LK BBQ

Did you have the pizza stone or heat deflector in? That significantly slows the air flow. Try heat soaking the KK without those in place and see what temperature you can get to. I have a 19" and there doesn't seem to be enough airflow around a 14" stone to reach very high temperatures. If I pre-soak to 600, then put in the stone and give it time, I can roughly get there. It won't stay there if I'm cooking 5+ pizzas, opening and closing the lid, though. I was thinking that adding a temperature controller fan and leaving it blowing might help. Interested in any advice!

Just wondering - would the blower from a temperature controller running at full speed provide enough airflow to accelerate the lighting of the lump?

I go even lighter on the Pork Loin -I remove it at 136 on a slow cook. Leaves it pink, very juicy, and very tender. The internal temperature rises a bit higher but not too much because of the lower heat. I sear first so I don't go over.

This is so tempting, as I have a 19" right now. A pallet jack and trailer rental way... I love Autumn gold too, though EVERYONE knows that the pebble tiles are best. Just kidding.

I don't have a shop vac. I tape a paper bag over the vent door and sweep it in with a brush. I rarely do a good job with the taping, so I do get ash leaking out the sides as I do it. I don't clean it that often - I let it pile up until it gets high enough to start interfering with air flow.

Instead of a Cherry Picker, you could use a crane and swing it in the window like a wrecking ball. Sorry, I know that wasn't productive.

This is interesting. I always thought that the bad smoke was from different compounds in the wood having different smoke points - therefore black smoke before good smoke. I vaguely remember doing wood distillation in the past to separate the different compounds. Does anyone know if the different colored smoke is because of equilibrium issues or the different compounds? I will try the direct on the coals searing strategy one of these days!

I have a 19" but can only answer a few questions: 1. I have lifted it a handful of times using the handles, and they work. They can definitely support the weight of the grill. That said, they are thin and having that much pressure on a small surface area where it touches your hands - I wouldn't do that for a lift up stairs. You are bound to have trouble. It will be heavy and hard to control with such small handles. It is also hard to hold it with two hands. As others have mentioned, even the 19" is heavy. I have taken off the dome before and the racks. Even still, the main body is a non-trivial lift for 2 people. Maybe you could do it 1 step at a time, resting it on the steps along the way. I wouldn't guess that 2 people could carry it up the stairs in one continuous lift unless they are powerlifters. If you bring it up stairs, make sure wherever you put it is structurally rated for the weight. The KK with a few people standing around it is a lot of weight for certain structures. 4. I have removed the fire ring before, and it is NOT recommended. I removed it because I was not using charcoal in the beginning - so I didn't need a charcoal basket or fire ring at all. I was using electricity. That said, I have switched back to charcoal and put the ring back in. I hadn't fired it yet when I took it out the first time. It still works fine, but It has crumbled a bit in some of the corners and I don't think removing it and reinserting helped. 5. I've had my teak tables for years and they still look good. I haven't used any oil on it yet. I'm not saying you shouldn't. The key is to keep them out of the sun and weather day after day. I cover my KK now, and leave them folded under the cover. Before I bought the cover, I took them off each time and kept them indoors. Therefore, no need for teak oil after all this time. Good luck with the move!

I would add that a wood log fired Santa Maria grill clearly should produce much more wood smoke than a KK with the typical amount of wood chunks. If you lit the same amount of wood fuel in a KK (which Dennis clearly states you SHOULD NOT DO), I'd imagine there would be plenty of smoke for the equivalent size and shape of meat. Also note that Amazingribs.com has said in the past that the amount of smoke that binds to the meat is affected by the temperature and moisture of the surface of what you are cooking. I think they recommended putting your meat in the freezer for a few minutes before you cook so that more smoke will bind to the outermost layer of your meat.

Here is the advice I think others would give. Wait until the grill is heat soaked. Then stick in the wood chunks. Wait a few minutes for the black smoke to pass and begin to turn lighter color. Ideally thin blue smoke. Then put your food on. Cold/moist food will capture the smoke better. I don't know what kind of wood you were using, but hickory, mesquite, or oak will have a stronger flavor. You want to use a reasonable size chunk - don't bother with stuff smaller than a golf ball.

That is right. This article gives some information. I've seen numbers that are less conservative than this, but I didn't find them in a quick search. http://www.foodprotect.org/issues/packets/2012packet/attachments/iii_018__all.pdf

I just put a few wood chunks hear the heating element and it generated plenty of smoke. There was probably no charcoal impact to the taste.

