To change things up, I decided to show the difference between doing a normal reverse sear using the optional grill grates, and flipping the optional grill grates over for a griddle or pan-like sear on a YS640.
I first cleaned all of the ash from the burn grate and the firepot, plugged the cooker into power, flipped the switch to the ON position and left the default temperature setting of 350 degrees. While I waited for the fire to start, I removed the left hand grate (or grates if you have the round bar grates), and replaced it with the optional 3 piece grill grate kit, flat side up. I then put in the upper shelf. After the fire started, I closed the lid and walked away from the cooker for about 30 minutes. When I checked in on the cooker, it was still in the cool down mode from the overshoot, so I set my desired cooking temperature of 250 and walked away to prep the meat for this experiment.
Here is how the YS640 was setup, top grate in, optional grill grate kit on the left, flat side up, 2 piece diffuser with the door installed in place in the cooker, cast iron pan on the right to preheat for seasoned onions and mushrooms:
BBQR's Delight Pecan and Cherry mixed 50/50 in the hopper:
After the initial 30 minute heat up the cooker was set to 250 degrees:
When the temp on the display hit approximately 300 degrees, I put the seasoned steaks in the cooker on the top shelf:
This is the smoke output from the chimney after the cooker stabilized at my 350 degree set temperature:
This was a quick picture of the smoke in the cooker right after the video directly above (not good to keep opening the cooker, but hey, this is for illustration purposes):
At approximately 60 minutes I checked the internal temp of the steaks. My target was between 105 and 110 degrees. This is an approximate time, depending on the thickness of your steaks. When doing this, you will need to experiment to get the right timing for your process:
I then took the steaks off the cooker and put them on a plate:
I then put foil around the plate to retain the heat in the steaks:
Time to set up for searing the steaks. I removed the upper grate, put a stick of butter in the cast iron pan and closed the lid. After a few minutes the butter was melted so I dropped the half moons of a sliced onion into the cast iron pan with the melted butter:
I set the temperature on the controller for 495 degrees,
This is the smoke output from the chimney during the heat up to 495 degrees:
This is the temp of the optional grill grate flat surface when the temperature of the cooker hit 495 degrees on the display:
This is the temperature of the steaks after being tented in foil waiting for the cooker to get up to searing temperature:
I put the mushrooms in the pan with the butter and onions, put the steaks on the optional grill grates for the sear. After 3 minutes I flipped the steaks. I will tell you that this is much different than using the optional grill grates in their normal position, as I believe that 1 1/2 minutes on each side for the steak thickness and consistency would have been better timing using the flat side, instead of my normal timing for the optional grill grates in their normal position:
The temp of the steaks during a very short sear on the second side. My normal temp to remove steaks (which may differ from yours) is normally 125 to 130, knowing that the meat will rise about 5 degrees after removing from the cooker and resting a few minutes:
I handed off the steaks to my wife while I finished up the seasoned onions and mushrooms. Unfortunately, we had a miscommunication about loosely tenting the steaks and tenting the steaks. The foil was tightly wrapped around the steaks instead of just laying the foil over the steaks, so they rose in temperature past our normal target temp of 130 to 135. Oh well, they were still good. I took a picture of the temperature of the steaks when I first cut into them, but the picture was blurry, so you will have to take my word that the temp was approximately 143 degrees.
Here is what the sear looked like:
Here is the first cut on a steak after resting:
So, do the optional grill grates work to sear steak with the flat side up? YES!
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Here is how the YS640 was setup, top grate in, optional grill grate kit on the left, flat side up, 2 piece diffuser with the door installed in place in the cooker, cast iron pan on the right to preheat for seasoned onions and mushrooms
So, did you leave the door installed while actually doing the reverse sear when the temp was set to 495?
I thought it was more normal to use direct flame on the grill grates?
Yes, I did not remove the door from the 2 piece diffuser, the setup never changed from how I described.
Leave the door in, take it out, it's up to you. I never take it out anymore when grilling. If you want the flame to come in contact with the meat, then you must take it out.
Yoder_Herb,
Have you ever used the actual griddle for this process?
Thanks in advance.
Sweaty Paul
I have not, but have used a cast iron pan a few times, but, never put metal on top of the optional grill grates.
Yoder_Herb wrote:I have not, but have used a cast iron pan a few times, but, never put metal on top of the optional grill grates.
Herb, what is the problem with putting metal on GrillGrates? I was considering making a frame out of angle iron to hold some smaller GrillGrates that aren't quite long enough. Sounds like this may be an issue?
This happened with just having a piece of foil over the grill grates and the cooker running at 600. The best practice is to never put metal of any type on top of the grill grates, especially when cooking a higher temperatures.
Yoder_Herb wrote:This happened with just having a piece of foil over the grill grates and the cooker running at 600. The best practice is to never put metal of any type on top of the grill grates, especially when cooking a higher temperatures.
Holy GrillGrates! Bet that was quite the surprise when you opened the hood.
Do you think the same thing would happen if the grates were setting on top of the metal instead of the metal setting on top of the grate? My thinking being the grill grates are already setting on the metal ledge of the grate support.
Well, when you support cookers all over the world, you would not believe the things we see. That picture is actually from a customer.
I use the cooker and grill grates as they are meant to be used, so I have no frame of reference to be able to comment. Sorry.
Herb,
I guess I am a bit confused reading through posts......Can you leave the diffuser in on temps above 400 degrees? If so, what advantage does a two piece diffuser give you, other than easy access to clean out the burn pot, especially if you can get the searing done like in your post above?
Both the standard reinforced and the 2 piece diffuser have been tested at the maximum temp capability of the cooker. The 2 piece is much heavier and much less susceptible to metal movement.
Hi Herb,
Interested in your thoughts. I have only had my 640s approx 3 weeks but have done a number of cooks on my grill grates using both sides however never with the 2 piece door in place. Even with having the yoder set to 600 and it’s temp displaying around 700 I have not been able to get my grate temp anywhere near the 630 you have achieved? Mine are getting close to 500 at best. Normally 450ish
Why would leaving the door in and being set to 495 create a higher temp Than door out set to 600?
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