Cheesehead_Griller

The goal is not to have to use a Fireboard

Good eye One rack was considerably smaller so it finished a bit sooner and was pulled.

We had our Labor Day block party a few weeks ago. My contribution was 4 racks of spare ribs and 2 chickens. Turned out fantastic!

So, this may go against the consensus of this thread but it has worked very well for me. In my early KK days I also struggled with consistent burning which resulted in wide temp swings. One problem was using too large of lump. I used to use the Fogo XL which is way too large in my opinion. I now exclusively use Fogo Premium (Black bag) which has smaller pieces of lump. As for starting the lump, I gave up on using a torch inside my KK. I tended to get a lot of popping of the lump which caused burning pieces to fly out of the KK. Furthermore, I didn't feel as if the lighting from the top with a torch was very effective. I dreaded taking the torch out, getting the propane tank, lighting multiple times, putting it away, et.c I stopped and switched to the method described below. I started using a chimney to light my lump. I fill the chimney with lump and place a few pieces of cherry or oak in with it. I use a fire starter under the chimney and walk away for 10-15 minutes. Once it's hot and there are flames coming out of the top, I pour it over the lump in my KK. I use a small metal tool to level the boring coals evenly across my basket. Depending on my cook, I adjust the vents differently. If it's going to be a hot cook, I open the vents and let the KK heat soak a bit. Then close them down. Be careful because the temp can run away quickly. If it's a low and slow cook, I set the vents where they need to be and let the KK do its thing. After about 20-30 minutes the KK is to the desired temp. Since I've switched to this method, my lump burs even from top to bottom and left to right. I can get 20+ hours no problem. I'm so confident in my method I no longer use my Fireboard and fan. (I hate wires so figuring out this new method has been such a stress relief.) Put it this way, the last time I did an overnight brisket cook I woke up and forgot I had a piece of meat on the KK. In the past, I would've slept with one eye open because the temps would swing so wildly. I hope this helps!

Just be sure the shim doesn't apply pressure to the tiles. As long as it stays on the stainless you should be fine. When I was buying my KK someone advised me to get the stainless steel side tables. I was hesitant at first due to the additional cost. However, it was one of the best decision I made when buying my KK. Whenever I see someone posting about buying a KK, I always suggest the stainless steel side tables. So worth it

I have a pork butt in my refrigerator that needs to go on in the next day or so. I recently sold my offset, to a "little" bigger one, so all I have now is my KK. I'm going to try a technique like yours on this pork butt to do a comparison. I'll report back.

Congrats on your new KK! Can't wait to see your cooks on it. That A5 brisket should be amazing

I am tempted to try one, probably two :), as well. I love my Fireboard 2 Pro. I just hate the wires.

They listened….. https://www.fireboard.com/pulse/

So cool that the mill is still operational.

Well, how did it turn out?

It's unfortunate that your Meater Block doesn't work. I just did a 10 hour cook with mine. I've done it in the KK and or my 3/8" thick with no connection issues.

That's the problem with the Bluetooth based probes. If you just have the single probe you need an iOS device (old iPhone, iPad, or iPod, etc.) to sit next to it. That device will put the data in the cloud and allow you to access the info from any other device via the Meater app. I always had an iPad close to the smoker. I could then view the data on my phone from anywhere. This was one reason I upgraded to the Block. Plus, I bought the Block brand new for $100. Couldn't pass it up.

Do it. I don't like wires but love my Meater. I had a Meater Plus but upgraded to a Meater Block. I like the WIFI connectivity of the Block.

Totally. I bought the KK for its simplicity. I hate overcomplicating it with all the wires and electronics.