Charcoal basket/holder for the PK360?

[JJD]

https://www.kickashbasket.com/KAB-Divider-for-PK360-Grill-Smoker_p_57.html

[TNPIGBBQ]

Saw that one, it’s a seriously slick design. Wondering how it’ll hold up long term though. Do you happen to know how long their other products tend to last, because it looks to be made of the same grade steel?

[Polarbear777]

Solid stainless should be good for a very long time.

[TNPIGBBQ]

@Polarbear777

Thanks.

I wasn’t aware of kick ash’s reputation when I asked that, silly question in retrospect.

[Polarbear777]

Nice to see other options finally hitting the market.

[dshaffes]

Kick Ash Basket now sells a solution for the PK 360 that looks pretty good. Here is the link: https://www.kickashbasket.com/PK-Grill-_c_40.html

[JackJ]

New member reviving an old thread here, wondering if anyone has tried these Burn Shop baskets (links below) on their PK. I just ordered a 360 which I'm hoping will be here in a week or two. I did order the PK charcoal basket too, but now I'm seeing it gets some poor reviews. The Kick Ash version is out of stock at the moment.

These Burn Shop baskets look great, but I'm not sure why the 360 version has the cutoff corners. I've emailed the company to ask. They give the same overall dimensions, apart form those corners, so I'm tempted to get the PK Classic version instead of the one designed for the 360. Hoping someone has some insights to help me decide.

Thanks!

This is an old thread but I recently stumbled upon an aftermarket basket for both the PK original & 360 made by a machine shop out of Texas, The Burn Shop.

They're 4 inch tall baskets that span the length of the grill with a divider. Giving you the option of two zone or single zone. I made one based on Polarbear 777's design but these have my interest.

Link for PK Original

Link for PK 360

[tiewunon]

Yes I have the Burn Shop basket for the Original PK. Its a great addition to the grill and for the life of me can't figure out why it took me so long to buy it.

[JackJ]

I was fooled by the angle of the photo at http://theburnshopwf.com/product/pk-...-basket-pk360/ Looked to me like it was asymmetrical, but they sent me another pic from a different angle where you can see that it comes to a shallow, symmetrical point on either short side. And yeah, it's got lots of divider notches now. Wondering how PK will feel about me trying to cancel the add on for their basket, as now I want this Burn Shop model.

[TNPIGBBQ]

You should absolutely cancel that PK basket, hunk of *&^% is only good for anchoring a boat.

This and the KickAshBasket are the only ones worth considering.

[JackJ]

Here's the photo I just received from the Burn Shop on their current PK360 charcoal basket, showing the symmetrical shape, plus the many notches for the divider. I plan on ordering one.

[JackJ]

How much space is there between the charcoal grate and the cooking grate? I don't see that dimension on the PK site.

[Larry Grover]

Their website lists measurements as 24 x 14 x 4 - same as their classic version. There is about 4 1/8 inches of space between the cooking & charcoal grate. There is that section that drops down where the removable grate detaches. In that area it's about 3.75 inches.

[Polarbear777]

Last time I looked it wasn’t 4”. Maybe they have updated the design.

[Steve74]

I made a charcoal basket for my original to help me with long cooks and another general charcoal basket for regular cooks. I know it's not a 360 but it may inspire ideas for a 360 basket. I wish I would have made it out of stainless, this is expanded steel just tack welded together. Haven't had any problems yet with them. I know the pics show briquettes but they were taken when I first made it. I always use lump and hand lay the pieces in the basket so there are less big pockets of air between the lump. The cook is pretty consistent. I have gotten beyond 7 hours with out any fans with this basket. The pan/insert in the middle is welded aluminum. It can be filled with water or left as a buffer. It can be pulled out and not used at all. Sorry I don't have any suggestions of a commercially made basket. Hope this helps

[JackJ]

Nice work! If I could weld, I'd probably try to replicate these.

[Henrik]

I love the 'U' shape on this one, make for a long snake.

[Polarbear777]

This is the new burn shop basket. Adjustable dividers and is 4” tall (The entire distance between the coal and cook grates). If this had been around I wouldn’t have had to make mine from scratch.

http://theburnshopwf.com/product/pk-grills-charcoal-basket-pk360/

[Polarbear777]

Almost 20 hours, not too shabby.

[Polarbear777]

Mix of char logs and something else that was in the bin. I consistently can get 15-19 hours depending on exactly how it packs.

