Greg_R

Thanks everyone! I had read through the lump DB and the previous posts but didn't get a clear picture as to what charcoal is currently available. Is the only stuff currently available the "not perfect but usable" coal? I like the flavor of the BGE for general purpose cooking and it's really the only remotely decent charcoal that I can get in my area. Would using the EC coal + a few chunks of hardwood give me a similar flavor profile to that of hardwood lump? Whiz, you mention that you'd lean away from the EC for high temp cooks. Is this because of the lighting difficulty or that the EC just won't get to the really high temps required?

So what's the current story on this charcoal? How does one go about ordering some? 1) There seems to be at least 2 different types of KK coal (a good version and a bad batch)? 2) Can any person order any amount (understanding that less will cost more / lb to ship)? 3) Is there any KK coal still available? It sounds like a container is shipped to LA and then people get pallets shipped from there? 4) Can various accessories be combined with a coal order to save on shipping? Has anyone compared this with BGE charcoal? Thanks!

The critical thing to remember is that the more your door is open the bigger your fire is going to get prior to achieving your target temp. Opening things up to get up to temp quickly will NOT work (your temps will not be able to stay at 225 or 250 because the fire is too large). Get a few good pieces of lump well-lit and dump it onto the top of the pile. Once on the pile just barely crack the bottom dial damper (do NOT pull out the door) and crack open the top about a 1/4 turn or so. You will need to do this even if you own a Guru or Stoker. I have tried bringing the KK up to temp with a Stoker and have had intermittent results (fire gets too big sometimes). It's much better when used as a temperature maintainer (i.e. slowly bring the KK up to temp and then start / use the blower system).

I used the Cuban Mojo marinate from the BBQ bible "rubs and sauces" book. I definitely overcooked the meat (did it overnight and woke up to it being over-temp ) so I may give the marinate another try at some point. It uses a lot of sour-orange and cilantro (those are the primary flavors).

I always vacuum seal my BBQ leftovers. When I'm ready to eat them I toss the bag in hot water and let it heat the meat up. It's as good as fresh off the KK! You don't need to worry about water temp... boiling water works fine. It would be fun to experiment with actually cooking in the bag...

I did a whole ham for Christmas using some Cuban spices. I left a good bit of fat on the outside of the meat to self-baste as it cooked (ala briscut). Overall it turned out OK... I was not a big fan of the marinate I tried but the meat was tender. Keep in mind that a "ham" can be a shoulder, picnic, or leg. Know what you're getting at the butcher...

Green bean casserole is a classic and super-easy to make (recipe from Campbell's soup can): 1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free or 25% Less Sodium) 1/2 cup milk 1 tsp. soy sauce Dash ground black pepper 4 cups cooked cut green beans 1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions Directions: MIX soup, milk, soy, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in 1 1/2-qt. casserole. BAKE at 350°F. for 25 min. or until hot. STIR . Sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 5 min. TIP: Use 1 bag (16 to 20 oz.) frozen green beans, 2 pkg. (9 oz. each) frozen green beans, 2 cans (about 16 oz. each) green beans or about 1 1/2 lb. fresh green beans for this recipe. For a change of pace, substitute 4 cups cooked broccoli flowerets for the green beans. For a creative twist, stir in 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese with soup. Omit soy sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup additional Cheddar cheese when adding the remaining onions. For a festive touch, stir in 1/4 cup chopped red pepper with soup. For a heartier mushroom flavor, substitute Campbell's® Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup for Cream of Mushroom Soup. Omit soy sauce. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped red pepper with green beans.

I've got the equipment for videos but not a lot of time. Let me see if I can do something this weekend (How to cook a butt and start a low temp fire via Minion method). I also have a stoker and the rotis attachments.

I have my KK ~ 15" from the wall of my home and it does not even get warm to the touch. Ensure that you have enough area to open the lid of the KK. Smoke can be an issue, especially with cheap charcoal. I tend to use BGE charcoal and it burns very cleanly with very little visible smoke. However, I also got some bargain brand stuff and there was heavy smoke all over the place.

I've been using the 10 cup model for about a year now and it makes incredible rice. In GABA mode it even makes brown rice taste good!

