Uneven fuel burn?

[Dennis]

On 4/16/2024 at 3:41 PM, DennisLinkletter said:

Please excuse this delay, I wrote this out last night and then closed the window by accident and lost it.. Did not have it in me to start again!

Dennis.. I'm sorry to say you probably need to forget everything you know about controlling temps from your last Kamado. It did not have forced airflow because of the gap between the firebox and the grill wall. With glazed pot grills, air goes around the firebox and through the charcoal.  In your KK, all the air is forced through the charcoal. The hot air leaving the damper top crates vacuum, which sucks fresh air through the front door and forces it through the charcoal. Air will always take the path of least resistance and will find the best way to feed the burn.. even or uneven, it all has to do with the resistance/how the air travels through the charcoal.  Once your charcoal is burning, you can almost forget the lower draft door settings for low and slow unless it's completely closed.  I always use the pencil-sized hole on the right dial, but if the top is choked down, you can even open the lower vents all the way without affecting the airflow or temp. The volume of air entering the grill is only what is permitted to leave the top. Temperature is airflow, and the best way to limit the airflow is with the damper top. With pressure or vacuum, a lot of air can be sucked or blown through a very small hole. Likewise, with no vacuum or pressure a large hole will have no airflow.  Watching this video might help visualize the airflow differences.. Click on this
YouTube - Komodo Kamado Grill Basics

For low and slow cooks, the heat coming off the walls creates uniform heat distribution, not where in the basket or how many places the charcoal is burning. (high temp grilling yes)  For low and slow temps, you are only burning about a large orange volume of charcoal. It should be in one place, as there is not enough charcoal burning to distribute it around the basket. The heat rises, and the hot air hits the foil and is well distributed. (does not need any fancy gizmos designed by Harvard students-LOL)  As long as it does not directly hit your meat, you are good.  I do not suggest cooking on the lower grate with a 32 or 42 using the splitter to create indirect heat for a low slow cooks.  The walls on the far side down below will not be properly heat-soaked.  I always light my low and slow cooks in the middle of the charcoal basket, but don't worry where the burn ends up. 
I do not suggest heating your grill to 600º first if you plan to cook low and slow. Once you know your damper top setting is for, let's say 235º, light your charcoal, set your top, forget it, and walk away.  The damper top settings will always be the same. Actually, they will be the same after the damper top rope gets flattened and hard; when you first get your grill, the rope is flat, and as it breaks in, your settings will change a bit, but once flat, they will be the same always.   I do suggest taking notes about your cooks, but the most important thing is to have fun with it!

Hey @DennisLinkletterDennis L - again thanks for the intel - now back from beautiful Cleveland, I do have a couple of questions as we wrap up this topic.  

Actually, I haven't had any issues starting the KK or dialing in a temp.  I will however, only start the charcoal in the middle (1 orange size) moving forward per you suggestion.  I don't use the lower grate for cooking low and slow only for searing either with the splitter or without.  Agree, not interested in ramping up the temp to 600f - that was just a test and I was lucky I didn't have to chase the temp down since the KK was not yet heat soaked.  
One area for clarity is when we cook with the splitter in a 2 zone set up, I believe many others including myself may be doing this incorrectly.   Scenario,  right handed so cold side of splitter on my right.  I have put the foil on the middle grate on the cold side and upper grate for the protein but ALSO on the cold side.  I believe you wrote somewhere the best set up to eliminate uneven indirect cooks is to always cook on the coal or hot side separated by foil deflector in a 2 zone set up.  Is this correct?   Lately, I have not used the splitter and just cook indirect center grate top and deflector center middle.   Seems to give me a better crispy outside or bark on beef.

lastly, as far as having fun... I LOVE cooking in the KK any chance I can get.  

Edited April 23 by Dennis