Boz-lo has arrived!

[Boz]

Have not done a first cook yet. Will probably do a lo&slow lamb shoulder this weekend. I have a fresh tri tip for this week but have not done the hi heat cure yet.

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[tony b]

Nothing prohibits the break-in heat soak with cooking simultaneously. Toss that tri-tip on the grill at the end of the break-in run. Don't waste that charcoal! 

[Jon B.]

Congratulations!!!!!!!!

[wilburpan]

Congratulations! You’re going to love cooking on Boz-lo. 

 

And I am partial to olive gold pebble KK grills, having one myself.

[kjs]

You are going to love this grill. Congratulations on your purchase.

[Boz]

Done a 1st time short cook,lo & slow on Boz-lo last night, just to get used to the vent settings.When the sausages & salmon were done in about 1-2 hours I noticed the dome temp of 250 to be 40 degrees hotter than my grill temp of 210- Is this normal?

[wilburpan]

Since you say you’re doing a low and slow, I’m assuming you were cooking indirect. Here are some possibilities that could explain what you’re seeing.

 

1. The thermometer is up in the dome, and will be seeing more of the hot air coming up and around your heat deflector compared to the area where your food was cooking.

 

2. One or the other thermometer is out of calibration (less likely).

 

For me, I don’t worry about the exact temperature at the grate. The cooking conditions are going to be so repeatable that as long as you’re happy with the results, that’s the important thing. To put it another way, if I replaced your thermometer with one that had a line marked “low and slow†that represented 250ºF, and you didn't know that it was 250ºF, you could still pull off great low and slow cooks just by adjusting your vents so that the thermometer lands on that “low and slow†line.

 

All you really have to do is decide how good your salmon and sausages were. If they were to your liking, next time you do this cook, go for 250ºF on the dome thermometer, and don’t worry about the exact grill temperature. If you want a more moist result, go for a lower temperature on the dome thermometer the next time, and see how you like it. If you want the outside of the food to be more well done, go for a higher temperature. Either way, knowing the exact temperature at the grill is unnecessary.

[Boz]

Thank you wilburpan! Cooking with the Bgegg I was used to the grill temp being much higher than dome temp. The meat was delicious, the KK vents were easy to use, I just didn't understand the flip flop in temps. Can't wait to do the burn so I can cook more hi heat dishes. Sounds like you & me have the olive gold. I am still stunned by the beauty & quality of the KK. Also all of helpful forum members is heartwarming to us newbies!

[wilburpan]

I should also mention that olive gold pebble KK grills cook better than the other tile choices, which will help you with your results.

[5698k]

I suggest doing a boiling water test on your thermometers just to verify any temp variations. It's amazing how much variation I get when doing lo/slos, and it's not consistent!

Since we're on the KK forum, I can say, you now understand that a KK is simply a much better grill, its efficiency, construction, everything is just superior. Particularly the bronze ones.

[wilburpan]

Since we're on the KK forum, I can say, you now understand that a KK is simply a much better grill, its efficiency, construction, everything is just superior. Particularly the bronze ones.

 

I see what you did there!

[egmiii]

I've had a 21" since last October and also noticed the temperature difference between the dome and grate. Over a 3-4 hour window, the difference will drop from ~40 degrees to slightly under 10 as the grill heat soaks and the fire starts to burn slower. My engineering background tells me this is the expected behavior and my cooking background tells me it has little impact on the final product. Like others have said, consistency is  where the KK truly shines, allowing you to produce excellent BBQ time and time again.

[Boz]

Thank you all. Sounds like the 40-50 degree difference can be attributed to a shorter lo & slow cook, & will diminish as my cooks go longer. Any way The salmon, trout, & hot links were grrrreat! Will post pictures later.And yes I will do the boil test,also. Hope to do the burn Sunday. How many hours should I allow, & how many charcoal baskets will I need for a full cure? My wife is excited for a tri-tip rolled in Pappys Greek seasoning, during the burn

[tony b]

Fill the basket as full as you can. The burn in takes a few hours, so start mid morning so you can still cook that tri-tip for supper. You will likely need to add charcoal after 4 - 5 hours. You don't need any grates inside during the burn in, so it's easy to add more fuel. Then put the grate in during the hour before supper to heat up.

Can't wait to hear how it goes and see the pictures of that tri-tip.

[5698k]

Patience is key, the whole point is to allow the outside enough time to get hot enough to vent. The KK is so well insulated, this simply takes time. 400° for the first couple of hours, then 50° increases every hour or so, but not quicker. Start early with a full basket of coal, possibly more, and a full ice chest, and enjoy getting to know your grill. Once you get the smell, and/or see some liquid escaping, stop increasing temp, and let it ride, the longer the better. Cook away, there's nothing going on inside that's detrimental to cooking. Let us know how it goes!!