I have tried it, although there is a wrinkle. I built an electric heating element with a PID temperature controller. It essentially turned the KK into an electric grill/smoker. The controller gave me the ability to control the temperature with industrial accuracy - it would hold rock steady to a single tenth of a degree - not that cooking ever needs to be that precise. In any case, I used it to cook a variety of food, and it works really well to "air sous-vide" your food. A couple of caveats. I typically would use temperatures like 180 degrees, 200, or 225. I wasn't as patient as you for overnight cooks. I have no idea if that would have dried things out. Roast chicken was amazingly moist and delicate. Really worth a try. I couldn't get crispy skin, though, as it would have taken a long time for the KK to get heat soaked at a very high temperature. I also cooked steaks, roasts, pork butts, and more. All fantastic. I really liked having this level control for certain cooks, but I mostly use the normal charcoal methods now (even without a fan controller). Most of the time I'm just trying to get food served on time. I also have a bit of paranoia about cooking in plastic bags. The air sous-vide gave me some comfort on that front. With electricity, I didn't even need to open any vents at all - so the moisture retention was top notch. As I documented in another thread long ago, the electric experiment was really a way for me to justify having a KK in a condo that didn't allow flammables. I am now KK cooking with charcoal in a house. I still think about pulling out the electric element from time to time, though! One other thing. Anova, the maker of the portable sous-vide circulators, now has a countertop steam oven that can do pretty much the same thing with either dry or wet heat. This method also can be done without plastic bags and produces a nice result (I am told). Steam ovens are amazing for heating up leftovers. I use the Cuisinart version, and we never use the microwave anymore. Good luck!

Interesting idea, Dono. How did you cut these? I might do the same...

If you really want 1CM, you might consider getting two thinner pizza steels instead. Here's my logic. If you follow Tony Gemignani's Pizza Bible, it is a good idea to have two. One to cook the pizza on, and one to transfer the pizza to for a few seconds to crisp the crust just a bit more. You can put one on the upper rack and one on the main grate. This works very well. If you decide you really need the thermal mass of a thicker steel, you can just layer the two together. Two thin steels are much easier to carry separately than one thick one - you'd be surprised how heavy they are.

Agreed on all - I wasn't advocating buying one or the urgent need. This isn't even intended for the KK and probably wouldn't fit. I just thought it was a clever solution to sweeping/brushing of ash. A little foil or tray at the bottom of the KK could probably accomplish the same thingI don't enjoy the cloud of ash when I'm cleaning it, though I don't have to do it often and I agree the flush bottom makes it much easier. I usually tape a paper bag around to the opening so that I don't get a plume of ash as it lands into the bag.

I thought this was pretty clever to make cleanup easier. With one of these, you might not need to brush as much. Just pull. out the drawer and empty it into the trash or compost. https://www.amazon.com/Green-Accessories-Drawer-Stainless-Replacement/dp/B07H9NZ4SK/ref=pd_rhf_cr_p_img_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=F1RTHZMAV524WY1KXD4N

Happy New Year to the members of this group, Dennis, and his team!

Don't peach pits have something toxic... cyanide, I think?

Thanks all for your tips. I used bits and pieces of what you all suggested and from Amazingribs.com. I wetbrined the turkey overnight in a stock pot, and I spatchcocked it. I seasoned with butter, a dry rub, and a sprinkling of herbs from the garden. I cooked it in the 300-325 range and removed it at 155 breast / 160 leg temperature. I put a lump of apple-wood in the fire basket, but I forgot to wait for blue smoke before putting my turkey in, so I probably got some black smoke on it. It still tasted great and was very moist. Highly recommend smoked turkey - easy to execute and delicious!

One other thing - anyone ever use a rotisserie for a smoked Turkey?

Anyone have a favorite method for a Thanksgiving Smoked Turkey? I have ordered a roast Turkey to alleviate the stress of cooking, so I am thinking of smoking another for fun! Brine? Temperature? Type of wood? Spatchcock? Any tips appreciated!

Highly recommend a pork butt for first cook. It is low and slow, very forgiving in case your temperature has volatility, and it is ALWAYS more delicious than you can imagine. Just be sure to target a finish time before when you plan to eat. The temperature will stall for a few hours if you don't foil (I don't). When done, you can keep it hot for a while after it comes off the KK (foil, towels, and a cooler), but it tastes so amazing when it's fresh off the grill. You have to make sure you taste a bit when you first take it off. I find brisket to be higher risk.

I agree that it is not necessary at all to foil, unless you want to bypass the stall. The pork comes out juicy regardless. Bardsljr, I wrap leftovers in single or double-serve foil packets, and store all of the packets in ziplocs in the freezer. Pulled pork heats up really easily and well. Any evening that I'm too lazy to cook, I can just throw a packet into the steam oven and have a pulled pork in minutes. Most of the time, I'll make pulled pork tacos. It's also great over rice, by itself, or for pork BBQ sandwiches.

I am a KK fan, of course. You would just never do low and slow salmon, smoked turkey, prime ribs, whole chickens, and pork shoulders on a gas grill the same way. Similarly, you would not be able to achieve beautiful Napoletana pizza and breads on a gas grill. That said, if you mainly cook hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken drumsticks, by all means get a separate gas grill for convenience.