LPT41 Posted April 5, 2010 Report Share Posted April 5, 2010 I have been on this forum since early 2006, but just received my new Levis Blue KK. With all the improvements Dennis has made over time I'm glad I waited to get one. This thing rates right up there with my first car-'57 Chevy Convertible-A thing of beauty. Everyone who comes to see it just stares and can't believe the beauty and quality workmanship that went into building it. Being a long time forum member I wasn't at all surprised at the quality after reading so many positive post about Dennis and his KK. I have not cooked on it yet, pollin and my sinuses are on a tear everytime I go outside. Thinking about moving it into the house as an art piece till I decide to get it fired up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conodo12 Posted April 5, 2010 Report Share Posted April 5, 2010 Nice KK and Congrats!!! Go hit your allergist up for some shots and get cookin'!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPT41 Posted April 6, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2010 Thanks Conodo, It is a pretty thing. I managed to find a 6" Roti. and ordered a cover from Johnnyboy. Since I am not up on what a guru or stoker can do for me, think I'l just learn by do it yourself for a while. Wondering if one of those maverick or other brand temp. gadgets would be a plus. Any thoughts on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted April 6, 2010 Report Share Posted April 6, 2010 thermometer We have discussed the wireless thermometers at great length in these forums, a quick search will reveal all you need to know. However I will say that the Oregon Scientific AW-131 is superior to the Maverick ET-73 regarding reliable transmission range. It does have only one probe. If you are quite confident in your fire control, you can use one to monitor the meat. Or, get two, one for meat and one for fire. I am a staunch proponent of using a Guru or Stoker, others here like old school manual control. With a temp controller, you can leave your fire for hours on end to do anything you like with assurance your fire WILL be under control. Your only requirements are to be sure there is enough fuel, and to know roughly when the meat might get done. The only time I don't use one is for grilling, it's unnecessary. For grilling you just need a good hot fire which you can eyeball. You do need a thermometer to measure the meat when grilling, of course. Using a Guru or Stoker will dramatically enhance your use of time when doing a low and slow. You can sleep, or go do something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffB Posted April 6, 2010 Report Share Posted April 6, 2010 Wondering if one of those maverick or other brand temp. gadgets would be a plus. I have a Maverick ET-73 and would definitely recommend it. With a KK, you can dial in the cooker temperature pretty easily, but for any low and slow you need something to monitor the temperature of the meat and it can't involve lifting the lid and poking. Pretty much any temp monitor can do that but with the ET-73 I can do it from within the comfort of my house. Most of the reviews talk about probe longevity issues but I haven't had any problems. Just take care of them and don't run high temps and you should be good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted April 6, 2010 Report Share Posted April 6, 2010 Maverick ET-73 If your KK is close enough to your in-house position, the Maverick can indeed work well. Be sure that if you use it during sleep you do a good pre-test to be certain it will transmit to the bedroom! The Mavericks have a spotty record across many BBQ forums, some folks get good reliable transmission and others don't. There are also a number of antenna hacks to theoretically increase the range. Check the Virtual Weber Bullet for the antenna hacks. I have not used my Maverick since getting the Oregon Scientific. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted April 6, 2010 Report Share Posted April 6, 2010 Even without using it for temperature control, I love using my Stoker just as a remote thermometer since its accessible everywhere my network is. I even bought a second that's mounted under my oven so I can monitor my inside cooks as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conodo12 Posted April 6, 2010 Report Share Posted April 6, 2010 Thanks Conodo' date=' It is a pretty thing. I managed to find a 6" Roti. and ordered a cover from Johnnyboy. Since I am not up on what a guru or stoker can do for me, think I'l just learn by do it yourself for a while. Wondering if one of those maverick or other brand temp. gadgets would be a plus. Any thoughts on this.[/quote'] I think what you will find is that if you go the Guru or Stoker route (or even Maverick), you will either end up depending on the electronics to cook for you or you will learn to live without the Guru or Stoker. For me, it is quickly becoming the latter. I really like my Guru. For overnight cooks, it provides a level of insurance that helps me sleep and make great food. However, my overnight cooks are much less frequent than my day cooks. When cooking with the Guru for everyday cooks, I learned to look at the Guru temp and then look at the dome temp (heat soaked KK of course). Now that I know what dome temp correlates to my cooking surface temp, I don't ever break out the Guru. Bottom line, if the dome temp is dialed in to what my Guru temp would be, then why bother? As you become more familiar with the KK, (practice practice) you get a feel for how long each type and size of meat takes to cook. I use a meat temp thermometer to check chicken, turkey before serving. Most red meats I just cut open. For ribs, they tell me when they are done, not the other way around. I simply watch for that meat to pull back from the bone for my rib cooks. A final "pull" test let's me know my ribs are ready. So, certainly get a thermometer to train yourself how to dial in the right temps on your KK. Once you have that down, you won't be needing a cooking thermometer very often. Just natural draft controls (the way Dennis designed it), the TruTemp and some practice. You'll be the envy of the neighborhood in no time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkchop Posted April 6, 2010 Report Share Posted April 6, 2010 dude! just PM'd you! what a beauty! you have to man up tho, and get cookin... you don't have to be all elaborate about it, tho. do some burgers and brats and maybe some nice chicken. you must feed the komodo, or it will be considered neglect, and the ASPCK will be by to find it a good home don't wait to get your fancy thermometers and gurus and stuff. the pork wants to cook, your new KK wants to cook, and YOU want to cook. perfectionism and worry are NOT allowed; it makes the meat tough... what's his/her name bubba? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPT41 Posted April 7, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2010 Thats funny PC. Yea guess I'm trying to worry to much bout doing it right. Got to go to Louisiana early tomorrow so maybe this weekend. NAME--I forgot you have to name these beauties!! Maybe that's a good contest for the grandkids--the winner inherites it some day!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vkl Posted April 8, 2010 Report Share Posted April 8, 2010 Congrats on the new KK! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanny Posted May 3, 2010 Report Share Posted May 3, 2010 Levis blue? So, the names suggest themselves. Levi. Wrangler. Or, for you 80s fans...Calvin, or Oooh la la, Sasson! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Rex Posted May 3, 2010 Report Share Posted May 3, 2010 Beautiful color choice, you will be receiving a lot of compliments on that baby........ I found a Thermapen to be a very useful instrument that also has a lot of other uses around the house, something you might want to consider...... T Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
