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Tony - you forget how educational being on this forum is ........ I've learn't so much about how to get people to spend their money.

Meet my new grill/smoker. A smoker this bad ass needs a good name. Since I’m the #FreedivingBbqGuy I figured Big Blue would be a great name! It’s big, it’s blue, and big blue is a famous freediving movie that inspired many of my students to become freedivers. All hail BIG BLUE 😳🔥💨🍻

Thank you all for the great information. I’m not going to get too fancy with mine next week as it is just a little piggy. i ordered mine without the head, just personal preference. And I’ll season the inside and put a couple apples in before sewing it up and placing it in that medieval torture device Dennis calls a “basket”. I like the idea of going a little hot and fast with this for crispy skin so will try 300f for 3.5 hours as this little headless piggy is 15 pounds. For first day of retirement this will only be a two person party with a special friend, she is making the baked beans and coleslaw. I’ll take care of the piggy, sourdough bread and watermelon salad. We will be serving BBQ Sundae style with a slice of sourdough at the bottom. For seasoning I’ll go with Bad Byrons Butt Rub and for dipping sauces it will be Southern City Flavors Apple Moonshine. And maybe some Mango Rib Candy. Then later in the day we will be dropping off care packages for friends and family. Well at least that is the plan, wish me luck 🤣

RokDok, you've come to the right school.

Hi, Happy to say that I am a proud owner of a used KK23 which I acquired late last year. However, the grill needed some serious TLC and with me being in college, repairs and cooking were to be delayed. Having finished my degree, I spent the spring getting the KK running again and started doing small test cooks using what I think is called the upper grate (actually sitting down in the firebox). Being used, the KK was missing a couple of important items, namely the main and lower sear grates. I thought about purchasing the grates, but I have another grill I can cook normal things on like burgers and steaks. So, I decided to setup the KK for rotisserie cooking. I purchased the roto kit from Dennis and had my first real cook on Saturday. I have turned three chickens since. Each one better than the last. At least my fan club thinks so 🙂. Thanks, DannyG

@C6Bill, sounds like a great way to enjoy the start of your retirement. I like the idea of sharing the experience with one special other too. Enjoy! And take photos.

@jonj - take that Caesar salad to the next level - grill the romaine lettuce. Cut the head in half lengthwise, brush on some EVOO and place cut side down to grill until a light char develops. You will like the results!

That's the funny thing. I think we all come to this with our own method and don't tend to change. I finally migrated from my original roofer's fire blower because the huge gas tank was a pain. The MAPP torch, as recommended by @tony b was a great substitute because it uses so little fuel. I think I change the bottle once every year and a half or so. I also moved onto using the mini leaf blower because I was riled by the fact that @MacKenzie said she could get a fire going quicker than me. She was right and I have upped my speed game for when I need it. I was skeptical of @Syzygies's use of isopropyl alcohol in his Solo stove but I find a few isopropyl soaked charcoal cubes give me a nice, quiet and foolproof way to get the fire in my KK going. What I don't understand is why anyone takes their basket out to light it or uses a separate chimney. The KK works like the perfect chimney for me with the vents wide open at bottom and top, drawing the air through the fire basket and accelerating the fire. Oh well, as @Basher said: each to their own.

Where do I start with this post? Today I turned 50, raised the bat, and saluted the many friends I’ve made along the way. Yesterday, I received this gift from friends. And yesterday, the same friend who paid for my KK found this. A gift from the gods. We quickly made plans to call some mates together to celebrate this combination and share in the maiden Parilla voyage. And ate this. This is definitely the tastiest road kill I have ever eaten. Maybe because I don’t often eat road kill, nor do my friends- apart from some friends being tricked into eating road killed guinea fowls when we were kids while their parents ate prime steak. What can I say other than times were tough back then. Times may not be so tough now and I am certain there are some readers thinking ROAD KILL, that’s outrageous. So it must be said, that all consumers were made aware of what they were consuming and where it came from with full disclosure of providence. [emoji848] and, all agreed that the numerous risks were checked and passed scrutiny. We couldn’t waste the opportunity provided before our eyes. We grazed from 1pm until 10pm and kept tossing new fuel on the fire in between tasting plates with different rubs and spices. This was a wonderful occasion to be remembered for many reasons and certainly an experience I will cherish. This mate changed my nappies in PNG, purchased my KK and provided this delicious food on my 50th. That’s a lot of water under this bridge and an unbreakable friendship along the way. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you all I was going to start another thread but this seems to be the sites official Pig Roast thread so I just added on 🤣

That's the kind of thing i had in mind while looking! I think "stick blower" - i thought DeWalt had one but all i can find now is larger than i wanted. If i get tired of pumping the manual one, I'll look again; it wood be nice to have one that uses the same batteries as my DeWalt 20v stuff so i don't have to deal with another charger.

