# Forum Home Renovation General Odds & Sods  Optimal BBQ plate height?

## PlatypusGardens

Am making some modifications to my camping/backyard fire bucket (open fire, not the turbo potbelly stove)  and one of the things I'm doing is lowering the sides and BBQ plate mounts.
It gets hot-ish enough-ish mostly, but sometimes it takes a biiiiit long to cook those snags. 
Just wondering what people think is a good distance between fire and plate? 
At a glance I'm thinking about.......330mm.....? 
That's only lowering it by about 100mm but sometimes that can make all the difference   :Smilie:

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## NRB

It depends if you are cooking using a plate or a grill, either way I would make a good fire then let it calm down so you have a good bed of hot ashes, no flame,the heat will last for a good time.
How far away from the fire to the plate? I would think about 250mm might be good .
There are people that think that BBQ plates are only good as boat anchors, not, me but I do cook all my steak over a grill, far more flavour IMHO, you do need the plate for lots of other stuff.
This post may start lots of comments, it may be fun to see what happens now.

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## Cecile

Moondog will surely have some words of wisdom to offer in here  :Redface: )

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## PlatypusGardens

Yeh it's a solid plate.

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## Bros

> Yeh it's a solid plate.

  How thick and is is mild steel?

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## NRB

Of course the only plate IMHO is stainless, you can get a range of sizes from BBQ Galore or the like.

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## OBBob

> How thick and is is mild steel?

  Yeah,  if it's made of old tractor parts (like your other stuff) then it's likely to take a bit to heat.

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## PlatypusGardens

Haha it's just some random round BBQ plate I got from.....somewhere.
Probably off one of those little "ufo" BBQs, like the fake Weber ones. 
Most likely mild steel as I had no problems welding a couple of handles on to it.
I like it as it's a perfect fit for the fire bucket. 
Yes a stainless one would be nice.

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## Bros

I think your 330 might be a bit much. I regularly cook on a choofer and if you google "choofer plans" you will see what I mean just cur down gas bottles. I stoke it up with wood and let in burn down then I add the 6 mm plate on the top. The biggest mistake people make is to much heat. I just add a small piece of wood from time to time to keep it going. I also face the door to any breeze blowing and use the door to regulate the fire, works well. You can also make Ozpigs but for me they don't compact down into a milk crate.

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## PlatypusGardens

This is the firebucket in question.
As you can see it's only 1/3 "open". 
Cooking crabs in that pic.
yum.

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## Moondog55

I think that grill could be lowered another 200mm or so; add some short pins or bolts so you can have 2 [ or more] grill heights

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## Marc

If you use coals to cook (as opposed to gas) you need a grill or a plate that has variable height. The heat from the coals changes too much to be able to do a good job at one fixed height. 
If you use flames like in your picture, it is even worst. You go from charring heat down to way too cold when the flames die down. 
However you are asking a different question again. You are cooking in a pot !
The only way to be able to regulate heat when cooking in a pot over woodfire in a contraption like that, is to have rings that can be removed one two or three so that the pot gets the heat directly or indirectly. You have a lathe you could turn rings on it. Or you may be lucky and find an old wood fired stove.

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## PlatypusGardens

> add some short pins or bolts so you can have 2 [ or more] grill heights

  
OD of plate = ID of firebucket, so that won't work. 
unless I cut slots in the front of the bucket to slide the plate in.....
Aaaarggghh, getting too complicated haha.

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## PlatypusGardens

You guys  :Rofl:  
I should never have posted that pic, I just confused you now.
The main cooking to be done on a PLATE over COALS or low flames on this setup. 
Ignore the big flames and pot and grill in the pic. 
I only posted it to show that it's not a 100% "open" fire, but has "sides" around 2/3 of the bucket under the plate.
Which can only be inserted and removed from the top.   :Wink:   
I can and have and will continue to cook (successfully I might add) on this setup.
Have done it many times.
Fish, steak, snags, eggs, crabs etc.
 In pot or on plate 
It could be a little hotter at times though.      :Smilie:

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## Marc

Yes, it can be done, just not ideal. Make the hot coals in a steel bucket separate from the plate or grill. Add hot coals with a shovel as you need it. And yes, the plate could be lower than that. In the olden days when I barbecued exclusively on coal fired grill, I had a grill that varied from 150mm up to 300 hanging from 4 chains wrapped around a one inch water pipe with a handle welded to it. 
If you want to keep it fixed ... well ... 200 mm would be my choice.

