Hunsaker Vortex Plate for WSM Charcoal Ring


 
I'm on the fence with this, yes it's intriguing, and I've been sucked in by good advertising before, but,... I can't see how it can make a significant, or even any, difference. Charcoal will only get as hot as you can get air to it, Hot is hot, and goes up fine by itself.
I've cooked chicken in the 22 WSM directly over coals without the pan, like a drum does, with the vents open it gets very very hot, It's not going to get hotter with any device other then forcing the air with a blower. As for mixing the heat and smoke to eliminate cool spots, what cool spots? in a round drum like object everything "mixes" just fine, The only thing I can see is it's use as a drippings vaporizer, but chicken and ribs really don't drip that much to hurt anything. So.... someone convince me..lol
 
OK, I don't think the air is going to spin much and it's just a fan-shaped heat deflector and isn't going to make much difference. Ordered mine yesterday.
 
Used the new Hunsaker Vortex Plate this weekend. Cooked between 250 and 300. I didn't see any tornado-like vortex, but the temps were very even and steady, with no hot spots on the very outside of the grate like I get with the water pan (obviously didn't use it). The meat came out great. I was worried about cleaning the plate, but most of the mess easily scraped off. Opened all the vents after taking the meat off, thinking it would burn the drippings off the plate. It was still 300 when I went to bed, and that was after 17 hours! Very happy I got this. My WSM is an older model 18.5" btw.
 
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