tekobo

Hi Paul. I tend to use my smoke pot for long low and slow cooks. I wonder if the fact that the top hat is only open a very small amount for really low temp cooks makes it difficult to keep the hot/cold smoker going. Do you close off the bottom vent when you are using the hot/cold smoker? If you do it might mean that the air flow has to come through the smoker, making it more likely to keep it alight. Completely amateur diagnostics on my part but worth a try.

Hi Adam, I agree, being able to move your KK will be a big plus.

At the time of writing yesterday I was still in possession of my two KKs. I gave them a final wash down this morning, a hug in my head and sent them on their way. They are being dropped off at two different locations and I will get to see them on Friday and Saturday as we have been invited to BBQs at their new homes. Lots of pictures to show loading and securing.

Excited too. Someone will have to take me off the owners list for a little while to make it real. I will be back!

Aaaaa-ha! What colour???

Hey Tyrus, I strayed from the path but I learned that there are reasons that a road is well travelled. Skilled people tile KKs day in day out to get the finish that we love and would kvetch about if they were not skilled or consistent. The weight of what you attach to the lid is important. The lid is an awesome piece of engineering and messing with it by attaching all the heavier tiles that I found online would be a bad idea. So, here I am, on the well travelled road and I am loving it. Alimac, I am looking forward to Christmas x3. If it was practical to open one KK box a day I would but I suspect I will be too excited to wait. Basher, no beans will be spilt here. Even Mac doesn't know. Pequod I am going with your combo with a small addition. Paul was my first friend on the forum and he showed me the limitations of the 16. He was right that it won't work for me as an only KK but I am really looking forward to it as a quick "go to" KK. And jonj? Yes, I do the perfect-combo-dance whenever I think about my choice. Luckily I have a few months to earn the money to pay for them!

Sorry to post off topic but I had to say - good to see you again @5698k. How have you been? Where have you been?

Ah. Colour. @Tucker's example of having a number of different KKs in tile and pebble and then ending up with a classy pair of KKs in the same colour pebble seemed like a good one to follow. I did have a long and deep dalliance with tiles because I thought I would see if Dennis could build me a KK with a different range of tiles. My advice to anyone who thinks they want to source tiles for their KK is - don't. Dennis has a precise specification to suit his build requirements and I proposed some ridiculous options that were patently outside spec. He and I both liked these but they were way too big https://www.mondomosaico.it/prodotto/piastrella-pop-art/ . Some of you might say they are also too vulgar. I tried my Italian out on the company that sells these https://www.appianimosaic.com/mosaic-colors-tiles/ceramic-glazes-with-matt-finish-tiles but their tiles were too thick. I also talked to traditional English tile makers about cutting tiles but all their custom tiles were too thick. In the end I found a company in the UK with the exact spec that Dennis requires but a limited range of colours because they use them for swimming pools. I fell about laughing and gave up the hunt when I found out that they import their tiles from the same company in Indonesia that Dennis uses. I am back in the fold and I chose my three KK colours from Dennis' wide range and I am very very happy with my choice. You and I will have to wait and see what they look like when they are made up.

I was left unsupervised last week, for about an hour before The Husband woke up, and I placed my order for three KKs. No goat. I will be getting a 32, 23 and a 16TT. It took me two days to tell The Husband. A friend asked if we would be replacing the two KKs with one large one and I casually said "no, three". The Husband rolled his eyes but is, happily, OK with my folly. I am soooo excited. When I was first choosing my current KKs @ckreef went on about needing more than one cooker so that you could get all the elements of your meal ready at the same time. At the time, as someone who didn't bbq very often, I thought that was ridiculous. Now that most of our entertaining is in the garden I really appreciate the value of being able to cook everything outdoors and now fire both KKs up much more often. The 16 is going to be great for sides, some low and slow and also for using in the depths of winter when I just want a quick cook. Yay. Only trouble is that it took another week to confirm colour so I will probably be lucky if my new KKs get to me here in the UK before November. I shall enjoy the anticipation.

Coincidentally, on Wednesday I cooked short ribs "Brazilian steakhouse style", according to Meathead in his book. The Husband says he has never seen short ribs on a stick in a Brazilian steakhouse but they were yummy nonetheless. Meathead says you cook to medium rare on the outside, thinly slice off the meat and return the joint to the roti to cook more. I ended up cooking this small piece fully on the rotti and slicing it thinly, vertically off the roti spit at the table (tricky to take photo in the circs!). Very tasty and will try again with a meatier joint.