What, tekobo said.

Welcome to the Retirees Club! It's a great group of folks and I'm sure that you'll get the hang of it quickly!

Indeed! We certainly know how to spend other people's $$ on this Forum!

Tony: So very sad. I feel your pain.

😢

I've used the FiAir for years now. Love it! https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D5FS7HA But, alas, it's not available right now.

Welcome to the Obsession! Over time, you'll likely want to pick up the missing grates for your KK, as they will add a lot of flexibility to your cooking! Along with some other accessories like the pizza stone and basket splitter.

@Basher you have a special friendship indeed there, mate! Cherish it for as long as you both are breathing!

It all depends upon how "into" BBQ they are? If they are just casual cookers, then it's probably not going to register with them why the KK is a superior product, especially given the price tag.

I wish that I could decipher why photos sometimes post sideways?? No clue! The most likely explanation for your inability to ramp up the temps after the rib cook was that you were low on charcoal at that point. One of the mantras of this site is "You Can't Put Too Much Charcoal In The Basket!"

I lost Kipper at the end of 2020. He was 14 years old. The house is so empty without him around now.

Yep, I have their blower, and their self-propelled lawnmower, which came with 2.5 amp hour and 7.5 amp hour 56v batteries, respectively. I crave their POWER+ NEXUS PORTABLE POWER STATION as a generator alternative. The lawnmower is great. I only ever use their blower with the turbo button held down; I wish it locked. It wouldn't be suitable for encouraging fires at the scale I cook. I already have a full set of Milwaukee batteries, chargers, and tools, so the feeble Milwaukee blower fit well into my routines. They also make an awesome tire inflator, with all the smarts one could only daydream about decades ago. I tossed the dated 12V inflator I used to use. As a junior counselor I was left with campers on an Adirondack lake beach, while the counselor left with a camper who needed medical attention. It's unlikely that would be the protocol today. We got bored, and a camper suggested burning a giant tree stump (perhaps 6' cubed) on the sandy beach, far from anything else that could burn. We succeeded. A forest ranger appeared by motorboat, not pleased.

There's a sweet spot for one's tendency to change, and I'd agree that many people fall on the conservative side. I perhaps fall too far on the other side; it takes great discipline for me to do anything the same way twice. Even making a meal I've cooked dozens of times, I'll recall a pair of approaches I've seen others use and test them once again against each other. My wife was concerned, marrying me, because I'm generally so episodic and volatile. Computer programmers love to debate programming languages. One learns to avoid such debates unless everyone in the discussion has mastered both languages under consideration. I do believe that I've tried every method of lighting fires. That I've lost interest in further experiments is startling. I believe that I understand the problem. For comparison, various people use my smoke pot. They didn't see the experiments. Some of them were pretty scary. There are going to be many optimal approaches to lighting fires, because everyone has a different "cost function". One trades effort for time. The easiest approaches take longest for the fire to be ready (ok, I'm home) but also have the least predictable window where the fire is perfect for grilling (not ok). However one lights a fire, then using a cordless blower goes a long ways toward eliminating unpredictability as to when the fire will be ready.

I had no idea some people took the baskets out so frequently. All I will say is I am VERY glad Dennis added a hatch/door to the bottom of the 42" basket.. because honestly with the weight it makes me want to never take the basket out now since I can just access the bottom through the hatch

Ah, like Mac I don't have anywhere safe to put a hot fire basket down and I do my clean up the opposite way round to you. I take the basket out between cooks, clean out and top up coals so that I am good to go when I do want to light up for a cook. Still not sure why the charcoal would ignite 10% better in the garden bed but I am guessing you had your tongue firmly in your cheek when you quoted that stat.

Thank you all for the well wishes. Tekobo I was born in PNG and my dad worked for johnnies dad. Johnny has a several years on me and he use to look after me as a baby. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The charcoal ignites only 10% better in the garden bed- that’s not why I do it. I light the fire starter inside the KK so the match doesn’t blow out, then take the basket out and put it on dirt in the garden bed. Then I sweep out the bottom with this Then blow the charcoal then put the basket back in and open the vents. It’s just a routine that works for me. Unless I’ve vacuumed the soot, the blower blows soot everywhere. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

2nd cook on the new grill. Pork chops, stuffed apples, and chard/lettuce on the big grill over oak. Still learning how much wood is needed, but only lit one split too much. Very tasty and have leftovers for another meal. PXL_20210623_202659797.mp4

Pork belly burnt ends, St. Louis spare ribs, rib tips, Donabe cooked rice, steamed artichokes, and of course a nice Helles for the hot day. [emoji482] KK fans Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When I light extruded charcoal, I bring out the big gun!

