I’m pretty sure Chef Tom has convinced more people to buy a Yoder than anyone else (I know I’m losing about 3k out of my wallet next month). I hope he gets a big thank you from Yoder and Grill Grates! :-)
Just acquired a set of the Grill Grates and used them on my Oklahoma Joe's Highland offset smoker. Outstanding results, the 16.25" Grill Grates fit in the fire box and allow cooking directly over the charcoal fire without the worry about flare-ups. The Grill Grates also fit in the cooking chamber. Although Chef Tom is a powerful voice for the Yoder pellet grills, I am leaning towards the Lone Star Grillz offset smoker products for my retirement smoker. Whatever you use, get a set of the Grill Grates and enjoy the next step up in your BBQ experience.
It would be nice to see all the assories installed and explained before I buy them. I'm ready to order but haven't a clue on what's optional and if I will use then.
I’m considering one of the YS’ but have some concerns... (1) What do I need to buy extra to be able to smoke a brisket and also to set dual zone grilling? (2) It seems that some people have significant rust/paint issues with only a couple of years of use. (3) Any issues with searing? That is, where does the fat go? How do we clean/maintain mess from searing? Does it drip right into the fire and auger outlet? (4) Where can I see one? I’m in Houston!
What is the ideal baffle placement for direct grilling on the grill grates? As well as baffle placement for indirect grilling/smoking? Thanks in advance!
.Nice tip there Tom. I have a few weber kettles and a couple have grill grates, they are awesome. No flare up even with chicken and burgers..The sear marks on a steak is unbeatable..a well made product. nice review, Thanks.
While preheating to 600° for direct do you leave the lid open? And leave the lid open the whole time while doing direct grilling? I just didn’t know if that light gives it too much oxygen and risks a hopper fire?
Chef Tom Quick question I just got my brand new Yoder YS640s Competition smoker, I have used the Traeger Pro 34 for years and loved it but now we are moving on and looking to start competing in the backyard pit contests, and really looking forward to it. The reason for my question is where do I start with the heat baffle/ damper ?? How many inches in to achieve a even cook across and pit. Is this something I have to figure out on my own??. When in doubt ask a pro Thank you in advance and this thing is a beast LOL
i can't decide on a 480 or 640. Could you help me decide please? i have a green egg already so I didn't want to buy the bigger one; however, I heard there's something I can't do with the 480 that I can with the 640. Thanks in advance!
The price difference is $225, and for that you gain significant cooking inches, so in our opinion we would go with the YS640. If the price difference were double that or so it would be a harder decision.
Chef, I have to ask, for direct grilling, remove the whole plate or just the little plate over the fire? I think I know but would like your answer. Thanks
In the directions, it says it’s ok to just take off the plate above the fire box. The older units like the one in this video didn’t have the the smaller plate cut out. The diffuser was just one solid plate.
We are working on some cleaning and maintenance videos now... but the reason ours look so good is no secret. We scrape, sand and then touch-up with paint frequently.
Just a couple questions. What setting for the sliding baffle? All the way out to the right or ?? Lid open or closed for your grilling?? Thanks for a great video!
Okay so I'm not ready to go to the dark side yet but, I would like more info on the ys1500, set up for smoking, proper set up with the adjustable plate and so on. A few videos would be cool.
Hello Mike, great question. Technically yes, but, you will want to replace the GrillGrates with the standard grates for several reasons. The main reason is that the standard grates allow the heat and the smoke to wrap around the diffuser, which delivers more even temperatures across the cooking surface and it will deliver better color, texture and flavor in smoked foods. The standard grates are also much easier to clean, the GrillGrate surface is 85% solid, so it will trap the renderings rather than letting them flow through to the drip tray and into the drip bucket. Now, for Direct Grilling, the GrillGrates are unbeatable. Thanks for watching.
Nice video. Why didn't you just show the 2 piece diffuser? A lot easier than having to take out all of the grates and the blank pan. That 2 piece makes it great for reverse searing too!! Thanks for the video.
