bosco

Locked solid at 350 with 1/8 opening on top and bottom.  Very interesting.  It is like finding a sweet spot

So for my next test, I will run my KK how I normally do to get it to temp.  The dial it back once it is heat soaked again.  Do it before fully heat soaked, I think that the temp will drop drastically.  

Heat soak is the key.  

Very interesting day today in my quest for perfecting my temp control.

Opened the top vent 3.5 turns and bottom vent opened half way and got to 375 in about 14 min.  So I figured that I would see how I can monitor the theme a bit better.  

I turned the top vent down 2.5 turns and the bottom to 1/4 open.  It staid at 375....

hmmm???? could Ckreef be onto something here?

dialled the top vent down to 1/2 turn open and closed the bottom down to 1/8 and it lowered down to maybe 365

So closed the top to 1/8 open and left the bottom 1/8 open and it locked in at 350.  

Now everything that I have known is out the window.... I am seeing major fuel savings in my future if I can replicate this 

I pick them from all over social media and this forum 

Welcome to the nerve wrecking world of low and slow

First thing.... put that guru away for now.  Learn you grill and trust it.  That is the most important thing.  For a 32" light it in the middle in one spot, open the bottom right dial to the smallest circle and the left damper open just a crack.  I find doing this helps the fire in the 32 to burn evenly in the basket.  If I just use the left side, my fire tends to only burn to the left.  That is just for my 32 so may be different for you.  Turn the top damper from closed to about 1/4 turn open, so the left ear will likely be facing the 6 o'clock position if that makes sense.  Leave it there for an hour and you will be right around 225-250.

Second step calm down and relax.  It is just BBQ.  Like most new hot tub owners, the tub water is suppose to last 3 to 4 months but new owners usually change water out after the first month.... The reason is simple, we play with the water too much to make it perfect and screw it up.  

Remember when you put food on the grill temps will drop.  Leave the vents they will come back to temp again.  

Cook by feel not temp.  We have challenges on other forums where you take your therm out and cook by look and feel.  Ribs are simple as can be.  Stick them on and let them go for four hours.  At four hours grab them and do a bend test.  If they pass sauce them for 30.  If they fail, then leave them for 30 min.  Repeat this for up to 6 hours for sides and 5 for backs.  If you use no foil, I prefer spritzing the ribs every hour.  1/3 cup cider vinegar, 1/2 cup of apple juice.  Spritz on the hour and magic!!!

Over heating the KK sucks, but close the vents and it responds quickly.  Sometimes I have to snuff the fire a bit but so be it..... worst case is I have to relight it

You are going to be awesome... follow the basics and it will not steer you wrong.  

LEARN YOUR KK, SPEND THE TIME AND LEARN VENT SETTINGS TO REPLICATE HEAT TEMPS OVER AND OVER 

looks like a good meal overall and hopefully the jitters are over.  Wait until I convince you to stop using a deflector stone for low and slow and just adding foil.  Mind blowing!!

Also, calibrate your thermometer you would be surprised how far off it may be 

I personally wouldn't.  When I have to move it, I just push from the back one hand on the base and one on the lid.  I would worry about the handle having stress from pulling, especially over uneven ground.

Great idea and it looks great.   I really need to start doing more fish.  I seem to have lost my zest for seafood over the years.  I still love shrimp but need to cook more with fish 

I always spin them opposite now so the screw doesn't loosen. 

Good looking cook buddy 

I hardly use any other grate other that the main grate.  But I agree with cooking meat on this level seems to make it perfect every time.

@tony b its actually Medium Rare lol... 

Yeah one thing if I can add.  Remove the clamp Norge tel tru therm. When you close the rod will hit the stone likely.  

I gently pull the therm up when I close the lid.  Then place back in.  This avoids me bending the therm rod when claiming lid shut.  

Also I find with the heat soak that the stone gets heated up well allowing me to polar lower temp.  I now cook pizza at 550 and deep dish 475 with great results.  

charles, leave the grate out and load it up.  open the lid and place in the grate and shut it right away.  

I have done this with my KJ for cold smoking sausage and I will try to make it happen this fall when I do another batch

I love how the tri-tip swells up when you cook it.  It is such an interesting cut of beef.  Very tender, and juicy.  Cant wait for leftovers tomorrow.  

We just got hammered with a rain storm..... but I was able to get my dinner cooked in time.  I love me some tri-tip and when I saw this 3.5 pound monster at the supermarket yesterday, I had to grab it.  I hit it up with Lanes Ancho Espresso and brisket rub.  I usually do my own custom santa maria style rub, however, I wanted to try something new.   Like all Lanes rubs, this is a game changer!  Cooked to and IT of 135, 145 on the end for my wife and younger son.  Grilled some asparagus at the end of the cook.  

I absolutely love tri-tip, it is very difficult to find up here in Canada but man it makes the times that I find it all the better.

nice cook.  Basket splitter is great

Perhaps another KK is in your future!

Ok so tell me what were your thoughts? 

Before you you sell the Kj and we all know that you will... Do a comparison cook on both.  You will be amazed at how the exact same thing cooked the exact same way on two different cookers will be so different.  

I have heard of loose tiles when people take the lid off and rest it on the ground.  Likely what happened here??  How many have come loose?

I believe the best thing is to go to the depot and get permatex.  Someone correct me if I am wrong here?  Ckreef or Dennis will chime in soon

hopefully they are really strong dudes.  I would assume pushing the top pallet to the side and having a one side angle to the ground.  Have two guys holding it from tipping then slowly dragging the bottom pallet out on the other side?  

Or 

You will need some 2x4s and run them through the blue rope.  Make sure one person is holding onto the KK to keep it steady as you lift it up

I'm sticking with what works.  Forget it lol

So I usually do 3 turns up top and half open bottom for 350/375.  

Ckreef posted today that he has his dome top shut way more than that.  So today I am experimenting a bit.  

I opened it to the normal settings for 375.   Once it hit my temp I left the bottom half open and dialled the top down to half open. 

So I turned the top damper down and my temp is now hovering around 300.  After about 30 min.  

I will need to play with this a bit to see if I can close stuff down and save on fuel 

one thing that I find with KK cooking is that beef takes on a beautiful pink/purple colour on the outside.  Even when just using charcoal, you can tell that the meat was cooked with wood.  That goes to show the efficiency of the vacuum that is created with the KKs design.  Your steaks have that pretty colour indicating that they were cooked just right!

everything looks perfect.  I really want that straight rod.  I hope that they hit the website soon!

how did it compare to previous spins on the KJ?

Great looking first cook buddy.  Looking forward to more of your creations.

How was the burn in overall? 

... Or buying one themselves 

I want that rod in the worst kind of way.  Very very jealous 

Do me a favour one day.  Cook something you like one day on both same temp and tell me your thoughts.  

I was shocked with the difference 

You will see....

i said the same thing