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## PlatypusGardens

Hmm yes...200mm.... 
About two bricks on their side....
Usually works

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## PlatypusGardens

200 mm isn't much of a fire bucket though   :Unsure:   
might try 300 ish for a start.
Can always cut it down a bit more later....   :Smilie:

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## Bros

To cook crabs I made a forge out of a piece of 150 mm x 200 mm long pipe loosely sitting on a base with a 50mm bend and a fitting for the vacuum cleaner. Well fill that up with coal and the outside would glow red and wouldn't it cook crabs quick. The worst thing with crabs is you load up the pot and it goes off the boil and takes ages to bring back to the boil.
Took a bit to get going and it smelt like an old railway running shed but when it got going it was just a 150 mm column of fire.

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## PlatypusGardens

You can't rush crab cooking. 
just have another beer while you wait.   :Smilie:

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## Bros

> You can't rush crab cooking. 
> just have another beer while you wait.

  I don't like stewed crab.

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## PlatypusGardens

> I don't like stewed crab.

   Dunno, never tried it.
I always cook them to perfection.  :Wink:   
You seemed to be impatient when it comes to bringing the water back to the boil, hence the comment.   :Smilie:

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## Marc

Wow ... cooking on a forge hu hu ... I have a gas chinese kitchen for cooking with a wok, now that is a bit like that volcano you describe, but I wouldn't have a pot on that. Way too much fire.
Here is my Rambo high pressure burner.

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## Moondog55

If you can't lower the plate raise the fire, cut a disc to suit and add those bricks
 Stop filling the pot with crabs, cook them in batches, and use a mesh bucket to lower and raise them into and out of the pot, makes it so much easier

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## PlatypusGardens

> If you can't lower the plate raise the fire, cut a disc to suit and add those bricks

  Today's job is to add a fire grate to the bucket.    

> Stop filling the pot with crabs, cook them in batches, and use a mesh bucket to lower and raise them into and out of the pot, makes it so much easier

  .....but I like fishing around in the pot with tongs looking for that last leg or nipper   :Smilie:    
Most of the crabs we catch are so big we can only fit one or two in the pot at a time anyway   :Shock:

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## PlatypusGardens

Mmmmmm crabs. 
Wish we'd get a bit of rain to wake them up.
Been out a few times but no cigar.
A couple of little ones and some very tasty looking females.   :Smilie:

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## Bros

> some very tasty looking females.

  Fan tail bucks

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## PlatypusGardens

Ok we'll see how this goes.
Made a fire grate, added some handles and an air intake down below.
Also fixd up the air holes on the side which were just roughly cut with grinder.
Just need to make a small cutout at the top back for a bit of smoke to escape when the plate is on. 
Plate is now 300 above the grate.  
I shall report back once it has been tested.

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## Moondog55

Looking at those pictures bolts would have worked too

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## Cecile

PG, stop giving Moondog ideas.   :Rofl:

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## PlatypusGardens

> Looking at those pictures bolts would have worked too

  yes, yes it would.
This seemed easier though, already had two of the bits cut.
No drilling holes, finding matching nuts etc etc.  
Down the track I'll be making a bigger open fire for the backyard and keep this one for camping.
No doubt the one for the backyard will be more adjustable and adaptable and complicated.   :Smilie:    

> PG, stop giving Moondog ideas.

  hahaha

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## PlatypusGardens

Note disclaimer in my new sig   :Smilie:

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## Bros

Are you sure the shackles on the plate will hold the weight? 
Put a bend on the bottom and connect up a vacuum cleaner then you can use coal.

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## PlatypusGardens

> Are you sure the shackles on the plate will hold the weight?

  Gonna have to do until I find something more suitable   :Rofl:     

> Put a bend on the bottom and connect up a vacuum cleaner then you can use coal.

  Pffft
Coals 
I do all my cooking over burning CCA treated pine or old hardwood with lead paint.   :Smilie:

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