jeffshoaf Posted February 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2021 1 hour ago, woody said: whole lot more fun with the 50 cal, I think!!!!!! was thinking about the leaf blower and torch but the "50 cal" sounds better. I saw that grill with the firebrick also but cant find it anymore. I believe you can get or put firebrick in any of their units. Just be careful accelerating your fire in the KK if you're doing a low-and-slow cook - if you overshoot your target temp, it can take a while for the temp to drop back down! And if you cut off the airflow, the fire could go out before the temp comes back down so it's tempting to try to accelerate the fire again to make up for the time you lost and you get caught in a loop... Don't ask me how i know this. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted February 11, 2021 Report Share Posted February 11, 2021 One of the first "rules" that we try and teach to newbies here - "DON'T CHASE THE TEMPERATURE!" Once heat soaked, lowering the temperature in a KK is like turning a battleship. The best approach is to establish a small fire initially - you can have the top vent more open than the target position early on, but as the temperature gets within about 50F of your target, then set the top vent accordingly and let the KK coast up to your target. This will ensure that you'll never overshoot your target by too much, if at all. 2nd rule: Don't fret if your final temperature is not EXACTLY on target. For most cooks, +/- 25F is not going to make hardly any difference in the final product. Your pork butt is not going to be ruined if you cook it at 275F instead of your target of 250F! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffshoaf Posted February 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2021 To add to what @tony b said, if you're using a BBQ guru of other controller, I'd advise not connecting the fan until the KK is pretty close to your target temperature. If the fan is connected, it'll run full blast in an attempt to bring the temp up quickly and will probably overshoot the target, then shut down to let the temp come back down, leading to the issues i mention above only with it automated. It also could burn too much charcoal too quickly, potentially causing the fire to go out too early on a long cook. Again, please don't ask me how i know... I try to give the KK at least 2 hours to slowly ramp up and get heat soaked but have had success with a 1 hour ramp up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffshoaf Posted February 12, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 (edited) I just placed my order for the brick-lined Santa Maria grill from Arizona BBQ Outfitters. They're estimating the current lead time to get it built at 14 weeks; the 48" model is actually 57" wide so it's a big'un and weighs 800 lbs. I upgraded to the dual stainless steel grates. I went a bit over what i had hoped to spend once the shipping was added in, but it was less expensive than my KK and my pizza oven. They said the had two being built now; of course, those belong to someone else so i have to wait my turn. She also said the price of steel is going up so i wouldn't be surprised if they have to raise their prices. Based on their Facebook page, they've been busy and recently shipped a bunch of BBQ pits. Now i need to find a source for wood. We had a wood burning furnace when i was growing up so i have plenty of experience cutting and splittng wood, but my old worn-out back can't handle that anymore! Thanks for everyone's input! Edited February 12, 2021 by jeffshoaf 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted February 12, 2021 Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 That looks great. I really enjoyed the video @jeffshoaf. Congratulations. My only reservation is about the mild steel. Shelter and a cover I think will be important. We had a mild steel barbecue for a few years and it was a PITA trying to keep it from rusting. We ended up painting it a couple of times. It was in a sheltered alcove but we didn't have a cover. It was a waste of the £600 we spent buying it in the end. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffshoaf Posted February 12, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 Just now, tekobo said: That looks great. I really enjoyed the video @jeffshoaf. Congratulations. My only reservation is about the mild steel. Shelter and a cover I think will be important. We had a mild steel barbecue for a few years and it was a PITA trying to keep it from rusting. We ended up painting it a couple of times. It was in a sheltered alcove but we didn't have a cover. It was a waste of the £600 we spent buying it in the end. They offer a custom cover but it's $575 and i just couldn't bring myself to get it, especially since i was already over budget. I also have a lot of trees around and I'm afraid the space inside a tented cover would get quickly occupied by spiders and their webs! It will be somewhat sheltered under my roofed in deck. @Tucker, are you having any rust issues? They do offer stainless steel but i didn't even bother getting pricing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tucker Posted February 13, 2021 Report Share Posted February 13, 2021 I have now owned mine for 2+ years.it is under a canvas cover on a roofed pavilion. You can see pictures of it in the forum 'see a kk in your area'. I live in NE Florida, a lot of rain & insects, spiders, etc... I do not have either a rust issue or an insect issue. The steel and finish they use for these is top notch. However, I do expect rust at some point because it is only natural, hell I get surface rust on the best stainless at times. You just clean it up an move on; its called 'life' and it always happens. If you buy the cover they offer and use it once the grill cools, keep the surfaces clean, you'll be fine. Remember, it is a tool, use it like you stole it, enjoy it and don't sweat the little stuff. