Post by: rwalters on February 28, 2018, 01:36:14 AM
Here’s a couple of pics of the grates just installed:
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180228/425813b5080398fcc675564d63dde07a.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180228/79402f60af189981bc08494b8357a3d7.jpg)
Here are a couple of pics of the chicken straight off the grill. Nothing fancy.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180228/ae174040f4bea3764b2474f96ab71cb6.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180228/f650f4ecc17d5adb306aac7e4972f066.jpg)
I think I’m really gonna like these grates :)
Post by: rwalters on February 28, 2018, 08:22:54 AM
Now that’s a mess of fine looking chicken! I direct for awhile and then on the grill grates, or on the new grates the whole time? How long to cook? I’ve never made skinless thighs before....Those grates look super heavy duty alsoThanks! They were cooked direct the entire time on the new grates, about 7 mins/side.
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Post by: Bar-B-Lew on February 28, 2018, 08:31:06 AM
Post by: rwalters on February 28, 2018, 08:35:52 AM
They look awful good...that’s a pretty quick cook...in going to try some like thatIt’s a very quick cook. We buy these thighs quite often. As mentioned, they are skinless, but the way they are prepared makes them perfect for a weeknight grill session. They cook up mice and quick when time is short :)
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Post by: rwalters on February 28, 2018, 08:39:42 AM
Looking forward to seeing more of your cooks on these grates. It may inspire me to use mine more frequently.The thing I really like about the MAK, one of the things that really sold me on it, was its ability to easily turn into a “grillâ€. It doesn’t have a “sear zone†like some pellet grills do, but the entire cooking surface turns into a direct (more of a semi direct) cooking area. It’s very much like a gas grill in that sense.
Post by: Canadian John on February 28, 2018, 08:46:21 AM
Post by: rwalters on February 28, 2018, 08:51:20 AM
sauce and rub??? Those look really good :lick: on the computer screen...jumps right out at me vs on my iphoneThis is all that was used. A liberal coating and back into the fridge for about 30 mins allowing it time to soak in. Easy-peasy weeknight cook.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180228/5ab5ebb96215fc05e75ba01f266c4886.jpg)
Post by: rwalters on February 28, 2018, 10:16:49 AM
Good question! It’s not the searing grates that I’d compare to a gas grill, but rather the way the MAK has been designed and engineered for grilling. I have a large family, and we like to grill quite often during the week. Most pellet grills that offer a direct flame option do so with only a small portion of the cooking surface. As far as I know, MAK is the only pellet grill manufacturer that allows you to remove the covers and turn the entire surface into a direct grilling area AND give extremely even heat front to back/side to side. As far as smoke profile, I believe that all pellet grills will give a very light smoke profile at higher heat cooking, definitely not something that a gas grill can do. One of the biggest differences with pellets vs gas, to me, is how much more tender and juicy the end results are when grilling.
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+1 How do these compare to cooking the same on a gasser? I mean, is there a smoke profile coming off the MAK?
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on February 28, 2018, 10:35:58 AM
One of the biggest differences with pellets vs gas, to me, is how much more tender and juicy the end results are when grilling.
That is exactly what turned me into a pellet fan. The first cooks I had on a demo Traeger that a dealer let me borrow for 2 weekends sold me on how much more moist and tender the food was versus my Weber Summit.
Post by: rwalters on February 28, 2018, 11:08:04 AM
Thanks for the feedback! Part of my curiosity is that I have been lusting after a new pellet smoker. My Camp Chef DLX has been a great little smoker, and I have learned a lot about the various approaches to cooking this way - most of that due to reading what all the great contributors here (and that "other site") have shared. Nothing fundamentally bad about the CC, but cooking and techno-lust are driving nuts as I contemplate upgrading to either the MAK 2 or the Memphis Pro. The Memphis is just so xxxx sexy, but is it really $1,000 better than the MAK? Both would combine the best of the smoking world and the grilling world, and both could replace both my CC and my Weber. The key decision point may be the grilling capability of the MAK as we do a lot of grilling.Oh boy, this has the potential to turn into a pretty interesting/in depth analysis of each cooker and comparing it to your personal cooking style and needs.
