First low N slow

[xraydoc]

Had some friends over this weekend.  Thought it would be a great chance to show off the new KK and try out my first low N slow smoke. Decided to do ribs and a shoulder.  At the last minute the wife also wanted to do some corn and chicken breasts, just for leftovers. The cook was by no means perfect.  I am definitely still learning.  I will go through it and describe some of my "issues." I will also include as many pics as possible.

Prepped all the meat Friday night and got as much ready as I could.  Took the meat out to begin cooling around 7:30 Saturday morning.  It is pork and chicken, so I wasn't really looking for room temp.  Just take the refrigerator edge off before putting it on the grill.

I filled the basket with ROL.  I have a limited supply of the coconut charcoal, but I do not want to waste it until I am more confident with all of the other variables. I also put a smoke pot in the basket filled with hickory and apple. I also tossed a few additional pieces of wood in the charcoal basket scattered about. I lit the grill using a paraffin block starter in two places. You can barely see the two blocks on the right side of the basket. After lighting, I put the lower grate down, wrapped in foil as a heat deflector/drip catcher.

After all of my reading on here, I was most concerned about overshooting the temp and not being able to cool it back down.  Also, I used a BBQguru, not so much for the temp control, but more for temp monitoring. I also wasn't to become familiar with it as I will want to use on any overnight cooks (brisket for the wife).  I also used the cybercrook app so that I could record all of the details from the cook. With that in mind, I set the original target temp at 210, then bumped to 225. After about an hour and a half I had hit my target temp of 225.  AT this point I put all of the meat on.  In retrospect, I probably should have let it heat soak a little longer, but, live and learn. 

 That is the shoulder and four chicken breasts on the upper grate.  The 6 racks of ribs are on the rib holder on the main grate. I closed the lid, opened the damper on the guru fan to a little more than a 1/4, opened the chimney about a quarter turn past the gasket touching and watched carefully.  Again, I was most concerned about overshooting and I didn't want it to rocket up to 270.  That did not happen... Instead, the temp plummeted to 125 from the lid being open while loading.  Then it took me almost 2 hours to get it back to 225. I didn't really expect that. During that 2 hours, the only way I could get it to rise was to open the guru damper to 3/4 open and to open the air intake panels to between 1/3 and 1/2 open. I experimented a little with the chimney, but I found that opening it more actually made it cooler in the grill. Maybe allowing more heat to escape?

 

Ultimately, I got it dialed in to about 235.  That was fine as it took me while to get it there and I figured the extra 10 degrees above target was no big deal. Also note that as the temperature climbed I began closing down air intakes and dampers.  Again, fearful of the overshoot.  At about 200 I closed up the intakes and at about 215 I closed the damper on the guru back to 1/4 open. It held really steady at 235-240 for about 3 hours. At this point the guru fan was the only air intake and the chimney was just barely open. The guru fan was not blowing, temps were holding.  Then after about 3 hours of holding steady, the temps started to slowly climb.  Not rocket just slowly climb.  I was watching, but I wasn't sure what I could do. I felt like the air intake was really, really low. When the temp hit 250, I actually closed everything off.  That brought the temp down by maybe 5 degrees.  Then as soon as I opened the chimney up (just a tiny bit) and the damper (again, just a tiny bit) it started climbing again. 

Luckily, at this point everything was ready to come off the heat.  But as soon as it was removed, I kept an eye on the temp gauge.  It kept climbing.  At 265, I shut it down (removed the guru, put in the plug, closed the chimney and dampers). I let the shoulder rest in a cooler with towels for an hour and a half before pulling. Sorry no pics of the finished shoulder. There were a bunch of people around and it was difficult to get pictures at all. Ribs are below. 1 of 2 very full plates.

 

Ultimately, it was a success and everyone was really happy with the results, but I want to learn from my mistakes to have a more worry free cook next time.  If I am going to do an overnighter, I can't be adjusting intakes and dampers every 45 minutes...

[KevinD]

 I certainly don't have many low and slow cook so under my belt at this point but your experience mirrors mine so far.   I think it is Important that you not only let the KK get up temperature but heat soak at least an hour at the desired temp to help compensate for when you put the cold/cool meat on the grill and lose the hot air while the dome is up. I'm fairly certain that would help your temperature recovery time but that's just my best guess so others will have to weigh in with their expertise...

There is no doubt I would've dove face first into that plate of ribs!

 

[Steve M]

Just based on my limited experience with the KK, I might suggest a couple of things. For low and slow, you would be better off by lighting in one spot only towards one side so the fire spreads across the pile rather than the middle in all directions. Secondly, my first cook used royal oak and I found it to behave almost exactly like your first cook. The coco char probably would have been much more to your liking as far as control and expected results.

