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Kamado AKKoutrements!

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    Kamado AKKoutrements!

    Fellow Meathead Maniacs! Here is the next installment of our Kamado Discussion here at The Pit in Meathead's Amazing Ribs! We're now moving from the more theoretical aspects of kamado cooking into the much more practical.
    Yes, I know that “AKKoutrements" is really spelled "accoutrements" (after all I DID go to Catholic School!) and I do know the word is properly already plural, but I’m doing this for a very good point. There is a double entendre there that I just couldn’t resist. After all, we are talking about Kamado Kooking and I do so really love my KKs. Ok, now that that is out of the way, let’s get started talking about all the equipment available to assist you in creating some of the best food to ever grace a table.


    First, let me say that I really only want to cover the basics here. The reason for that is there are more accoutrements to kamado today than ever before. There are some really inventive folks who cook on kamados and they find new ways every single day to make kamado cooking better, easier, and more efficient for themselves and other kamado cooks. A major reason is that with so many really good stores that stock kamado grilling accessories (you can find them with a Google search) I don’t want to be accused of steering business to one place and away from another. Finally, I have absolutely no experience with the vast majority of those products and I don't feel qualified to speak about them We have a number of good Maniacs here, Breadhead ​and even a Moderator, fuzzydaddy, who are much more knowledgeable so I'm hoping that they will append their accoutrement here and discuss them at length.

    So let’s talk about the basics that you’ll need to really bring out the power of your kamado in a cook. Please also understand that I’m a big proponent of using the proper tool for the job. I don’t believe in cobbling together a make-do solution for a lot of different reasons.

    Every kamado cook needs a really good means of grabbing onto hot grates, skillets, pizza stones, etc. I use welders’ gauntlets and have for years.

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    These gloves have served me well for years (as you can probably tell) and I like the part that covers my forearms. I picked these up at a Welders’ Supply Store for under $20 or so about 5 years ago. They’re rugged and they last. If you spill some liquid on them, they are water resistant and you’re not going to hurt yourself.

    HEAT DEFLECTORS
    To my mind every standard sized (18” in diameter or better) kamado cooker needs some good heat deflectors. Heat deflectors serve the purpose of turning your kamado into a convection oven and protecting your cooks from the direct heat of the burning charcoal. Further, heat deflectors serve to eliminate most hot spots in your cooker. Most hot spots in kamados using heat deflectors are found around the annulus between the edge of the heat deflector and the kamado wall. In the picture below, note that I have marked those spaces between the heat deflector and the kamado wall.

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    ​As has been the case here, I think it important to bring in other types of equipment. I have a really good BBQ speciality store close by, Everything Barbecue ; they are a BGE shop. Here is a picture of the BGE heat deflector. Previously known as a "Plate Setter" it's now known as a "convEGGtor" which according to BGE turns your Egg into an "outdoor convection oven." This heat deflector can be used in two configurations "feet up" or "feet down."

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    Here is the BGE convEGGtor in the feet up position inside a Large BGE at Everything Barbecue.

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    You would normally use the BGE convEGGtor in this configuration with a drip pan in between the feet catch all dripping from the grate that would rest directly on top of the convEGGtor feet.

    ​Finally, here are a couple of pictures of the heat deflector for Weber's new Summit Charcoal Grill. While I know that the Weber Summit Charcoal Grill is not specifically a kamado, i think it instructive to include it.Notice how close it fits to the Summit wall.


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    Here is a shot with the "Wings" raised. This configuration allows one to add briquettes during the cook and also allows you to control the amount of heat getting past the deflector and increasing the convection within the Summit.

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    I know some really good kamado cookers who do not use a heat deflector and they put some incredibly gorgeous food on a plate. They use the fat cap on butts and briskets and place those meats fat cap down. They like the flavor that the fat dripping on hot coals imparts to the meat. The fat cap protects the cook and really gives the cook a nice bark on that side. I’m much more of a traditionalist and It is seldom that I don’t use a heat deflector, especially when cooking large clods of meat in a low-n-slow or braising and especially when baking.

