DennisLinkletter Posted March 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Re: Grill design mod from forum feedback I use one third to half of a simple wax block starter.. hold it with my tongs and use a pocket lighter. Drop it into a small hole in the charcoal and build a little igloo of charcoal over it and wait for 3-5 minutes with the lid closed. I then hit it with my cheapo hair drier.. I'm sure this is faster than a weed burner.. the hot air coming off the wildly glowing charcoal is extremely hot and ignites everything around it super quickly.. I thought I'd be refilling the blue propane bottles I had when ACE hardware quit selling them.. I've never looked back, simple wax block are soo easy.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemonkey Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Re: Grill design mod from forum feedback Pour lump in grill, hang jasen-built torch on side of grill, and go put bag of charcoal back in bin. 60 seconds later there is a nice bright orange hotspot, and you set your airflow and let it do it's thing. And I can light my firepit with the torch just as easily. Have a chimney...it's been tucked inside the weber kettle and neither have seen use in years. Hair dryer is too much effort, and the last thing I want is airborne ash when it's all hot and humid out - it would stick all over me and send me for a shower before I cook. As it is i usually end up there afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk1 Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Re: Grill design mod from forum feedback I do different things at different times. I like my fire starters and hair dryer and can get to 700 for pizzas in under 10 minutes. I like my MAPP torch to and use it more often than not. I personally don't see the need, but would probably like it anyway if I tried it. I have thought about getting a chimney, but haven't gotten around to it. I am sure it works great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Re: Grill design mod from forum feedback Dennis' hair dryer trick is super! No blowing ash if you are blowing down on fresh, not used, lump. You will get some serious sparking though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EGGARY Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Re: Grill design mod from forum feedback Is there a need to always "Heat Soak" the KK when cooking on it ? Can one grill without doing that ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemonkey Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Re: Grill design mod from forum feedback Is there a need to always "Heat Soak" the KK when cooking on it ? Can one grill without doing that ? Sure, you can grill without heat soaking, but if your roasting you will have far better results if you let it heat up. Otherwise, your getting all your heat from below rather than even heat from all sides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryan Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Re: Grill design mod from forum feedback Light the fire. Go check forum for new messages. Return to cook (your hour is up) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EGGARY Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 Re: Grill design mod from forum feedback I am proud to say for the very first time I was able to get the Temperature at 250. I know this isn't a big deal but I have not been able to do this with either my BGE or the new KK until now. I followed the settings that everyone said to set it to. Then I had to play with it. I have a 2 bone Standing Rib Roast on the KK. My next thing to conquer is timing. I figured a 6 pound Roast wouldn't take too long. Wrong ! So I opened up the Upper Vent and got it up to 350. So now I know for the next time start much earlier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisLinkletter Posted April 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 Re: Grill design mod from forum feedback I am proud to say for the very first time I was able to get the Temperature at 250. I know this isn't a big deal but I have not been able to do this with either my BGE or the new KK until now. I followed the settings that everyone said to set it to. Then I had to play with it. I have a 2 bone Standing Rib Roast on the KK. My next thing to conquer is timing. I figured a 6 pound Roast wouldn't take too long. Wrong ! So I opened up the Upper Vent and got it up to 350. So now I know for the next time start much earlier. Congrats.. trust me with some futzing and patience you can stabilize at 180º. Forget timing except broad strokes to know when to start cooks to have them finish before dinner time.. Use your external thermometer with probes on cables.. KK grills absolutely need to be flown by wire.