KevinD

There is no comparison. With the KK I can literally do it in my sleep. The other cookers that I have used in the past required constant vigilance and attention and quite frankly could be a pain in azz. I do understand though that there are people that thrive on "the mystery and magic barbecue." The KK makes it so easy and has others have said, once you get the hang of getting to and maintaining your cook point, the game is all but over. Having said that I certainly don't want to minimize the care that goes into the pre-cook preparation and of course the finish effort once it does come off of the grill. The results are beyond anything I had ever achieve before!

I hear you. I grew up in a family of good cooks who made most things from scratch. All of my life I have had a high standards that most restaurants won't live up to food-wise. On the rare occasion when I do go out it is because I don't feel like cooking and it's just a break, and since I don't have high expectations I'm normally not disappointed – LOL! As for good barbecue it typically is not to be found in Southern California. I have lived in other parts of the country including the south and I know what a good barbecue is and isn't. It's nice to know that I now have the means to more easily achieve excellent barbecue results at home. But more importantly to me, this helps me to do what I really love and that is to cook for friends and family. The KK is an excellent tool that will allow me to do more of what I love...

Very tender & moist and as was discussed in the thread, I bypassed wrapping in foil during the during the cook. I did let them rest about a half hour under a tent for foil before slicing them up to plate.

To borrow a line from Colonel Sanders – Finger lickin' good! And as was noted, they were extremely meaty, succulent even. I am not a fan of barbecue sauce so I tend to be a dry rub fan but for this cook I did use a mix of a couple of sauces that I cut with a little bit of water and cider vinegar, for a single baste taking me through the final cook time. Light-years beyond a popular barbecue chain out here named Lucille's, that I swear, serves ribs from anorexic pigs! I didn't know that such creatures existed! Of course the answer is whomever their supplier is, cuts so close to the bone as to leave nothing. When they come to the table, not only do they look like they come from an anorexic pig, they look desiccated too... It has been quite some time since I have been there and every time I pass by the place, it is absolutely mobbed with people – I just don't understand how it can be so...

The results… Outstanding!

Wasn't there yet when I opened Pele about an hour ago. Not close really. I decide to try again in 90 minutes, and I have @35 to go...I'm hoping they will be ready then or very close!

Thanks for reminding me Steve! I will have to make some of that to go on sandwiches, or on the side for those that just don't know how pulled pork is to be served in sandwich form! LOL.

Well I just got back from a Costco run… The above posts inspired me. Not only did I pick up a 13 pound prime brisket but I also picked up a couple of pork shoulders. One shoulder will have to go in the freezer but the other one will see a low and slow cook very soon for some juicy pulled pork. One of the cookbooks that I have is called Cooking with Smoke and Spice. There is a recipe in there "Vaunted Vinegar Sauce" - OMG! It is apple cider based with Red-pepper flakes, black pepper, salt and just a couple of other seasonings. It is so good on pulled pork I can't even begin to describe it. When I do the shoulder I will absolutely find that recipe and share it. The brisket will go on Saturday night followed by a rest in a cooler wrapped in towels for at least a couple of hours. After that, let the mayhem begin!

I'm definitely going to make the first check at three hours to "feel" them; the question is whether to wrap for the remainder of the cook, however long that ends up being? I think I will not wrap them since this is my first attempt on the KK and from there, I will make my decision for future cooks of ribs. Since these are just for me today, I'll deal with the results now matter what they are! The scent of the ribs and smoke on the air is already enough to make me crazy!

My first cook is underway though a couple of hours late... Last night for my burn-in I used some old lump charcoal that I had left over from who knows when - ugh, what a mess as it left a ton of ash that I had to clean out today before I could light a new fire for my first cook. While I was cleaning out the ash I received some Fogo charcoal I had ordered so I used some of that as starter for Coco-char that I'm using as the main fuel for my cook. As promised by others it took a while for the Coco-char to catch and burn, but now I am approaching my desired cook temperature. I'm hoping that my decision to forgo the preferred hour-long heat soak does not hurt me since I decided to add my ribs now, with a couple of chunks of cherry wood for my flavoring agent. I am very closely watching the temperature to make sure it stabilizes and holds at 250° for what I expect to be a 5-6 hour cook. I might expect a little bit of a shorter cook if I had allowed the normal heat soak to occur before putting on the ribs – we shall see!

Well I think we can all say that it will eventually end up on the proverbial slow boat from China…

Thanks MacK... I wish my backyard were looking better but my grass is beginning to die because of lack of water. Trying to abide by our water conservation rules due to our on going to drought out here in California. Central and Northern California received a fair amount of rainwater but our mountain snowpack was not nearly enough and we continue to pay the price. ..

I ended up naming mine "Pele" for the Hawaiian Goddess of Fire...

