the grate the coals are piled on one another and closer to the food grate creating a hotter fire. I can easily do two or more porks steaks at once. The Vortex can be a bit limiting for searing area in this case.

http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?63797-Pork-Steaks-are-a-BARGAIN-II

The bricks are a great "tool" for little money.

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
They do make a very inexpensive tool in the "arsenal" and they can be very useful indeed. I have four thin, two thick.
I use one of the thick as a center "filler" and support for a drip pan, two thin at each end for no particular reason other than providing a nice simple separator for the baskets. Completely unnecessary but, I can't see wasting them, I tried the "split kettle" technique and there are times when it is very useful but, I find I don't use it enough to leave it set up on the 22.
I may revisit it on the 18, I used it for a few cooks and it was fine. Since I got my "KILLER 304 SS" baskets for my birthday, I have the old ones in the 18 and it's not quite properly set for my needs, yet!
The new grill grate literally just arrived at my door so, I will set the 18 up again with the two brick "split" set up and spanking new grate!
A, slightly, late birthday present to myself, thanks, Chad!
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
The new grill grate literally just arrived at my door so, I will set the 18 up again with the two brick "split" set up and spanking new grate!
A, slightly, late birthday present to myself, thanks, Chad!
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Wow...that was fast! Say what you will about our Postal Service, but they really deliver. Literally. Use it in good health, my friend!
 
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