mameola

@tony b My mistake, the charcoal I bought from Loews was not their store brand. It was a brand called Vision. I looked for it on Naked Whiz's database but could not find it. It was my first time on the site so I could be missing something.

Thanks for your input @DennisLinkletter

I did forget to include the charcoal type so Just for the record, the charcoal I used was a hardwood charcoal. I think we figured out where I went wrong. I was burning at a higher flow rate and releasing the excess heat out to the dome to keep the temp down. I'll be make the adjustment during my next cook. 

Wow...Pretty awesome.

I bet the waiver you likely had to sign was just as intense.

Great job and one very lucky Hubby!

Those steaks look better than what I've seen served at some of the best steak houses I've frequented.

Wow, this looks so incredible. I bet it tasted even better than it looks.

I'm learning so much on this forum. Is there anything you guys won't cook on a KK?

So impressive. All I want to do is run home and fire up my KK.

I like your setup. It reminds me of cooking on cast iron.

I've never heard of smashburgers? Are they what it sounds like? Your favorite burgers flattened out really thin and cooked quickly at a high temp?

@HalfSmoke Based on your last post, I'd say we got this figured out. I did pretty much exactly what you said you and got the same result. The problem was, I didn't  understand want was going on when the temp stared to drop and in comes the rookie mistake. I started opening the top again to stop the temp from doping causing the higher flow rate you mentioned earlier all the while burning through the charcoal faster than I should have.

Thanks for your help. I think it will go a long way in saving me on charcoal. 

@HalfSmoke This sounds logical and I was wondering the same thing watching the heat escaping from the top. The temp overnight was around 16-degs F and about 34-degs F when I started heat soaking so she was cold. How long should it typically take to heat soak a BB 32 that cold and how soon do you start choking things down?

@HalfSmoke I had the lower vent opened about 1" and the top opened about one turn. Sounds like I match what you typically do when you're cooking at 325. That is, unless your lower vent is opened less then 1". I'm just wondering if I bought some garbage charcoal.

@DennisLinkletter Thanks for your 8 cents! I guess it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks but I'll take your recommendation and run with it moving forward. I added the hard cider to the pan for the taste not the moisture but it didn't really make much of a difference and the skim was anything but crispy.

Ed, No drip pan makes me nerves but like I said, this was my first ever komodo cook and it was loaded with what I've mastered prior to owning this fantastic piece of art!!!l. Saying that, I will definitely try your idea because the skin was delicious but not crispy at all. This was also probably due to putting liquid in the drip pan and  that also seems to be a no, no as well.

@tony b and Ed, I love the color and I'm very happy to me a member of your elite group You both get a style point from me!!!

Now to a question I have. I loaded the charcoal basket to the top and needed to add more charcoal in the final hour of the cook. That means I got about four hours out of the load while cooking at a steady 325-degs the whole time. Does this sound normal? The charcoal I used was bought at Loews so it was their store brand. The packaging looked awesome so I bought it. That's how it's supposed to work right I've never used their brand before so I don't know how it well it was rated. I bought a load of charcoal from Dennis when I purchased my grill but wanted to use this up first.

23 hours ago, Bruce Pearson said:

Nice looking chicken dinner and better looking KK what color is that?  

Bruce,

Thanks for the comment. The color is Dark Autumn Nebula.

Well, I finally got back from Vacation and was finally able to work through my first cook. I had lots of idea on what to cook but I thought I'd keep it simple and go with a beer can chicken but with a slight twist.

I went with an 8 Lb. oven roaster. I thought that would be a nice size for five adults and two small children. I also wanted to end up with some leftovers that could be enjoy later in the week. At the end of the day, that worked out perfectly.

Now on to my first cook. As I always do, I brined my bird overnight in a saltwater, spice and aromatics bath. This goes a long way in enhancing the flavors, while also producing a very moist bird as long as you don't overshoot your targeted internal temp. I always pull my poultry when I hit an internal premature of 160-deg. I also give it a good 20 to 30 minute rest before I go cutting into it. The results are always spot on for me.

Okay, now on to the cook. This being the first time I would ever fire up my KK 32, or any Komodo style cookers for that matter, I started about three hours before my scheduled cook time. I should also add in that it was a brisk 34-dergs outside when I got started. I gave myself three hours because the one constant in everything I've read about Komodo cooking is to take it slow and at all cost, don't overshoot your cook temp or you will have a long wait getting back to where you want to be.

I loaded the basket full of hardwood lump charcoal and hit it in three or four places with a propane torch. She fired right up. With the dampers wide open and the dome three full turns opened, things started heating up fairly quickly. By the time I was 30-mins in, I want to say I had the bottom damper opened about 1" and the fine adjustment on the smallest setting. The top was opened to maybe 1 1/2 turns at this point. The temperature was still climbing but very slow now. At this point I knew I had control over everything and would have everything dialed in shortly. I left the bottom dampers where they we set and started closing the top maybe an 1/8 turn at a time until I hit and held at 325. I was shocked at how easy it was to dial into my desired temperature. In less than an hour, I hit my 325-deg mark.