You can snag any seasonings at atbbq.com. As far as pulled chicken. We like to smoke it at 250° until it's 160° internal and ten just shred it off the bone. Thanks for watching!
I was in the pellet smoker limbo about 2 months ago. I read tons of reviews, went to a ton of forums, and watched youtube videos constantly before I made the decision. What it boiled down to was, what's the best smoker/grill for the money? Most pellet grills/smokers only hit around 450 to 500 degrees top end, so for me, I wanted to smoke/grill on the same piece, and yoder delivered beyond my expectations. It smokes great, it has minimal temp variations and has a bar graph showing what the temp is doing during the cook. The removable diffuser plate let's you smoke, then pull a small plate off the diffuser and sear (the plate is directly over the firebox, so you can pull it, put grill grates on it, crank the temp and sear). The yoder is definitely expensive (1700 or 1800 bucks iirc) but I dont regret buying it for a second.
You put the grill grates right above the fire box. What is preventing that from becoming a grease fire? You never show HOW the grill prevents this and I wouldn't be foolish enough to try it until I knew for certain there was no risk.
Jeremy, we all cook on the Grill Grates over the direct fire on the YS640 and have not had issues with a grease fires. The valleys in the Grill Grate vaporize a lot of the juices mitigating flare ups. We have a product roundup video that will give you a little more info: ruclips.net/video/ZEjbskHOZec/видео.html I'll also include the link to cleaning the YS640, just in case you want to clean your grill prior to trying the Grill Grate over the fire: ruclips.net/video/kKH8BR_64Pw/видео.html I'm sure once you try the Grill Grates over the fire, this will become the way you prefer to grill.
When grilling things at 600 degrees do you chew through the pellets? I'd love an all-in-one unit to do everything from low n slow to burgers and snags. I'd love a Yoder but am thinking that you using the pellet grill in the direct grilling setup would not be efficient in regards to fuel use. Anyone have anything to inform me on this?
About three to four pounds an hour at 600°, but it is incredibly rare that you'll need that high of a temp with GrillGrates in. We cook at 450° and the grates themselves are at 575°+ due to the properties of the cast aluminum.
so would you consider direct grilling on a yoder for the majority of your cooks (burgers, steak and snags for instance) would be an ineffiecient way to cook in regards to fuel consumerd as opposed to cooking them on a gas bbq?
He mentions this will "do" for 90% of your grilling needs. What are the 10% of situations where this technique/smoker would not do the trick? If this is going to serve as a one stop shop for me (and allow me to skip buying a gas grill, too) I really need it to serve 100% of my grilling needs....
![Gunna - HIM ALL ALONG [Official Visualizer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HiCxoDeo0hc/mqdefault.jpg)
Oldy but a goodie, always appreciate your content! my Yoder should be here in the next few days!
I just go my Yoder YS640s this week, an early Christmas present. I have the best wife ever!
Never regretted getting the YS640. Absolutely love it.
Thanks!
I’m pretty sure Chef Tom has convinced more people to buy a Yoder than anyone else (I know I’m losing about 3k out of my wallet next month).
I hope he gets a big thank you from Yoder and Grill Grates! :-)
him and the Dawgfather Brisket video...auhhh yeahh haha. YS640S coming in May to this guy in the land down under.
@@TheCrimsonCadaver crikey!
I learn something every time I watch these videos...Thanks so much Tom.
Thanks for watching!
Very informative, thanks for taking the time to make this video bud...
Just acquired a set of the Grill Grates and used them on my Oklahoma Joe's Highland offset smoker. Outstanding results, the 16.25" Grill Grates fit in the fire box and allow cooking directly over the charcoal fire without the worry about flare-ups. The Grill Grates also fit in the cooking chamber. Although Chef Tom is a powerful voice for the Yoder pellet grills, I am leaning towards the Lone Star Grillz offset smoker products for my retirement smoker. Whatever you use, get a set of the Grill Grates and enjoy the next step up in your BBQ experience.
Great video Mate! This is what sold me on the unit!
Tom, could you please do an episode "whole hog" on the YS640? Keep up the good work. You have some of the best BBQ videos out there.