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrus Posted February 14, 2021 Report Share Posted February 14, 2021 (edited) I'm sure the grill is made of Carbon steel as mine which adds a bit to the rust protection. IT is best to cover your grill with a product that will stand up to the weather and Amazon simply doesn't provide anything with an answer to size, fit or Quality. I was actually going to order a cover from the grill maker at Hooray for around $525 but on the way to Costco a few towns over I saw along the highway a tarp of some sort blown against the trees. On the way back I circled around and discovered it was a custom cover for someone's water jet and it was of excellent quality being water proof and all. A snip here and there and a belt bungy cord made it a nice attractive functional cover. If you wish for an alternative this company called Covers&all on the web sent me a large sampling of there material swatches in a book that show grade, quality, thickness/gauge, color etc & with warranty for all related specs. If interested PM me and I could send it out to you, as I understood you would have to provide the dimensions. Zippers included and quite a bit cheaper. They would even customize it with your logo. Edited February 14, 2021 by Tyrus 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tucker Posted February 14, 2021 Report Share Posted February 14, 2021 AZ bbq can provide custom covers, I have one for my grill, it is very heavy , good quality, reinforced at wear points and reasonably priced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffshoaf Posted February 14, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2021 1 hour ago, Tucker said: AZ bbq can provide custom covers, I have one for my grill, it is very heavy , good quality, reinforced at wear points and reasonably priced. Yes, I got a quote for the cover on response to the email i sent to initiate my discussion with them - it's $575. I was thinking about just covering the firebox and bricks with a tarp but I'm waffling... We get a lot of mold and fungus growing on vertical surfaces around here and that's got me thinking a cover is probably almost a requirement. Is it difficult to get the cover up over the uprights with just one person? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tucker Posted February 15, 2021 Report Share Posted February 15, 2021 Managing the cover off and on is easy. Mine was ~15-20% of the cost of the cooker, but because it is made for it, it fits correctly, looks good and provides excellent protection. The cover has heavy duty velcro for closures and comes with a cover for the hand wheel as well. you're spending probably 3k on the cooker, might as well make the investment in the cover to protect your investment in the cooker. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffshoaf Posted February 15, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2021 55 minutes ago, Tucker said: Managing the cover off and on is easy. Mine was ~15-20% of the cost of the cooker, but because it is made for it, it fits correctly, looks good and provides excellent protection. The cover has heavy duty velcro for closures and comes with a cover for the hand wheel as well. you're spending probably 3k on the cooker, might as well make the investment in the cover to protect your investment in the cooker. Thanks! I'll get a cover... Of course, this re-examination has got me thinking about rotisseries again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrus Posted February 15, 2021 Report Share Posted February 15, 2021 Here's a pic of the tarp I found along the roadside, I used a piece of rope and tied a bungy to each end to tighten around the waist. It doesn't look bad, but it keeps the rain and weather at bay. Maybe you know someone with an old canvas tent you could re:purpose. Incidentally, I came across Covers&all by reaching out at BBQ equipment store in Santa Maria Ca. They provided this link to them because they make custom covers for their Santa Maria grills, however each grill is of a different size and anything they had in stock was too small for my needs. What I know of the matierial is that you could find it at a marine supply, uncoated as mine but treated in a process to make them waterproof. If your buying a cover keep in mind the difference between water repellent and water proof is that the latter is permanent long lasting application while the other is temporary of lesser quality. If you purchase the coated substrate fabric covers, you will find them stiffer with less drapability than the a treated fabric. Whatever route you take you'll find they all do the job pretty well 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffshoaf Posted February 15, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2021 Here's what AZ BBQs say about their covers: Quote Covers are fabricated from Coast Guard fabric a marine grade fabric utilized in the boating industry. It is a durable all weather material. We sew these in our shop each one is custom fitted to your grill. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrus Posted February 15, 2021 Report Share Posted February 15, 2021 True with the reference to marine, as was the cover I found, but the ones they provide are the coated (I believe) and sewn on heavy duty sewing machines. I simply toss one end up and pull it over. AND get the ROTO you'll be kicking yourself later if you don't. I know mine was an extra grand just for that but oooh what a difference and so many doors open for cooks 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tucker Posted February 15, 2021 Report Share Posted February 15, 2021 The cover AZ BBQ sells is heavier than the covers Dennis sells for the KK's. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffshoaf Posted February 15, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2021 26 minutes ago, Tucker said: The cover AZ BBQ sells is heavier than the covers Dennis sells for the KK's. I added one to my order - thanks! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted February 15, 2021 Report Share Posted February 15, 2021 So pleased that you are getting a cover @jeffshoaf. Our Argentinian barbecue was not as well made as the grill that you are getting and when we spent £600 on it 11 years ago we thought that was a fortune to spend on a bbq. Sadly the lack of a cover did for it and I wouldn't have wanted you to go through the sheer frustration of having a piece of kit that isn't worth keeping after too few years. I am planning on all the stuff that I buy now outlasting me. 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffshoaf Posted June 13, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2021 My Santa Maria from Arizona barbeque was delivered during a storm on Friday and i got it uncrated and moved into position Saturday with my brother's help. I definitely needed the help since it weighs almost 800 lbs and we had to move it through an area landscaped with brick chips. It'll be later in the week before i can season the grates and do some grilling but i think I'm gonna like it! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basher Posted June 13, 2021 Report Share Posted June 13, 2021 Wow, Jeff that’s impressive.Who made this?Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