    Many kamado cookers chose not to purchase the heat deflectors designed specifically for their kamado. Instead, these people will use things such as aluminum pizza pans, clay bottoms that you set clay planters in, kiln shelves, or cast iron skillets with the handle sawn off, etc. I’ve seen folks try and use marble or granite scraps they get from a friend who owns a counter top store. Yeah, these make-shift solutions work, but there is always a down side to this and we’ll cover those downsides now for heat deflectors.

    Pizza pans are made of aluminum and aluminum melts at about 1,218F (659C). According to Wikipedia, lump burns at something like 4,890F (2,700C). Now we are not going to get that hot in a kamado, but I’ve seen aluminum foil decompose in kamados.

    Clay flower pot bottom are not even close to being something that I’d put in my kamado. The simple reason is that these tan/brown formed clay utensils aren’t designed to take even the low temps of a low-n-slow cook much less the high temps associate with pizza cooks. I’ve seen them shatter mid-cook and that really puts a halt to the whole show. So too with stone heat deflectors made from granite or marble. They shatter all too easily; there types of make shift heat deflectors simply aren’t worth it to my mind. They are just not worth it.

    Kiln shelves are capable of serving as a heat deflector, but they aren’t designed for your specific kamado. This means that the kamado will not function as well as if you have the manufacturers’ heat deflector that is designed for that specific kamado.
    '

    So, I hope you see that a proper heat deflector is a necessity to a wide range of cooks. A properly designed heat deflector costs just a few dollars; given that you’ve invested the kinds of dollars it takes to get into kamado cooking, why not just invest in a good heat deflector designed by your kamado’s manufacturer. Lastly, using any accessory NOT designed by the manufacturer may actually void your manufacturer’s warranty, and nobody wants that to happen!

    PIZZA STONES
    Akin to heat deflectors are baking stones/steels. These should never be used as heat deflectors. A heat deflector has a much different purpose than a baking stone and steel. Baking stones and steels are specifically designed with specific thermal properties that help you bake. Notice in the picture below the difference between that picture of my KK baking stone and its cousin, the KK heat deflectors. The baking stone has a highly finished surface that makes sliding pizza or bread on and off the stone quite easy.

    ​Pizza stones are generally not sold with the basic kamado package out the door. I really like the taste of kamado pizza. It's quick, easy and tastes for all the world a lot like wood fired pizza from a dedicated woodburning oven. Here is picture of the baking stone for TheBeast, my KK BB 32. This thing weighs in at 42 pounds and can really put a lot of heat into a pizza in a big hurry. This picture shows it sitting on top of the extended cooking grate and gets the stone high in the dome of TheBeast. Thus, the pizza get baked from both above and below.

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    BGE makes a fine pizza stone as well. It's not nearly as thick as the pizza stone pictured above, but I used a BGE pizza stone for a lot of years like the one pictured below to great effect. I baked a lot of pizza, bread, and desserts on my BGE pizza stone and never heard one complaint.

    ​Here are a couple of pictures of the BGE pizza stone for the Lg. BGE.


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    Here is picture of the BGE pizza stone sitting on the main cooking grate with the BGE heat deflector, the convEGGtor in the feet down position.

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    Pizza stones are almost as handy as heat deflectors. I've used every manor of manufacturers' pizza stone in my BGEs, Primo Oval XL, and now in my KKs. They are really indispensable for baking pizzas (DUH!), desserts of any stripe, i.e. cakes, cobblers, pies, etc. and without a good baking stone, breads would be impossible. Our Friend, Breadhead will take us though kamado baking in short order. He's forgotten more in that area than I'll ever figure out.

    Finally, I prefer to spend a little extra money from the outset to purchase the heat deflectors and pizza stones designed to be used in your specific kamado. I know and understand some of you good kamado cooking Maniacs would chose other options. but I don't think it's worth the risk of exploding natural stone, metals melting, etc. to save a few bucks. That's just me and I do realize there is a real diversity of opinion.

    Okay, I'm going to shut up now!

    Questions? Comments? Thoughts?