Still being nervous and unsure, I intensely watched that dial thermometer for the next two hours. With a slight tweak or two, she held steady the entire time. Wow, was I impressed. Things went exactly as everyone on this form said they would go. I was very impressed. I should also mention that I also monitored the temps with two Maverick 73s. I attached a probe to the grate and one to the KK dome thermometer. I would eventually use a third probe to monitor the internal temperature of the meat. I was very impressed to learn that the KK’s dome thermometer was dead-nut-on. I've never had any grill thermometer I’ve ever owned be worth a crap. Again, I was very impressed.

Next, I loaded my beer can chicken onto the top grate with a drip pan underneath and let the KK 32 do the rest of the work. I planned on cooking my bird for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours at a temperature of 325-degs. As mentioned above, I would be shooting for an internal meat temperature of 160-degs. Two hours and 45-mins. into the cook I hit my targeted internal temperature and pulled the bird off. Needless to say, I was very happy with the result.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the "Twist" I mentioned above. Instead of using a regular old can of beer, I decided to go with an Angry Orchard cider beer. I also poured 1 ½ cans of Angry Orchard into the drip pan. I complimented that with apple wood chunks for smoking. Man oh man did that turn out to be a good idea. You could smell the cider and wood smoke aroma coming out of the dome of the KK. It was awesome to say the least.

Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure:

After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, but in all reality, not very long at all, my KK 32 showed up in my driveway two days ago!

There was no damage to deal with and to top it off, the truck driver was fantastic. He was instrumental in helping me get it to where I wanted it to be for uncrating.

Once we got it under my pavilion and the truck driver went on his merry way, I began to uncrate the Beast. I quickly found out that some of my hard earned money went into some serious packaging. This thing was crated so well, it would have taken an act of god to move it off of its temporary resting place. I mean, this thing was very secure and locked down. Well done @DennisLinkletter. Over the years, you've obviously figured out how to do this the right way.

As instructed, I removed the eight 14 MM lag bolts and then removed the crate from the pallet. Not easy to do by yourself but I got it done. Once I did that, I removed all of the plastic wrap and took my first look inside. Wow is this thing sweet. Tons of room, lots of SS grates, drip pan, Pizza stone. Just lots of goodies in there.

Once I got over my excitement of seeing the inside for the first time, I then removed the straps holding everything in place. With the supplied pry bar, I then preyed up the wood that was put in place to prevent everything from moving around during shipment. I removed everything from the inside and then put the supplied ramp into place. How ingenious is it creating a ramp from part of the crate’s roof? Doing this was so helpful. Without much effort at all, and all by myself, I moved the grill down the ramp with ease.

Once I rolled it to its final resting place, I started putting everything back in place. I mean the whole process took me maybe an hour. KK can't make it much easier for us when it comes to receiving there grills. Things couldn’t have went any smoother for me.

Now for the hard part, I'm leaving for vacation Friday so I won't have any time between now and then to fire this baby up. That will have to wait until I return in about a week and a half. What a bummer

I've included some pics for your viewing pleasure but since it’s winter time here in the US Northeast, they are kind of gloomy. I'll be sure to start a new post of my first cook while also including some better pics.

Pretty awesome. I'd say you nailed that baby...You should be proud.

5 hours ago, Aussie Ora said:

Just relax it will be there shortly

Outback Kamado Bar and Grill
 

@Steve MI don't have anything set in stone but I might start with something simple like burgers and Kabasa or maybe celibate with a juicy steaks.

I'll likely move right on to a pork butt or a brisket so I can figure out the low and slow side of this as well.

Based on the information I'm getting from the trucking company, I might have it a week from today!!!

@tony bI hear you loud and clear. I've read the stories about the people waiting for a couple of month to get theirs. I just got lucky; the one I really wanted was in stock.

As my Mom always told me...patience is a virtue.

Guess whats on its way? Oh Yea...my Big Bad 32!!!

I just got notice from KK that my Big Bad 32 is officially on the road. I feel like a kid in a candy store waiting for Mom to check out at the register so I can get my goodies

The anticipation is killing me! California to Maryland is going to be at least a week...What a Bummer.

Pics coming soon.

To all, I hope you have a great weekend and Happy smoking.

12 hours ago, FotonDrv said:

Not yet.  I can tell you what regulators I have tried that didn't work properly.  a 0-40 psi from Bayou and a "red cap" "high pressure" fixed regulator for a Weber or any generic BBQ grill (can't remember who made it).

 

@FotonDrv Thanks for the response. I'll be sure to follow this to it's conclusion.

Are you getting the feeling this this is an isolated issue with your burner or have you gotten feedback that this might be more involved?

13 minutes ago, HalfSmoke said:

@mameola - email @DennisLinkletter To have him add you to the owner's section of the forum. You're one of us now. 

Thanks for the advice. I was wondering how that gets changed. 

I just sent him an email making the request. 