It would be nice to see all the assories installed and explained before I buy them. I'm ready to order but haven't a clue on what's optional and if I will use then.
I’m considering one of the YS’ but have some concerns...
(1) What do I need to buy extra to be able to smoke a brisket and also to set dual zone grilling?
(2) It seems that some people have significant rust/paint issues with only a couple of years of use.
(3) Any issues with searing? That is, where does the fat go? How do we clean/maintain mess from searing? Does it drip right into the fire and auger outlet?
(4) Where can I see one? I’m in Houston!
What is the ideal baffle placement for direct grilling on the grill grates?
As well as baffle placement for indirect grilling/smoking?
Thanks in advance!
.Nice tip there Tom. I have a few weber kettles and a couple have grill grates, they are awesome. No flare up even with chicken and burgers..The sear marks on a steak is unbeatable..a well made product. nice review, Thanks.
While preheating to 600° for direct do you leave the lid open? And leave the lid open the whole time while doing direct grilling? I just didn’t know if that light gives it too much oxygen and risks a hopper fire?
Is there an actual direct flame below the grill grates?
How does the meat run off affect the burner?
Exactly, looks like a disaster waiting to happen
Chef Tom
Quick question I just got my brand new Yoder YS640s Competition smoker, I have used the Traeger Pro 34 for years and loved it but now we are moving on and looking to start competing in the backyard pit contests, and really looking forward to it.
The reason for my question is where do I start with the heat baffle/ damper ?? How many inches in to achieve a even cook across and pit. Is this something I have to figure out on my own??.
When in doubt ask a pro
Thank you in advance and this thing is a beast LOL
i can't decide on a 480 or 640. Could you help me decide please? i have a green egg already so I didn't want to buy the bigger one; however, I heard there's something I can't do with the 480 that I can with the 640. Thanks in advance!
The price difference is $225, and for that you gain significant cooking inches, so in our opinion we would go with the YS640. If the price difference were double that or so it would be a harder decision.
The YS480 is my dream grill.
We're here whenever you're ready!
Chef, I have to ask, for direct grilling, remove the whole plate or just the little plate over the fire? I think I know but would like your answer. Thanks
In the directions, it says it’s ok to just take off the plate above the fire box. The older units like the one in this video didn’t have the the smaller plate cut out. The diffuser was just one solid plate.
Is ok to put foil on the bottom of the grill with the diffuser off
Would love a cleaning and maintenance video on the Yoders. I clean my regularly, but it's still a mess compared to yours.
We are working on some cleaning and maintenance videos now... but the reason ours look so good is no secret. We scrape, sand and then touch-up with paint frequently.
Just a couple questions. What setting for the sliding baffle? All the way out to the right or ?? Lid open or closed for your grilling?? Thanks for a great video!
We set the baffle 5" in from the outside, and as far as the lid, it's always closed. Thanks for watching!
What temp do you set grill when searing steak?
Okay so I'm not ready to go to the dark side yet but, I would like more info on the ys1500, set up for smoking, proper set up with the adjustable plate and so on. A few videos would be cool.
We are planning a YS1500 video for early March. Thanks!
Can I still smoke briskets with the direct grill grates on there? Leaving the diffuser on, of course
Hello Mike, great question. Technically yes, but, you will want to replace the GrillGrates with the standard grates for several reasons. The main reason is that the standard grates allow the heat and the smoke to wrap around the diffuser, which delivers more even temperatures across the cooking surface and it will deliver better color, texture and flavor in smoked foods. The standard grates are also much easier to clean, the GrillGrate surface is 85% solid, so it will trap the renderings rather than letting them flow through to the drip tray and into the drip bucket. Now, for Direct Grilling, the GrillGrates are unbeatable. Thanks for watching.
Nice video. Why didn't you just show the 2 piece diffuser? A lot easier than having to take out all of the grates and the blank pan. That 2 piece makes it great for reverse searing too!! Thanks for the video.
4wolverines It isn't standard equipment, so it has its own video. Thanks for watching!