    #2
    Breadhead Another nice write up!! Broil King doesn't offer a heat deflector like Green Egg. They offer the water pan deal. Which is now what I use under my gutter to prop it up off the ground! Because the Keg and the Large Green Egg are the same size, their parts are interchangeable!!! I have the BGE deflector and I love it. It changed my ribs and shoulders over night. The difference is amazing. I find that my temps are much easier to control and much much more steady.

    CeramicChef One question for you gentlemen. How do I go about eliminating, or at least, mitigate the hot spots around the annulus? I don't have huge hot spots, and they are not a huge problem, but it would be nice to minimize them as much as possible. Do you guys do anything or do you just take it as something you have to deal with?

    Thanks!!

    -John
    Last edited by Spinaker; June 16, 2016, 09:23 AM.

    Comment


      #3
      ......
      Last edited by Breadhead; June 16, 2016, 09:34 AM.

      Comment


      • Spinaker
        Spinaker commented
        Editing a comment
        Picture isn't working man

      #4
      This is a recent cook I did of a low Country boil that confirms CeramicChef 's claim that your Kamado will melt aluminum foil during a hot cook. I was trying to get the water in this huge pot to boil.👍 This is Reynold's Wraps heavy duty Grill grade of foil too.
      Last edited by Breadhead; June 16, 2016, 09:47 AM.

      Comment


      • Breadhead
        Breadhead commented
        Editing a comment
        Hmmm... I've never had a problem posting pictures before. Is this part of the website transition problem, maybe?

      • CeramicChef
        CeramicChef commented
        Editing a comment
        Wowzers!

        I'm having trouble seeing you pics as well.

      #5
      Spinaker ... This post was 100% CeramicChef work.

      I've never figured out a way to eliminate the hot spots from the open spots between the heat deflector and the walls of the ceramic shell. I try to either elevate my food up away from it or I try to place my food directly over the deflector. Maybe CeramicChef has a better solution though.

      Comment


      • Breadhead
        Breadhead commented
        Editing a comment
        Cool... But CeramicChef is the director, I'm just a contributor.👍

      • CeramicChef
        CeramicChef commented
        Editing a comment
        Breadhead - I did a rather long post to answer Spinaker below, but you are right. Hot spots are just a fact of life. For that matter, so are cold spots in the kamado shell. All I can say is spend time with your kamado and get to know it.

      • Breadhead
        Breadhead commented
        Editing a comment
        If I'm cooking 3 pork butts I make sure to put a probe in each. That way if I have one cooking faster toward a hot spot I can rotate them to keep things balanced. If I'm cooking 2 butts I use 2 grates. And put 1 directly above the other one, both protected from direct heat by the heat deflector.

      #6
      Originally posted by Spinaker View Post
      Breadhead Another nice write up!! Broil King doesn't offer a heat deflector like Green Egg. They offer the water pan deal. Which is now what I use under my gutter to prop it up off the ground! Because the Keg and the Large Green Egg are the same size, their parts are interchangeable!!! I have the BGE deflector and I love it. It changed my ribs and shoulders over night. The difference is amazing. I find that my temps are much easier to control and much much more steady.

      CeramicChef One question for you gentlemen. How do I go about eliminating, or at least, mitigate the hot spots around the annulus? I don't have huge hot spots, and they are not a huge problem, but it would be nice to minimize them as much as possible. Do you guys do anything or do you just take it as something you have to deal with?

      Thanks!!

      -John
      Spinaker - hot spots are a fact of life in just about any oven I know. That's a fact of life.

      To mitigate hot spots, I'd light my fire in the dead center of the lump pile, build up everything to get ready for the cook, i.e. heat deflector, drip pan, main grate, etc. and heat soak everything until it came to temp. Then the cook goes in the center of the grate. That's sometimes tough to do if you're cooking multiple racks of ribs. For big clods like butts, briskets, etc. I try and keep them in the center. I'll have one point at the 12 and the other at the 6. If they are particularly big briskets, I've been known to put a foil wrapped fire brick under the middle of the briskets.

      I've been know to actually make use of the hot spots in my kamados by holding off on say a bean cook and then place the bean pot right over the hot spot near the annulus. That turbo cooks the beans and absorbs some of the heat coming out of that hot spot.

