Kick Ash Basket for PK360?

[Alphonse]

Considering buying one of these for my PK360.

I have the stock accessory charcoal basket from PK and it doesn't work that well, even with additional holes drilled in it. I also have a custom basket made out of stainless hardware cloth and it is just too small. Both are intended to cover only half the pit. I may fabricate one but before I spend the time and money, I wanted to look for alternatives.

I read here that someone felt that this KAB offering is a bit too shallow.

Anyone here spring for one yet and have experience they could share?

[ComfortablyNumb]

Check out this thread: https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...-for-the-pk360

[Alphonse]

Thanks, saw that thread but unfortunately there is no real experience with the KAB there. I am familiar with "the Burn Shop" offering. It is robust to say the least. Perhaps a bit too heavy and doesn't seem to use the real estate well in my opinion.

[Polarbear777]

The KAB is only half the height from the charcoal grate to the cooking grate. Takes some tricky coal stacking if you want to pack in a lot for LnS or for two zone+searing up to under the cook grate.

I wrote them to modify their design and make it a bit taller, I don’t think they appreciated the critique...

quality is excellent as you’d expect and the divider is movable to any width you want. If only it was a bit taller it would be really perfect.

[Alphonse]

Thanks for the feedback. Ref quality, their early out of the chute baskets for BGE weren't so good. They were made of carbon steel with a SS price and were not durable at all. Looks like they have shifted to stainless.

[au4stree]

I own it and love it. As mentioned above, it takes some creative stacking for long cooks, but I’ve found it to meet my needs. Solid construction

[Michael Brinton]

Love mine as well. Being able to size the sear zone to the food is great. For chicken I just leave enough indirect room as I need take the removable portion off the top grate and dump a chimney in. For that hot the coals are usually over the removable portion of the grate that came with the grill. The longest I usually go is about five hours of smoking and I just dump in unlit coals followed by enough lit coals to get the temp I'm looking for. It does better than the grate they sell in that you can tap the coals and clear out the ashes if you had to refuel for a longer cook. I'd buy it again if I lost mine.

[dshaffes]

Does the KAB basket cover enough of the grate or do you lose space? I want one but often cook a lot of food and utilize most of the grate.

[au4stree]

I feel like it covers more than my other one (smokin hot bbq)I bought(regrettably). I have zero regrets buying the KAB for the 360, it’s a perfect addition to an already great cooker.

[Polarbear777]

It’s not bad but doesn’t follow the curvature so you lose a little there. I still can crank out a 20 hour test run with no reload (no food). First test when I got it.

[TNPIGBBQ]

Tell us what you end up going with & what you think!

The KAB is clearly the best design but the height is a serious drawback.

i like the Burn shop one I posted, but it’s pricey and set in stone. If you had a welder though, that sheet is removable, you could probably weld some strips to add additional adjustments. Or you know just stick two bricks against it LOL

If Dave at SNS one for the PBC I’d snatch it up in a heartbeat.

I followed Polarbear’s design and made one of my own, but I didn’t have the right tools so it came out very sloppy (also I’m not that gifted at metalworking or wood working either so YMMV) & the upgraded SS grill grate is too thick for mine to fit under now.

I do know this though, the charcoal basket they sell is a hunk of *%^+. It chokes out on ash before you can even finish a rack of ribs, did they even try it out before they put it in production? Plus it’s not SS so it looks like I’ve had that hunk of $&@“ for 40 years now and I bought it in July.

[Spinaker]

I love my KAB in all of my Kamados. It makes a huge difference. I have never had issues with it being to small short, but I just pile the coals in there, regardless if it goes over the side rails not he basket. I don't really thin that matters much, it is more about allowing airflow through the bottom any way. It also makes clean up a breeze.

[Alphonse]

After more research and thought, as the OP I am coming back to this thread. While the KAB is a nice design, I have learned it is too short. That said, I may fabricate my own.

When and if I get around to fabricating one, I want a half grill basket only. My primary use of the PK360 is cooking chops and steaks and I most often reverse sear them.

It will not be a solid "wall type" divider or holder. For my purposes, the basket should have perforated walls not a solid baffle. The perforated walls will promote the convection and recirculation that I am after. This is the beauty of the KAB from my perspective, albeit too shallow.

[Polarbear777]

Half grill version

[Polarbear777]

The burn shop has one with and adjustable divider and is 4” now for the pk360. If this was around I wouldn’t have made mine.

[Polarbear777]

Can’t get 15-18+ hours runtime like I do with this one or 20+ hrs with my homemade basket. The original basket is not tall enough to hold the necessary capacity. It is well built though.
The burn shop one isn’t kidding around either.

[RlsRls]

Does the basket from the Burn Shop sit on the PK coal grate or replace the PK coal grate?

[Polarbear777]

All the baskets I know sit ON the original PK charcoal grate. The original grate catches the tabs on the edges to stay in place. A basket sitting on the bottom of the lower shell would get clogged with ash, blocking airflow.

[RlsRls]

Thanks! I just figured that since The Burn Shop "custom made" the basket for the PK 360, it might rest on the tabs of the bottom shell like the regular coal grate. I might contact them directly.

[Polarbear777]

I have that one and I still need the original grate. It is super nice though and is seriously heavy.

[TripleB]

A lot of custom work and it all looks good. I go the simple approach and never had an issue. Either a wrapped brick and a charcoal divider or I use a split as my fence. The split adds a little smoke to the cook.

[RlsRls]

Thanks, I can't help but notice in this forum and on-line videos that a lot of PK grillers use briquettes over lump! Am i right? I've been a lump user for years with my kamado but with the three cooks I've done so far on the new PK, (steaks, burgers and salmon), I seem to be using more fuel than before. Are briquettes preferred for temp control or better clean-up?? looking forward to other users comments.

[Polarbear777]

Lump is less dense so you have less fuel per volume to cram it in there, so briqs let me run longer.
I also like how briqs pack, allowing even airspace.

Lump can run hotter so good for more direct heat applications. For low and slow I use briqs or char logs.