19" Rotisserie Question

[LK BBQ]

I finally got a rotisserie spit for my 19" KK - very excited to fire up some rotisserie meals!    I have some rotisserie chickens on my mind, and then ultimately the holy grail will be a porchetta!  

I have a few newbie questions.  First is that the spit seems just a little too long to fit into the grill.  If I put the spring loaded side in first, the other side of the spit scrapes against the side of the KK.  Do I need to cut the spit down, or do I just need to push harder on the spit and the spring loaded side?  I wanted to check before I made an irrecoverable mistake or broke something.  

Second question is whether people use direct or indirect heat when cooking with the rotisserie.  Any guidance is appreciated!  

Many thanks in advance!

[Basher]

Hi LK, I love cooking with the spit roti.

One end of the shaft has a thread. There should be a small adjustable adapter that screws into this tip of the shaft and also a sharpened end that screws into this end of the shaft. The adjustable bit has a screw lock to adjust the length.

The 40mm hex piece inserts from the outside of the KK and directly into your motor.

With the roti cooks I start direct to scorch a quick crust onto the cook with the lower grate on its highest setting, and once I start smelling the food, I drop some foil or a tray onto the lower grate to catch drippings from falling into the fire and finish the cook indirect. Play around with this. I think Troble was cooking direct with his roti.

With juicy cooks, these dripping can cause a bad smoke if they continually hit the fire.

Another tip, with roti cooks, if you have the budget, a Meater+ is very handy. Bluetooth wireless thermometer. They make a great xmas wish gift. 

I look forward to seeing your cooks.

[tekobo]

1 hour ago, LK BBQ said:

First is that the spit seems just a little too long to fit into the grill.

I thought I had a similar problem when I first tried to use my rotisserie.  I've just spent a few minutes hunting for the posts that I put up when I was trying to set up the rotisserie and in the meantime @Basher has responded.  If his response sorts out your problem, all good.  If you need more info and pix then see below.  It was a bit of messy trial and error on my part but it does include pictures of which bits should attach where.  @MacKenzie does say somewhere in the thread that she had to grind a bit off her roti rod but I think that is very unusual and you should try all other options first.  Good luck!

 

[tony b]

First tip, if you've used the grill a lot between roti cooks, the spring side might be a bit gunked up and not flexing enough. Try just pushing the rod in/out of there a few times to check it. If all else fails, a quick spurt of WD-40 in there to soften up any gunk. But be sure to clean it out well with a paper towel and not let it run down the inside of the KK. WD-40 smells nasty if burned. 

I normally cook direct on my roti cooks. If I want to be a bit more "indirect" with it, I use the basket splitter in a "forward/back" arrangement, with the fire in the back. If it's a crazy fatty piece of meat, like a duck or your porchetta, put a small disposable aluminum drip pan underneath on the non-fire side to prevent nasty smoke. 

I was one of the folks that "didn't get the memo" that you should take the pointy tip off the rod after you've skewered your meat before you insert it in the KK. So I thought my rod was a bit too long (worse than you described) and I trimmed off about an 1/8" of the rod. Now I have to use the pointy tip with my cooks, or the rod's too short. One other thing to remember - it will expand when it heats up, so experiment with it without anything cooking on it, to make sure that you can easily remove it afterwards. I've had a cook where I damn near couldn't get the rod out and was worried about burning my chicken whilst wrestling (and cursing loudly!) the assembly. BTW - I don't have this issue with Dennis' basket assembly, just the rod. 

[Basher]

Yes, as tony said, keep a pair of pliers handy and an oven mitt.

[LK BBQ]

All, thanks for your very helpful tips and advice.  I realized that the spit has a threaded hole on both sides, and the blunt tip that screws onto the end can go deeper on the other side than the one it was originally shipped in.  Those few millimeters of difference let it mount comfortably.  It also meant removing the little spacer ring that went around the threaded screw side of the blunt tip.  All set to go!  

It is fun to have the KK's capabilities grow over time as I reach deeper into pizza cooks, rotisserie, and more.  

[tekobo]

13 hours ago, LK BBQ said:

I realized that the spit has a threaded hole on both sides, and the blunt tip that screws onto the end can go deeper on the other side than the one it was originally shipped in.  Those few millimeters of difference let it mount comfortably.  It also meant removing the little spacer ring that went around the threaded screw side of the blunt tip.  All set to go!  

Excellent.  Great that you discovered that and thanks for sharing. 

[LK BBQ]

Hey all, one more quick question.  Do you leave the rotisserie motor mounted or do you remove it after each cook?  Just wondering what most people are doing.  While the OneGrill motor seems to be designed to handle elements, I wasn't sure that leaving it out would be a good idea.  Thanks in advance!

 

[tony b]

I bring in the motor. 

[Basher]

I leave it on LK. My KK is under roof. It’s a little laziness on my part.


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