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syzygies Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 Re: Grill design mod from forum feedback Is there a need to always "Heat Soak" the KK when cooking on it ? Can one grill without doing that ? Sure, you can grill without heat soaking, but if your roasting you will have far better results if you let it heat up. Otherwise, your getting all your heat from below rather than even heat from all sides. I'd add to this that once heat-soaked, one can get a decent cook out of a fire that is nearly spent, with the advantage that the smoke taste is very clean. Our basic roast chicken is brined 4-6 hours in 1/2 cup sea salt, 1/3 cup sugar per gallon water. We make up the brine in a Cambro in advance, so it's cold when the bird goes in, in quarters. I then light a fire about two hours before serving time, and hold it at 450 F. The chicken quarters cook nicely on the main grill in the last half hour, less time than I'd expect using an indoor oven. I turn once and get a great skin, no burning. This wouldn't work if the fire was still raging, no matter what the grill thermometer reads. Except for an innocuous binder, Lazzari hardwood lump and Lazzari hardwood briquets are the same wood, same source. I'm coming to the heretical conclusion that the briquets "ash over" more quickly and uniformly, for a cleaner taste when roasting. I added one piece of lump to last night's chicken, and I could taste the difference. We've considered just using KK extruded coconut charcoal for everything. It would be an economic decision; we never eat in restaurants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisLinkletter Posted April 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 Re: Grill design mod from forum feedback I then light a fire about two hours before serving time, and hold it at 450 F. The chicken quarters cook nicely on the main grill in the last half hour, less time than I'd expect using an indoor oven. I turn once and get a great skin, no burning. This wouldn't work if the fire was still raging, no matter what the grill thermometer reads. Can I assume that you are shutting down your KK's airflow completely and cooking on the heat soaked walls and the heat from the no longer burning charcoal? I've heard of turkeys being done like this and I think it might be good for bread.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loquitur Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 Re: Grill design mod from forum feedback Is there a need to always "Heat Soak" the KK when cooking on it ? Can one grill without doing that ? I've seen this question come up a few times recently with all our new owners so I am going to confess: I do not wait until the KK is heat soaked to the targeted cooking temperature to load the food. I do it when the Tru Tel is about 200 deg. I find it much easier not to be working with a hot grill and hot grates for loading food and temperature probes with bulky heavy gloves on. Also, the KK temperature doesn't spike up from having the lid open to load the grill and temp probes. The down side to this method is that I have to pay attention to the grill temp for a while for it to stabilize with the food loaded which I do by carrying around a remote thermometer so that I can monitor it and go outside and make an adjustment to the vents when I need to. But I think its a small price to pay considering it has essentially eliminated my frying probes by dropping them in the KK and not being able to get them out because of the bulky gloves as well as my burning myself various ways from my fingertips to my elbows. Plus, if truth be told, I am just wound too tight for all that waiting. So, you will not ruin your cook if for whatever reason you load your grill before it is heatsoaked. You just need to pay more attention to the temps for the first hour of the cook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryan Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 Re: Grill design mod from forum feedback Now... this really sounds like a plan. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 Re: Grill design mod from forum feedback For grilling, no need to heat soak at all. I don't heat soak a low and slow either. Just put the meat on as soon as the fire is going; and either use the vents or a Guru or Stoker to set the temp. I don't heat soak an indirect roast either. Really, the only time I do a heat soak is not for the purpose of a heat soak. Sometimes I just start the fire well ahead of a cook for logistic/timing purposes, the heat soak is just a by product. The only time I could imagine needing a heat soak is if you are cooking direct, for an extended period. Then you might want to, as was said previously, to get more even cooking. But any indirect cook with the heat deflector stone won't need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeylips Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 Re: Grill design mod from forum feedback Can someone tell me if this can be used as a secondary basket for alternative types of lump with the option of turning it into this sear/indirect grate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syzygies Posted April 3, 2012 Report Share Posted April 3, 2012 Re: Grill design mod from forum feedback Can I assume that you are shutting down your KK's airflow completely and cooking on the heat soaked walls and the heat from the no longer burning charcoal? No the coals are low, but not out. It doesn't surprise me that others don't bother. I've made KK chicken perhaps 40 times, for an audience that isn't shy about telling me which version they like better. There's one chicken source within driving range that they like, and my roasting technique is all about the skin and the smoke taste coming out a certain way. The moral of the story: Please your family, and don't be afraid to experiment! There's no one right way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
