BBQKaeding

Ok, you've got the best cooker and the best charcoal, right? That's a given. But a great cook series like that takes more. So I'd just like to point out that the only variable was you, the chef, and you did an awesome job!

The pump itself is exterior to the water for air intake, which is pumped though a small flexible hose into a diffuser stone in the water, if used in an aquarium, or into the intake on the cold smoker unit for this use (no diffuser needed for the cold smoker). Dennis (and I) suggest using silicone hose rather than PVC for this purpose because if its heat resistance. Hobby shops sell silicone tubing intended for model aircraft engines that works great - or you can get it online. I don't know if the pet store will have silicone tubing or not, but they will probably have a small barbed union for the hose that has a screw to allow you to throttle the volume of air - or it may come with the pump. This is nice for regulating the air flow/burn rate. Any brand will do if it meets the air flow specs. Dennis, what is the internal diameter of the hose that's required? That pictured looks a little larger than what I'm used to. Thanks!

Thanks for sharing this product! I'm thinking it might be a good way to do small direct cooks on my 23", using the lower rack, for grilling just a couple of steaks. I'm typically only cooking dinner for my wife and I since my eldest boy has moved out and his younger brother has a girlfriend so he's rarely here. Syzygies - do you think this would work well for grilling a couple steaks or chicken breasts without having to heat-soak the KK. I'd think it would work to sear or even do a reverse sear in a short amount of time if I started the charcoal in a chimney first. I would like your thoughts since you have one.

Thanks so much for your reply. I was hoping there was some appreciation for heritage here . My (short) story: My father was a career man with Hallmark Cards and was a recipient of the R.B. Hall Award - back when it mattered. He was the first salesman in Hawaii for Hallmark well before it was a vacation destination. One of his clients owned all the "Mark's Hallmark" card shops in the NW (David Lipman) and Mr. Lipman imported the original Japanese Kamados as gifts. He presented one to my dad when I was only 16. I fell in love with it but he wouldn't give it up even though I begged (he didn't use it much, at least as much as I would). He did grill the fresh salmon and steelhead that he caught before work quite frequently though, and occasionally steaks from our steers (he was much better with the fish though). He later told me he bought a knock-off from Import Plaza to appease me but sent it back after it arrived when he discovered it was an absolute POS. So he called David Lipman and asked a favor (very rare for my dad). The rest is history. I think I was 19 or 20 years old when I received that green Kamado. And I'll never forget the look on the butcher's face when he handed me a five rib prime rib custom cut on my request. He literally hesitated to let go of it and started mumbling some cooking advice! He thought that no kid had the rite to such a beautiful cut of meat. I only wish he could have tasted it when it came off the cooker, perfectly medium-rare with smoked aroma and delicate char. I was hooked - line and sinker. I still am. Ok, thanks if you read this post. I'm tearing up now and GTG. I'm so glad that Dennis and all of you are keeping this passion alive. Cook low, slow and prosper!

Pardon the phrase, but you're stacked!

The texture on top of the potato is amazing!

OMG!!!! Thank you for your inspiration. Flank steak is a staple around my house but you've helped me realize that I've been complacent. This is the next, next, top level! Great job, I only wish I could taste. It'll be soon though

