Bullseye Thermal Mass

[CarpeInferi]

Thoughts on putting some firebrick under the diffuser to act as thermal mass and help regulate temp swings?

 

[ol' stonebreaker]

Sounds like you're trying to out engineer the engineers. If you're having temp swings talk to RT and try to find out why.

 

[CarpeInferi]

Because the grill is made with thin metal and it's consistently been rather windy when I've used it?

The Bullseye is known for wild temp swings, especially at lower temps.

 

[okie]

Thoughts on putting some firebrick under the diffuser to act as thermal mass and help regulate temp swings?

Sounds like a worthwhile experiment. Let us see how you do it and results.

 

[okie]

Sounds like a worthwhile experiment. Let us see how you do it and results.

Did it today with ceramic briquets on the bottom circumference and on the center of the diffuser pan. Without going into detail, a total waste of time. The controller quality is the issue IMO. Slow to react, overshoots the target going either way and the briquets made essentially no difference. 380 control and RMD could use redesign. Meanwhile still serves me well for Hot and Sear cooks. I have the 590 for Lo/Slo and it is super.

 

[C. Keeper]

Did it today with ceramic briquets on the bottom circumference and on the center of the diffuser pan. Without going into detail, a total waste of time. The controller quality is the issue IMO. Slow to react, overshoots the target going either way and the briquets made essentially no difference. 380 control and RMD could use redesign. Meanwhile still serves me well for Hot and Sear cooks. I have the 590 for Lo/Slo and it is super.

I agree with your assessment.

 

[CarpeInferi]

Did it today with ceramic briquets on the bottom circumference and on the center of the diffuser pan. Without going into detail, a total waste of time. The controller quality is the issue IMO. Slow to react, overshoots the target going either way and the briquets made essentially no difference. 380 control and RMD could use redesign. Meanwhile still serves me well for Hot and Sear cooks. I have the 590 for Lo/Slo and it is super.

Agreed, tried last night with regular bricks since I wasn't exceeding their heat rating and no difference. Short of using cast refractory in the bottom the shape of the 380 isn't conducive to adding enough brick to make a difference. Even then I'm not sure how much if any it'd help with the current probe, and controller logic.

Set for 500F and settled in at that after about 30min of pre-heating, opened the lid a couple minutes to add some chicken breasts and it dropped to around 380F before it started heating back up. Even then it struggled to stay at 450F, much less get back to 500F, till I switched to riot mode.