ThreeDJ16

Re: First Rotisserie Cook: Very nice

Was just thinking about the lid situation some more and have a possible method someone can try out (I can't get around to it for little while). I am thinking that you maybe able to get enough control over your fire with just the bottom damper that you could leave the top damper all the way open (thus reducing the smoke stagnating around the chicken)? I am guessing this maybe possible for higher temp cooking chicken only, obviously low temps would not be very maintainable like this. Maybe get a proper fire going and then try opening top damper fully and completely choke off bottom damper, if the temps fall, then ever so slightly open the bottom damper. I would start with it closed as it is harder to lower temps than raise them. I hate to say it, but briquettes may lend itself to this situation better than lump.

Also, my apologies to Madmedik for us completely going off course to his topic. I will split this topic off tonight.....suggestions to a good split point a welcome.

-=J

Re: First Rotisserie Cook: Very nice

Just for clarification......I was in no way suggesting that folks use the KK with the lid open for cooking chicken. That would burn up some charcoal. Especially since we use natural lump that basically burns at temps based on the amount of oxygen we supply to it (verses briquettes which tend to burn at lower temps regardless). Was just pointing out the possible difference in flavor.

In the next paragraph, the KK used is a very first production GenII without the new elastopolymer grout/adhesive or silicone gaskets. It would probably be a bad idea to do this with a newer KK longer than a couple minutes. Even in my older KK, I don't do this more than a few minutes.

With that being said, I actually cook all the time with the lid open. But not for long periods of time (and yes the handle will burn the crap out of you). Usually just long enough for a steak or pork chop on the sear grill. Also, it might surprise you how well you can control the flame on an open KK. With lower damper wide open pulled out....of course raging inferno. Damper pushed all the way in, but open daisy wheel, slightly less hell like. Start closing that daisy wheel and you can actually calm the fire down to very brightly glowing coals, but no flame except when fat drips. With the lid open, flare up are going to happen. Anyway, this was just FYI.

-=J

Re: First Rotisserie Cook: Very nice

There are some folks here who think the chicken grease hits the fire' date=' smokes off and yields an off taste.[/quote']

I may have said this, but I'm in the middle here. The effect is a matter of degree. I cringe when I smell this happening like crazy on a Weber (and a Weber can be a great tool, just not used this way) but like Michael, I don't use a drip tray grilling chicken on my KK. I manage to get just a bit of flare up, if the fire is established and the KK walls heat soaked, and I love how the chicken comes out.

I once cooked chicken over a commercial catering charcoal grill, for a party away from my KK. One of those rectangular tables with an adjustable grill height. It was supposed to be for the kids who wouldn't eat steak, but it was the hit of the party. I avoided flareups, kept tending the pieces and my beers.

One doesn't need a rotisserie with the KK, but a rotisserie tastes different. Similarly, this chicken tasted different from anything on a KK or a Weber, I wish I could figure out how to repeat it. It also reminded me of grilled chicken in rural Thailand.

When "they" (in the Smothers Brothers sense) tried moving tomatoes from cans to plastic, consumers rejected the change at first. They associated the taste of the can with tomatoes. I'd put burned fat in this category. Not necessarily bad, an choice one might miss.

...Or replace with something better. Part of what makes tandoori chicken sing is the burning ghee.

Wondering if the difference comes from the open verse closed lid design. Some people maybe more sensitive to the flavor and the fact it hangs around the meat longer with a closed lid causes it to be stronger. I never worry about it, as that is how chicken has always been cooked around here. Most BBQ joints still using a pit and that serve chicken, are cooking it directly over the coals and fat hitting the coals. It contributes to what makes it taste so good. But with it open, the smoke doesn't hang around it long, nor is it confined to a tight camber with the food.

FYI, what a lot of people on the forum have learned, is cooking poultry using the sear grill as a upper grill and cooking high in the dome, yields very consistent, even cooked chicken. I have a rotis too, but like it cooked on the upper grill better, with no deflectors or pans, just direct. At that height from the coals, it is pretty darn even or at worst turning once or twice during a cook. I cooked thighs for chicken fajitas last night that way....fantastic. Actually had to fight with my wife over the skin I pulled off before chopping.....super crispy and so bad for you! I use lower temps till desired doneness (300), then raise to 400 for the finish.

