Woo3 Section Quick Links

1. Woo3 Specs
2. Grilling Raised Grid & Direct
3. Barbequing- Single, Raised Grid & Direct
4. Woo3 Extender

 

Large Woo3  (Woo3)  - Update July 2010 

WooDoggies, a ceramic enthusiast, wanted a quick way to raise the grid to the felt line.  He contacted us after seeing a raised set-up we fabricated for Nature Boy, of Dizzy Pig fame.  We designed a two ring set-up that goes direct and sets the grid at the felt line.  He liked it, so we named it after him – the Woo Ring!
 
Well, as inventors do, we could not leave the Woo Ring alone and started tinkering.  From our efforts came the Large Woo2, a piece that still goes direct at the felt line, but offered an indirect cooking option.  Well, we keep tinkering and now it's the Woo3.  All the benefits of the original Woo and Woo2, but now the Woo3 can also hold a wok.  Plus, with the addition of the Woo3 Extender, an additional grid can be positioned above the Woo3 for increased versatility.  

The “nuts and bolts” of the Large Woo3 design are: 

• The Woo3 sits atop the fire ring.  
• Overall height is 4.0 inches.
• The Woo3 places the 18-inch grid, BGE's porcelain or our stainless, a smidge below the felt line.  
• Ring diameter is 17.375-inches OD, matching the center diameter of the fire ring.
• Five "L" shape legs connect the two rings and support the upper ring.
• The material is 1/4-inch, round bar, 304 stainless stock.
• The small lower ring's outside diameter is 11-inches.
• The small lower ring sits atop the legs for improved circulation on indirect cooks. 
• The small lower ring holds a pizza stone and/or pan for indirect cooks
• The Woo3 holds a 14 or 16 inch wok.

Why buy the Large Woo3 over the Adjustable Rig:  It’s all about simplicity with the Woo3.   If you are not cooking for large numbers or don’t have the need to get creative, then the Woo3 pieces are a perfect choice.

Note:  We recommend you take one quick measurement before ordering.   This is the simplest way we’ve found to make sure the Large Woo3 and Woo3 Extender fit your cooker.   Measure the distance from the top of the fire ring to the felt rim on the base.   The measurement should be approximately 4-1/4 inches.   If it is not, contact us and we’ll see what we can do to get you set-up.

Grilling Raised Grid & Direct

When grilling on ceramics, we recommend two approaches.  The first approach uses a very hot fire to sear, char or saute' the food.  Our preference is to perform these cooks close to the lump, either atop or inside the fire ring where the heat is greatest.  The Woo3 is not our preferred set-up for hot and fast cooks inside the fire ring but our Spider accessory is.  So, to learn more about the Spider click here. 

The second grilling approach is similar to roasting, where the cooking temperatures typically range from 300 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  With this approach, the goal is to create a light crust, cook to an internal temperature, render fat or crisp skin.  Examples of these cooks include: searing brats without breaking the casing, finishing steaks to an internal temperature after a sear, crisping chicken skin, rendering bacon fat on ABTs and steaming veggies.  Our recommendation is to complete these cooks by raising the grid above the fire ring.   The Woo3 and Adjustable Rig are our equipment choices for raising the grid(s).  Continue on for more Woo3 information or click here for the Adjustable Rig details.   

By raising the grid above the fire ring, temperature control is less demanding.  Simply, you can minimize your chances of burning the food.  Plus, handling tongs, spatulas and food is much easier.  The Woo3 with Woo3 Extender provides two options for raising the grid.  The Woo3 is designed to set the Large grid at the felt line.  Both, the BGE black porcelain or our Stainless Large grid fit atop the Woo3.  Depending on the amount of lump in the firebox, the distance from the lump to the raised grid ranges from 8 to 12 inches.  Also, with the Large grid off the fire ring, more of the grid's total surface area is available for grilling.