I look forward to it. A KK in Italia! Style and a lot of substance. Yes, you have very good wine. We visit Serralunga d'Alba every year to go to Vinoteca Centro Storico and Il Flauto Magico - good food, good atmosphere and good wine. What more could you want? We discovered La Coccinella when we came to stay in Piemonte last year and absolutely loved the food and the vibe. You now owe me some restaurant recommendations for my post COVID return. Ciao.

Hello Massimo. Welcome. I did get two KKs in cobalt blue and they are a work of art. I am now selling them to two friends and they are sooo happy to be getting these pieces of Gaudi-esque art to grace their gardens. I hope they will cook on them too. Like you, the "classic" black does appeal to me for my future KKs. I look forward to seeing your new KK in situ. Where are you in Piemonte? We visited for the first time last year and enjoyed our time near Dogliani. Lots of good restaurants in the surrounding hills and also in Serralunga d'Alba.

Cooked for the friends who are buying my 21" yesterday. Wanted to show off the versatility of the KK. Yesterday morning's corn harvest. We ate the corn as a starter. So sweet. No need for salt or butter. Clams and garlic and parsley butter. Delicious with bread. That net was really good at preventing the fish from sticking. I also roasted some peppers and whole courgettes but didn't remember to take a photo. It was all really delicious.

That's great Troble. Looks like you've got the gardening bug. I find gardening teaches me to be more philosophical about things. Some years your tomatoes are fantastic, others your whole crop is hit by blight but something else does really well. Having variety is a good way to make sure something goes right all of the time. Have fun!

What a beauty. It looks really well engineered too. You are going to have fun with this new grill, congratulations. Allow me a little fun too. Is your wife still occupying the shelter you built for the KKs originally? No matter, it looks like your new shelter is very well positioned to keep you in touch with the guests while giving you the space to focus on grilling and drinking beer.

Awesome! The black looks really elegant and it's great that you got something positive out of this situation. Looking forward to your cooks!

How funny. Really cool to see your set up Paul. That "baby" 16 looks really substantial and that's a lovely cabinet that you have there with the 23.

Those look fabulous. I have never cooked Wagyu myself before and so my suggestions are only based on my preference. Cooking hot and real fast on a low grate would get me the blue steak that I would want but I am guessing most people would want some fat rendered out. You have enough steaks there to experiment - it would be interesting to see what you get if you do a bit of fat rendering on the warming grate before (or after) searing the steaks low down. Super jealous!

Heylo @DennisLinkletter. Do you have a similar diagram for the 21" KK please?

Interesting @MacKenzie. Pork loin bacon. Who'd have thunk it? That lamb looks soooo juicy @Aussie Ora. Here my corn was ready at last. 15 minutes from plot to pot. Soooo sweet. I I don't do plated shots because I am not good at keeping the plate tidy and clean while I plate. That said, here is today's breakfast.

My abiding memory of the early 70s is the chocolate cake that I had for my 4th birthday party. I also remember handing my mother a snake that we were given to play with at nursery school and her screaming her head off in a very female, mummy way. I like gender difference and I liked being called ma'am by the ex-army telecomms engineer who reported to me in my last job. He used to do it to tease me and it is our standing joke that I pulled rank and refused to let him call me by my name when he got bored of the joke. Vive la difference.

Had both KKs on the go yesterday. The 21 was cooking this new to me cut of beef. It's called a salmon cut and is nice clean, muscle cut. I used this really tasty rub https://www.thefedupfoodie.com/italian-roast-beef-rub/#wprm-recipe-container-10163 and smoked some cherry and pecan pellets in my smoke pot. The 23 cooked a mix of potatoes, shallots, garlic and padron peppers. All grown by my own fair hand apart from the addition of lemons from our recent trip to Italy. The padron peppers turned out to be quite hot and surprised a few people! We cooled off with home made peach ice cream and apricot and cardamon sorbet - my new obsession.

We have a ridiculous number of plastic vacuum bags because they are very cheap to buy in industrial quantities. I use them to store food for longer in the fridge or to pack spices or nuts. I assuage my guilt about plastic by putting the food into oversize bags and vacuum sealing. Each time I take some out of the bag, I cut the top off, take what I need and then reseal along a new cut line. Believe it or not, it helps to keep carrots fresh and non-wangy for ages.

Good looking stock Syzygies. I remember you saying that rye bran(?) made your leaven go mad. Been meaning to tell you that it works wonders for a hot compost heap too. Wingman, you do know that Mac is not of the male persuasion? We claim her as one of ours. Thank you.

Slow roast shoulder of lamb for my in-laws' 58th wedding anniversary yesterday. It was delicious shredded with saffron rice, fried onions and yogurt with lots of garlic.