I have used the cyber cook once and found that it worked really well. I had the bottom damper completely closed with the guru port open about one-third. I set it for 235 and opened the top vent about a quarter of a turn. After lighting in one spot, it took about 30 minutes to come up to temperature. I was pleasantly surprised that it did not overshoot and really locked in on 235. I noticed the fan was running very low and often not at all so I closed the top vent to about an eighth of a turn open and that brought the fan up to the low teens. I think it is better to make it to work a bit,

[5698k]

I use a guru regularly on my 23 with the fan damper open, so on the 32, I would imagine it would be fine. Your first instinct was correct, let the grill heat soak, because you added a lot of cold stuff to the mix. I only adjust the top when trying to get heat back up after adding protiens, keep the variables down. Sometimes when the guru is working particularly hard to get to temp, it can overshoot a bit, just unplug and re power to reset. There are settings to play with but I'm not sure if that's necessary yet. I recommend you light in just one spot, set the guru, close the lid, top no more than 1/4 turn, and let it heat, I like to give an hour at temp before protiens if possible.

Everything really looks good, it's just a matter of getting used to things.


Rob

[xraydoc]

@5698k When using the guru, do you have the fan damper all the way open? 

[5698k]

I do. I only use the top vent to change airflow, and even that's fairly rare. You want the fan to run, or cycle regularly. If it's not running, there's too much natural airflow, and your temps will climb. On the other end, don't be afraid to really close the top a good bit if necessary, I never have mine more than 1/4 open, usually more closed than that.


Rob

[tony b]

Like all of us on our first cooks, we sweat it way more than necessary. Seems we're all control freaks at heart! To quote a famous homebrewer's saying - "Relax, have a homebrew!" (meaning, don't sweat it and overthink it, it's not rocket science!)

Mirror the others' comments - a bit more heat soak, as that was a lot of cold protein going on at once. When I use my Guru, I typically keep the fan damper half closed, as the spot where my grill sits has a tendency to be windy, which can impact your airflow more than you think. 

[bosco]

Welcome to the nerve wrecking world of low and slow

First thing.... put that guru away for now.  Learn you grill and trust it.  That is the most important thing.  For a 32" light it in the middle in one spot, open the bottom right dial to the smallest circle and the left damper open just a crack.  I find doing this helps the fire in the 32 to burn evenly in the basket.  If I just use the left side, my fire tends to only burn to the left.  That is just for my 32 so may be different for you.  Turn the top damper from closed to about 1/4 turn open, so the left ear will likely be facing the 6 o'clock position if that makes sense.  Leave it there for an hour and you will be right around 225-250.

Second step calm down and relax.  It is just BBQ.  Like most new hot tub owners, the tub water is suppose to last 3 to 4 months but new owners usually change water out after the first month.... The reason is simple, we play with the water too much to make it perfect and screw it up.  

Remember when you put food on the grill temps will drop.  Leave the vents they will come back to temp again.  

Cook by feel not temp.  We have challenges on other forums where you take your therm out and cook by look and feel.  Ribs are simple as can be.  Stick them on and let them go for four hours.  At four hours grab them and do a bend test.  If they pass sauce them for 30.  If they fail, then leave them for 30 min.  Repeat this for up to 6 hours for sides and 5 for backs.  If you use no foil, I prefer spritzing the ribs every hour.  1/3 cup cider vinegar, 1/2 cup of apple juice.  Spritz on the hour and magic!!!

Over heating the KK sucks, but close the vents and it responds quickly.  Sometimes I have to snuff the fire a bit but so be it..... worst case is I have to relight it

You are going to be awesome... follow the basics and it will not steer you wrong.  

LEARN YOUR KK, SPEND THE TIME AND LEARN VENT SETTINGS TO REPLICATE HEAT TEMPS OVER AND OVER 

looks like a good meal overall and hopefully the jitters are over.  Wait until I convince you to stop using a deflector stone for low and slow and just adding foil.  Mind blowing!!

Also, calibrate your thermometer you would be surprised how far off it may be 

[5698k]

Bosceaux gives excellent advice, it can't be argued with. That said, I love my cyberq.


Rob

[Aussie Ora]

The food looks great and heaps of it nice. I done my first ribs the other day I don't have a guru. But found the 23 to be very responsive for 250 I think did not need much air at all. If I do a low n slow I use one starter leave the lid open till it takes then close open vents till about 75 to 50 off temp and adjust from there once I got to 250 li just leave it alone for an hour if nothing has changed I give I another half an hour and I'm set

Outback Kamado Bar and Grill

[ckreef]

Nice cook. Very ambitious for first low-n-slow. Sounds like it worked out in the end.

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[skreef]

Great looking Ribs

Mrs. Reef's Bistro

[tinyfish]

On my initial lighting I let my temp overshoot my desired temp a little/ I am not concerned if I overshoot 225f. The KK is not heat soaked at all so the temp will drop down after I set my vents.

I let the KK(23") heat soak a good while after lighting at least an hour or more.

After putting that much meat on the temps will drop for quite awhile.  The problem with the fan is that it will get to much charcoal lit to get back to your desired temp.

I have a fan controller that I don't use anymore but when I did I only turned it on after the KK was fully heat soaked. With the fan controlling temps the bottom vent was closed and the top vent just barely open so I can feel the fan pushing the air out.

Many low and slow cooks,,cook anywhere between 225f and 275f as long as your in that range, all will be fine.