OK it's about 1:15 in the morning Pacific Coast time and I just closed up Pele after about seven hours of running time. I did not bother checking the calibration of the thermometer before mounting it so I'm hoping it is accurate. I didn't get any smell until approximately 650°. I had it sitting at 550° for a couple hours and then took it up to 600° and still nothing so gave 650° a shot and then I began to get "the smell." I let it run at 650° for about a half an hour and then closed the cap Just a bit to back down below 600° and kept it there until just recently. I observed dribbles of the white material in a few spots though no lifting of tiles. Backed it down to about 550° and then 500°, and have now closed Pele up for the night, lightly snuggling down the cap followed a couple of minutes later by closing down the lower vents. But for the higher temperatures I needed to get "the smell", I seemed to have had an uneventful burn-in…

Forgot to post the obligatory truck unloading shots...

Yes, but that's ok...holding at 250 for the next hour and then will start to go up 50* every 1/2 hour eventually arriving at 550* and hold there for a couple hours. I'm hoping for "the smell" somewhere in those 2 hours. While not not ideal, I do have some backyard lighting and will augment with a big adjustable flashlight to help with sighting any lifting tiles, white oozing, combined with feeling for raised spots and go from there. I have my trusty t-pin to relieve any observed venting. I know after that point I should be able to allow Pele to cool while pressing down on any raised spots. I will do my first rib cook tomorrow during the day, followed by another gradual rise to high temps and another venting opportunity… I find it rather appropriate that Pele will be venting since that's what volcanoes do as part of their natural course...

Houston - Pele inaugural burn commenced at 2000 hrs PDT...

Houston - this is Pele control. Reporting transition from garage environment and successful ascent and landing on the back patio with minimal issues. Found that rotatation while maintaining forward trajectory was the best way to acheive and maintain target pathway across plywood placed over grassy surface. Despite many cracking sounds from plywood compression, we achieved the goal. Proceeding to staging platform for unwrap and set-up stage. Next communication should commence shortly before loading of fuel and ignition for primary burn in. Regret to report that initial cook will not, repeat, will not commence until tomorrow at approximately 1100 hours PDT. We will however immediately commence consuming cold liquid alcoholic supplies as we progress into the evening hours... Pele control, signing out... Well, it felt like a moonshot project as a one-man job...

It is the side yard for me as no matter which direction I take her through the door I have either a 30 or 31" width to fight which is too big to fit through my door. Side yard it is...perhaps I can use the crate top as a ramp to make the rise from the plywood on the grass to my patio. Will have to hope that with my own body mass and leg strength I can get it done - ugh!

I have freed Pele from the pallet that Dennis' bondage master bound her to, and with the assistance of a couple boxes of coffee char, was able to do a controlled roll down the top of the crate ramp and she now sits behind the Bricklin. i was certain that per the dimensions I had that I could fit her sideways through the back garage door but I'm doubting what I see. I will have to grab a tape measure to be certain. I really don't want to try rolling her on plywood sheeting though my side yard and through a fence gate. I'm pretty certain that is beyond me as a one-man job given the rise from the grass to the concrete patio. Much easier to get it to the back garage door where I have just a three-quarter inch lip to fight.

Though I have more room should it get away from me, it would run it directly into the side of my Bricklin...

I hope I'm not double posting but the system seems to be behaving oddly... Possible lesson learned though I will have to confirm with Dennis or perhaps the rest of you can chime in with your best recollections… As I was working to uncrate Pele I noticed that the way the bottom of the crate/supports were constructed around the wheels it would seem that they are meant to roll off the side that corresponds with the front of the KK. For anyone that ends up having to unpack in a semi confined space, make sure that the pallet is placed so that that side, has plenty of room for the roll off. In my case that did not happen so I find myself removing more wood bracing on the bottom of the pallet so that I can roll Pele off from a different side. The left side of the picture is the front of Pele and I literally have 4 feet from the edge of the pallet so I'm going to have to roll her off from a different direction.

Well folks I do have a rack of ribs in the refrigerator marinating in spice rub and I do have a few long tall ones on ice as well. Unfortunately since Pele did not arrive on Friday, I'm on my own as far as upacking and moving around which is going to be a slow process. I am resigned to having to breakdown the crate around Pele in order to free and then move her. I have removed the bottom bolts as well as the screws on top to free the ramp. I removed one of the top pieces of wood that surrounds the top vent in hopes of being able to remove the wood crate myself, but because of the size and the general bulk I cannot get sufficient leverage to lift up the crate myself which is why I'm going to have to break it down. Work calls for now until later today when I can resume the project. I did cancel my traveling vacation which I had scheduled from Wednesday through Sunday so that I could be at home with Pele – I wanted to be sure you all knew of my dedication and my first official sacrifice to her!