-=J

Re: Baby Backs

Well' date=' I won't talk about going wrong, but in the states, there ain't no excuse for not going right! [img']

Going to second that beer choice....enjoying as I type! And started a rack of spares..... -=J

Re: Pebble tile or Square tile? Glass black square tile!!!! -=J These were pre-side tables...... n66817

Re: Question about teak....

I know you say it will silver if left outside. Can/should you put a finish on them to prevent weathering if left outside and to avoid stains from grease/food/soot/etc.?

I stained mine and then used a satin spar varnish which protect from UV (and silvering). It does need a fresh coat or two each season. However, really wish I had thought of using a black wood stain instead. Maybe next time. -=J

Please help out by clicking the exclamation point above a post (report post) and flag user tag under their username for obvious spam posts!

-=J

Re: Newbie 101

.. Anybody have questions please always feel free to give me a call.

So are you up on tax laws here in the states? Meaning of life? Why is the sky blue? Are we there yet? Can we take four more years of change?

-=J

Re: Newbie 101

or talk DJ into guiding me into a homemade version with wifi!

Be happy to do so, though not quite there with the Wifi part!

And I agree about the controllers.....while the KK is easy to control, it is just a no brainer with a controller. With my homemade one added to the bunch, I am up to 5 controllers! I really like knowing what is going on outside from inside and playing with cool toys!

-=J

Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi)

Not my finest wiring job, as it was a major headache getting all those parts on the breadboard to fit into that little case, but it works! The Wifi board is also there, though it is not programmed in yet.

Link to case: http://www.adafruit.com/products/271

-=J

Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi)

Man that's cool. When are you going into production?

Thanks.

Everything here is DIY. Besides, my current build controller is all CapnBry's work....his design and programming. It is a very easy one to build and has great instructions/parts lists over at Virtual Weber board. Give it a go building it yourself and you will be very happy with it.

-=J

Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi)

Here are the pics of the first trial run. Just over 1.5 hrs with nothing on it for a test (food 1 probe is at probe tree top and pit probe is at the bottom). And thanks to CapnBry, who was nice enough to provide a serial port graph he made for the HeaterMeter, we can see how nice the results really are. Especially for a sub $100, home built controller. I am pleasantly surprised with the HeaterMeter! Gonna try it with spare ribs tomorrow.

Still need to find a case and get the Wifi card working.

-=J

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Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi)

HeaterMeter tests against an Ametek temp calibrator:

Actual___Pit___Food1

32_____34_____32

100_____99_____98

150____149____149

200____199____199

250____250____249

Actually pretty impressed with the accuracy of the thermistor probes. They seem to be a bit less sensitive to change than the TC probes, but for BBQ that is no issue. Going to give it the smoke test next time I am off to check out the PID control. Would be nice if I could get a chart running to trend it.

-=J

Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi)

Now, back to that controller...put it all in a small, tidy, waterproof case

That part is a show stopper. Slightly water resistant is about as good as it gets unless you want to spend mega bucks on water tight connectors. And even then, you need the LCD and buttons to be on the inside or go the expensive alternate. More than likely, the $3 Stoker water resistant case will get revisited for this project. Now, maybe when I get to the final build, might go all out.

As for being over your head, I doubt that. CapnBry has done a most excellent job of breaking it down on his HeaterMeter thread @TVWBB and included a simple schematic with parts lists (& links). The program he wrote was as simple as loading it to the Arduino...plug and play with only one change to disable the Wifi side.

-=J

Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi)

Yeah, that was my spare LCD which already had a header soldered on. But now, I like the larger LCD and may continue using it so I can show all 3 probes, ambient and fan on one screen. The 4x20 was around $3 more than the 2x16....so I splurged...hahaha.

-=J

Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi)

Thanks to CapnBry, his controller is awesome! Here are some pics of a bread board mockup, with the fan output currently going to the big green LED and the probe input being fooled with a thermistor/resistor combo until I actually get them in. Hope soon to get in the probes and give this controller the real smoke test. Couple of neat features that CapnBry already incorporated is the lid open detection (and manual ability to do so) and pause on ramp up to temp setpoint (which can cause over shoot otherwise). Also, instead of the on-off 6sec control that most BBQ controllers use now, his uses a PWM output to actually vary the fan speed!

