Temperature guide

[Shuley]

Hello，

I've looked and maybe I just can't find it but is there somewhere that has the temperature and corresponding vent settings?  The vent settings in the manual do not apply to my kk.

[CeramicChef]

Shelley - yeah, I've seen the page in the owner's manual, but frankly, you need to figure out the settings for your specific KK.  You should want to invest the time to get to know your kamado, how that KK responds to changes in vent settings, how your KK heats up, and how slowly it bleeds heat.  I've had 7 different kamados in my kamado life: 2 BGEs, 2 Primo XLs, 1 Akorn, and 2 KKs.  They were all idiosyncratic and yet they all bore quite a few similarities with respect to airflow and temperature management.

I will tell you that to learn the settings for a range of temps from 200°F to 500°F (in 25° increments) will only take you a weekend day.  Just light a single spot in the lump pile.  Understand that the lower vent is for gross temperature adjustment within a given temp zone, i.e. 200-300°F. The top vent is used to dial in specific temps, i.e. 225, 350, 475, etc.  Dial in 200°F and let your KK dwell at that temp for 30 minutes.  make not of your vent settings.  Then spin the top vent open a,little more and nail 225°.  Note the settings and let your KK dwell for 30 minutes.  Open the top vent  a bit more and hit 275°.  Note the settings and settle for 30 minutes.  Notice you haven't touched the ottom vent since its first setting.  Now to hit temps ranging from 300-400°, open the ottom vent and close down on the top vent.  Note,the vent settings that give you 300° F.  Dwell for 30 minutes.  As before, open the top vent a bit more and hit 325°F.  You get the picture here.  You're marching up the temp curve discovering vent settings Afro specific temps and how your KK responds to changes in airflow.

At the end of this experiment, you'll have a ripping fire in your KK.  You may as well reward your family and you with a nicely seared ribeye or strip steak.  The settings you've discovered for your KK will never change.  They are a function of your KK.  

Finally, you started off the journey by starting one small spot in your KK.  The fire grew over time.  But in everyday cooking, you'll want to jump start anything 300° or better.  For temps in the range of 300-400° I'll light 2 spots.  For cooks in the 400-500° range I'll light 3 spots in the lump.  For 500°+, I light 4 spots.  With practice, you'll walk out, light the fire, leave the lid open 5-7 minutes, then close the lid, set the vents for the tep you want, and come back in a few minutes ready to cook.  This will become second nature to you and your husband.  

[ckreef]

Yea they sort of do to a point.

.

225* - 1/4 turn top, a credit card or smige more on the bottom.

350* - 1 turn top, about 1/4" on bottom.

500* - 2 turns top, about 1/2" on bottom.

That should give you a basic starting point. Of course I didn't mention anything about how to get to that temperature just what basic settings will maintain it.

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[bosco]

for my 23" 350 is always the same for me.

open the bottom left damper half way so it looks like a 90 degree angle and spin the top 3 turns.  That will hit 350 every single time I use it.  

for 225-250 

I am open less than a 1/4 on the bottom and 1/4 turn up top.  

Best advice above was to play with it and find what your KK likes

[Jeff S]

here is the guide in the owners manual

[ckreef]

here is the guide in the owners manual

I found that to be fairly accurate for the first 2 rows. Not so much for the last 2 rows as I never need to open the top vent more than 3 turns.

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[Jeff S]

Does the type of charcoal effect the temp of your grill?

[bosco]

Jeff normally I would have said no...

I love the Royal Oak Red lump from the USA Home Depot.  It burns awesome and smells great.  I also use a Canadian lump called maple leaf lump that is fantastic

Either one of these bags, I would set my lower damper to half open so a 90 degree open and turn the top 3 turns.  That would get me to 350-375 in 10-15min from start up no problem.

I have recently tried a bag of lump from Argentina.  It is called La gourmet.  

The pieces are larger and denser and I for the life of me couldn't get my grill up to temp using the above mentioned settings.  I have recently read that Fogo has had the same issues and read that Wilburpan breaks it up to help build temp.  

Dense wood is great for long low and slow cooks but for everyday grilling I do not think that it is good stuff.  

