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View Full Version : Pics of the new Ceramic "D's"



Charcoal Mike
12-10-2007, 03:10 PM
Hi all -

I finally got around to snapping a photo of the new Ceramic "D's" available direct from Primo. I like these things a LOT.

- Mike


http://primogrillforum.com/gallery/data/500/medium/Ceramic-Ds.jpg

howright
12-10-2007, 03:39 PM
FINALLY some photos!! Thanks for posting. I was debating asking for them for Christmas but wanted to see what they looked like first. And yes, they look just like what I imagined, a couple of big white butt cheeks. :)

richard
12-10-2007, 03:40 PM
Cool...how much did they cost?....do they come as a pair?

Richard

Charcoal Mike
12-10-2007, 03:52 PM
Yes, they come as a pair, and both plates (including shipping to NC) came to around $90.

Ken K
12-10-2007, 03:52 PM
Factory direct price for the D-Shaped Plates is $59.95 for the JR and $79.95 for the XL and they are sold as a pair. Some dealers should have them in stock as they were introduced to them with their latest price list. If you do not have a local dealer, feel free to call the factory at 770-729-1110.

howright
12-10-2007, 03:54 PM
I assume you're using them for the same applications you'd use a BGE platesetter for, correct? I've always liked the idea of the platesetter - and I can't believe I'm saying this but I've actually kind of gotten used to using fire bricks and sand filled drip pans.

Charcoal Mike
12-10-2007, 04:05 PM
Yes, I've used them the same way I used a platesetter (I have a large egg as well). It's just a different way to do indirect, and just adds to the Ovals flexibility. What I like most about them is the idea that they pretty much cover the entire fire = less area for hotspots.

I also put little 90 degree copper fittings between the D's (or the setter on the egg) and a drippan to keep air circulating under the pan. Tends to help prevent the water from boiling away so quickly.

howright
12-10-2007, 04:25 PM
Thanks for the info. I can definitely think of a few cooks were it would be nice to have so much indirect coverage. One more question . . do they sit on the drip pan racks?

Ken K
12-10-2007, 04:29 PM
One more question . . do they sit on the drip pan racks?
Yup!!

OregonBoy
12-10-2007, 04:50 PM
Forgive my ignorance, but I need help with the usage of these babies.

I was only using half my firebox and generally cook indirect with just a drip pan on the other side. But I wanted to use the whole cooking surface on one level rather than going with the extended rack on just one side for this cook. Perfect chance to try out one of my new D plates.

I get my fire going and stable at my desired temp (300) for nearly an hour. I then add the D plate on the side where I have the fire going. After 1+ hr my temp is still not back up to 300. Hanging around 250. I get impatient and pull the plate back out and the temp pops back to 300. I get out the extended rack and do it like normal.

What did I do wrong? Did I not wait long enough for the temp to come back up?

Charcoal Mike
12-10-2007, 08:10 PM
They will definitely extend the amount of time it takes for the cooker to come up to temp, as all that mass needs extra time to heat up. Did you open the vents any extra to compensate, or just put them in at 300 and waited ? Seems in the past (with the setter on the egg, haven't tried with the D's) if I added the ceramic after the fire was going, I opened it up for a few minutes to get the fire really hot, then stopped right before I hit temp.

Note: I usually add them when I light the coals, both vents wide open til I get about 25 degrees below target, then adjust accordingly.

OregonBoy
12-10-2007, 10:31 PM
No i didn't adjust the vents. I was afraid to get the fire running too hot.

I also considered putting the plates in when I started the fire but didn't know which way was correct. Maybe that is what I will try next time.

Another question for the group. When using firebricks, these D plates or other barriers, when do you put in the wood for smoke?

Ken K
12-10-2007, 11:16 PM
I don't have my "D" plates yet, but when I use the firebricks, I put them over the fire after I light it and then I usually just move one or two out of the way to put a few chunks on top of the fire. I have also mixed some chunks in with the lump before lighting and just lit the lump in close proximity to the chunks and the fire eventually makes it way to the goodies about the time I am ready for the meat. I look forward to experimenting with the plates.The half-height bricks are nice, but they don't cover the whole area (unless you cut them to shape).