I have this burner on the way. Was this issue ever resolved?

30 minutes ago, cschaaf said:

I forgot to post about my salmon cook... and I'm old, and it's been a rough week at work, so I don't remember all of the details...

I used the Char Broil lump for the first time and thought it did well.

I lit one starter cube in the middle and set the bottom vent to a sliver and for the top I pushed one of the tabs probably less than a quarter turn. I probably could have gone less than that and been fine.

I got it to settle at 190 dome and let it run like that for about an hour before I put on the salmon. 

It ran fine for about 1:45, then started to climb. I dialed the top back a bit, but by the 2.5 hour mark, it was up to 210. Not a huge deal.

I put on my glaze and dialed back the top again and closed the bottom a little more. I think I pulled it about 20 minutes later and it came out great. 

A bit dry around the edges, but I think the brine causes most of that. It felt dry when I took it out of the brine.

After I pulled the fish off, I took off the bottom door and spun the top a few turns open to burn off the fish oil on the grates. It only took about 4 minutes to get the dome to 700. I closed everything down and walked away.

 

@cschaafThanks for the detailed feedback and I'm happy to hear your cook went well.

With the results I'm going to be looking for, while smoking sausage and bacon it's important not to go over 165 or the fat will start to render. I'm sure with some trial and error I'll get it figured out.  Since @HalfSmoke had success with his bacon,  I'll start with his method.

Fantastic cooker. It looks beautiful and the setting is awesome. You must be very pleased.

Any update on how your Salmon cook. I haven't received my KK 32 yet but I plan on doing a lot of very low temp smoking with it. Mostly homemade sausage and salmon but I'll also be cold smoking cheese as well but that of course is done with the cold smoker. 

I'm just wondering if you were successful at keeping the temp at or near 165.

Aussie Ora: You are correct. Three of the corners of the pavilion roof are supported by wrapped 4" steel posts simulating wooden columns and the other corner is supported by the top of a brick oven. Under the pavilion is a stone bordered concrete patio.

Once I get some pics of the grill being put in place, I'll be sure to include some of the pavilion and post them.

Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome to the forum and the KK community. I really appreciate it.

Just to follow up. I took the advice of many of you and added the rotisserie and the Sunbrella to my order.

I initially opted out of the rotisserie because I had one and I never used it. I changed my mind because of the many recommendations to get it. Now I'm going to make a concerted effort to use it. If I don't like it, I don't like it. If I do like it then all the better.

As for the Sunbrella, the reason I initially opted out of this option was because my KK 32 will be sitting under my 20' x 30' pavilion. But then, after reading all of your responses, I got to thinking about it and started realizing that every time I use the pavilion the granite is so dirty that we have to hose everything down and scrub it clean. So now my though is, if keep the KK 32 covered, I can avoid this issue. As Forest Gump would say...One Less Thing

Thanks again for all of the advice. Once the truck hits the driveway, the picture taking will begin. Since everything is in stock in CA, I'm hoping that will be in the next two weeks

Mike

Let me first start by apologizing for the long post but I thought you should know how I got here.   

Yesterday I was in the process of pulling the trigger on a new Primo XL grill but I just couldn’t do it. I decided to first go on-line and read lots of reviews on the Primo XL, as well as the other big name brands on the market. I was thinking I was going to find lots of positives but I quickly found the complete opposite.  Even the four and five star reviewers complained about the porcine cracking within a few months, which led to the poor customer service experiences they had to contend with trying to get the parts replaced under warranty. I found it to be a bit crazy to give a high rating on a product that does not hold up and the customer service is so poor.

In the process of searching for reviews, I ran across the Komodo Kamado website and with the help of the people posting on this forum and the third party reviews I found on the internet, I pulled the trigger on the KK 32” Big Bad. After more research on this  forum and a very pleasant 45-min phone conversation with Dennis Linkletter, I also decided to load up on the accessories. Listed below is what my final bill of materials is looking like. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

• 32" Big Bad, Dark Autumn Nebula (simply beautiful)

• Gas Burner Assembly (for heat soaking during those cold winter day’s in the US Northeast)

• Charcoal Basket Slitter/Reducer

• Single Bottom Drip Pan

• SS & Teak Grate Grabber

• Rod and Tube Teak Side Tables

• Baking/Pizza Stone (love me some homemade bread and pizza)

• Cold Smoker W/Adjustable Air Pump

• Coconut Shell Charcoal – 10-Boxes

• Coffee Wood LUMP Charcoal – 5-Boxes

By the way, I’ve been grilling my entire adult life (30 + years) and this will be my first Kamado style Grill. I have a feeling I’m going to find out that I should have jumped in a long time ago.

I’d also like to say thank you to everyone posting on this site, thank you to Dennis Linkletter for the valuable time you spent with me on the phone and last but not least, thank you to all the positive reviews I found on the other sub-par Kamado grills on the market. Without all of you, I would not be the new owner of a KK 32” Big Bad grill!!!

Now all I can do is sit here wait for the truck to back into my driveway!!!