Using the lower grate

[Gary Hodgin]

I apologize if my question seems obvious but I can't find anything in my WSM manual about it. I have never used my lower cooking grate but have a cook coming up in a few weeks that I would like to use it on.

What do you do if you need to get to the lower grate during a cook (keeping meat on upper grate)? Do you remove the top grate or remove the entire middle section? It seems to me that removing the middle section makes more sense since it would be fairly difficult to reach over a hot middle section and do very much, but I don't know which is better. It also seems like it would be difficult to remove the hot middle section and not splash water onto the coals.

 

[dean]

You use welding gloves or pot holders and remove the top grate with meat right on it! I have piece of 4 by 4 plywood for stuff like that. I Place my lid or middle section on it too so no grass on mah lid or oily rings on my cement!

 

[Gary Hodgin]

Dean,
After I thought about it a bit I realized that removing the middle section wasn't a good idea at all. I don't know why I was thinking I would have easier access to the lower grate with the middle section removed.

I have a pair of good grill gloves (Pit Mitts) so no problem removing the top grate with meat on it as far as the heat goes. Balancing the meat might be another story. I usually set a scrap piece of kitchen cabinet top between two saw horses and use as a portable work bench when smoking.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Jim H.]

Gary -

I use a large heavy gauge full sheet pan across a plastic folding table to put my WSM top grate on when I need access to the bottom rack. I put a couple of silicone pot holders under the pan to keep it from sliding around, and by using this large sheet pan, I keep the meat drippings and grill funk off my table.

 

[Dave Russell]

I'll just lay tin foil on my kettle grate with the lid supported by my Slide Aside holder. That way I can just take the bullet rack with meat and put on the kettle, replacing the kettle lid to hold heat if it's cold and/or windy.

Meat on the top bullet rack is done first most of the time, but I'll check and pull my rib tips through the door from the bottom grate.

 

[David B.]

i would recommend removing the top grate with the meat on it and setting it down somewhere off to the side for easier access to the second grate below. since my weber kettle grill is also on the patio with my WSM i just simply set the grate on top of the grate of the kettle grill while ibaste or spray my meat below.
if you guys have another grill on the patio just use that to set your grate on. if it gets dirty then just doa quick burn off to clean it or wait til the next time you use that grill and all will be good.