I want to buy one but do they only ship in the us?
Does Direct Grilling cause any paint peeling issues?
No, we direct grill on our YS640s several times a week and it hasn't caused any problems for us.
Calvin: Chef Tom what is the best way to grill pull chicken and how can I order some of the seasoning u use
You can snag any seasonings at atbbq.com. As far as pulled chicken. We like to smoke it at 250° until it's 160° internal and ten just shred it off the bone. Thanks for watching!
What kind of temperature difference do you get on the right side vs the left side when you have grill grates installed all the way across?
With a full set of GrillGrates and the diffuser out, it is ~ 75-degrees from the left center to the right center.
@@allthingsbbq with diffuser plate in how much difference do you see?
Also from bottom to top?
I am trying to decide between a Yoder ys640, Treager timberline 850 or the GMG Prime Daniel Boone, do you have any tips for me on this one?
I was in the pellet smoker limbo about 2 months ago. I read tons of reviews, went to a ton of forums, and watched youtube videos constantly before I made the decision. What it boiled down to was, what's the best smoker/grill for the money? Most pellet grills/smokers only hit around 450 to 500 degrees top end, so for me, I wanted to smoke/grill on the same piece, and yoder delivered beyond my expectations.
It smokes great, it has minimal temp variations and has a bar graph showing what the temp is doing during the cook. The removable diffuser plate let's you smoke, then pull a small plate off the diffuser and sear (the plate is directly over the firebox, so you can pull it, put grill grates on it, crank the temp and sear). The yoder is definitely expensive (1700 or 1800 bucks iirc) but I dont regret buying it for a second.
@@Smuggus i ended up going with the yoder and am extremely happy.
Thanks for ypur reply.
You put the grill grates right above the fire box. What is preventing that from becoming a grease fire? You never show HOW the grill prevents this and I wouldn't be foolish enough to try it until I knew for certain there was no risk.
Jeremy, we all cook on the Grill Grates over the direct fire on the YS640 and have not had issues with a grease fires. The valleys in the Grill Grate vaporize a lot of the juices mitigating flare ups. We have a product roundup video that will give you a little more info: ruclips.net/video/ZEjbskHOZec/видео.html I'll also include the link to cleaning the YS640, just in case you want to clean your grill prior to trying the Grill Grate over the fire: ruclips.net/video/kKH8BR_64Pw/видео.html I'm sure once you try the Grill Grates over the fire, this will become the way you prefer to grill.
Does that Yoder get hot enough to do a traditional napoletina style pizza?
Temps get in the 600 range, but not 900 of a wood fired oven.
When grilling things at 600 degrees do you chew through the pellets? I'd love an all-in-one unit to do everything from low n slow to burgers and snags. I'd love a Yoder but am thinking that you using the pellet grill in the direct grilling setup would not be efficient in regards to fuel use.
Anyone have anything to inform me on this?
About three to four pounds an hour at 600°, but it is incredibly rare that you'll need that high of a temp with GrillGrates in. We cook at 450° and the grates themselves are at 575°+ due to the properties of the cast aluminum.
ok...so direct grilling burgers you don't consider it to be an inefficient form of fuel as opposed to grilling on a gas bbq?
so would you consider direct grilling on a yoder for the majority of your cooks (burgers, steak and snags for instance) would be an ineffiecient way to cook in regards to fuel consumerd as opposed to cooking them on a gas bbq?
dalew182 We don't find it to be inefficient at all. No more expensive than propane these days.
What kind of grill grates are those?
grillgrate.com
Are they included, or as an option (extra) for the YS series?
He mentions this will "do" for 90% of your grilling needs. What are the 10% of situations where this technique/smoker would not do the trick? If this is going to serve as a one stop shop for me (and allow me to skip buying a gas grill, too) I really need it to serve 100% of my grilling needs....
If you need it really hot, 600 across the whole surface this won’t do it.
@@gm3353 Thanks.
How does this compare to a large kamodo grill with a cyberq controller for a jack of all trades cooker? I don't want to buy a smoker and grill.