Another solution would be to have some way of tipping the grilling surface (vs having to mess around with the wheels).

Supreme OTB, green tile w. dark grout.

The main point of my original post is that you shouldn't get one of these and think that the KK is going to act like an oven all of a sudden. Proper coal setup and management is still a requirement. In other words, learn to use the Minion method and the draft settings. The Stoker (or Guru) is a nice backup option for overnight cooks / peaceful sleeps but it does not replace basic use know-how of the KK (or any cooker for that matter). Example: if I light my lump with the gas attachment then I will never be able to keep the temp low enough in my KK (to much stuff is lit).

Here's a forum where people are serious about their pizza. I've tried some of their recipes (NY style at ~800 degrees for 2-3 minutes) and it's turned out very well. Note that the crust has to be ultra thin for this to work.

Is this the price at our door or the price at the terminal (and then we need to ship to our location)? How many boxes on a pallet and is a pallet discount available?

I have the Stoker (had some feedback in another thread somewhere) but here are my pluses and minuses: The Good: - Able to monitor and adjust temps from work (over internet) - Able to cook through the night w/o worries - Able to monitor a large amount of meat on the KK - Grill level temps (dome temp of KK is significantly higher than the Stoker grill-level temp) - Upgradable - Fan unit plugs directly into the KK (no adapters) The Bad: - More wires and boxes vs. the Guru (i.e. Guru sits on the tube, Stoker is a stand alone box) - No included shut-off plug (However the fan won't let air in unless it's blowing) - You MUST light only a little bit of charcoal when using any of these fan devices (Minion method recommended). These units will not be able to run low temps if 1/2 the charcoal is lit. This is an issue with all fan units. - Probe wires are a bit short for having the Stoker box on the ground and the probes in the grill. With a side table this isn't a problem. I believe you can order longer wires & I'd recommend this. - Won't do ultra-hot temps (800 degrees for steak, etc.). This isn't a big issue IMO. - Web interface does not have an alarm system (auto-refresh the browser & flash the screen when temps go over a certain limit, etc.). - No easy way to shut off the alarm when you go over your temp limit. I.E. I'd like to hit a button to silence the alarm and the alarm would only re-arm itself when it dips below the peak temp again. IMO, using the minion method + setting the draft doors intelligently will allow you to maintain a steady temp through the night. I've tracked this with the Stoker (no fan, only temp measurement) and it stays within 10 degrees or so through the night.

The moss & lichen look nice until it digs into the grout and starts damaging the cooker As long as a soft scrubby won't hurt the sealer I'll just wipe it down every now and then...

Umm, mine just sticks in the hole? The fan and tube are all 1 unit with mine... not sure what you're using?

A few comments: - Home Depot is not the best place to go for BBQ parts - This is one time that the local BBQ store can help you very easily. I carried in my burner and had them hook everything up (including swapping the burner to natural gas) - Do NOT try to BBQ by lighting your coals with the propane burner. It will start too much of your lump and it will be very difficult to keep the temps low (below 280 or so). I use the gas for lighting the coals when I'm cooking over 300 (chicken, pizza, steaks, etc.) or for when I want to cook a quick burger or hot dog. For BBQ I light a few coals with a chimney (which could be over your burner) and use the minion method.

The Stoker fits directly into the KK's port (no Guru tube required). I'd like to think that somewhere there is a stopper supplier

Yeah, I can easily fit 4 Costco butts on my main grill and another 4 on the lower grill. Although they pre-trim and remove the bone I find that the flavor is pretty good.

Soot is not a concern... we get moss up here in the Pac NW (yes, even with frequent cooks). I'll dry some mild detergent and a soft scrubby...

I have a stoker and the (5cfm) fan rarely turns on. 4cfm should not be a problem given the KK's efficiency. Note: I don't use it for searing (800 degree) duties...

I have a Stoker (which doesn't come with a stopper) but want to put away my blower in between cooks. Does anyone know where you can find a silicon or rubber stopper that will fit the KK's port hole? Thanks!

What does everyone do for cleaning their KK (outside and inside)? How much scrubbing will the tile grout sealer withstand? Can the inside get wet when the KK is cool (i.e. from a hose)? Any tips for cleaning the grills or other stainless components?