And please ignore the Packers cover on my gas grill, my oldest son is a Packers fan (genetic anomaly) and he got it for me as a gag gift, but I was forced to use it when the original cover on my grill finally disintegrated.

Now you've created a dilemma for me @jonj. We are off to visit @RokDok this weekend and I was going to take a small tri tip that I have sitting in my dry ager as an offering to his 32 KK. You know, a little snack for all to enjoy while we wait for whatever he has planned for us to eat. Now I am thinking that I might just have to keep that tri-tip for myself to eat when The Husband goes out for movie night on Thursday. No one will ever know....

And today this was delivered. Excellent detail with simple and easy use design. Closed in storage below to keep timber dry. Detail like the brass rolling handle Refractive cement bricks and wool in the door cavity to keep the front cool for the cook. And the removable milled steel fire tray to elevate the initial fire for air circulation. Also designed to lower the grill into the pit for caveman Sears. And removable grates and drip trays at dishwasher sizes. And the removable spit for up to 40kg- that’s about 90lb!!!! This can also have a grill rack placed for other food while rotating. Now I just have to practice cooking on this Parilla. Oh, and the cover with slits to allow access to the storage area without completely unpacking. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Pineapple cured ham. With cumin and nutmeg underside. Smoked with a lump of red gum and sauced with trobles South American sauce. Kept skin down for ham crackle- I left this skin up in the cold room for 20 hours to dry out the skin. Ham sandwiches for an early dinner. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is my second cold smoking attempt since getting the KK a few months ago. Really simple, albeit takes a couple days, and a nice salty fish jerky snack. Cold Smoked Salmon: one NZ king fillet (top) and one wild BC sockeye fillet (bottom). Skin on from local fish market. 1:1 kosher salt and brown sugar mixture + fresh dill cured for 48hrs. Completely cover each filet. Wrapped it in plastic wrap/press-n-seal and put in a sheet pan in the refrigerator. Added a little weight on top with another sheet pan and some condiments. After 2 days, remove from cure and rinse in cold water. Soak in cold water for 30 minutes to pull out some of the salt and then blot dry. Let sit in refrigerator open to air overnight to dry out further and get tacky. Cold-smoke with alderwood pellets. Microwave pellets first to get them hot/dry for best longevity. I just fill the canister and burn it until empty. Typically about 8-10hrs. Could probably do less, but still experimenting. Cut in paper thin diagonal slices with the grain like lox. Open to suggestions! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As promised - smoked pork shoulder (wife accidentally got the pork blade cut (picnic cut?) vs traditional butt, though worked well) cooked at 235 for 10.5 hours then increased to 275+ for final 30 mins to get those last few degrees. 5.75lb shoulder. Included about 4-5 small chunks of apple and hickory. Made two basic sauces from Meathead (SC Mustard Gold and East Carolina Vinegar sauce), both paired very well! Wife made the coleslaw

Thank you Tony. She is sweet looking, but a terror! Not at all afraid of Dante, our 85 pound 12 y/o golden doodle (one of the ‘boys’ in my photo), or our other daughter’s 75 pound boxer. OTOH, I think having her in our household has been good for Dante. Last August, we lost Kugel, our chocolate Lab, two months shy of his 14th birthday and Dante was really out of sorts for months and months. He’s been better lately, but still much more clingy with my wife and me than ever before. Frankly, we all still miss Kugel and toast him every evening. To those of you who are not dog people, sorry for the digression.

I think I will always be stressed by brisket - first or hundredth. It holds even more promise and mystique than any piggy. I look forward to seeing your cook. @Bruce Pearson, lovely to hear from you. Yes, it was fun surprising our friends and it made for a lovely afternoon. @MacKenzie, you are welcome at my table anytime but I am guessing a long haul flight doesn’t win against the draw of Moncton. @Basher, the quail cooked in the pig were soft and yielding. I preferred the quail that had been grilled outside of the piggy. Each couple was allowed one of each. Next time, if there is one, I might revert to the pig kidney stuffing. Not sure about the weight - approx 12 kg. All, thank you for your likes!

So the dry aging fridge has remained wrapped until we fumble through the new kitchen renovation. However, the local supermarket( a 7 minute walk away) has been closed for 9 months after smoke damage from a fire. They opened yesterday and displayed this. Yum yum. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

INDEED! Plus, lots of bubbly to celebrate that momentous occasion! 🍾 I've been a member of the retiree's club for 8 years now. Never looked back with regrets! Enjoy the ride, man!