ckreef

We'll keep this short and sweet. I needed redemption after mismanaging Cassiopeia last night. Management was spot on tonight. Potatoes on Cassiopeia. CI seared Brussel sprouts. CI seared pork loin chops. This entire cook was a hit with the family. Will do this again (of course with some minor improvements).

If it wasn't for the KK dome/spring system I doubt Mrs skreef would have ever gotten into kamado cooking. It's just so easy to open and close. Mrs skreef has opened a KJ and a BGE dome before, she wasn't fond of that experience.

Not sure why other than to try. Made some stuffed shells. Meanwhile Mrs skreef made some Italian twist rolls. And she says I make a mess with homemade pizza dough? LOL I couldn't help myself, I had to take this picture. Heat deflector in the bottom position (can't see it). Shells on the main grate. Rolls on the upper grate with the monster KK baking stone. When all the rolls were done I added some cheese to the main dish and finished it off on the upper grate. The flavors were good and dinner was scarfed up but I actually consider this a failure. Shells need 350* and rolls needed 425*. I compromised at 400* which got the job done but neither the shells or the rolls came out exactly as they should have. I have 2 kamados and next time I'll split the cook up like I should have. Isn't this the reason for owning two anyway?

Looks yummy - where I live they would call that a low country boil.

Don't get me wrong - I love a good experiment - half of my cooks are some type of experiment. I try and keep an open mind to anything and I've been following this thread. Just not sure how practical this one is in the end but then again I haven't been taste testing them along the way either.

I must interject here. I understand the experiments to try and get the perfect fry but maybe we are in the - right tool for the job syndrome. Will a kamado with a Wok make good stir fry and Chinese dishes? Absolutely! Is it the best tool for the job? Not by a long shot. Same holds true for Kamados versus dedicated pizza oven. I think you two are now in the same loop with SV fries versus a high end deep fryer. OK bring it on - I have my full flame suit with flak jacket doned and zipped up.

Haven't noticed any movement yet. Everything came off then went back on without a hitch. My 16" only has the one inner gasket. The 19" has the double gasket. In the spare parts kit along with the gaskets are some spacers which I assumed had to do with gasket placement.

This procedure probably applies to all the sizes. You will need a helper, a 5mm Allen head wrench and a 14mm closed end box wrench. Both of these wrenches are supplied by Dennis with the grill. If you can get hold of a 14mm socket wrench this procedure will go a bit quicker. Have helper open the dome just enough so you can get to the top 2 bolts securing the spring cover. Using the supplied 5mm Allen head wrench loosen (but do not remove) these 2 bolts. Pull the spring cover back far enough so it clears the 2 bolts then lift it straight up and off. Have helper hold the dome in the completely open position. Make sure you have a capable helper because as the spring loosens and finally comes off the dome will get very heavy. Make sure they are ready for this. Using the supplied 14mm closed end box wrench (or 14mm socket wrench) completely remove the hinge spring bolt from the bottom of the spring. (this will take some turns as the bolt is 1"+ inside the spring) Once the bolt is removed from the spring have the helper gently lower the dome back down. At this point you should be able to remove the spring from the hinge. Remove the Cotter pin from the end of the hinge pin. Gently drive/pull the hinge pin out the other side. Helper may need to wiggle the dome up and down about 1/2" to help this along. The dome is now completely free from the base. Have one person on each side. Have a third helper open the dome just enough to get your fingers in there then lift the dome up and off. Set it down so it slightly overhangs the edge of a sturdy table so the weight of the dome is not resting on the front latch. Well that's it. Took longer to type this then it did to actually remove the dome. Installation procedure is the same but in reverse. Be careful when setting the dome back down on the base so your fingers or more importantly the gaskets don't get crushed - LOL. Once everything is back together you will need to adjust the spring tension by slowly adjusting the bottom spring bolt. Check for proper spring tension frequently. To much tension and the dome will fly open when you unlatch it. Too little tension and the dome will slam closed on it's own. I like my tension just enough so it's not fully auto opening and so it will stay in any position if I (or an unruly guest) lets go of the handle when sneaking a peak.

Yes it has been moved really three times. I removed the dome first each time. With the dome removed it's still really heavy but my son was able to lift his side off the first blocks then back up on the blocks new position (just barely). If you have to carry the 19 anything more than a few inches I strongly recommend removing the dome. It's really easy to do and takes less than 5 minutes. (of course this doesn't exactly apply to what we were taking about in the pm except maybe the initial move off the pallet.) Give me a few minutes and I'll start a new thread with pictures showing the procedure.

Got it ordered. Yay

Nice looking meal.

Very nice brisket. Yummy.

TY for the link. After reading the details that should work fine for my application. Says it can handle up to 35 lbs of an unbalanced load. Cassiopeia would never hold a 35 lb load anyway. The motor I'm currently using does not have anti backlash gears so when the weight goes over the top it spins to th bottom and sits there waiting for the motor to catch up. Might have to order this today.

Find a Lowes they definitely had a better selection.

Yup - agree with everything you said.

That is what gave me the idea to do it.

The two KK's sitting next to each other are a good match and basically look the same. But if you look at individual tiles in the same position on each of the finger print cards they are totally different (the pattern of color on each tile). If I am not mistaken this will hold true for your individual pebbles also.

That's why I did it - just in case.

Home Depot definitely has some different models to choose from. We looked at both stores before making our decision. There are definitely nicer units but our space is so limited it really limited our choices.

That is so kewl. I bet it was a hit at the party.

Thanks everyone. I couldn't help myself, I had to try out the rotisserie. And use both KK's at the same time even though last night Prometheus was almost sitting on the deck. The rotisserie worked better than I expected but the motor I had laying around sucks. It got the job done but is week with a lot of slop in the gears. Will have to purchase a better motor soon.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Got that at Lowes for $99. They have many different models to choose from. Some tall, some short, round, square, small, big, you should be able to find one to suit your porch. We wanted something small (limited space) and low to the ground so when we sat around it our knees would also feel the heat. This one is only 18" total diameter and the fire is about 12" off the ground.We also looked at the stand up SS propane heaters. Probably would have worked better for total heat but talk about killing the mood - LOL

As you know with the Terra Cota style tiles, no two tiles are exactly the same. There could never be 2 groups of tiles that are the same. This makes each grill totally unique to any other in the world. With that in mind I decided to photograph a set of "finger prints" for my two KK's. I used 4 distinct areas of each KK to make a finger print card for each grill. If you compare the two finger print cards you can clearly see what I'm talking about. Here is both KK's on temporary stands. This should be close to their permanent location. The 19" finger print card. The 16.5" finger print card.

Nice looking cheese.