Indirect food in the front or back of the grill?
- Thread starter Dave L.
- Start date
Phil Hartcher
TVWBB All-Star
Dave
Indirect on the Genesis is designed to be in the middle with the front burner on higher than the rear burner so the circulation of the hot air is over the food and exhausted out the back through the vent space between the lid and the cooking box. The middle burner is turned off. This creates a convection type of cooking. The lid temperature is higher that the temperature that you would use in a conventional oven as there is significant heat loss due to design.
When I started cooking indirect on the Genesis I noted that the grill still got hot and sometimes seared the food and there was still some reflected heat on the outer extremities of the food. I also thought about the type of BBQ flavour that I wanted to achieve. I decided that I had to use different methods for different types of dishes. So now it depends on what I am cooking to the method used. You can develop different methods to suit your taste and favourite dishes if you keep the basic principle in mind. Indirect cooking is about using a convection method rather than direct heat. You need to have a barrier between the fire (or flavourizer bars), grill and the food. Generally you can use a roasting rack, rib rack or a wire shelf/trivet. This can sit on the grill over the middle burner which is off. To catch the fat/juices you can place a drip tray with or without water on the flavourizer bars over the middle burner. You can also put a doubled over sheet of foil on the grill and put the roast rack rib rack or wire shelf/ trivet on the foil as long as you maintain an air-gap of at least 1/2". I regularly cook indirect on 80% of the Genesis using this method (I have all 3 burners on just below medium). I have cooked 5 chickens at once using this method. Here is a Photo 5 Chickens
So really it is very easy to cook indirect if you think about it for a few minutes. I cook cakes and muffins using the wire rack/trivet method. I cook just about anything in the Genesis or in the Q you are only limited by your imagination.
Hope this helps.
Any questions fire away I will be glad to answer. I will try and take a few photos over the next couple of weeks of different methods of indirect cooking as I do them.
Cheers
Indirect on the Genesis is designed to be in the middle with the front burner on higher than the rear burner so the circulation of the hot air is over the food and exhausted out the back through the vent space between the lid and the cooking box. The middle burner is turned off. This creates a convection type of cooking. The lid temperature is higher that the temperature that you would use in a conventional oven as there is significant heat loss due to design.
When I started cooking indirect on the Genesis I noted that the grill still got hot and sometimes seared the food and there was still some reflected heat on the outer extremities of the food. I also thought about the type of BBQ flavour that I wanted to achieve. I decided that I had to use different methods for different types of dishes. So now it depends on what I am cooking to the method used. You can develop different methods to suit your taste and favourite dishes if you keep the basic principle in mind. Indirect cooking is about using a convection method rather than direct heat. You need to have a barrier between the fire (or flavourizer bars), grill and the food. Generally you can use a roasting rack, rib rack or a wire shelf/trivet. This can sit on the grill over the middle burner which is off. To catch the fat/juices you can place a drip tray with or without water on the flavourizer bars over the middle burner. You can also put a doubled over sheet of foil on the grill and put the roast rack rib rack or wire shelf/ trivet on the foil as long as you maintain an air-gap of at least 1/2". I regularly cook indirect on 80% of the Genesis using this method (I have all 3 burners on just below medium). I have cooked 5 chickens at once using this method. Here is a Photo 5 Chickens
So really it is very easy to cook indirect if you think about it for a few minutes. I cook cakes and muffins using the wire rack/trivet method. I cook just about anything in the Genesis or in the Q you are only limited by your imagination.
Hope this helps.
Any questions fire away I will be glad to answer. I will try and take a few photos over the next couple of weeks of different methods of indirect cooking as I do them.
Cheers
I always use the rear of the grill and sustain temps with the front burner (sometimes the middle burner, too, if it's cold outside). At one point I've had 4 beer can chickens lined up along the back of the Genesis and if they were staggered a little more I could have fit 5 in there. Phil's method works well too.
Thanks guys. As I said I have used the rotisserie and the food comes out great. I leave the middle burner off and maintain the temperature using the front and back burners. Because there is little room for a drip pan under the rotisserie I take the middle flavorizer bars out and put 1/8" by 2" flat aluminum bars on the supports. That way I can get a deeper pan under the food. If you like I can post a picture of it. I was just wondering if there was a special way of indirect cooking when not using the rotisserie.
