Been a bit, but still struggling to get it hot for pizza

[Forrest]

I wrote this up while ago for a friend. Hope it helps.

How to get Kamado hot 500F°+

-Remove any items or debris from the lower intake vent (e.g. ash catcher, small charcoal pieces, etc.)

-Make sure the bottom of your firebox is well aligned with your lower intake vent.

-Store your charcoal inside away from the wet elements. Only use dry fuel.

-Use lump charcoal, it will get a lot hotter then briquettes or extruded charcoal and produce less ash.

-Don’t blame your brand of lump charcoal, all major lump brands are capable of producing high heat temps for cooking pizza.

-Deliberately build your fire:
* Keep in mind small pieces of lump burn hotter however they also restrict airflow.
* Larger pieces won’t burn quite as hot but they promote airflow.
* Airflow = Heat
* Airflow restriction is the primary factor preventing you from getting your Kamado to pizza cooking temperatures.
* Do not pour your charcoal directly into your firebox, small pieces of lump can fall into the bottom of your firebox and block free airflow.
* Lay your lump charcoal out in a wide mouthed bin.
* Sort your lump by large, medium, and small pieces.
* Discard any really small lump pieces and the dust that settles at the bottom.
* Deliberately build your fire box to promote free airflow.
* Start with large chunks (fist size or larger) place them one by one at the bottom of your firebox until you have a complete layer of large chunks on the bottom of your charcoal basket.
* Now light your layer of large lump pieces. I prefer using a torch until I get a visual flame coming off of two spots of the large lump pieces.
* Once your large lump is lit continue building your lump pile by using medium pieces on top of the large lit coals, lay them on top in such a way they don’t interlock with each other and block airflow.
* Fill your firebox to the brim with medium lump atop the large chunks at the bottom. Cooking at high temperatures requires a lot of fuel. If you do not use enough lump your fire will run out of steam.
* Optionally, you can place some smaller pieces of lump at the very top of your charcoal basket on top of the medium pieces. Don’t use too many small pieces and ensure they don’t fall down into your firebox.
* Again, light several more spots on top of your now fully filled firebox, I recommend lighting until the charcoal is glowing in at least four different additional spots.
* Once your fire has been built for airflow and is lit remove any platesetters, fire deflector plates, or any larger objects in your Kamado blocking the free airflow of convective and radiant heat up into the dome.
* Close your Kamado lid.
* Open your bottom vent completely.
* Open your top vent nearly fully open, the more your top vent is open the stronger vacuum airflow will be created making your fire burn hotter. However, if you completely remove the top vent then you also allow some of the hot convective air to escape rather then being trapped in the dome so there is a fine balance, explore this with your own grill.
* I like to let the grill heat soak for at least 1/2 hour at a temperature of 50 degrees above my intended cooking temperature.
* Time is your freind, I recommend starting this process 2 hours before your intended cook time. Rushing things will lead to unsatisfactory results.
* Once you’ve allowed sufficient time for the dome to heat soak open you grill and set up your pizza cook with your stone and deflectors if you are using such, close lid once again.
* Keep your grill lid open as minimally as possible. You will lose some heat after installing your deflectors, let your Kamado stabilize once again at your cooking temperature for at least 15 minutes without adjusting vents.
* Place your pizza on your stone.
* Check on your pizza as infrequently as possible, you want to retain dome heat for cooking your toppings.
* Burp your grill dome before opening.

*Additional tips
-You can pre-heat your pizza stone in your oven while you grill is heating up.
-An infrared temperature gun is a good idea, this will allow you to determine if your stone is to temp before placing your pizza on.
-A fan such as the BBQ dragon, a hair dryer, or leaf blower can force air into your lower vent speeding up this whole process. Getting your Kamado hot too fast can put additional stress on your ceramics.
-Beer helps


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[Basher]

Some good points there Forrest.
However, with a KK if you target 50deg over your desired temperature, it’ll take an hour to come back to cooking temp and it’ll be tough winding your fire up and down.
I subscribe to Dennis’s instruction to shift the smaller pieces of charcoal to the outside edge and place larger lump in the middle. This hasn’t let me down.


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[5698k]

I’ve never had an issue getting my grill to temp..except when I used charcoal that had a lot of fines. I dump my charcoal, but if a particular bag has a lot of dust, I stop using it. KK’s don’t need to be as hands on, their insulating qualities make your cooking life so much easier.

Bottom line..good airflow, good charcoal, your KK will do exactly what you want.


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[Forrest]

”with a KK if you target 50deg over your desired temperature”

Especially if you let it heat soak fully. I have noticed most Kamado’s that haven’t fully heat soaked for over an hour once you add any stones or deflectors the temp is going to settle and stabilize at a lower temp even with the same vent settings. Of course every Kamado is different and the KK’s are best at retaining heat so that point may not be necessary or even detrimental with a KK, thanks for pontning that out Basher.


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[jonj]

I can't comment about the temperature behavior of other kamado grills since KK is the only type I have used, but I can confirm Basher's comment about Komodo Kamados.

Typically, my KKs, once heat-soaked, will return to their vent-set running temperature after absorbing the temperature shock of the "colder" added grates, baking stone, steel, drip pan, etc especially if added after the KK achieves the target temperature. However, if I try to hurry that restabilization by initially overshooting the target temp, or adjusting the top vent after adding the cold grates, stone or steel, it is almost certain I will overshoot the target or be chasing the target temp the entire cook.

[Stile88]

yea i like the lower temps as well for my pizza cooks my target is 450-max 650 no need to get up to 900 degrees all of the above info is excellent tips