New Upper Cooking Grate for My EX6

[Lew Newby]

Seasoned my new 14" upper cooking grate from Joe's Grill Grates. I'm tickled with it. I've been saving beef fat trimmings and after rendering them down I coated the grate top and bottom with Beef Tallow. Left a nice golden hue on the metal. I got this to use as my main cooking grate and drip pans go on the lower grate. 504 sq. in. of prime real estate.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/459...XLEB02DW3TSKsBZ_C9LZspYDtdTof_5M&__tn__=-]K-R
.I've seen pictures of Joe's grates on an EX4 but don't remember seeing it on the EX6. It's expanded metal and not stainless. As much as I like Stainless the expanded metal reminds me of makeshift grills in my childhood neighborhood.

 

[Lynn Dollar]

That looks nice.

Joe made an expanded metal upper grate for my Masterbuilt 560. Just like you're doing, I will put food on that grate and a drip pan on the bottom grate. Joe does good work.

 

[Lew Newby]

That looks nice.

Joe made an expanded metal upper grate for my Masterbuilt 560. Just like you're doing, I will put food on that grate and a drip pan on the bottom grate. Joe does good work.

Yes he does. He cleaned up his welds nicely and it fits like a glove.

 

[Colin]

Dad gum it! You guys are making it very difficult for me. I'm wanting an EX4 so bad I can taste it.

 

[Lew Newby]

Dad gum it! You guys are making it very difficult for me. I'm wanting an EX4 so bad I can taste it.

Welllll. Here's an EX4 with the matched set.

 

[Colin]

With two wsm's, a performer kettle and new genesis II that I got as a retirement gift, I don't want to give up anything.
Just wondering Lew, when you got your SF, what other cooker did you keep?

 

[Lew Newby]

After I wrung out the SmokeFire, and knew it was the smoker and grill I wanted, I sold what I had left. 2 WSMs, my 1999 Performer, and a Camp Chef Pellet grill plus all the toys I had for them. I will probably never need the EX6 cooking capacity but it may be my last grill/smoker and I decided to splurge.

 

[Bruno]

Lew that is sweet!!! I just might have to order one.

 

[Steve Madden]

Very nice!

 

[Lew Newby]

Lew that is sweet!!! I just might have to order one.

That extra 4 inches of depth really changes the way you look at how you cook on the SmokeFire. It makes the total cooking capacity just insane.

 

[Colin]

After I wrung out the SmokeFire, and knew it was the smoker and grill I wanted, I sold what I had left. 2 WSMs, my 1999 Performer, and a Camp Chef Pellet grill plus all the toys I had for them. I will probably never need the EX6 cooking capacity but it may be my last grill/smoker and I decided to splurge.

Thanks for the reply, I'm wrestling with this one.

 

[Chris R.]

Thanks for the reply, I'm wrestling with this one.

If you can swing it do it. You'll never regret it.

 

[Lew Newby]

Thanks for the reply, I'm wrestling with this one.

A year ago I was in the same position and Bruno, I think, had just decided to keep his EX6 after weeks of frustration. I procrastinated and in June Weber had their Smokefire sale. I ordered mine from Lowe’s and got an additional 10% off for the vets discount. Maybe Weber will do the sale again. Just a thought.

 

[Lynn Dollar]

Here's my Joe's Grate

 

[RichPB (richlife)]

If you can swing it do it. You'll never regret it.

Colin, I've been tempted myself, but one of the reasons I didn't go to the Smokefire right off, was because I have added a 2nd level grate to my 10-yr-old Genesis as soon as I got it. One of the best mods I made! You would need to check the clearance in your grill, but 4 7" carriage bolts, each with two nuts and two fender washers to secure an appropriately sized grate, and I was good to go. Like Lew, the upper grill has become my go-to cooking surface (except for searing and cooking in cast iron pans). I cook everything in my grill from standard steaks, burgers and chicken to fish pizza and quesadillas (ah! the quesadillas!) plus much more. The upper grate makes scratch pizza easy (bet Lew would agree).

 

[Chris R.]

As a Non Facebook participant how would I get ahold of the Joe and get myself one of them grates?

 

[Lew Newby]

As a Non Facebook participant how would I get ahold of the Joe and get myself one of them grates?

email: joesgrillgrates@gmail.com

 

[Rich Dahl]

Nice looking grate Lew. My camp chef has a large upper grate(s) and I started using that and using the bottom just for drip pans. Sure makes clean up easier. Don't know if Joe makes one that would fit my upper rack as that would be perfect for smoking jerky.

 

[Lew Newby]

Nice looking grate Lew. My camp chef has a large upper grate(s) and I started using that and using the bottom just for drip pans. Sure makes clean up easier. Don't know if Joe makes one that would fit my upper rack as that would be perfect for smoking jerky.

He makes grates for GMG, Masterbuilt, Weber and more. If you contact him I'm pretty sure he'll give you a quote. He's in Peoria, AZ. How close is that to you? I waited about a month for my order to be filled but he delivered it 1 day earlier than he promised.

 

[Bruno]

Looking forward to receiving mine, should be here before Memorial Day. I also have a fire pit arriving around the same time, should be a nice 4 day weekend!