So Phil, if I'm going to only cook maybe one or two chickens, could I put them on a roasting rack in aluminum pans to catch the drippings?
So Phil, if I'm going to only cook maybe one or two chickens, could I put them on a roasting rack in aluminum pans to catch the drippings?
Phil Hartcher
TVWBB All-Star
Dave
That way works well. I use the trivet method a lot as foil sheet is more cost effective than a drip pan. I do have an aluminium roasting pan that I use but it is a mongrel of a thing to clean, foil I just roll up and throw in the bin. (Sorry I should say - Dispose of in a responsible manner). Here is a photo of 2 chickens using the trivet method on a Q220 2 Chickens on a trivet.
At the end of the day you just use the method and bits that you have at hand.
Cheers
Regards
That way works well. I use the trivet method a lot as foil sheet is more cost effective than a drip pan. I do have an aluminium roasting pan that I use but it is a mongrel of a thing to clean, foil I just roll up and throw in the bin. (Sorry I should say - Dispose of in a responsible manner). Here is a photo of 2 chickens using the trivet method on a Q220 2 Chickens on a trivet.
At the end of the day you just use the method and bits that you have at hand.
Cheers
Regards
Anne Garber
New member
Originally posted by Dave L.:
Mark, here's a couple of photos of the supports. You can get the stock at any hardware store or Home Depot or Lowes.
Did you "build" the aluminum supports, or are they actually accessories? I'd love to do this.
Phil Hartcher
TVWBB All-Star
Anne
You should be able to purchase a bulk length and cut it to size with a hacksaw, or they may do it for you. If you are using aluminium make sure that you do not cut them to the exact length as it will expand at a greater rate than the burner box. Cut them an 1/8" - 1/4" shorter.
Great idea Dave I am going to do it this weekend, though I will probably use Stainless Steel.
Cheers
You should be able to purchase a bulk length and cut it to size with a hacksaw, or they may do it for you. If you are using aluminium make sure that you do not cut them to the exact length as it will expand at a greater rate than the burner box. Cut them an 1/8" - 1/4" shorter.
Great idea Dave I am going to do it this weekend, though I will probably use Stainless Steel.
Cheers
Just got back from vacation so my replies are late. Sorry.
Anne, as Phil said about the metal. I bought them in 4' lenghts at Lowes and cut them to length, about 1/8" short. You can use a hack saw if you don't have a miter saw(some call it a chop saw). A regular wood blade will cut through the aluminum easy. They will also do it at Lowes for you.
Phil, I thought about using stainless but I couldn't find it for one thing and the aluminum was right there so I picked it up. So far it works great.
Anne, as Phil said about the metal. I bought them in 4' lenghts at Lowes and cut them to length, about 1/8" short. You can use a hack saw if you don't have a miter saw(some call it a chop saw). A regular wood blade will cut through the aluminum easy. They will also do it at Lowes for you.
Phil, I thought about using stainless but I couldn't find it for one thing and the aluminum was right there so I picked it up. So far it works great.
Phil Hartcher
TVWBB All-Star
Dave
Welcome back.
The aluminium will work fine, my only concern was over time, with the heat, the strips will sag, however, as it is so cheap, cutting a few additional lengths and keeping them on hand will fix any potential problem. Lets face it you don't use this configuration all the time.
I ended up using aluminium also
Cheers
Welcome back.
The aluminium will work fine, my only concern was over time, with the heat, the strips will sag, however, as it is so cheap, cutting a few additional lengths and keeping them on hand will fix any potential problem. Lets face it you don't use this configuration all the time.
I ended up using aluminium also
Cheers
I'm looking forward to trying this mod. Thus far the Genesis has really produced excellent grilled and indirect cooked chicken. Not sure why but they are more moist than when cooked on my former bbq (RIP). Convection perhaps ?
I have a source for larger roasting chickens in excess of 8 lbs/4kg. These would need the extra clearance. They have killer flavour, can't wait to try one out.
I have a source for larger roasting chickens in excess of 8 lbs/4kg. These would need the extra clearance. They have killer flavour, can't wait to try one out.