MasterBuilt 560 Flareups

[chapper]

Need a little help with my MB560. I've owned the MB560 for a few years and I love the flavor that I can get when using it for smoking, I've never had an issue with flare-ups as long as I kept the temp under 350 degrees. However, it seems like every time I crank it up to sear something (steak, burgers, wings), I always end up with huge flare-ups and burnt meat.... I clean the grill after each use, but never fails that I end up with flare-ups whenever I try a high heat sear. I gave my gas grill to my daughter when I purchased the MB560. Now I'm thinking about buying a new gas grill and using grill grates and using for searing and quick cooks or will grill grates help prevent flare-ups if I buy and use on the MB560? I've also been considering manifold covers at Klotesmods or LSS mods.

I'm considering the following to get a nice sear:
1. Buy a gas grill and grill grates.
2. Try grill grates on the MB560
3. Buy a manifold cover at Klotesmods or LSS mosa. If so, which one?
4. Other

Basically, looking from feedback from anyone else who has the same issues with flare-ups when cooking at high heat on the MB560.

 

[Mattmilw]

Need a little help with my MB560. I've owned the MB560 for a few years and I love the flavor that I can get when using it for smoking, I've never had an issue with flare-ups as long as I kept the temp under 350 degrees. However, it seems like every time I crank it up to sear something (steak, burgers, wings), I always end up with huge flare-ups and burnt meat.... I clean the grill after each use, but never fails that I end up with flare-ups whenever I try a high heat sear. I gave my gas grill to my daughter when I purchased the MB560. Now I'm thinking about buying a new gas grill and using grill grates and using for searing and quick cooks or will grill grates help prevent flare-ups if I buy and use on the MB560? I've also been considering manifold covers at Klotesmods or LSS mods.

I'm considering the following to get a nice sear:
1. Buy a gas grill and grill grates.
2. Try grill grates on the MB560
3. Buy a manifold cover at Klotesmods or LSS mosa. If so, which one?
4. Other

Basically, looking from feedback from anyone else who has the same issues with flare-ups when cooking at high heat on the MB560.

I have a MB800 with the Klotes manifold cover, and the brackets that straddle it that let you use drip pans below the grates. This combination works great for me. I try to use appropriate sized pans that just cover the size of the protein I'm cooking, but allow enough room for heat to flow in the chamber. It's a cook time decision whether the pan gets removed for the sear or not.

 

[negolien]

I do burn offs before and after and I never have any issues now. I never use any pans when I smoke either.

 

[dow]

I've got the HYBRID manifold cover from Klotesmods for my 1050 and I've been really pleased with it. To ease cleanup I like it wth foil befits cooking.

With that said, fat is flammable, and you can still get flareups. For that reason, I generally reverse sear. I cook over fairly low heat until it's ALMOST as done as I want it, then I pull the meat off and crank up the temp. At 650 or so, I pop the meat back on for 45-90 seconds per side, depending on how seared I want it. It still flares up sometimes, but I don't seem to have issues with burnt meat.

 

[chapper]

Thank you for the responses. I think I'll try using some drip pans under the meat to see if that will help.

 

[Smokin Okie]

IMO, what happens is when ya crank up the heat, the fan blows harder and blows embers into cook chamber. It just takes one ember hitting a grease puddle and ya get a flare up. Proof of this, take off the manifold and look at all the ash inside.

As others have said, drip pans are the solution. I got the brackets and manifold cover from LSS mods. But just me, when I use the MB560 to reverse sear, I will get a Kettle ready and move to the Kettle to sear. In the end though, I mostly just use the Kettle for all of it.

I've also found on the 560, that I have to be careful about what size drip pan I use, if its too large, it will impact air flow/temps in the cook chamber. It acts the same as a deflector plate on a pellet grill. No matter the size, a pan can make cooking on the bottom grate difficult, so I do most meats on the middle grate. Kind of limits the capacity of a cooker that's already small. And if ya only gonna use the middle grate, then the manifold cover mods aren't necessary , just put a pan on the lower grate.

 

[negolien]

fire fixes it no grease no flare ups just do burn offs lol