As pictured below, the set-up is quick and straightforward: set the Woo3 on the fire ring and set the Large grid atop the Woo3.  The Woo3's top ring slips between the grid's outer band and center support crosswires, keeping it properly positioned.  The Woo3's five legs can sit directly in the dimples atop the fire ring.  Or, if a set-up needs a little more clearance from the fire ring, the legs can sit atop the fire ring.

With the Large grid atop the Woo3, there is ample room to grill just about anything.  It's approximately 12 inches from the top of the Grid to the slider on the daisy wheel atop the cooker.  Here are a couple cooks on the Woo.

If the cooker is creating hot spots across the grid, you can spin the grid to minimize the effects from the hot spots.  To spin the grid, just set tong ends at the center of the grid and turn. 

If the cooker is running hot or you need to slow the cook down, changing to an indirect set-up can provide protection until you get the cooking temperature down.   Pictured below is a half grid indirect set-up using our 8x16 Half Ceramic Stone.  It's a quasi half direct and half indirect set-up.  Just lift the grid off and set the Stone on the lower ring.  Front, back, or either side, it's your option.  Remember to wear proper personal protection while handling hot equipment.  More on indirect set-ups can be found below in BBQing.

BBQing - Single Raised Grid & Indirect

Barbeque is typically created using (low) cooking temperatures and (slow) cooking times.  For most low & slow cooks (ribs, butt, brisket), the cooking temperatures range from 200 to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cooking times can range from several hours to a full day.  One recommendation we offer on how to tell when the cook is done is:  learn to barbeque recognizing tenderness (internal temperature) rather than going by so many hours per pound.  Barbequing is just one of those lazy cooking methods that answer to the ole saying......it's done when it's done!

Barbequing with ceramics is reasonably straightforward.  The primary accessory needed is a heat diffuser, something that controls how the heat rises up through the cooker.  Some of the more common heat diffusers in use today include:  ceramic (pizza) stones, platesetters, fire bricks, pans, skillets and metal disks.  Using a heat diffuser in ceramic cooking is universally called an indirect set-up.

Our preferred indirect set-ups use ceramic stones.  Why ceramic stones can be found here.  Put simply, stones come in various sizes, lend themselves to multiple configurations, are durable, match the round shape of the cooker and have no legs to hinder airflow.  The purpose of the stone is to push the heat away from the underside of the cook toward the cooker wall.  Here the heat can move up the wall to the top of the cooker and build down.  This protects the underside of the cook from burning, since the lump can generate very high internal temperatures.  The flat Stone blocks and pushes the rising heat outward but does not interfere with the heat stabilizing activities going on higher in the cooker.  

You may wonder which stone creates the best indirect set-up.  Well, there is no catch all answer, as each cook is a little different.  What we suggest, if at all possible, is to match the indirect set-up to the size of the cook.  Go small indirect with small cooks.  Go large indirect with large cooks.  Go long indirect with lengthy cuts such as ribs and brisket.  Setting up in this manner will provide the best coverage against burned edges and the best chance for even temps across the grid surface.

Many of the same techniques and set-ups that work when grilling on the Woo3 also work when barbequing on the Woo3.  Except, now it's an indirect set-up and lower cooking temperatures.  The Woo3 sets up quickly for indirect cooks.  All you need is the indirect piece.  Our recommendation is either the 13-inch Ceramic Stone or 12.75"x17.5" Oval Ceramic Stone.  We recommend using foil for easy clean up with the drippings.

Pictured above left is the 13-inch Stone and Drip Pan set-up.  Pictured above right is the 13-inch Stone and 16-inch Drip Pan.    The 16-inch Ceramic Stone is not needed, as the 13 Stone under the 16 Pan works just fine.  We offer Drip Pans in our shopping cart.

When looking at the 16-inch pan on the Woo3, you might wonder how the air moves past the fire ring.  Well, when looking from the side, you'll see there is ample room for air circulation.  With our 5/8-inch thick Stone, the Drip Pan sits 1-1/8 inch above the fire ring: 1/4" Woo3 leg + 1/4" lower Woo3 ring + 5/8" Stone.  Plus, unlike other indirect methods, this opening is around the entire fire ring and Drip Pan.  The gap between the fire ring and 13-inch Stone/Drip Pan is even bigger.  The Drip Pans we offer have a tapered side edge to aid circulation. 