Going to have to do some code changes to get my Sparkfun WiFly shield working in place of the AsyncLab Wifi shield that CapnBry used (they went out of business and that card is no longer available). I already had the shield serving up a web page from my TC4 thermocouple shield....so hopefully, something soon.

-=J

Considering the number of years it has been since I breadboarded something like this....it is not quite as big a rat's nest and ugly as I thought it would be. Next step....enclosure!

Re: Build Your Own BBQ Controller (w/Wifi)

Just a slight tangent, looks like it may soon be trivial to interface an Arduino-based device with an Android device:

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/0 ... od-tm.html

Even easier smoker setpoint changes and monitoring?

Re: Foodsaver Marinating container?

Give it a try and let us know. The lid on that one does look different than the one I had implode. I probably would have tried it, had it been available in our Walmart.

-=J

Re: Foodsaver Marinating container?

I don't think the depth add anything, but the lid design seems stronger than the other one I had. Best thing is to go put your hands on them both. The new rectangle lid looks different than the one I had, so go for it. Not like these are a huge investimate!

Re: Foodsaver Marinating container?

Love mine and use it a lot. Get the biggest one you can find. I had the original rectangle one, wasn't as strong and the lid popped one day during use. Now I have this one (from Walmart) and it seems a lot more sturdy. http://www.walmart.com/ip/FoodSaver-Mar ... 0/10660638

-=J

Re: Need help with KK inbox

JB, I increased the maximum private message setting per folder to 60. But if you go to your rules, folders, settings tab in the PM section, at the bottom you can set up to either delete oldest messages if it get full or choose to move to another folder (ex; create a new one called overflow). However I suggest also watching the indicator at the top of the PM area and prune messages as it seems auto functions never seem to work how we want them.

Oh yeah, not really sure on the messed up folder situation, but I would check in that same settings tab and just add the default name folders back if you deleted them (Inbox, Saved Messages, Outbox, Sent Messages). You would think the system denies the ability to delete default settings....but I have never messed with it...so don't know. Send me a PM if you want me to go in to your account and try to fix it for you (working this weekend so might be slow to respond).

-=J

Re: Tiny Stoker wireless gateway

Has anyone used a powerline adapter like http://www.amazon.com/Netgear-85Mbps-Powerline-Network-Adapter/dp/B001AZUTCS/ref=dp_cp_ob_e_title_1 with a Stoker?

Looks like it could be a simple (admittedly more expensive) alternative to this wireless solution. My cooker is quite a distance away from my wireless router and I'm concerned the signal won't reach.

Greg

With a little DIY attitude, I am guessing it would not be hard to add an antenna to extend the range of the Vonets wireless adapter. Been meaning to try it myself, but have so many projects going at once right now. The unit is right at the very end on my range right now (literally, a few feet and it is within range), so I bet the antenna would put it within range.

-=J

Re: Stoker Enclosure

Good idea about the towel....will have to add that. Maybe just a small one at the back and front.

Hopefully the enclosure will not burn up that little wireless bridge. So far, I have not noticed it getting too hot. The WRT-54G that I was using before got smoking hot....of course I have modified firmware in it and the transmit power boosted.

-=J

Re: Stoker Enclosure

All packed away until next cook.

-=J

This enclosure might be a little too fancy or expensive for some of you, but it works great. I can't remember the exact dimensions, but there was only one close in this type of container (approx 6"Wx9.5"Lx3"H). Came from Walmart for under $3. I liked the cover extensions on each end that came out over the handles. This gave me a place to make entry holes and they be protected. I can't imagine even a blowing rain getting more than a few drops inside this enclosure, which would not hurt since the Stoker is on rubber feet.

Also, once the cook is done, all parts fit neatly back in box for storage (including fan).

-=J

Edit - stated box dimension on label are 11 1/2" x 7 3/8" x 3 1/4" and 2.7Qt. But I think my measurements were a little more accurate as to the usable area. Made by Sterilite and model 1713.