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Yeah, there are several good books in Amazon on the topic. So far, this is the only one that I've gotten. It will more than get you started off on the right foot.

Good deal, CC. I've owned my Anova for some time now and can give you some tips. But, it's almost foolproof. Here's the book that I bought as a guide, but mainly use it now for the charts in the back of suggested time/temp for various foods. http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Sous-Vide-Temperature-Techniques/dp/1456336975/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424202346&sr=1-9&keywords=sous+vide+cooking I did a sous vide T-bone on Sunday, as it was too f-ing cold to fire up the KK. Almost didn't need the reverse sear (cast iron skillet on the stove). Damned tasty!

Dave, I use mitts that come up to my elbows, so I've never had a concern with dumping out the coals in the chimney. I bought a cheap, small grill grate that fits on top of the charcoal basket handles and I set the chimney on top of that. The deepness of the KK is actually helpful in that you don't worry about a stray coal exiting the grill and landing on your deck/patio/foot/dog/kid, etc. I hear yah, Robert. That's why I only fill the chimney about 1/4 full for a lo & slo, up to about 1/2 if it's for a high temp steak cook. The only time that I've gone over 1/2 full was when I was trying the "cook the steak on top of the chimney" trick to not waste a lot of charcoal on a very short cook. But, now that I have the basket splitter, don't need to do that anymore. Plus, I follow this tip from Dennis, the chimney is a good way to use up the smalls in the charcoal bag and save the medium to large chunks for filling the basket (better airflow).

Once the kids were on board (they would start chanting "Komodo Kamado" and not stop) she finally acquiesced, LOL.

Super looking tri-tip. As you are probably aware, there's no harm in going longer in a sous vide cook; but, I'm not sure that you're going to see much difference in texture with the extra 2 hours, as there's not a lot of collagen and fat to break down in a tri-tip. If you think that it's a bit on the tough side, consider using a quick marinade with papaya to help break down the proteins a bit more. Be careful, if you marinade it too long (or put it inside your sous vide pouch), it might break down too much and get mushy. I'd start with 30 minutes to an hour. Almost forgot, don't put it in the fridge, the papain reaction doesn't happen at low temps. Here's some info from one of my favorite sources - AmazingRibs.com Fresh pineapple, papaya, and ginger have enzymes that tenderize meat. Papain, the enzyme in papaya, is an enzyme in papaya and the main tenderizing ingredient in Adolph’s Meat Tenderizer. These enzymes work fast. Within 30 to 60 minutes the meat is ready for the grill. Alas, pineapple and papaya add very little flavor to the meat in such a short time. Some people like the softer meat, others feel it is mushy. You decide. The enzymes are destroyed by the canning and bottling process, so be sure to use fresh pineapple, papaya, and ginger if you want the tenderizing. A bit more info: http://www.indiacurry.com/faqhints/papayatenderizemeathow.htm Also, pineapple and kiwi fruits also contain enzymes that tenderize meats. Again, be wary of too long contact or risk the mushy meat syndrome!

dstr8, yes I am in the Oaklandish area. Should be out there using the KK more as we have gotten no rain at all. Let's hope for some water in the next few months. tinyfish, still have to re-vent the KK as after speaking with Dennis it doesn't appear I went through the process properly. Other than that I am enjoying it.

Agreed about the break in. Take your time with it and do the first high temp cook by the numbers and then you can let it sing. The other day i was doing pizza and had the grill about 650 for a couple of hours then took a photo with a thermal camera. It shows that around the middle of the grill it gets a bit warm but the base was still not to hot. It had been on since 8 am that morning. The first 5 hours was doing a smoke then cranked the temp up for pizza at the end. Also if you are just doing a couple of steaks the outside of the grill is unlikely to get warm. You can have the firebox at 700 for long enough to get a good steak done then close it up and 10 minutes later put the cover on as the outside has not picked up any heat.