Ugh, almost as bad as trying to pick the new SUV I want....
A few questions for you:
1) Do you grill more than you smoke or do you smoke more than you grill... or is it 50/50?
2) You mentioned that you do a lot of grilling? What types of food do you tend to grill? How often is steak on the menu, and are you one that requires an insane sear on your steak?
3) You mention that the sexiness of the Memphis has your attention, and I get that! Are you OCD about keeping the exterior of your grills (especially if it were stainless) clean?
4) How many people are you cooking for on a regular basis?
5) Do you entertain often, and if yes, how many people are we talking? When cooking for a good number of people, do you typically cook low n slow, or do you typically grill?
If you want to dive deeper into the decision making process, I think the answers to these questions will get the ball rolling.
I know the MAK very well, and I think I have learned enough about the Memphis to have a solid enough understanding to be able to offer some thoughts. Not to mention, there are some amazingly knowledgeable Memphis grill owners on this forum :)
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on February 28, 2018, 12:06:16 PM
Post by: Bentley on February 28, 2018, 04:44:40 PM
The Memphis is just so xxxx sexy, but is it really $1,000 better than the MAK?
Post by: jstrand on March 05, 2018, 12:38:05 PM
So does the MAK only go to 425 degrees? I thought it had a high setting? If so, have you tried that with the new grill grates? I know your all about the sear so I guess I'm a little surprised you haven't gone all out with new grates. Looking forward to more cooks as I'm interested in getting a 2 star. When funds allow of course. So really interested in what it can do.
Post by: GoodRevrnd on March 05, 2018, 04:45:24 PM
Post by: rwalters on March 05, 2018, 05:25:09 PM
Waiting for rwalters to do some more direct cooking!Hey jstrand- Apologize for dropping the ball. My schedule has been insane since acquiring the sear grates. I do know that I’ll be cooking burgers on Wednesday and hoping for steak soon. I will absolutely be posting more pics/info as I am able.
So does the MAK only go to 425 degrees? I thought it had a high setting? If so, have you tried that with the new grill grates? I know your all about the sear so I guess I'm a little surprised you haven't gone all out with new grates. Looking forward to more cooks as I'm interested in getting a 2 star. When funds allow of course. So really interested in what it can do.
To answer your question, no the MAK does not top out at 425°. I just prefer that temp for chicken. The ‘Grill’ setting will take the MAK up to around 500°, a bit hotter as the outdoor ambient temps start to pic with with spring/summer on its way. One thing about the MAK 2 Star, when using the Flame Zone for direct grilling, the cooking surface is considerably hotter then what the digital controller (Pellet Boss) displays. It’s HOT at the cooking grate surface! The radiant heat from the FZ pan and the semi-direct heat coming through the little ports on the FZ pan... yeah, it’s HOT.
Prior to purchasing the sear grates, I did send Bob at MAK (owner) an email asking if he had pics of steaks he has cooked with his sear grates. Here is what he sent me...
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180305/51ebc6683e1251429b71ce22cfdb20b9.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180305/17173c6c094099212dad7eb4ef7aec86.jpg)
Hope this helps a bit (for now)
Post by: jstrand on March 05, 2018, 05:37:31 PM
Those steaks look acceptable to me. It would be interesting if you have an IR gun to shoot the four corners and center temp on those grill grates to see how even the heat is when using the open flame zone thingy.
Post by: rwalters on March 05, 2018, 05:44:08 PM
Thanks rwalters. Haha, no problem I understand life gets in the way.I do have an IR gun and will take the temps on Wednesday when I have it fired up for burgers. Will post the temps of the sear grate surface when using the FZT (Flame Zone Thingy) ;)
Those steaks look acceptable to me. It would be interesting if you have an IR gun to shoot the four corners and center temp on those grill grates to see how even the heat is when using the open flame zone thingy.
