Stewart

Is it normal to cook at such a high temperature? I know offsets cook that high (275-300) - part of the reason why is: when cooking with real stick wood, there is still a fair amount of moisture in the wood itself - even seasoned. From what I've gathered, this is why the high air flow doesn't dry the meat out (and of course, regular spritzing doesn't hurt). For pellets and charcoal based smokers, a lower temperature (225-250) is more typical. Granted, my current pellet rig has temp swings that are pretty maddening... For my next brisket cook, I plan on merely staying up late rather than waking early. Though my last brisket cook took 14 hours! (Again...temperature swings). The only other thing I can think of offering is: looking at the fat cap as an indicator for when to wrap. Temperature readings will get you in the ballpark...looking at how much of the fat cap has rendered (turned slightly yellow) as well as bark-build up can be additional indicators for wrapping. One of my recent favorite Youtube BBQ guys is Mad Scientist BBQ. I like that he breaks down the chemistry of a fire to help explain what you're looking for in a good fire. Granted...He's a stick burner acolyte...I try not not to judge. Hope that helps.

My go-to is: 1/3 fresh squeezed lime juice 1/3 simple syrup ~1/3 Tequila with a top it off of Grand Mariner Imperial pint glass (20oz if memory serves) I like to use a sliced lime to rim an imperial-pint glass for the salt, then fill the glass up with ice and put the it in the freezer. If you do this right when you start squeezing the limes, the glasses will be nicely frosted by the time it's ready to mix....And it helps keep the salt adhere to the glass. Then add the lime juice and simple syrup (to about 2/3's full). The rest can be tailored depending on how strong you and your guests like it. It goes down pretty easy... And it can catch up with you just as easy!

Interestingly enough, Ipe is the decking we're going with. I built a deck at our previous house with it and it's beautiful when well maintained. I really like the contrast of the dark reddish brown wood with the stainless steel fasteners. It's interesting...the pricing on the stuff...when I did my research over 10 years ago, cedar was the cheapest, with Trex (or similar composite) being the most expensive...Ipe fell in-between. The difference between now and then is the composite stuff has dropped a bit in price...though the scratch resistant composite is still expensive. We haven't ordered yet...I kinda want to break ground on the deck before getting too far ahead of ourselves...

Hello everyone, I figured since I'm going to have a ton of questions....makes sense to introduce myself. I've been lurking for a couple of years and have finally worn down the Mrs.'s spending-force-field on a 32 BB. Research is a big part of what I do and I've recently completed my KK research-walk-about; where I look at all the various options other than the KK (at a similar price-point or less): all-SS pellet smokers, offset stick burners (including reverse and standard flow), kettles...you name it. I currently have a 15 year-old Traeger that is slowly rusting and returning back to the Earth. Before that, I had a Weber-esque classic charcoal BBQ - I got pretty good at turning out nice steaks and burgers, though nothing else. I miss that charcoal taste... On the Traeger, I've cooked nearly everything there is to smoke low-and-slow: bacon, brisket, pork butt, salmon... I like the set-and-forget nature of the pellet smoker...though I'm less interested these days in electrical components that could wear down due to weather and time. Looking at some of the all-SS pellet smokers, there were still folk on BBQ forums pulling their hair-out with controller issues. Something that rings true with my current rig. Then...the stick burners. There are models that offer BBQ trays as an extra or an attached-but-seperate BBQ pit "hybrid". Again, if you look around the interwebs, you'll see folk really happy with these - and if you look closely...you'll see spots of rust. No thank you. If I'm investing that much in a cooking tool, I came up with the following criteria: 1) I want to be able to use it often and I want to use it often (how quick does it start up, how easy is it to maintain, etc)...plus there's a happiness/pride factor... 2) it's gotta be convenient (set and forget)...with two young kiddos and two pups, I have enough babysitting on my hands... 3) produce outstanding food that is better than an oven or the stove; for small groups or the whole extended family (about 18 of us) 4) last the next 20+ years and be reliable (buying things that truly last is rather appealing: the last-tool-first philosophy) 5) do what the current smoker does and more At the end of my walk-about...only the KK ticks all the above. So, we have a few ducks to get lined up before pulling the lever...namely, we're having our deck fully replaced and extended. As part of that project, I'm highlighting an area that needs a bit more substantial substructure: where the KK will be at home. (yes, I do my homework. 😁) We're early in the build process - who woulda-thunkit that good contractors are insanely busy... I'll be sure to post updates when they happen! Stew

Hi Dennis! It looks like your link there redirects to the KK homepage...