So for now on, I will stick with the cheap RO red bags for $12.97 at Home Depot USA.  Every time that I go over the border I pick up 5 to 10 bags.  

I know that Dennis has amazing coffee lump and the cochar lump.  Both have a cult like love on the forum, however, up here in Canada, it is just too difficult to get due to import laws.

 

[CeramicChef]

@Jeff S - That's a harder question to answer than first meets the eye.  I think that the configuration of your lump pile makes more difference than t type of charcoal.  I always shake my basket pretty vigorously after dumping in the lump (i'm a dumper not an arranger).  What you want is a lump pile that lets air move freely but also has charcoal in contact with other charcoal so that the fire spreads effectively and efficiently.  You don't want so much togetherness in the lump pile that air flow through the lump is cut off and the fire extinguishes because it can't spread.  

An efficient and effective lump pile, to me at least, is made up of large and medium sized pieces.  When shaken together after the dump, charcoal is in contact and still has enough interstitial space to allow for the free movement of air to each lit piece of lump.  I've found that for me and my needs, FOGO lump provides the best solution.  Fogo burns hot, has little ash, lights quickly with my MAPP torch and doesn't spark, has very little odor so that you get the smoke flavor you decide upon by your addition of a specific make wood, and FOGO is 100% charcoal with no concrete, mill scraps, plastic inside the bag, and finally, has very few small pieces and fines in the bag.

So, taken all together, there are many factors that affect lump pile performance.  The Size of the pieces, the proximity of those pieces to each other, the purpose of the cook, etc.  I hope this begins to answer your question.

 

[Jeff S]

46 minutes ago, CeramicChef said:

@Jeff S - That's a harder question to answer than first meets the eye.  I think that the configuration of your lump pile makes more difference than t type of charcoal.  I always shake my basket pretty vigorously after dumping in the lump (i'm a dumper not an arranger).  What you want is a lump pile that lets air move freely but also has charcoal in contact with other charcoal so that the fire spreads effectively and efficiently.  You don't want so much togetherness in the lump pile that air flow through the lump is cut off and the fire extinguishes because it can't spread.  

An efficient and effective lump pile, to me at least, is made up of large and medium sized pieces.  When shaken together after the dump, charcoal is in contact and still has enough interstitial space to allow for the free movement of air to each lit piece of lump.  I've found that for me and my needs, FOGO lump provides the best solution.  Fogo burns hot, has little ash, lights quickly with my MAPP torch and doesn't spark, has very little odor so that you get the smoke flavor you decide upon by your addition of a specific make wood, and FOGO is 100% charcoal with no concrete, mill scraps, plastic inside the bag, and finally, has very few small pieces and fines in the bag.

So, taken all together, there are many factors that affect lump pile performance.  The Size of the pieces, the proximity of those pieces to each other, the purpose of the cook, etc.  I hope this begins to answer your question.

 

Thanks that was very helpful

46 minutes ago, CeramicChef said:

 

 

[Jeff S]

52 minutes ago, bosco said:

Jeff normally I would have said no...

I love the Royal Oak Red lump from the USA Home Depot.  It burns awesome and smells great.  I also use a Canadian lump called maple leaf lump that is fantastic

Either one of these bags, I would set my lower damper to half open so a 90 degree open and turn the top 3 turns.  That would get me to 350-375 in 10-15min from start up no problem.

I have recently tried a bag of lump from Argentina.  It is called La gourmet.  

The pieces are larger and denser and I for the life of me couldn't get my grill up to temp using the above mentioned settings.  I have recently read that Fogo has had the same issues and read that Wilburpan breaks it up to help build temp.  

Dense wood is great for long low and slow cooks but for everyday grilling I do not think that it is good stuff.  

So for now on, I will stick with the cheap RO red bags for $12.97 at Home Depot USA.  Every time that I go over the border I pick up 5 to 10 bags.  

I know that Dennis has amazing coffee lump and the cochar lump.  Both have a cult like love on the forum, however, up here in Canada, it is just too difficult to get due to import laws.

 

Thanks Ryan