Cheesehead_Griller

I felt I needed a fan and controller in the beginning of my KK journey. I needed the comfort that I could sleep all night and not worry about the KK or meat. However, the cords, electronics, etc. seemed to cause more stress. In the beginning, I also had issues with consistent burning lump in long cooks. I started filling my charcoal basket with lump as well as a chimney. I let the chimney coals get ripping hot and then poured them over the charcoal basket. I've NEVER had any issues since. I now do this method to assure I have a solid coal base to keep the KK going for a long time. I now sleep like a baby during overnight cooks. In fact, the last one I did I almost forgot I had something on the KK when I woke up. Lol. One other drawback of a fan was that it blew ash all over inside the KK.

I've tried the Fireboard Pulse as well as the Thermoworks RFX. Both had issues and didn't come close to the "specs" listed on their site. I ended up sending both units back. Fireboard Pulse - I liked these the best paired with my Fireboard 2 Pro. The App and Controller work flawlessly. Of my two units, one died. They replaced it without issues. The replacement unit didn't work so I ended up sending them both back. The "ambient" sensor was certainly off compared to the true ambient temp in the pit. The only other downside to the Pulse was the weight of the ambient sensor. It had to be placed strategically in the protein due to the depth of the sensor. This could cause issues in some situations. Thermoworks RFX - I bought the two pack of the RFX units. The small size of these probes was awesome. Fit in any piece of protein without issue. However, one of my units wouldn't hold a charge. I was shocked at this next revelation. I setup the RFX through the Thermoworks app using the "Anonymous" login. When I spoke to the Thermoworks customer service guy and provided my unit ID he could see my name, location, and all the other details. This was NOT COOL in my opinion. I struggled with these RFX units holding a charge for the length of time stated by Thermoworks. I changed all of the settings Thermoworks suggested with no beneficial results. I ended up deleting the app and sending the RFX back for a refund. One additional consideration, these do not work through tinfoil. I could get them to connect to the RFX unit through my KK and 3/8" offset but not through tinfoil. In the end, I decided to sell my Fireboard 2 Pro, Pit Viper Fan, and all of there electronic cooking equipment. I'm done. I bought my KK to not deal with controllers, extension cords, etc. I wanted something simplistic and reliable. Adding these electronics just creates more headaches. It's so much better not having all the "stuff" when I relax and smoke some meat over the weekends.

I have a 32 and can put a lot of food on it with ease. If you are open to two cookers then I'd get the 32 and use it for a bit. See how it goes. Maybe you would like to add a 22 instead of another 32. I've done 8 pork butts on my 32 with ease. That's when I wish I had a 22 to put some potatoes, beans, etc. on while the 32 is doing its thing. I couldn't justify a 32 as a secondary cooker.

If you are constantly doing large cooks then it makes sense to get the 42. If you want to cook a few chicken breasts or a few steaks for you and you wife the 32 or 38 will be sufficient. I own the 32 and feel it 's a great size. The smaller size requires less lump for those smaller cooks. From a capacity standpoint, I can easily get 8 pork butts on my 32's two top racks Whatever fits your needs. That being said, I have considered adding the 22 Beast to use for smaller cooks as my 32 can seem a bit large for doing just a few steaks, pork chops, etc.

Crazy times. Hopefully Dennis can navigate the challenges.

Awesome! I look forward to seeing it in action.

Next time you cook on your KK, put the pellets and or chunks on one of the grates away from the direct heat. Works great for wood. Never tried it with pellets but I assume the same results would occur. Like above me stated, turn the air pump on full power. I never have issues keeping wood chips lit. Note, I never dry them out either.

I had the original Meater and Meater Block. I really liked both. I ended up selling them and going all-in on Fireboard. As a wired unit the Fireboard is awesome. I ordered two of the Pulses and received them over the weekend. One died on me and the other worked very well. I am so fed up with the whole wires, controllers, connections, etc. I just said F it and sold the Fireboard and fan. I also initiated a return and sent the Pulse probes back. Time to start over.

I see Meater, Fireboard, and Thermoworks all released new wireless probes. I'm curious if anyone on here has tried them. If so, how was your experience?

What are your thoughts on the end result? How did the KK perform?

I also have a Fireboard 2 Pro and a Pit Viper Fan. Works flawless. Once I get the new Fireboard Pulse, it will be almost wire free except for the Fan to the Fireboard 2 Pro. I HATE wires.

Very nice! I love my 32BB. I did a big cook of "Over the Top Chili" this past weekend on it. Turned out amazing. The best part, I left and went to Costco and the KK just kept doing it's thing

Shoulder looks fantastic! I agree completely. The KK adjusted properly paired with a Fireboard and a fan is about a rock solid as it gets. I am shocked at the temp control. I live in WI and even when it's crazy cold I get the same consistent results. I just sold my Meater Bock to fund the purchase of the new Fireboard Pulse probes. No more wires and they can control the fan I'm so pumped. I love my Fireboard just hate cords.

Beautiful!

It is. But, with as little stress as possible. @Mcdddy With a bit of patience and practice you will dial it in. Start with some easy pieces of meat like port butt/shoulders that you can't really mess up. After a few tweaks to your current process you will get it figured out. You may want to journal your cooks. I did and made pics of both top and bottom vent settings. My wife can grab the book and use the KK based on my notes

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.