[JackJ]

Another question if you don't mind: What are those two traces that start off just under 80F, and why does one of the spike up and down toward the end? I'll be ordering a Fireboard2 Drive soon--can't wait to start playing with it. And thanks for all this helpful information!

[Polarbear777]

I had some probes running to my other cooker that wasn’t on. So that’s just the temperature of the interior during the day I guess.

[grillinglousiana]

here is a photo of the one Burn Shop makes.just got it in

[tiewunon]

I have the same basket. Works like a champ. I got them to throw in a second divider (BTW no charge) and use it to make a knock off vortex for wings. Does not work as well as a vortex but it works.

[Henrik]

I never got round to either buying or fabricating one. I bought a firebrick that I cut in two. Cheap, easy and works like a champ. The snake in the photo is right after dumping the briquettes, before organizing them. But this gives me 8+ hours, and I can make it longer if needed.

[Henrik]

TripleB - yes. The "hole" in the bottom left corner is where I dump the lit briquettes. So I open the bottom left vent, and the top right (i.e. opposite) vent.
You can see how I do it in my YT video: https://youtu.be/BSYGJjNRsYU

[MTurney]

What a great idea. You get 8+ hours out of that???

[Henrik]

That is correct MTurney

[Polarbear777]

I’ve been using the burn shop basket for a long time now. It’s super heavy duty. Lots of options.

with a fan controller I’ve noticed I can easily do overnight cooks with most of the configurations in this thread.

[Mickslick]

After some disappointment with the pk brand charcoal basket (too bulky, thick, and impediment to air flow) for may taste, after a bit of research I added one of these Ugly Cheap Charcoal Lighting Basket (dancingfire.biz) from dancing fire. Like the air flow, simplicity and makes ash clean up a breeze.

[Alphonse]

I have two of those and they work well. The mesh size on mine is a bit fine and can seal off and block air flow if you add additional briquettes later in a long cook. I have learned how to manage that and I generally don't use the PK for long cooks anyway.

Like you, I found the PK branded basket to be less than ideal. I keep moving it around in my storage and wonder why I even keep it. I did put it in a heavy drill press and open the holes up but it needs holes on the sides as well.

[Polarbear777]

The PK basket is quite suboptimal. I've mentioned that to them directly several times trying to get them to make something different.

How sturdy is the mesh? Their site says that you can light coals directly in the basket and even move it around? Do you have any action pics in use?

[Alphonse]

Here's a photo of the PK basket that I modified. I enhanced the holes by enlarging half of them in a metal working drill press. It still needs holes in the sides as well but that is more work than I wanted to take on. A positive is that it is not sheet metal. Therefore it takes a real drill press to drill holes in it. I will likely take a plasma torch to it and make some slots and/or holes in the sides. It is a poor performer due to the lack of proper area for combustion air to enter from below and the sides.




Here's a photo of the "Ugly" basket in use. Yes you could move it if you wanted. It is made of fine mesh SS hardware cloth and is more robust than you might imagine. The only downside with mine is the mesh is a bit fine and can clog up with ash if you continue to add fuel during a cook. Flipside, the fine mesh is also a positive in that it makes it strong/rigid. I am still on my first one of the two I bought. It appears that the life is longer than I expected.

[Mickslick]

I have noticed it can clog a bit, do you have any recommendations to "declog" mid cook, if necessary?

[Alphonse]

I have moved the lump to one side and stirred the heck out of it with a poker/bent flat bar. A bit of risk of getting ash on the food of course. The other thing I have done is save bigger chunks of lump for this and as you know, good lump creates less ash as well. The piece of pork belly above was probably accomplished in 4 hours and as I remember this cook was with a FireBoard and fan.

[MsTwiggy]

I have been following this conversation even though i don't have a PK360 (yet). At first I thought a simple divider would be the most elegant solution because you can use the form of the grill to fit the most fuel. The burnshop basket is nice in how adjustable it is and very sturdy. I just discovered a product on Amazon that looks like it might be the perfect size and facilitate the snake method. Very well constructed, perhaps a bit overpriced, but made in USA. I do not work for them or get a commission just to be clear.

[Polarbear777]

The height between the charcoal grate is 4”, so you want one that fits.

The best IMNSHO is my 4” strip of steel bent and bolted since it follows the curve.

The burn shop one is really fantastic though and if it had been available I probably never would have made my own.

[MsTwiggy]

Polarbear777 is it really only 4 inches from the bottom of the grill to the cooking grate? Welp if thats the case my suggestion would not work unless it fits when you remove the section of the cooking grill.