Wingman505

Looks amazing Tyrus.

Thank you all! I finished the burn-in. In typical fashion I watched it like a hawk and obsessed over it. I had three vent locations. I made the mistake of temperature hunting and the grill got to 650 according to the dome thermometer at one point. There was audible hissing from a section of lifted tiles. I got control of the temperature and brought it back down to 525 degrees, but I made the mistake of trying to push the tiles back in too soon (before the pressure subsided) and ended up tearing the grout in a couple of places. I could smell solvent for a very long time. I made the mistake of thinking it'd take 6 hours so I started at 1800 on Friday evening. I didn't go to sleep until 0630 the next morning. The dome cap was the last area of venting and it took forever for the pressure to subside. I began the task of repairing/patching the grout the next morning. I took the advice of another forum member and used my finger to apply the grout to the necessary areas. It didn't look good, but I followed Dennis' advice... "Less is more." I allowed it to cure for 9 hours and used the pink tile scrotch brite to abrade the areas and remove the grout from the tiles. I was amazed at the results. I'm a bit neurotic and OCD... Self-diagnosed on both accounts. I called my wife over and she could not differentiate between the areas I repaired, and the untouched areas of the cooker. I am so happy with the results. The patch kit and patching process seems to work as well as the cooker!

I tried installing it on a lower rack and it seems the handles of the racks are too narrow and do not allow the pan to sit on the grate. Do you just rest it on the handles, or do you place it on top of the charcoal basket rails?

The movers were as careful as I would have been if I moved it myself. I was really appreciative of that. I am burning in now and I definitely smell it off-gassing. I've kept it between 500-550 or so... Mostly 525. I've noticed a couple of tiles that were raised on one side, or seemed a little springy. I'd go over the rest of the cooker and go back to those spots and they wouldn't be springy anymore, which tells me the venting is working and I've been careful to slowly bring the cooker to temp and have held it well. It's still burning in, so I'm going to obsess over inspecting it. One thing I've found already is this: I'll need to fill that tomorrow morning as I don't want to chance any water intrusion of any kind. I know the movers didn't hit anything because I was on them like white on rice. The adjacent tiles are untouched as is the hinge cover. I'll fill it, wait 8-10 hours, remove excess... Presto! Here's some other photos of it basically in its final resting place.

I'm in Rio Rancho. I'm glad there's another owner in NM. We may be able to go in on charcoal in the future. How long have you owned yours?

Well... Got the extra 5 bags ordered. I also got impatient and got the KK off of the pallet with a small assist from my tiny wife. Nobody can say I'm risk averse. I tested how difficult it was to move before trying it. I am VERY surprised how easily it moves despite the weight. The move this afternoon will probably go much easier than I anticipated. We just have a 42" gate to navigate, then its basically level gravel from there.

Back it up! I just sent Dennis a message about adding 5 bags. I'm more worried about coal storage space than cost, lol. I'll send a picture of the firebox when I install it tonight after the move.

Hey guys. My KK was delivered and the crate has been removed for the most part. I couldn't simply lift it off as I dont have the ceiling height in my garage and I'd have to dismantle the crate to get rid of it anyways. I needed to get to the cooker as I ave scheduled movers to transport it to the back of my house today and I wanted to remove all of the weight from the interior. I have a couple of questions: 1. There is a block of wood directly underneath the center of the cooker on the pallet. Does this remain in place as I try to move it? 2. The Lid. I don't really want to remove the lid if I don't absolutely have to. I know the instructions indicate that I should, and this will remove ~200 pounds while moving it. It seems to me that I wouldn't want the movers pushing, pulling, or otherwise manipulating it by the lid on its way to the backyard.. Does this sound accurate, or am I being too cautious. It seems to me the lid is not designed for lateral forces of that degree and nature. 3. The fire box. It seems to rest on the SS heat shield for the gas burner on the left, and the front vent when installed. This causes it to be very slightly angled when installed (slightly bowed toward the middle). This was how it was looking when I first opened the KK and vacuumed dust and debris out of it. I haven't installed it myself yet as I'm waiting for it to be in place. Perhaps shipping vibration caused it to be slightly off? 4. Ive read a lot of posts about burn-in but, for some reason, remember reading something that indicated it wasn't necessary with the new grills... it is done at the factory. I've read a thread written as recently as March that indicated the burn in still needs to be done. I think it'll be fun, but don't want to waste the coal if I don't have to. 5. Coffee Char - I bought 10 bags and am thinking about upping it to 15 as I know it's rarely available. That may seem to be changing as Dennis has secured another shipping route. Having read this forum quite a bit lately, I have a feeling I'm going to be told to order as much as I can while its available. I'll write a more extensive post with more pictures, initial impressions, first cook, etc. once its in place

Is this available yet?

I thought that initial post was going a different direction. Ive only been here a minute, but I was going to be sad to see you go!

My wife, Christine, everybody!

Oh man. This thread gets me excited for the delivery of mine. I looked at my wife, pointed at the screen, and said, "Look... That's a pork butt, that's a Big Bad!"

I haven't received my KK yet, but I have experience with kamados. I agree with everyone who've offered advice to this point. The top vent is absolutely more critical with regards to temperature. I once read its a 70/30 split. 70 percent of temperature adjustment is achieved via the top vent. I don't know how accurate that specific percentage is, but this statistic made me rethink how I adjusted temps in the future and I became much better at both adjusting temp, and keeping it steady. as Dennis stated, never use starter chemicals in your kamado either. It can soak into the cooker and affect taste forever... At least that's the case with cookers like the BGE, KJ, etc. I imagine the same goes for the KK.

My last name is Wingle. "Wingman" was coined my first year of Pop Warner football when I was 7 years old. The coach tried pronouncing my name two times, gave up, and yelled "Matt Wingman!" It stuck from that moment on. Ironically I joined the USAF in 1999 and spent 11 years as a Nuclear Weapons Team Chief. I work in NW to this day. I have also been known to help a fellow friend and take one for the team from time to time. I guess its all applicable to some extent. I'm going to take a ton of pictures of the setup and subsequent cooks. I have to get this 1000 pound behemoth from the front of my house to the back, over gravel, through two gates, while fighting a grade. I'm going to employ the plywood method and leap frog the wood along the way. I'm starting to think employing people to do it for me may be the best path forward. Ive also researched chartering a crane. I don't have long to decide as mine was in stock in California. Dennis said it'd be here by mid next week. Speaking of Dennis... He spent a half hour on the phone with me answering questions about the cooker, delivery, setup, our dogs, spice rubs, etc. What an amazing guy. It's clear to me he's really involved from purchase through ownership. I haven't experienced an owner who's so involved and accessible. I see evidence of this level of CS on this forum too. I've seen proposed design changes as a result of loyal customer suggestions. It makes one feel as if each customer is incredibly important and can positively affect future product development. Special stuff....

"Great choice, pebbles cook better than squares." 😃 My wife and I limed the look a little better. I was initially liking the cobalt blue, but my wife really wanted a more neutral color tone as we live in NM and everything is a shade of brown or tan in this area. I like the Olive/Gold quite a bit as well. I had better... I already ordered it. I'm excited for a number of reasons. I'm sick of adjusting BGE XL straps and having a small gap at the back of the hinge allowing smoke and moisture to escape. I'm sick of the plate setter gaps that scorch your food at the ends. I'm really looking forward to the fuel efficiency, steady temperatures, and moisture retention if the KK. The fact that it looks like a work of art doesn't hurt either.

I can’t tell everyone how excited I am to be a part of this community. I’ve coveted one of these cookers for a long time and somehow convinced my off duty supervisor (wife) to purchase one yesterday evening. We bought a 32” Big Bad in olive & gold pebble tile. We purchased multiple accessories including the coal basket divider, dual bottom drip pan, teak side shelves, grate handles, and baking stone. I currently own a BGE XL and a Kamado Joe Classic 2. I will be selling the XL for sure and the jury is still out as to wether I’ll sell the KJ. I look forward to discussing KK with everyone here!