      I've also used some hot spots as a means of doing a secondary cook, i.e. hot dogs or burgers for kids. You have to be really careful not to upset the equilibrium of the cooker by opening/closing the lid too much. The burgers get smoked that way as do the dogs. Note however that the dogs will cook MUCH faster than the burger will get smoked.

      Finally, I would say this about hot spots. They're typically airflow dependent. In my BGE I had a hot post directly across from the bottom vent no matter what I did. I could adjust my fire ring so that the plate setter, i.e. convEGGtor, was right above that spot, but then I just created a couple of smaller spots on either side of the plate setter's leg. It wasn't a big deal. It's the airflow that is specific to your kamado that really determine what and where you'll find hot spot. It's all a game that kamados like to play with their keepers!

      Comment


      • Breadhead
        Breadhead commented
        Editing a comment
        My BGE has that same hot spot CeramicChef ...

        It's the way the air flows in through the bottom vent. It goes in and bounces off the back wall and goes up. I do think the back wall is always the hot spot in a round ceramic cooker. I too make sure my fire ring has a notch right dead center on that back wall spot, thinking that will divert the air flow a little bit.
        Last edited by Breadhead; June 16, 2016, 04:43 PM.

      • Spinaker
        Spinaker commented
        Editing a comment
        Thanks! I don't have huge problems with hot spots. I was just curious. Anyway to try and get an edge in the Kamado game!! CeramicChef

      #7
      CeramicChef great basics.

      Comment


      • CeramicChef
        CeramicChef commented
        Editing a comment
        LA Pork Butt - thank you. I'm looking forward to getting on to the cooking and much more interesting things than just the base basics. I'm looking forward to posts by Breadhead, fuzzydaddy, etc. in their respective areas of expertise. That should be fun, informative, and interesting!

      #8
      CeramicChef thank you for another great writeup and photos in this series. When I purchased my XL Big Green Egg last year I decided to try an indirect setup using a stainless steel Woo and stone from an established and respected company, CeramicGrillStore.com ("CGS"). Here's a turkey recipe on NibbleMeThis.com where Chris Grove also reviews CGS products (spider, stone, adjustable rig, grids).

      Here's what CGS says about their stones:

      "We offer cordierite formulated Ceramic Stones with 5/8-inch thickness. The material and thickness allow the stones to take significant punishment. However, we do not recommend routinely shocking any stone with big temperature swings. Whenever possible, let the stone warm up and cool down with the cooker. Our Ceramic Stones are made in the USA."

      This is my indirect setup where the stock XL BGE cooking grid is sitting on the top ring of the Woo. The foil wrapped drip pan is covering the round stone, with both on the Woo's lower ring. The Woo has 3 legs and is sitting on top of the fire ring (not in the notches).
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      This is the Woo sitting in the notches of the fire ring, with a 16" x 20" stainless steel grid. This setup places the grid approximately 3" above the top of the fire box.
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      I've not encountered any issues with this setup and I like the flexibility of it, though I've only used it for indirect cooks. I have not ruled out buying the convEGGtor, but so far I see no need for it.

      I'll be glad to answer any questions!

      Comment


      • CeramicChef
        CeramicChef commented
        Editing a comment
        fuzzydaddy - great! We appreciate you telling us about your Woo and stone. You bring up an excellent point - don't really shock your system. Slow and steady is best. Do you have a pic of the stone by itself? Thanks in advance.

      • BGWolf
        BGWolf commented
        Editing a comment
        I also have a Woo & stone I use 3 setups:

        1. I set the woo outside the fire ring notches, with the stone on the lower ring for indirect
        2. For searing, I set the woo in the notches & put a CI grid in lower ring
        3. I set the woo (outside the notches) -No stone- to raise the grid for raised direct

      #9
      How are you people getting your grates so clean? I use soap and water, and while it is clean and doesn't have any negative flavors, I've given up on shiny grates.