Ok, please no hate mail or bad reputation on this post, but my it's just my wife and I tonight and I have been preparing for a big brew day tomorrow so there wasn't much time. She brought home some pork tenderloins tonight and I felt I had to treat, just one, right. We've done this recipe countless times with chicken and pork tenderloin and it's among my very favorites. But because it was a small cook, I decided to use my original Japanese mushi Kamado that I've been cooking on for about 30 years. I know this is a KK site and I love mine too, but tonight I decided to spark my first love. She's petite by comparison and perfect for this dinner. I hope you don't mind and still enjoy the pics. The exterior of the Kamado was refurbished by me about 10 years ago with Rust Oleum grill paints and lots of tender loving care. She has had probably a thousand hours of cooking already but was looking pale from being weathered in the great Northwest without so much as a cover. I'm fond of her, if you can't tell. I crafted the table in which she's mounted as part of the refurbishing project. The tenderloin was marinated in a freshly made salsa with a number of additions, including soy sauce, sriracha, honey, scallions, etc. My wife hasn't divulged the complete recipe, but you get the idea. The magic of this cook is not just getting the meat done just right, but getting the smoke flavor into the salsa and keeping it on the meat during the cook. It's served tonight with a variant of sesame noodles that is infused with fresh squeezed orange and zest of the fruit. So now for the pics. Start your engines! A home-brewed wit beer and some oak ready to be added to the Lazzari mesquite lump charcoal. No, I drink the beer and don't add it to the fire unless things get really out of hand. Another one... Closeup of the tenderloin in the marinate. The tail of the tenderloin has been folded and skewered to allow for an even cook throughout. Placed on the Kamado I can't read Japanese, but a friend of mine who knows nothing about Kamados told me it said "mushi kamado", although she didn't know what that means. Rustic? Placing the marinate over the tenderloin while it cooks is key. If you're not comfortable doing this you can reserve marinate for this purpose but I'm always careful to make sure it it cooks though before the meat is done. The smokey salsa makes you want to dance. Closeup of the tenderloin during the sear Anther one, better centered . It looks like a huge chicken breast, but it's not. However, I highly recommend this recipe for chicken breasts too! After the sear, I shut down the Kamado and let the meat dwell, checking the internal temperature until it reaches 135 F, about 20 minutes. Onto the cutting board (note the skewer)... While it rested, I refilled my beer. I let it rest only 10 minutes because it cools quickly and my wife and I are really hungry now. It's in no danger of drying out, trust me. Closer. These pics are high resolution so if you're patient you can click on them, then click <<FULL SIZE>> and see it so close you can almost smell it. Well, I guess I should be polite and slice it, egh? Plated with the sesame orange noodles Thanks for viewing!

Awesome name you picked and a fantastic looking cooker that will certainly live up to her name!

Ditto that!!!! Well, except to compare and reinforce how good yours are by comparison (but it really sucks when you get the bill ) Don't take this as a negative on the KK, because it's not, but you should be prepared to get used to sub-par meals when going out if you order what you BBQ or grill on your KK, even if it's Ruth's Chris, Gouchos, wood-fired pizzas and even the most famous BBQ houses.

My typical batch size is 20 gallons or 15 if it's a high gravity brew (>1.070) using a 25 gallon mash tun and 30 gallon boil kettle. My Blichmann Fermenator has 2 domes, one for 27 gal. capacity and one for 42 gallons. The (intended) 35 gallon batch was using the 42 gal. configuration of the Fermenator with myself brewing as well as my brew buddy who was using a 26 gal. boil kettle and 70 qt. mash tun and brewing the same beer. Big brew day for sure. We share my 55 gallon HLT when we brew together so I could do barrel batches if I wanted, using both mash tuns and boil kettles, but I don't really want 6 or 7 (5 gallon) kegs of the same beer because I only have 14 kegs in rotation. So we only do BBL+ batches if we're doing the same beer and share the fermenter and then split the bounty. I'll try to remember to take a picture of the setup on Friday. My Blichmann Fermenator sits in a commercial freezer where I have cooling, heat and data logging.

I hear you. Blue cheese is typically an acquired taste and I too learned to enjoy it with strawberries - on a salad with walnuts. I can't tell where you're from based on your profile, but I can tell you the best blue cheese I've found happens to be made in my proverbial backyard: Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue The creamery is world renowned and has won many international awards.

I saw the bacon and thought I'd share.... My wife started baking bacon on a cookie rack (instead of frying). It makes for great presentation and cooks just beautiful if you keep an eye on it. So, of course, it's got to be better in the KK!!!! So I took a half-slab of thick sliced bacon (Costco) and peppered the heck out of it and smoked it warm at 320 F with hickory pellets (currently out of hickory chunks) on the KK for about 45 minutes. OMG!!! Give it try! I'm planning to slather some in brown sugar and/or AA maple syrup and do it again. It preserves great and adds smokiness to kitchen cooked meals and highlights salads too. Too much fun Make sure to have a drip pan under the rack to catch the bacon fat (you don't want flare-ups or soot), but don't discard it. Reserve it and use it as a butter substitute when so inclined, like corn on the cob or my favorite: an omelette.

You are most fortunate! My youngest is just starting to adventure beyond PB&J, Mac&Cheese, boring pizzas and burgers My eldest is quite adventurous though, but he just moved out . I'm eager to get Dennis' cold smoker unit so I can start cold smoking cheese, steelhead, salmon, nuts and stuff again. I had one that fit my old #7 but that's been sold and replaced with Nimoy (23" KK).

Makes me feel young again! Your son has good tastes Nothing like smoked cheddar, or gouda, or Parmesan, or any cheese!