Help On Lighting for Low and Slow

[DBQ]

Hi all, new owner here with three cooks finished (one burn-in to start) with a question.  Using coco charcoal, a MAPP lighter and a little hair dryer to get things started, I'm having issues getting my 32 to get to 250 inside of an hour.  Top vent is 1-2 full turns open, bottom damper is 1/4 to 1/2.  I'm lighting an orange sized piece of lump each time.  i eventually overcompensate and then my cook is too hot.  Normal ambient temps - it's like 60*F currently.  Thanks all for your wisdom

Edited October 29, 2016 by DBQ

[tony b]

I own a 23", so things might not scale directly, you probably have way more mass to heat up than I do. So, I'm not surprised it's taking a bit of extra time to reach your target temps.

One cardinal rule of KK cooking - Don't chase the temperature! Learn your top vent setting for a given temperature (1-2 full turns is way too much, btw) and stick to it. It's OK to open the top vent wider at the beginning when you're lighting the grill and it's coming up to temp. But, set the top vent to its correct setting when you get about 50F below target, or you will overshoot and it's a pain to get it back down once the KK is heat soaked.

I'm discovering that the size of the charcoal does matter (Pun Intended). Been using Fogo and Quebracho lately and they have very large pieces of lump. If I use too many in the basket, my time to temp is a lot slower than if I use mostly medium sized pieces. YMMV

[Aussie Ora]

I have the 23 also but it should apply to all if I'm doing a low n slow say 250 I will open up all my vents and get to 300 then I will either foil my lower rack or use my double bottom drip pan and put it in and adjust my vents. Once I do this the temp will drop dramatically getting it to 50 above helps it recover quicker. In the first hour your KK is not heat soaked so setting Temps is easy once it's heat soaked it's alot harder

Outback Kamado Bar and Grill

[DBQ]

Ah OK so that makes sense - start with vents opened more, once you get closer to target temp bring them back down and use a deflector, makes sense thx!

[tinyfish]

How did things work out?

My style is close to Aussie.

I use one starter cube with top vent fully open and bottom dial wide open and pulled out half way. I will on purpose over shoot my temp in the first 10 minutes or so after lighting and then I will adjust my vents for a low and slow. As soon as the vents are adjusted the temperature will drop below my set temperature but with the vents set for low and slow the KK will now heat soak for a low and slow and the temperature will climb back up.

This is on a 23 KK.

Remember, to heat soak a KK it does take time. The benefit of that time heat soaking is a rock solid KK  that will hold a temperature for the entire low and slow cook without fail.

[tomahawk66]

I've got a 32 and depending on what I'm cooking and how much time I've got I'll go one of 2 ways. When I've got all day I'll light one spot, with vents wide open and lid open leaving it about 5-10 mins to make sure it's lit then set the vents to what I know is 250F for my KK and let it slowly heat soak over an hour putting in deflector and grates after 30 mins or so. Usually gets me there in an hour or hour and a half and that's the time I need for prepping ribs or brisket (or heading to the shops to buy beer...)
If I need to get there faster I just pull the front vents out and the side ash collector cover (is that what it is?) and spin the damper up and leave it 15 mins. Gets hot pretty quick even if I only light one spot.

For grilling just a couple of steaks or a dinner for just the 3 of us it's even easier, I set up the basket splitter so that there's only a quarter basket fill it with lump light it in 4 or 5 places with the damper spun up 5 turns and the vents and side ash thingy pulled out - have to watch it though - last night it got to 600 at the dome in under 15 mins...

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[bosco]

I light the 32 differently than the 23.  I open the bottom left dial 1/8 open, and the right round dial I open to the smallest hole.  I find that this helps the fire burn evenly on both sides of the large pit.

The top I open a 1/4 and I just let it gradually heat.  It settles in within about an hour.  I don't like over shooting it as it is a monster to cool down.

[DBQ]

Hi guys, sorry for the delay in getting back here.  I'm probably too impatient / used to how quickly my weber kettle settles in to the 250 range, but here's been my experience so far.  Help this rookie out!

1.  Fill charcoal basket approx 50% of the way with coco charcoal.  Deflectors are placed on top of the basket, leaving only the charcoal exposed (in this case, 2 deflectors are on)
2.  Open bottom damper 1/4 of way, leave the circular damper closed
3.  Open top damper 1/2 turn
4.  Weed torch a peach-sized piece of charcoal, use an air blower to get it roasting
5.  Close lid, with a probe thermo (Thermoworks Smoke) on the top grate 
6.  Eventually once the fire is up I'll use my smoke pot.

Unless I intervene, in the next hour I'm getting this thing to a roaring ... 100*F.  So I have to be doing something wrong.  I will then panic / get impatient and start opening dampers.  I'll move the bottom to half (you read me right) and turn the top to 1.5 turns.  In another 30 minutes, I'll be closer to the 200*F range.  So I'll tinker some more.  I will generally wind up overshooting (as you can guess) to the tune of 350* when I'm looking for 250*F, but that's a good 2 hours and change post lighting.  I've found it pretty easy to just adjust the tampers down and get to that rock solid 250-ish #, but getting this thing soaked is tricky.  I'm confident I can hit the #s I need for a 350*F turkey cook this Saturday, but appreciate all the help - is there a faster way to get this thing up to low and slow temps, or am I just doing it wrong? 

EDIT - In re-reading the original thread and reviewing my notes, I think I've begun to identify the culprits.  
1.  I'm using whole "rods" of coco charcoal.  Might trying breaking these up more for use
2.  I'm definitely not giving the fire enough air to start; I should be raising it up then damping it.  
3.  I should just be giving myself more time in general to light and let it soak

Edited November 21, 2016 by DBQ

[Pequod]

I think you may have solved your own problem. Smack two rods of coco char against each other to break them up. I fill the basket all the way, not 50%. Yes to giving it more air to start, then gradually close down as you approach temp.