What Size holes/spacing in heat plate for stick burner ?

I don't know that there is a magic formula since all cookers run differently. It will all depend on the flow of your cooker and the temp difference now versus what you want in the end. Many people like having different temp zones for cooking different meats. Personally, instead of drilling holes, I would cut the sheet into tuning plates that can be adjusted. Start with a larger plate right outside the firebox that will act as a diffuser and remain there permanently. Then have plates of 4-6" widths or so that you can space out in the cooking chamber to achieve your desired temps. A quick search brought up this page which is a good illustration of what I mean.

http://www.bbquepits.com/images/ACCESSORIES/TUNING_PLATES.htm

I also have a convection plate on my xmas list. Horizon makes one. Not sure how big the holes r tho.

I also thought bout just getting steel strips and making tuning plates. Not sure how to get em to be able the screw n lock tho. Id just get strips n place em in the smoker.

This was how I did mine, I used 1/2" dia. holes on 3" Centers, the diffuser tapers to the short end. It seems to work pretty good so far, in my 48" long smoker it may have a temperature difference of around 2-5 degrees.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/kwag71/Diffuser.jpg

I made mine adjustable as well. Love it that way!


Cheers

colonel00 said:

I would cut the sheet into tuning plates that can be adjusted. Start with a larger plate right outside the firebox that will act as a diffuser and remain there permanently. Then have plates of 4-6" widths or so that you can space out in the cooking chamber to achieve your desired temps.

Click to expand...

^^^^ This is what I did.

DirtyDirty00 said:

I also thought bout just getting steel strips and making tuning plates. Not sure how to get em to be able the screw n lock tho.

Click to expand...

1/4" steel plates aren't going anywhere once placed in the bottom of your pit. No need for fasteners.

Would this apply to a reverse flow cooker?