Lynne
12-11-2007, 07:19 AM
Hi all -

I finally got around to snapping a photo of the new Ceramic "D's" available direct from Primo. I like these things a LOT.

- Mike

http://www.mothercluckersbbq.com/images/oval/ceramicds.jpg

I'm wondering, how thick are the D plates? They appear to be thinner than the fire bricks. They do look like the cat's meow:)

Charcoal Mike
12-11-2007, 07:42 AM
I'm wondering, how thick are the D plates?

Hey there Lynne. They are much thinner than I expected (a good thing) - this is a dime.

http://www.mothercluckersbbq.com/images/oval/ceramicdime.jpg

Lynne
12-11-2007, 08:41 AM
Hey there Lynne. They are much thinner than I expected (a good thing) - this is a dime.

http://www.mothercluckersbbq.com/images/oval/ceramicdime.jpg

Thanks Charcoal Mike, sounds great. Now I just need my dealer to get them in, I don't even think the wholesaler here will have them yet. They will likely wait until spring to bring them in with their order, ahhhhh something to look forward to:)

Kendall
12-11-2007, 08:50 AM
OregonBoy,

I have done about 15 cooks using both D-plates on my large oval. What I have found is that my vent settings needs to have a larger opening than cooking indirect or with some fire brick setups to maintain a desired temp. I attribute this to the fact of the airflow is restricted somewhat when using both D-plates (about 1 1/2" for air to move around the plates). Just my :2 cents:

Kendall

Charcoal Mike
12-11-2007, 11:14 AM
Now I just need my dealer to get them in

Save the tax and just order them direct. Thumb Up I think shipping was only $10 or so.

Lynne
12-11-2007, 01:41 PM
Save the tax and just order them direct. Thumb Up I think shipping was only $10 or so.

I thought about ordering direct but some times things get charged all sorts of taxes, handling fees, etc. They will get me coming across the US/Can. border and will charge the tax for sure, then if there is a broker involved they will charge their fee which can be sustantial.:(:(:(

John M
12-11-2007, 03:20 PM
I thought about ordering direct but some times things get charged all sorts of taxes, handling fees, etc. They will get me coming across the US/Can. border and will charge the tax for sure, then if there is a broker involved they will charge their fee which can be sustantial.:(:(:(


Lynne,

Why don't you send Char Mike a check + transit to the north, have him buy them and send them to you as a Cmas present? :D

Lynne
12-11-2007, 03:49 PM
Now there's an idea I like but Mike might not then again if Mike is the great sport I know he is he might just send them as a surprise:) :):)

richard
12-11-2007, 05:48 PM
I thought about ordering direct but some times things get charged all sorts of taxes, handling fees, etc. They will get me coming across the US/Can. border and will charge the tax for sure, then if there is a broker involved they will charge their fee which can be sustantial.:(:(:(


Here is what I have gleaned using UPS.

UPS will not charge a brokerage fee if the item has a value of less then $20 CDN. I have recently bought several items from the US and had the retailer mark the invoice with less then $20 and NEVER have I paid any fee..not even GST or PST. I ask the retailer to invoice me less for the item (make it $18.50) but make up the difference (charge me more) on the shipping cost...in the end they still receive the same amount of $$$. I would not try this if the item was over $30-$40.....they may get wise.

Items with a value of $60 CDN or less can be shipped UPS or USPS to you from the USA from a private individual/friend/family member(not a business) as long as the package is marked "Gift" on the Customs sticker. Also the package can contain multiple items as long as each item has a value of $60 CDN or less....no brokerage fess or taxes will be charged.

The nice thing here is that you get your item from the USA in 6 days or less....you can track it!....AND its usually cheaper then USPS....where as using USPS/Canada Post, you can wait several weeks for it to arrive....especially now at Christmas.

Lynne, the best scenario would be if someone on the forum picked them up directly from Primo and then sent them to you via UPS.

http://reviews.ebay.com/Canada-amp-USA-Import-Export-Shipping-Guide_W0QQugidZ10000000000067340

As of May of this year, the USPS raised considerably the shipping rates to Canada. If you go oline to the UPS web site: http://wwwapps.ups.com/calTimeCost?loc=en_US you can determine cost and transit time of packages.


just my $0.02 worth...