The Ceramic Stone does not have to be round.  With long cuts of meat, ribs & brisket, our 12.75"x17.5" Ceramic Oval Stone is a preferred option.  The Oval Stone extends coverage up to 1-inch from the inside wall of the cooker.  At 12.75 inches wide, the Stone is wide enough for two racks of babyback or St. Louis style ribs and a brisket packer or flat.  To date, we have not found a pan to match the Stone, so a homemade foil pan is recommended to catch drippings.  

If you are concerned about airflow, we can confirm, airflow is fine.  With the Woo3 sitting on the fire ring's top (not in dimples), the stone sits 1/2-inch above the fire ring.  Plus, there is additional open area along the Stone's flat edges, as the fire ring's inside diameter is greater than 15.5 inches and the Stone is only 12.75 inches wide.

Here are a couple cooks with the woo set-ups.

The exciting new feature of the Woo lineup is the Woo3 can hold a wok.  Just set the Wok inside the Woo3, so the Wok's round bottom slips into the lower ring.

  

July 2010, we upgraded the original Woo Extender to the Woo3 Extender.  We tinkered and improved the design to one piece.  Both Extenders offer the same basic features; we just concluded it's easier to handle one vs. two pieces. 

The grid diameter is 16.5 inches, a smidge more than if grilling directly on the fire ring with the Large grid.  The Woo3 Extender's three support legs and lower outer ring provide improved stability over the original Extender's four legs.  The front portion of the lower ring is cut-away for unrestrictive access to the lower grid.  Material is all stainless, 1/4 or 3/16 inch material.  The finish is Electro-polish for an improved cooking surface.  It's a stout Extender, as it weighs 3.6 pounds.

Note:  When using the Woo3 Extender on the Woo3, the BGE thermometer can get in the way.  For options with the thermometer see here.

The Woo3 Extender gives you the ability to add a second grid above the Large grid.  It's handy for cooking direct, hotter and higher in the dome.  Plus, you can slip the 13-inch Ceramic Stone and Drip Pan on the Large grid for a quick, one grid, indirect set-up.  Or, add a Stone on the Woo3's lower ring for a two grid indirect set-up.  The unrestricted, vertical spacing between grids is 3-inch minimum.  The opening between the front two legs is 12.375 inches.  It is 9-inches to the daisy wheel top, so there is ample room to grill just about anything.  The Woo3 Extender sits atop BGE's black porcelain grid or our Stainless Large grid.  The Woo3 Extender does work with BGE's platesetter and Large grid combo.

With pork butt, plan on one large butt atop the Woo3 Extender.   The dome’s curvature can make it a tight fit for two butts.   With butts on the lower grid, chances are the Woo3 Extender will rest on the butts.  If large butt cooks is your thing, then the Adjustable Rig/Spider combo is a better choice.  The Rig’s flexibility with grid placement provides more options.

The two combo packages offered in the shopping cart are highlighted below.  Just add BGE's or our Stainless Large grid.   Both Combos include the Woo3, Woo3 Extender and a Ceramic Stone.  Stone choices include either the 13-inch or Oval Stone.

Three Grid Cooks:   We do not recommend the Large Woo3 with Woo3 Extender for three grid cooks.  Three grid cooks include: grid on the lower ring, grid atop the Woo3 and grid on the Woo Extender.   Yes, it is possible but it’s a busy cook handling the pieces.

If you are looking for a simple yet effective way to raise the grid for direct or indirect cooking, have a need to do the occasional two grid cook or cook high in the dome, then the Large Woo3 pieces are a logical consideration.   Chances are, after a couple cooks, you’ll come to appreciate the versatility of the pieces and simplicity of the set-ups.

This ends the Large Woo3 narrative.