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[Bubba Board]

 Bubba Board » Keg News and Events » Keg Announcements
 Sneak peak - Bubba Keg CG diffuser kit

[Ricky Bobby]

As many of you know, we here at Bubba HQ have been working to develop an indirect cooking solution for the BKCG.  We’ve been keeping our cards close to the chest, but I thought you’d all like a sneak peak of what we’re working on.

What we term the “diffuser kit” has 3 components:
1.   A steel grate for holding items below the firebowl
2.   A steel drip pan/diffuser for redirecting heat
3.   A custom handle for removing the hot drip pan from the grill for cleaning or adding fuel

Additionally, you can invert the diffuser grate to position the cast iron grate at the lip of the grill, for easier access (when cooking a pizza, for example).

Obviously we’re still in development, but we’re driving as hard as we can to have product ready in the Fall.  As soon as it is available, we’ll let you guys know!

RB

[Boat-n-BBQ]

Awww, R~B.. "It's Great"!

That's like my wok on steroids!!!  I like the handle for the pan and the size of the opening with the pan removed.  I was hoping it would invert to and of course it does.

Thanks for the preview,
Boat

[jfabernathy]

Okay, so where do we pre-order it?

[Lando]

GIVE TO LANDO!!1!!1!

[Braddog]

Looks great, as long as it accomodates a disposable drip pan.  I'm never cleaning another drip pan again...ever.

Cheers,
Braddog

[pudgy]

I can't wait till it's ready. I want one now!!! LOL Whwn can we pre order???

[scubasmoke]

William, the BGE plate setter has a problem that it looks like this heat deflector will have as well.  The BGE ceramic plate setter absorbs the heat of the fire.  If you put a drip pan on top of the plate setter, the heat of the fire will boil the juices.  In a long cook that means that the pan ends up burned.  That creates acidic smoke that flavors the meat, and there is no juice left to save for use later.  Both of which are problems.  The work around is to add an inch of water or set the pan on spacers that leave an air space between the pan and the plate setter. 

If the drip pan shown is both the deflector and drip pan, my experience is that it will be "hard to clean" and recover drippings.  Have you run tests as this set up is now?  If you have and you have these problems, what is your work around? 

[USFMD82]

brad dog what disposables are you talking about? I don't know any pans it will accommodate off the top of my head..

would be nice if when flipped the edges  of the circle at the bottom form a lip that a pizza stone can rest on..

the handle is an awesome idea but one less thing to lose any thoughts on a way to incorporate the mutti tool instead?

[Riverside]

Wow
I can't wait to order one!. I have been looking for a wok to fit but I guess I can last a few more weeks,month for this.

let us know asap

[Braddog]

USFMD82;

I buy disposable aluminum drip pans.  I'd prefer that the diffuser be able to accomodate either a rectangle shaped alum. pan or a pie pan. either way, as I said I'm not interested in cleaning a drip pan, wok, or bowl (i.e. like those in a typical water smoker) ever again.

However, the more I think about it I'm not sure that this setup will work without water in the pan.  I don't use water or any other juices in my drip pans in the BGE and haven't found a need for them in the BKG either.

Scubasmoke; true enough that you can't recover any drippings using a platesetter type of setup, but I've never had a problem with an acidic smoke taste from the drippings boiling away.

Cheers,
Braddog

[Boat-n-BBQ]

Braddog,

I usually have some type of fluid Water/juice) in my wok for long cooks, but I have used the wok without fluid and put a piece of foil in it for easy cleanup.  Why couldn't this do the same?

There aren't any measurements in that drawing, but I'd bet if I didn't want to use the drip pan a 12-14" pizza stone or a cast iron pot lid would work with that wire frame (even when inverted).  A foil drip pan could be placed on that.

It fixes all the prob’s I have with my wok.  I still want one 

[Ricky Bobby]

We mulled over using the multi-tool for removal, but in the end decided it wasn't the best option for removing a fully-loaded drip pan full of near-boiling liquid.

As far as using it with or without liquid, I use it dry and it works fine as a heat deflector.  As far as the burning issue is concerned, a fire for a 225* cook in a Bubba Keg is less intense than in a comparable ceramic grill.  I haven't significant burning or off flavors in my low and slow cooks.

The base grate will accept other round, deep items other than the supplied pan.  I've been lining the prototype with aluminum foil to save myself the trouble of cleaning it up (which works excellently).

[Kegger]

I like something in my WSM pan to prevent excessive drippings & grease smoke. If not using water (I rarely use water) covering the bottom with 2" of clean sand or with loosely crumpled foil balls works well. These options don't boil off like water (needing to be refilled) and aren't nearly the heatsink that water is. Cover either with a double layer of foil, change the top layer after every cook.

This catches the drippings, the gap prevents them from burning like they do in an empty pan and clean up is a breeze.

Water acts as a heatsink by two properties: latent heat of vaporization and specific heat. Rough estimate in a WSM with a 1 gallon water pan is 1/4 - 1/3 of energy (9000 BTU/LB for wood charcoal) will be wasted boiling water at 250ºF over the duration of a 16 hour cook.

Note: using water in the pan doesn't equate to moist meat. Bakers use pans of water in the oven to make extra crunchy crusts. Also, meat overcooked by boiling is just as dry if not dryer than meat overcooked any other way.

The handle looks good, you really don't want to spill liquid on the coals, with enough of a fire you get an incredible ash/steam plume.

Also, I really like that you guys are putting the diffuser below the grate to free up cooking space above, way better the egg solution, nicely done!

[Ricky Bobby]

Water acts as a heatsink by two properties: latent heat of vaporization and specific heat. Rough estimate in a WSM with a 1 gallon water pan is 1/4 - 1/3 of energy (9000 BTU/LB for wood charcoal) will be wasted boiling water at 250ºF over the duration of a 16 hour cook.

You had me at "latent heat of vaporization"...

I've noticed that the cooling effect of evaporating water is pretty significant.  So much so that during almost all of my low and slow cooks with water in the pan the water doesn't actually start boiling.  It tends to stay just below 200*, further helping maintain low and slow temps.

Note: using water in the pan doesn't equate to moist meat. Bakers use pans of water in the oven to make extra crunchy crusts. Also, meat overcooked by boiling is just as dry if not dryer than meat overcooked any other way.

I agree, mostly.  I've found that adding moisture does certainly increase the humidity in the grill.  Bakers also use this to delay crust formation and to allow for the baked good to rise more in the oven (giving the food a more airy texture).  It makes sense that this same humidity would tend to make a softer bark on long cooks, but I'm not sure you'd really be able to tell the difference.

I agree, though that it is no where near on the order of what happens when you steam food in a steamer.

The handle looks good, you really don't want to spill liquid on the coals, with enough of a fire you get an incredible ash/steam plume rising to coat the meat.

Absolutely.  I learned about that the hard way! 

Whew.  It's been a while since I've had the chance to seriously nerd out.  Next time we'll cover the Maillard reaction and speak briefly on the conversion of collagen to gelatin in low and slow cooks.

[USFMD82]

We mulled over using the multi-tool for removal, but in the end decided it wasn't the best option for removing a fully-loaded drip pan full of near-boiling liquid.

Fair enough, is there a possibility some sort of hook can be added to this so it can be set on the hooks of the shelf's? I may just be being AR but I can see myself setting this down and then needing quick access to the fire and in a panic forgetting where I put it.

Either way, the thing looks cool and put me down for one when it is available!