Leaderboard

1) I dont think Flameboss does a good job on the lid open detection, but there is a setting to lengthen the time the fan stays off buried in their menu. I'd stick with the fireboard, it seems to do a better job of that, but that is just my opinion. My main issue with flameboss was their probes. I really liked the product other than the probes. But i think fireboard is a better product. 2) Just remember if you are using a controller close that bottom vent, if that is open at all while using a controller you will have trouble maintaining a consistent temp. I did it once just from force of habit, opened the bottom vent for 235 and then setup the controller and walked away, couldnt figure out why my temp wouldnt settle down until i went back and looked and saw what i had done lol 3) Ditch them both until you learn your vent control, do a short low and slow with ribs during the day so you can master the vents, they are really easy on the KK so you'll have a real good idea after one cook without a controller. I just took pics of the vent settings for future reference until i had it figured out.

The references to too much charcoal are referring to how much charcoal you have burning, not how much you have in the basket. The kk's are so well insulated and efficient that you require very little burning to get to lose and slow temps. It's tempting to start a big fire and get to temp quickly but you really need to light just a few pieces of charcoal and bring the temp up slowly. Having a full basket is just insurance that you don't run out of charcoal mid-cook; it doesn't go to waste since you can easily kill the fire at the end of a cook by closing all the vents and then reuse it for your next cook. The basket splitter is useful for making it easy to switch the type of charcoal between cooks and to create direct and indirect cooking zones. If you have too much charcoal burning, your temp controller is most likely smothering it to keep the temps down, so when you open the lid the sudden in-rush of air fuels all of that smothered charcoal and let's it flare up, causing the temperature spike - it's the back draft affect. Regarding a deflector, if you only have a little charcoal burning, you rarely need a deflector in a kk; I only use one if I'm using a drip pan to catch drippings for aus jous or gravy.

This is the Billows damper setting I use: Just barely open with the damper plate. Let the fan work on the intake and output sides both.