Yoder Smokers Community Forum

Hello all! I just ordered my YS480 today from ATBBQ. I've been poking around on here trying to educate myself and seeing issues with warping heat diffusers. Really!? I went with this unit because of thick steel and a tank like build. Why isn't the heat diffuser built like this too?

Here's my main question. Cooking pizza? I'm assuming you would want to leave the diffuser in or the pizza will not cook evenly. Papa Murphys calls for 425* baking temperature. What is Yoders stance on the correct way to cook these without damaging my new smoker?

Thanks in advance,
Reed

Constant cooking temperatures above 400 degrees require that you remove the heat diffuser. The following excerpt is from page 23 of the YS480 manual download/Manuals/Pellet%20Manuals/YS%20480%20Manual%207-3-2014.pdf:

The versatility of your Yoder is realized by choosing one of its three unique setups: with
the diffuser in place: smoking at 150 to 275°F; indirect grilling, 275 to 350°F and baking
at 350 to 400°F Finally, for direct grilling where searing temperatures are desired simply
remove the heat diffuser plate and install the Grill Grate Direct Grill option.

If you purchased the optional 2 piece heat diffuser, removing the diffuser for higher cooking temperatures is no longer required.

Yoder_Herb wrote:Constant cooking temperatures above 400 degrees require that you remove the heat diffuser. The following excerpt is from page 23 of the YS480 manual download/Manuals/Pellet%20Manuals/YS%20480%20Manual%207-3-2014.pdf:

The versatility of your Yoder is realized by choosing one of its three unique setups: with
the diffuser in place: smoking at 150 to 275°F; indirect grilling, 275 to 350°F and baking
at 350 to 400°F Finally, for direct grilling where searing temperatures are desired simply
remove the heat diffuser plate and install the Grill Grate Direct Grill option.

If you purchased the optional 2 piece heat diffuser, removing the diffuser for higher cooking temperatures is no longer required.

I dont see anything on the website about a 2 piece heat diffuser....

http://www.atbbq.com/yoder-smokers-heat ... -door.html for the YS480

Is it just thicker and heavier steel? What do you suggest for just utilizing the stock heat diffuser? Have you done pizzas like this? Maybe at a lower temp?

Don'y go above 375f IMHO with the diffuser. It can warp at higher temps. The new one has a door so the heat flame goes direct into the cooking chamber, it's not a reverse flow smoker with the heat plate removed.

Rodbolt wrote:Is it just thicker and heavier steel? What do you suggest for just utilizing the stock heat diffuser? Have you done pizzas like this? Maybe at a lower temp?

The 2 piece diffuser is reinforced, and allows easy access to the burn grate. Here is the manual: download/Install%20and%20Repair/Two%20Piece%20Heat%20Diffuser%20Manual.pdf

I have been using the original prototype of the 2 piece diffuser since the beginning of 2013, so when I do pizza I just set the temp and don't worry about it. Before that, and even sometimes now, I use the optional grill grates, turned upside down to the flat side, with the heat diffuser plate removed. Depending on how thick the pizza is, I may cook it on the top shelf, and finish on the bottom.

Warped diffuser fix: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=338

Hey Herb, just thought of it. What is your opinion on putting the grill grates right on the open hole of the new diffuser to sear a steak?

Talk about super sear temps!

Not sure that you would get much more heat than having them on the grate rail, as the flame hits the bottom of them through the hole. I don't see a problem with doing it if you want to give it a try.

Searing directly on the removable door, hmmmm.

Herb,

Is the two piece tray an upgrade or is it standard on new grills? (I just ordered mine yesterday).

If it's not, what kind of steel is it made out of? Would it be acceptable to just reinforce it from the get go? Spot weld a narrow length of channel along those edges?

I'm honestly a little disappointed to find this out. The armored plate Yoder builds their bodies out of was one of the big sellers for me... Seems like it should be that way on the inside too...

Thanks,
Reed

Reed,

The 2 piece diffuser is an option, and it does not come standard on new grills. If it was standard on the grills, the price of the grill would push it out of the range of some buyers. This is no different that when you buy a car. Some people want the car, others want the car with a bigger motor and high performance package.

