Picked up one of those stainless steel heat deflector plates at a BBQ supply shop in Austin for $85. Supposed to even out temps across the grate. Ran two briskets with it last month and got a 30 degree swing from left to right. My old foil wrapped brick setup did better. Anyone else get burned by overpriced gear that sounds good on paper?
The foil wrapped brick is the real MVP, sounds like you just paid $85 to learn that lesson. Next time someone tries to sell you a fancy gadget, just ask if it can beat a dollar's worth of foil and a brick from the backyard.