How to Use Sand in a Reverse Flow Pit

Is raising the heat a few degrees that important? You bet it is.

When you're working with a reverse flow barbecue pit, there are several different ways to add to the amount of heat you're generating. Even though a reverse flow already maximizes the efficiency of your grill, because the design pulls the hot air right along the plate in the cooking chamber, instead of the flow going out of the chamber as quickly, you can add a pan full of sand to make your grill cook even hotter.

Things You'll Need

• Aluminum cooking sheet
• Sand

Instructions

1. Lift up the cooking grate in your reverse flow pit.

2. Fill an aluminum cooking sheet with sand and place that sheet under the area on the grate that you would like to cook slightly hotter, anywhere from 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Put the grate back down into place and start your charcoal, down in the fuel chamber. The air flow pulls the heat beneath the plate, and the sand concentrates the flow of heat. The food that you cook over the plate will have a slightly higher cooking temperature, ideal for cooking foods that require two different cooking times or temperatures, so that you can have them ready at the same time, instead of having your burgers cold by the time your chicken breasts are ready.

References

• Zak's Custom Pit: Reverse Flow Versus Tuning Plates
• BBQHOG: Reverse Flow Pit Page