Charcoal Mike
12-11-2007, 06:28 PM
Now there's an idea I like but Mike might not then again if Mike is the great sport I know he is he might just send them as a surprise:) :):)

Lynne you have PM. :)

Lynne
12-11-2007, 07:51 PM
Thanks a bundle for that info Richard, we may be cooking with fire here:)

BenQ'in
12-12-2007, 12:06 AM
Lynne - If it saves you any money, I would be happy to go by the Mother Ship and buy you some D's. I would have to pay 7% or 8% sales tax and frankly I understood nothing of that stuff about shipping UPS to Canada, so I don't know if it will save you anything. I don't live that far away from the factory and I want to look at the D's anyway. I am still using the saucer for my terra cotta clay pot.

Ben

Lynne
12-12-2007, 06:37 AM
Lynne - If it saves you any money, I would be happy to go by the Mother Ship and buy you some D's. I would have to pay 7% or 8% sales tax and frankly I understood nothing of that stuff about shipping UPS to Canada, so I don't know if it will save you anything. I don't live that far away from the factory and I want to look at the D's anyway. I am still using the saucer for my terra cotta clay pot.

Ben

Thanks Ben, that's quite an offer! I'll PM you.

howright
12-18-2007, 10:15 PM
Got my plates today and I LIKE 'EM!!

I fired up the Jr to make a meatloaf tonight and figured it was as good as time as any to get using them. I put the plates in right after I got the fire going and it didn't seem to affect the time it took to get up to temperature much at all. Well . . . but then again as I've posted before my Jr tends to want to go atomic on me as soon as I walk away so maybe he isn't the best test subject. I ordered the plates for the Xl and can't wait to try them out on her this weekend.

I see myself using the plates A LOT!! They sure are easy enough to use and are a great alternative to the firebox divider (which I never use) and also the indirect drip pan set up because they cover more surface area. Definitely another great product and I'm sure the plates will change the way I cook -- so thanks Primo!! Thumb UpThumb Up

dixiecal
02-17-2008, 01:31 PM
What are the D's for, Mike, other than pizza??

Larry Wolfe
02-17-2008, 02:07 PM
What are the D's for, Mike, other than pizza??
They are used as a "baffle" for indirect cooks. In other words it will allow you to use the whole cooker for indirect cooking, versus just a portion of it. They are worth every penny!!

Ken K
02-17-2008, 03:06 PM
I agree with Larry that they are worth it. Here is a pic where I used one of them for an indirect cook. I very rarely use the whole grill for direct cooking so the one you see in there usually stays there. The sit on the drip racks and allow for good airflow all the way around them. And YES I do have a lot of wood in there, but I like it SMOKEY (and have an unlimited supply).

http://primogrillforum.com/gallery/data/500/020908_Butt.JPG

Charcoal Mike
02-17-2008, 10:17 PM
What are the D's for, Mike, other than pizza??

Hello and welcome! As Larry and Ken noted, they are used for a lot more than just pizza - anytime you want indirect, they are the ticket.

In my other thread from today (http://primogrillforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1495) I used them with beef ribs - you can see them in the first picture. Often I'll just use a piece of foil over the D's to keep drippings from getting on the ceramic (say, if I'm cooking chicken), but today I went overboard with a couple of drip pans. I used these since I knew the ribs would be dropping a lot of fat over a long period of time.

- Mike

wig
04-21-2008, 04:15 PM
Will I have any issues using my BBQ Guru with the heat deflectors?
I will probably have to open up the blower fan draft door a bit.

Thanks,
Wig

chefarnoldi
04-21-2008, 04:30 PM
not at all, after all the Guru is to be used in low and slow environment ( defenitely in temp less than 400F.
what i always do is use aluminum "shielding"
"shielding" means shape an aluminum foil into a long strip with a groove thru it's length "V shaped" and have the wires lay in that groove, while securing the foil ends with one end around the metal prong / and other end on the thermocouple wires OUTSIDE the Primo. Note: the wires must not be enclosed with aluminum or you can create a hotter enviroment that melts the insulation.