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on March 05, 2018, 06:06:41 PM
https://pelletfan.com/index.php?topic=1888.0
Post by: jstrand on March 05, 2018, 08:02:43 PM
Post by: Lantern on March 05, 2018, 08:21:49 PM
Post by: Bentley on March 05, 2018, 10:46:39 PM
Post by: rwalters on March 05, 2018, 10:50:22 PM
Are any of these pics with the new style funnel flame zone and sear grates?Other than the chicken pic in the first post, not sure. I have the new FZ, and I’ll continue to post pics as I use the new sear grates. As mentioned, the chicken in the 1st post was cooked on the sear grates with the new FZ at 425°.
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on March 05, 2018, 10:55:23 PM
I no longer have access to Performance Tests or Photos...I do distinctly remember the 2011 Performance Test of the 2 Star and I know in the high heat test it was over 500°...Not sure how much, but it was a few over!
540 according to performance test and 643 when you took out the drip pan
Post by: Bentley on March 05, 2018, 11:01:32 PM
Post by: rwalters on March 06, 2018, 12:18:42 AM
Wonder why I took the grease tray out? I was not drinking at that time, so that could not be a reason...
Drip pan out, or Flame Zone covers off?I no longer have access to Performance Tests or Photos...I do distinctly remember the 2011 Performance Test of the 2 Star and I know in the high heat test it was over 500°...Not sure how much, but it was a few over!
540 according to performance test and 643 when you took out the drip pan
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on March 06, 2018, 07:05:01 AM
Post by: Bentley on March 06, 2018, 10:58:35 AM
Post by: rwalters on March 06, 2018, 11:59:50 PM
Waiting for rwalters to do some more direct cooking! :)Did a tri tip tonight... reverse seared. For all but steak, I am finding 425-450° to be plenty hot for searing. With the MAK running at 450/direct heat, I clocked the sear grates surface temp at 570°. I have no doubt they’d hover around 625-650° at the grate with the MAK running on the ‘Grill’ setting.
So does the MAK only go to 425 degrees? I thought it had a high setting? If so, have you tried that with the new grill grates? I know your all about the sear so I guess I'm a little surprised you haven't gone all out with new grates. Looking forward to more cooks as I'm interested in getting a 2 star. When funds allow of course. So really interested in what it can do.
It was getting dark outside, but here is a pic after a 4 min/side sear following the low n slow portion of the cook.
I am very pleased with the performance of the sear grates so far :)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180307/6b39c534b1ea44ec62a6a11ea079cda8.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180307/eb461f547e1829ecc4b27a6e08b53006.jpg)
Post by: Deebo1133 on March 07, 2018, 07:02:20 AM
Post by: jstrand on March 07, 2018, 10:49:17 AM
Post by: elenis on March 16, 2018, 02:38:54 PM
I no longer have access to Performance Tests or Photos...I do distinctly remember the 2011 Performance Test of the 2 Star and I know in the high heat test it was over 500°...Not sure how much, but it was a few over!
Your testing is what helped sell me on Mak back when I saw it on the other site.
Post by: zephyr on June 05, 2019, 12:27:34 PM
Made my own Stainless Grate. .............................ZEP
Post by: MikeMcQ on January 31, 2021, 04:54:36 AM
At night...when all those other brands of pellet grills are sleeping...they're dreaming of becoming a MAK!I 'almost' agree. But since having both a MAK 2* and Memphis Pro find both have their strengths. This weekend did a brisket using both for the cook! :rotf:
First 8 hours on the MAK smoke mode ~170f 100% Hickory. The MAK smokes lower than the Memphis. Then into aluminum pan and foiled and onto the Memphis 240f. Memphis holds heat better double walled using less pellets (not that I'm concerned about pellet consumption was my justification though). FWIW I keep Perfect Pellets in the Memphis since foiled no need to switch to Hickory. I did also sauce finish the burnt ends in the Memphis since MAK had cooled down hours ago.
Gotta keep them both happy! :clap: