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Agreed @Poochie! I’ve bought several and never got one that nice. The cooked photo looks delicious @AMGBOW303Awesome job.

I was cooking 2 bone-in turkey breasts @jeffshoaf. This is the first cook like this using something other than the kiln dried wood chunks (post oak, cherry, apple, and hickory). This cook was significantly different than the many previous cooks of the same meat. Much more flavorful and a nice pronounced smoke flavor. Definitely more like the results I got with my retired off-set smoker. I maintained 350 for approximately 2 hours give or take. Good luck with your cook!

Just to add more to the conversation, I used some oak that I cut and allowed to season myself. I got an ample amount of smoke on my cook. And I used the same charcoal I’ve been using. So I’m thinking no more kiln dried post oak or any wood for me. I am going to stop using it and use only seasoned cut wood. See what differences there are. I was very pleased with the smoke flavor on this cook. I used a couple of smallish pieces that were about 6” long. I buried them at the bottom of the charcoal basket and positioned them running front to back. I placed one piece a 1/4 of the way in from the left side of the basket and another piece 3/4 of the way in from the left side of the basket. So there was basically half the charcoal between the 2 pieces and a quarter on each side. And I started my charcoal in the middle. It gave the charcoal ample room to heat soak my KK before it got into the wood. The flavor was substantial but not in your face.

Thanks for that thought @remi. Makes a lot of sense. Funny…I am a Franklin fan and missed that detail. I’ll try seasoned cut wood on the next smoke.

I have a theory that kiln dried woods produce less smoke flavor. Be interested in your thoughts.

Thanks @jeffshoaf have one and love it.

Ah brings back suck a great memory. Enjoy the experience and the cooks!

Double down on removing and preserving the Komodo Kamado boards. Enjoy the experience!

Congrats and enjoy the whole process @johnnymnemonic. Can’t wait to see pics!

Sounds like you worked through it and there is some experience in your comment @jeffshoaf. And I think it is no coincidence that @tony b recommended pellets over chunks or chips as well. So I’m not questioning either result or your experiences but instead contemplating why. I have no experience with pellet smokers, but have a couple of friends and a son in law that have them. The number one comment I’ve heard is that the finished product on a pellet grill just doesn’t taste like they expected it to. Not quoting him, but I follow Smoking Dad BBQ and I seem to recall James saying something similar as well. He was doing a side-by-side comparison to a Kamado style cooker. So I’m curious why the pellets produce such superior results in the cold smoker but not so much in the pellet smokers? Maybe it’s because they don’t generate the same amount of heat that a pellet grill does? The added heat may burn to much of the good stuff off? Just curious.

Great delivery pics @Mcjudsten! I had almost forgotten how stuffed with stuff they are when they arrive. Great looking pair. Pizza sounds like a pretty good choice for the burn in. Enjoy.

What Tony said…..

I thought the same.

Welcome!! I believe that both of those KKs are superior to anything on the market you have been using. Certainly the number of people you would be routinely cooking for has some significance in your decision. I hear your thoughts and this was my experience. I was contemplating, for weeks, a 23 or a 32. I actually placed my order for a 23 and had buyers remorse. I called Dennis back and changed it to a 32 and I do not regret it. I guess the morale of my story is that I really appreciate the versatility the added space provides. But you are the only one who knows how they will work best in your space. I may be speaking out of turn, but I think most would prefer to go larger versus smaller if they have the space to accommodate it. Particularly, if price is not a concern. I would think it would be an adjustment to go from a KJ big Joe down to a 19” cooker. The really BIG question is tiles or pebbles? Good luck with your decision. Maybe someone can weigh in on their experience with the lil isla.

Appreciate the “cold” advice @DennisLinkletter and @jeffshoaf. I do tend to take my meat out about an hour or more before going on the grill. Will try it out on the next cook.

Congrats on the windfall!! You are going to love the BB 32. So when does the reveal happen? And more importantly tiles are pebbles? Anxiously awaiting……

Your thought about pouring a small amount of the fat over the brisket is something I did. It worked very well. I also wrap in pink butcher paper when the fat has rendered. I like brushing the fat on the paper as well before wrapping. And there certainly is nothing better than some warm cracklings with a hit of salt. Thanks for the video!

I have been thinking about doing the same @jeffshoaf. Thought before I do, I’ll play around with it a little more. If my experience had not been so consistent over several different types of cooks, I might question the meat as well. But my purchases have been from multiple places. My next test is going to be the mesquite that @mguerra recommended and the spraying that @tony b recommended. I rarely used mesquite in the off-set because it was such an assertive flavor. I salt brine stuff now, where I did not in the past. So I may ease up on that and go back to the old way of seasoning. Right before the cook. I’m also questioning if the kiln dried wood chunks are the culprit. I never used those before my KK. The last thought….I have noticed that using to many wood chunks definitely causes flare ups and makes the temp harder to control. It’s all good, just making my way through it. Thanks for your thoughts! I would appreciate knowing how your cold smoker works out for you.

Great thoughts everyone. Thanks!

I traded in my stick burner for a BB32 and I absolutely love it. But I struggle to get a decent amount of smoke flavor. My most recent cook was a brisket and I was experimenting with a higher temp cook; 320. I used several pieces of pecan and 3 pieces of post oak. About 7 or so pieces all about the size of a guys fist buried in a full basket of charcoal. And I also put some post oak in my small smoking pot on top of the charcoal, holes down. I got a decent bark and smoke ring and the brisket was super juicy, but the smoke flavor wasn’t quite there. Apologies no pictures. The same thing happened to my pork butt and the beef and pork ribs too. Those cooks were lower temp about 275 or so. I feel like my chicken is about right, cause it really doesn’t take to much smoke on the birds. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions on how to amp up the smoke taste? I mean, I don’t want it to overwhelm, just be a little more aggressive.

Looks great!

Good suggestion @mguerra . Never thought about using pulled pork from the KK.

Very nice!!

I’m a firm believer. At least 3-4 hours wrapped pink butcher paper, foil, and then in a couple of towels and placed in an ice chest. Multiple good results for me. And have held at food safe temps for up to 6 hours.

Congrats! Would love to see cook pics.