mnacht

Today was my first attempt at making pulled pork and it was fabulous. I started with a 5lb boneless boston butt. Rubbed it the night before and put on the KK at around 6:45AM. Used a combination of apple wood and Texas post oak and smoked at 225 degrees for about 11 hours until internal temp on the maverick reached 198 degrees. Bark looked a little dark, but it tasted great!!! This could be some of the best pulled pork I have ever had. Attached are photos of my work.

Thanks for the feedback. Expect to make this in a few weeks and will post pictures.

I have question regarding how much coco charcoal to use vs. wood (Texas post oak) in my case. I plan on smoking (low and slow) a 14lb packer. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Love the idea Dennis.

Screen does not have a handle and fits directly on the stone. KK closes with no problem. As dstr8 states, they come in all sizes. I use a pizza peel or long spatula to lift pizza up and remove screen with an ov glove on my hand. I purchased my screen from a local restaurant supply store.

dstr8, Your ribs look great as well. I agree with Dennis' approach to checking for doneness. For this most recent cook, I smoked at 225 degree for 4 hours. Smoked with applewood and sprayed with apple juice periodically. Can anyone recommend how much wood is ideal? This time I used a few chunks - about 8 oz in total.

To prevent sticking I start my pizza on a aluminum pizza screen placed directly on the stone. It makes for easier transfer to the KK as well. Once it cooks a bit, I remove the screen and finish directly on the stone. Works every time!!!!

Pictures show dry rub ( let them sit for 24 hours), then 1/2 way through the cook and then my finished product. All of my guests raved about the finished product. Decided not to us my KK rib rack this time and just used additional upper grill to help with accommodating 5 racks.

I just passed the 2 year mark with my KK and still tell my wife how much I love it every time I cook on it. It was one of my best purchases and know that my son will inherit this in many years to come. After every cook, I'm already planning what I can make next. Anyone who comes in my backyard is truly amazed at what a beautiful piece of equipment this is - and that's before they taste the food!!! Dennis, thanks for making such a great product and offering top notch customer service.

Re: Wings Just made the wings for the first time this past weekend. Used a standard dry rub and let them sit in the fridge overnight. Then I smoked them "indirect" with CoCo and applewood for about 35 - 40 minutes at 300 degrees. Then removed my indirect stone and finished them off to get a a little crisp on the skin. This was all done on the main grill. I have to say that these were some of the best wings I have ever made!!! No BBQ sauce needed....

Re: My First Brisket Thanks for all of your replies. From what I am hearing, I definitely lit the fire in way to many places - 3 lighter cubes and some newspaper. I did so because I felt the charcoal was not catching. That being said, when I light it in one place, how long should I keep the top open to let the charcoal "catch", before closing the lid and letting it get up to temp? Once I close the lid, when should I expect it to get to desired temp and should I play with dampers throughout or only adjust when I think it has settled down after a period of time? Sorry for all of the questions, but all of your posts always contain great advice...

Smoked my first brisket today and it came out pretty good!!! My only complaint is that I think I over cooked it a bit - where the thin part of the brisket was a little dry. I was trying to get to 225 degrees, but stepped away after a bit and the temperature rose to 325ish... This was my first smoke with my new KK and I am still learning. Can anyone share some tips on how to get the KK to say 225 degrees and have it hold steady. I filled my basket with CoCo and used lighter cubes to start the fire. I am not sure how long to keep the top open after I start the fire before I close the lid and get it to rise to its desired temperature. I had the top turned about 1 1/2 turns and the damper door slightly opened. I would appreciate anyone who could share there thoughts on how to best accommodate this. Thanks and here is my first picture... Thanks!!!!

Re: Size of Crate for the 23" KK I tried to have the driver use the pallet jack, but it stopped dead on the lawn without plywood. I ended up uncrating the KK in my garage and wheeled it through my front door (double doors). I placed cardboard on my wood/tile floors and wheeled to the back of the house and out the sliding glass doors onto my patio. Once I got it in the house it was a breeze. Good luck and make sure you have a few friends to help you lift your KK.

Re: another Brisket MK1, So you cooked the brisket in the foil pan uncovered on the KK at 165? For how long?

I was so excited to take delivery of my new KK yesterday!!! It is now in my garage partially uncrated, waiting for me to move it to its permanent place in my backyard. I was eyeing a kamado style grill for a few years and was about to pull the trigger on a BGE. Prior to doing so, I googled "best kamado cooker" and was introduced to the KK. Once I started reading the reviews and dialoguing with Dennis, I knew this was the grill for me!!! I enjoy reading everyone's posts and would appreciate any advice you can share as I get ready to set-up/use my new KK. Looking forward to sharing great KK stories...