jdbower Posted July 20 Report Share Posted July 20 (edited) I had one of the early generation 19" and 23", when I moved to NYC the 23" came with me (probably should have been the 19", but c'est la vie!). Now we've got a place in San Diego and rather than trying to ship the 23" there, we decided it was time for an upgrade. This thing is built like a tank! And I mean the crate, the KK itself is more like a beautiful bomb shelter. I love the little details you've added over the past 15 years and the fact that 750lbs of stuff can be uncrated and moved to position by myself is phenomenal attention to detail. More pics to come, I'm sure, but I was so excited I forgot to install the thermometer before snapping this one! Edited July 20 by jdbower 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C6Bill Posted July 20 Report Share Posted July 20 Lookin good !!! Get that thermometer in there and start cooking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrus Posted July 20 Report Share Posted July 20 Two KK's alike but very unlike. One dressed in formal black evening wear and the other as sharp as a pin. Great colors, however it can't be unnoticed that you've gone from tile to pebble....you'll have to let us know the outcome in comparision. Nice choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted July 20 Report Share Posted July 20 Very nice upgrade, even if it's pebble! 🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted July 20 Author Report Share Posted July 20 The first batch was on me, I chose silken black because it would match some of the other matte black stuff I had no choices on. But it was such a success the new one was my wife's idea so her color choice. It's not bad at all, the pebble look matches a lot of the other more organic shapes in the yard (very few straight lines). 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted July 21 Author Report Share Posted July 21 Nice moon out tonight! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted July 22 Author Report Share Posted July 22 Burn-in finally started! FireBoard doesn't have a proper adapter for the KK, so I ended up ordering a Thermoworks Universal Billows Mounting Kit. A few hits with the Dremel to lop off the ears and make two slits on the side and I have it mounted to the nozzle mount for the FireBoard (nozzle mount probably optional but it adds a little insulation). Rumor has it most pre-existing fans will also work fine, but I'm starting from scratch out here. So far so good, just Jealous Devil lump (seems reasonable) lit with a Looftlighter (first time using one of those, not too bad and pretty convenient). Crack the top damper a bit and close off everything else. I set it to 300F initially and got there in about 15 minutes. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C6Bill Posted July 22 Report Share Posted July 22 Nice job on the adapter !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted July 22 Author Report Share Posted July 22 Thanks! It's slightly off-center but the seal is good and it's solidly attached. The San Diego sun is a harsh mistress on photos, but once I get a few cooks under my belt I'll get a more proper cable routing. Plus the upcoming Pulse looks interesting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted July 22 Report Share Posted July 22 Have you seen the new system from Thermoworks, the RFX? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted July 22 Author Report Share Posted July 22 Yeah, I only stumbled across it after I started looking for a KK-compatible adapter but already had the FireBoard. I'd certainly consider them in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted July 23 Author Report Share Posted July 23 The dips are where I opened the lid. Always amazed that not only is it more stable than my (admittedly ancient) electric oven, but also heats up faster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted July 23 Report Share Posted July 23 Hi there Jeff. I always claim that my KK holds temps just fine without any blowers or additional controls but I don't have any proof because I don't generally use a pit probe nor even a MEATER thermometer. If you are up for the experiment I would be curious to see the temperature trace from your pit probe with a chosen set position of your top hat and no blower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonj Posted July 23 Report Share Posted July 23 15 hours ago, MacKenzie said: Have you seen the new system from Thermoworks, the RFX? I saw the announcement yesterday and am intrigued. I have a couple of Meaters (1st & 2nd get.), but think they are too fussy to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted July 23 Author Report Share Posted July 23 15 hours ago, tekobo said: Hi there Jeff. I always claim that my KK holds temps just fine without any blowers or additional controls but I don't have any proof because I don't generally use a pit probe nor even a MEATER thermometer. If you are up for the experiment I would be curious to see the temperature trace from your pit probe with a chosen set position of your top hat and no blower. It can once you're used to it, but in that configuration you only have a static control of airflow. You can see from the graph below that there were some bursts early, then it was mostly stable until I started to run out of fuel. Here the fan/probe can adjust more easily to say "more oxygen = more hot" while a static configuration would have the temperature drop off. Running low on fuel is usually not an issue for real cooks, low-and-slow has a lot to work with and high temp cooking tends to be short and heavily monitored. For me it's not needing to worry about variables (many of which don't exist in San Diego with consistent weather and little rain), but once the KK is fully heated you need less airflow to feed the fire, a wind gust could create more airflow, an errant bit of charcoal may burn hotter or cooler, rain could start cooling the system from the outside, when the sun goes down you're not getting external heating from it anymore, etc. The huge thermal mass of the KK compensates for all of these pretty nicely - but a computer lets me view them while I'm in my office working during a cook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted July 24 Report Share Posted July 24 14 hours ago, jonj said: I saw the announcement yesterday and am intrigued. I have a couple of Meaters (1st & 2nd get.), but think they are too fussy to use. Sadly I agree @jonj. My MEATER Block just never worked as well and consistently as you would like. Maybe the latest versions are more reliable but I have learned to work without one. @jdbower I realise that my question was just trying to lead you into the age old debate about whether or not blowers are really worth the hassle and the wires. Your responses highlight the reasons people use them. Where external conditions can vary significantly during a cook and/or when you want to have the assurance that your cook is going as planned, then these systems are a help. I don't have huge variation in either of my locations (sheltered back garden in the UK and sheltered terrace in Italy) and I am happy taking the risk of variations in my temps (usually due to me fiddling with the top hat when I needn't). I have a 14 hour cook just starting, something I have never done in my 16KK, so I may well be singing a different tune by the end of today! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C6Bill Posted July 24 Report Share Posted July 24 When that outside temp drops 30 degrees overnight and a foot of snow magically appears a controller is worth every penny 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted July 24 Author Report Share Posted July 24 Being a gadget freak doesn't hurt, either. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted July 26 Author Report Share Posted July 26 When I did the burn-in I was a little surprised at how hot the surface got. Yesterday I put my hand on it without a cook going and it was the same temperature. That radioactive ball of fire in the sky that we're not allowed to look at is pretty strong here! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5698k Posted July 26 Report Share Posted July 26 Mine actually get hotter from sunshine than even a 700* cook. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