The warping is not a common thing if you follow the usage direction in the manual. My 640 was built in the 2nd quarter of 2012, and my diffuser warped because of me. I didn't follow the manual when it came to the temperatures outlined, just like almost everyone else that ends up with a warped diffuser. This is the reason that I came up with the 1/4" rod fix.

The 2 piece diffuser was created because I wanted an easy way to clean out the ash from the burn grate and firebox, and secondarily to be able to do a reverse sear cook without having to remove all the grates and the diffuser, when they were hot. The 2 piece diffuser makes this easy. I remove all the bottom grates, and install the optional grill grates, and move them to the chimney side. Then I cook the meat on the top shelf at 225 degrees until the internal temp is 110 to 115 degrees. I remove the meat from the top shelf and tent with aluminum foil, remove the diffuser door, move the grill grates to the hopper side, and crank up the heat to 495. Once the temp hits 450 or so, I put the meat on the grill grates to sear and finish (for your safety, make sure to follow the 2 piece diffuser instructions when doing this).

The diffuser is the same plate that the bodies are made from, 10 gauge. They are cut from a big sheet and formed. We have no control over the molecular structure of the metal, but know that higher heat can potentially deform the metal, which is why we specify that it be removed for high heat cooking. We have seen some diffuser plates warp without high heat, because of the molecular structure of the metal being under stress, and the heat releases this stress and the plate warps.

The plate is covered under warranty for 1 year, but, in every case but the most extreme, the 1/4" rod fixes the problem, IF, the plate warps.

Yoder_Herb wrote:Reed,

The 2 piece diffuser is an option, and it does not come standard on new grills. If it was standard on the grills, the price of the grill would push it out of the range of some buyers. This is no different that when you buy a car. Some people want the car, others want the car with a bigger motor and high performance package.

The warping is not a common thing if you follow the usage direction in the manual. My 640 was built in the 2nd quarter of 2012, and my diffuser warped because of me. I didn't follow the manual when it came to the temperatures outlined, just like almost everyone else that ends up with a warped diffuser. This is the reason that I came up with the 1/4" rod fix.

The 2 piece diffuser was created because I wanted an easy way to clean out the ash from the burn grate and firebox, and secondarily to be able to do a reverse sear cook without having to remove all the grates and the diffuser, when they were hot. The 2 piece diffuser makes this easy. I remove all the bottom grates, and install the optional grill grates, and move them to the chimney side. Then I cook the meat on the top shelf at 225 degrees until the internal temp is 110 to 115 degrees. I remove the meat from the top shelf and tent with aluminum foil, remove the diffuser door, move the grill grates to the hopper side, and crank up the heat to 495. Once the temp hits 450 or so, I put the meat on the grill grates to sear and finish (for your safety, make sure to follow the 2 piece diffuser instructions when doing this).

The diffuser is the same plate that the bodies are made from, 10 gauge. They are cut from a big sheet and formed. We have no control over the molecular structure of the metal, but know that higher heat can potentially deform the metal, which is why we specify that it be removed for high heat cooking. We have seen some diffuser plates warp without high heat, because of the molecular structure of the metal being under stress, and the heat releases this stress and the plate warps.

The plate is covered under warranty for 1 year, but, in every case but the most extreme, the 1/4" rod fixes the problem, IF, the plate warps.

Herb,

Thanks for your help. This all makes good sense. Glad to hear it's 10 ga. I was a little worried.

What are your thoughts on me tack welding a narrow piece of channel or square stock along the top side, hopper end of that plate? Essentially where you wedge that 1/4" rod. To facilitate higher temp indirect cooking like you do with the 2 piece plate.

Thanks for your help,
Reed

I would suggest that you wait to see the plate before making a decision to modify it. For the number of cookers that we ship, the severe warping that can cause performance issues that you have read about, are a very small fraction of the total cookers put into service.

Yoder_Herb wrote:I would suggest that you wait to see the plate before making a decision to modify it. For the number of cookers that we ship, the severe warping that can cause performance issues that you have read about, are a very small fraction of the total cookers put into service.

Great suggestion. Thanks for your help and putting my mind at ease. I'm excited for my new smoker. Now I wait for it....

Upon receiving my new 480 I noticed a reinforcement welded to the bottom of my heat deflector. Yoder read my mind! BTW, this thing is awesome! Have baby backs cooking on it right now.