      Comment


      • CeramicChef
        CeramicChef commented
        Editing a comment
        scottranda - My grates are as black as midnight. I use my Grill Floss on them after a high temp burn and then I brush them with a stiff nylon brush. They are black. But, nothing sticks to them and they are, according to my MD and microbiologist buddies very safe and clean.

      • Breadhead
        Breadhead commented
        Editing a comment
        Guest ... My grates are black too. I do lots of very high temperature cooks at 500° or over and that burns off any potential health problems. After a high temp cook I scrub them with a good wire brush and don't worry about it. I never scrub them with soap and water.

      #10
      My shiny grates were still new.

      Comment


        #11
        CeramicChef : As always, thanks for the awesome info!

        Comment


        • CeramicChef
          CeramicChef commented
          Editing a comment
          kingdarb - thanks for the feedback. I sincerely appreciate your comment.

        #12
        Sorry everyone but I can't find a photo of my stone and I'm 450 miles away from my BGE, so here's a photo from Ceramic Grill Store's website. It's 5/8" thick.
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          #13
          This may be in the wrong Kamado thread, but is it possible to cook directly over the coals? One set up that I think works well is the Meadow Creek BBQ series where they cook their chicken pieces about 18" from a bed of coals. I used to do this with my PBC and with my WSM. I just love the way chicken turns out when it's cooked directly over a fire but at a distance from the coals. Do the juices put out your fire in your ceramic (since you use smaller fires)?
          Last edited by Beefchop; June 23, 2016, 09:15 AM. Reason: clarity

          Comment


          • CeramicChef
            CeramicChef commented
            Editing a comment
            Beefchop - the great thing about Kamado Cooking is that kamados are so versatile. I have some Friends who never use deflector plates and cook everything directly over the burning lump. That's also the way those of us with rotisseries cook. So yeah, you can do cooks without heat deflectors.

          • Beefchop
            Beefchop commented
            Editing a comment
            Thanks CeramicChef!

          #14
          I'm back with my BGE again, so here's a photo of my actual indirect piece. Also, I took some measurements and when the Woo is sitting on the fire ring, the Woo's lower ring is about 2.75" above a full load of lump, and when the Woo is sitting in the fire ring notches, it's lower ring is about 2.25" above a full load of lump.

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          • CeramicChef
            CeramicChef commented
            Editing a comment
            fuzzydaddy - that is one VERY clean gasket! Just replaced, maybe?

            Thanks for this post. Always good to see alternative setups that get us to the same place. Thanks again!

            Welcome "home"? This two state home thing confuses me!

          • fuzzydaddy
            fuzzydaddy commented
            Editing a comment
            CeramicChef the gasket is the original. It should not be white but it still is. I have my Jumbo Joe and 22" Kettle in FL and my BGE and 26" Kettle in TN. We're back and forth every 2 weeks. I wake up some mornings and think...where am I today!

          • LA Pork Butt
            LA Pork Butt commented
            Editing a comment
            fuzzydaddy I get it. We did the back and forth thing between LA and TX for three years. It was't quite as frequent as you, but it was staying at our son's with grandchildren until we bought in January. Move is complete.

          #15
          I stumble on to some information regarding hot spots in a Kamado. I got this info from the NakidWhiz.

          I've noticed a hot spot in my fires. What can I do about it?
          You may notice a hot spot develop in your fires that is at the back of the cooker, and possibly a little to the right of center. This is a natural result of the fact that the lower vent is at the front and a little to the left of center. When air enters the cooker through the bottom vent, it more or less shoots into the bottom of the firebox and crosses to the back and then is directed up the back of the fire box. As you can probably guess this extra flow of air will cause the fire to grow faster and hotter where it comes up the back side of the cooker.

          Some things you can do to deal with this hot spot are:
          • Rotate your grid so as to give all the food equal time over the hot spot.
          • If you are using a plate setter for either indirect cooking or for pizza, place one leg at the back. This will encourage the air to spread to either side of the leg, thus spreading the hot spot into a hot region.
          • Rotate the firebox so that the hole in the base does not line up directly with the lower vent. Be warned, though, that this will restrict airflow and make it difficult to get hotter temperatures.

          Comment

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