Nice - Thanks for the review!
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Glad you are feeling better and got around to trying the new rig!
Thanks for the write up.
You mentioned that your fire went out; what type of fuel are you using? Are you using a charcoal basket in the grill?Comment
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Spinaker I did not have a charcoal basket. This was part of the learning for me, not knowing the right amount of fuel to start with. And it was hard to see under the diffuser how much I had left. I know @BabyBackManiac uses the kick ash baskets for most of his grills, but it didn’t seem like a required upgrade in all the research I’ve done. What are your thoughts?Last edited by Rokfather; July 14, 2022, 05:49 PM.
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Rokfather I have KABs in all of my kamados. It really helps with airflow and allowing the ash to fall through to the ash pan, keeping that fire hot and breathing pretty. Lump is a great fuel source.....you can reuse the fuel you don't use on each cook. I have never had good luck doing this with Kingsford of briquettes. The binders tend to suck up moisture after a cook, making relighting tough and getting an even cook the next time can be tough to achieve. If you get a KAB, remove the fire grate at the bottom of the fire bowl, and just use the KAB. Remember, the more airflow, the better.
One thing to consider, is filling the charcoal box up totally. You will always have enough fuel for your cook. Once your cook is done, simply close up the vents an the fire will go out. Then on the next cook, shake out the basket, and light your fire. Lump has very low ash when compared to briquettes. It is also reusable in the sense that you can relight unused lump, which is another reason I always use lump over briquettes.
Buying a high quality lump helps too. B&B Charcoal, FOGO, Kamado Joe Big Block are the brands that I use. These offer nice big pieces that allow for great airflow and less chance your fire will go out. You get a good range of charcoal sizes with in each bag. From huge pieces to small ones, this range in sizes help keep you fire going.
Another thing to check out.......this is a fantastic article on how to get going with kamados.
Taming the Savage Kamado.Comment
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Spinaker This is very helpful info. I've been hesitant to mess with lump but the guidance addresses some of the challenges I've had in the past. Both the new grill and my SNS low profile are compatible with lump, so I need to try it again. I have only used the Royal Oak brand so far and it tends to be too small.
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Rokfather , I thought I had shared my lighting instructions for the WSCGC with you, but in case I haven't, you might enjoy reading through them.:
Kathryn's WSCGC Kamado Mode Lighting Instructions
Note: 1 scoop full = 40 coals or ½ chimney
1a. (Skip this step if you have the diffuser plate with holes in it.) Foil the Ash Bucket and the Diffuser Plate.
1b. Wipe the (previously cleaned) grate down with a disinfectant wipe and then wipe down again with water. Set out two disposable aluminum pans for drip pans to be set on the diffuser plate, or, if you want to keep the juices from boiling off, use ceramic spacers and a 16-20 inch diameter drip pan.
2. Use 2.5 scoops for short cooks like ribs or chicken and 4 scoops for long cooks like pork butt, chuck or brisket. Four scoops will give you about 10-12 hours of decent temps (250° or more). Spread them pretty evenly on the charcoal grate. Top with 5-6 chunks of wood (4 to 6 oz each). Don't put a wood chunk directly over the igniter. 5 to 6 chunks will give you about 5 hours of beautiful blue smoke. For short cooks, use 1 chunk of wood. (Reminder: 1 Weber scoop holds about 40 coals, about half a chimney.)
3. Start the SnapJet ignition going. Let it run for exactly 5 minutes with the lid open and bottom vent fully open.
If you don't have the SnapJet igniter with your model, you can start the fire using a modified Soo Donut (Minion) method:- Remove 15 coals from the pile on the charcoal grate to the chimney and light using a Weber cube for 20 minutes or until the topmost coals are ashed over.
- Make a modified Soo Donut by placing a coffee can in the center of the grate and positioning the unlit coals and the wood around it. Position the wood so that as the fire burns out, it will sequentially light. Remove the can so there is a hole, making a charcoal-shaped donut.
- Also place a few handfuls of wood chips near the periphery of the coal for a last burst of good smoke.
- Pour the burning coals into the center of the donut.
4. After the 5 minute ignition, turn off the SnapJet igniter. Add the diffuser plate, two aluminum drip pans and the food grate. Attach the ambient probes to the grate. Close the lid, flip down the top vent but leave the holes fully open (bottom vent still fully open) and watch the temperature climb.
5. When you're about 70 degrees from your goal temperature, close the bottom vent to the smoke setting (or just below if your WSCGC runs hot) and close the top vent to 1/2 or less, again, depending on your Weber. I like to have the lower vent just above the blue tape and the top vent at 1/3 to ride out the cook.
6. Before adding meat, oil the grate with a soaked paper towel to give it some lubrication.
More Notes:
If using KBB, there's a ton of white smoke until the Weber gets around 225-250, then it settles out to white wispy/blue smoke for several hours. If the smoke is pure white (no grey), I'll put the cold meat on at 180°F grate level temp so it can get a jump on the smoke flavor. I feel (but don't know for sure) that adding that cold mass helps to keep the temperatures from running away. I've done it both ways--adding the meat early at 180°F and adding it at 225°F, and honestly, if I keep an eye on the temp, I've yet to have a runaway smoker.
With B&B Briquettes, there's no billowing white smoke. Just nice smoke pretty much right after shutting off the SnapJet. I use 3 scoops of B&B and one scoop of KBB, because the KBB lights more quickly. I place the KBB briquettes closer to the SnapJet side and spread the B&B briquettes around it. Ditto with Weber Briquettes.
Smoking in the 250-270 range: A 4-scoop-load of coals (Kingsford Original) lasts about 8-9 hours at that setting. I set the lower vent to just above (to the right of) the smoker setting and the upper vent to 1/3 open.
For cooking at or below 250, I close the lower vent to just below the smoker setting (to the left of it) and set the upper vent to 1/4 open. At 250 or less, I can get about 10-12 hours of smoke out of a single 4-scoop-load of Kingsford Original coals.
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