# Ceramic tiles as tuning plates



## dadgummit! (Aug 12, 2007)

I was telling a friend about tuning plates and he gave me the idea of using ceramic floor tiles. I know they would not conduct heat as well as steel , but I don't know if that would be a good or bad thing.

Any thoughts?


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## kueh (Aug 13, 2007)

Should be fine so long as there is no material on or in the tiles, like paints or sealers.  Another problem might be cracking from any temperature shock.

Tuning plates are for heat distribution so it's more even over the length of the smoker unit.


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## bbq bubba (Aug 13, 2007)

I've heard of using terra cotta roof tiles for tuning plates so why not? Give it a try!


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## adb551 (Aug 24, 2007)

I am a little confused about the tuning plate thing. Are they something I could add to my offset smoker? or do they have to come from the factory already in place? And can someone explain to me wheere, exactly, they are placed, in relation to the fire?


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## smokebuzz (Aug 24, 2007)

You place them under your cooking greats up next to the fire box , hopefully above the opening, and you can slide it side to side to get the heat to flow down the smoker more even. My Horizon has one that butts right up to the fire box and has holes in it , smaller ones by the box and bigger ones at opp. end. i will try to get a pic of it and post it if some one don't beat me to it


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## adb551 (Aug 26, 2007)

So try this on for size, I have a brinkman offset, If I were to be a cheap son-of-a-gun, I could lay some bricks along the bottom, starting at the firebox, and then lay a piece of steel, or ceramic tiles, on it to force the heat to the far end ?


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## cajun_1 (Aug 26, 2007)

Read this post...

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...=tuning+plates

This will help you understand.


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## deejaydebi (Aug 26, 2007)

That's the post that did it for me!


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## adb551 (Aug 29, 2007)

Aha! I see the light. Thanks


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## fatback joe (Aug 29, 2007)

If you decide to use bricks in the cooking chamber, you may want to look into firebricks.   They withstand heat well, hold the heat well once heated, and if you get some designed for pizza ovens and that sort of thing, you don't have to worry about funky chemicals and what not.


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## adb551 (Aug 31, 2007)

Good point Fatback joe.

I do not have access to a welder, do I am leaning on using bricks and ceramic tiles to accomplish this.


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## deejaydebi (Aug 31, 2007)

there's always drills, nut and bolts etc.


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## PecosGeorge (Jun 24, 2018)

dadgummit! said:


> I was telling a friend about tuning plates and he gave me the idea of using ceramic floor tiles. I know they would not conduct heat as well as steel , but I don't know if that would be a good or bad thing.
> 
> Any thoughts?





dadgummit! said:


> I was telling a friend about tuning plates and he gave me the idea of using ceramic floor tiles. I know they would not conduct heat as well as steel , but I don't know if that would be a good or bad thing.
> 
> Any thoughts?


I have the Old Country Pecos and decided to try cutting an 18" square ceramic floor tile (5/16" thick) for the plates. I made 3 pieces 5" X 14 1/2". I used the plate from the firebox at the flue end. Before actually cooking on them, I built my fire and raised the temperature to 365 deg for about 45 minutes. Then I got the water hose to steam clean the cooking chamber just as I would normally while it was still at 350. Sprayed the tiles directly and none of them cracked or broke. Then I let the temperature come back up and cooked some ribs. No problems with the tile plates.


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