Tending the fire

[jjdbike]

Hey everyone,

Mr. Karue engineered our beloved KB cookers to cook w/ clean smoke. That being said, have you all noticed a difference in the quietly of the smoke flavor depending on how you tend your fire?

I have def noticed it.

When I stay right there next to it, and consistently feed splits and fluff coals to keep consistant roaring flames, the smoke lavor is cleaner and more subtle.

When I leave trying to get other things done (e.g. every 20 - 40 mins), and the fire yo-yos, the smoke flavor is not as clean and has hints of that undesierable dirty smoke, even with only the bottom poppet open.

I know this sounds like "duh captain obvious". My point is, that even though this cooker is awesome and easier to maintain clean smoke that an offset, it still requires attention to achieve best results.

Have you all found this to be true as well?

JD

[Ronaldf123]

Honestly I have never just hung around and tended the fire. I’m usually too busy grabbing another beer. The only time I noticed a dirtier smoke was when I opened the top poppet by mistake. I use oak splits mostly. I’ll have to experiment.

[jjdbike]

Yes,
Come to think of it, I may have accidentally opened the top poppet.
JD

[CALNZ]

I think keeping a good coal bed does seem to make a difference. Yesterday I reset my log timer but forgot to run out and add a log, this led to the coal bed getting too low and I could see the fire getting sucked through the holes in the coal grate rather than the smoke getting "cleaned" by going through the coal bed. I had to light a chimney of charcoal to reset the coal bed.

I’ve also found if the wood I’m using doesn’t "coal" well and fall apart easily into nice sized coals, then even when you have been feeding logs often you can get gaps in your coal bed.

I could be imagining things but I am sure the smoke I can see coming out the exhaust is noticeably "blue" vs "clear" (I.e. dirtier) when the holes in grate are exposed.

tamping the coals a little into a nice even bed while adding logs seems to be an important part of KBQ attending.

[CALNZ]

Oh also, again it might not make that much difference but I often leave lid off for a minute after adding a log to the fire to let the log catch properly before putting lid back on, seems to get slightly less smouldering smoke coming out of the firebox this way.

But this, plus tamping coals into a nice bed when adding logs, have just become habit and I can still leave the unit to its thing for at least 20 mins between logs so pretty easy to manage (I set my iPhone timer to 25 mins and the process of adding, tamping, waiting for log to catch - takes A few mins each time).

[frigate]

CALNZ when you are adding logs and dealing with the coal bed do you turn off the fan?

[CALNZ]

Yep, I either wait until the fan stops, or I switch it off. The extension cord I use has a switch on the plug which is super useful. I don’t like the smoke blowing on me when I open the door, and I also don’t want ash on the food when I tamp the coals.

[TripleB]

"I know this sounds like "duh captain obvious". My point is, that even though this cooker is awesome and easier to maintain clean smoke that an offset, it still requires attention to achieve best results.

Have you all found this to be true as well?"

No, I don't believe it requires attention to achieve best results. The KBQ is an offset, just with an ATC. I don't find it any easier to maintain clean smoke on the KBQ than my Jambo. What is easier is tending the fire and maintaining a good coal bed because I don't have to open up the firebox door to inspect.

How are you using your poppets? Both open, top closed/bottom open, top open/bottom closed? I find this affects the smoke flavor.