I get great performance out of my Chargriller Akorn, and it was $300 assembled (at lowes).

quote:

Originally posted by ScorpionBoy:
I get great performance out of my Chargriller Akorn, and it was $300 assembled (at lowes).

I just picked up an Akorn at lowes the other week on sale for $269. I only used it once so far and made a chuck roast. 8 hrs later it was delicious. There seems to be a learning curve where small adjustments can drastically change the temps. I few more cooks and I think I will be confident to let it cook over night unattended.

If you do spring for an Egg, your fun has just started - Head on over to the Ceramic Grill Store for a multitude of cool, very quality accessories. Their pizza stones don't crack.

Mike

I got a Kamado Joe classic. Better value than a bge and is very similar quality wise.

Best money I've spent in a long time.

quote:

Originally posted by gpbst3:

quote:

Originally posted by ScorpionBoy:
I get great performance out of my Chargriller Akorn, and it was $300 assembled (at lowes).

I just picked up an Akorn at lowes the other week on sale for $269. I only used it once so far and made a chuck roast. 8 hrs later it was delicious. There seems to be a learning curve where small adjustments can drastically change the temps. I few more cooks and I think I will be confident to let it cook over night unattended.

For the Joe, I use the large vent on the bottom for major temperature adjustments and the daisy wheel on top for minor adjustments. Seems to work well. I'd imagine the Akorn can be similarly controlled.

It is exactly like that. In most cases you only need the bottom vent open to Half, yes Half, before the 1. It looks closed but its not. The important part is to watch it while its getting up to your preferred temperature. If you go over your temp its difficult to get it back down. I will start with the bottom open to 1 and the top open about halfway, once temp is about 10° below what I'm aiming for i close the bottom vent to Half (.5) and the top i leave cracked about a half inch, maybe less.

The thermometer that comes with it is either off or the grate temp is just higher, but i always do things as if the thermometer reads 50 under. The mrs got me a wireless grill thermometer and it reads 50 higher at the grate than the lid thermometer.

If you do decide on th Kamado Joe, here is a link to the 2017 model.

https://www.bbqguys.com/kamado...anding-ceramic-grill

It comes with the new hinge, that allows you to drop the lid and stays open (halfway) the new improved top vent (so you can use it easier in the rain & snow) the new modular fire box.

And the complete divide & conquer system.

Grill puller, and grate brush, so including all the goodies it is good deal, and I figure buy once cry once.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: archerman,

A worthwhile upgrade:

Stainless Steel Chimney

The stock cast iron one was a bitch to use. It would also flop around when opening/closing the lid. Plus, I can cook in the pouring rain now.

quote:

Originally posted by archerman:
If you do decide on th Kamado Joe, here is a link to the 2017 model.

https://www.bbqguys.com/kamado...anding-ceramic-grill

It comes with the new hinge, that allows you to drop the lid and stays open (halfway) the new improved top vent (so you can use it easier in the rain & snow) the new modular fire box.

And the complete divide & conquer system.

Grill puller, and grate brush, so including all the goodies it is good deal, and I figure buy once cry once.

Wow! I don't think NEED is too strong a word

quote:

Originally posted by flesheatingvirus:
A worthwhile upgrade:

Stainless Steel Chimney

The stock cast iron one was a bitch to use. It would also flop around when opening/closing the lid. Plus, I can cook in the pouring rain now.

I can cook rain or snow too and it only cost $6 or $8 at Home Despot for a 6" chimney cap (snug fit over BGE top vent).

Well...Yeah! But mine looks fancier.

Can you adjust it?

quote:

Originally posted by flesheatingvirus:
Well...Yeah! But mine looks fancier.

Can you adjust it?

Agreed that yours looks better and is fancier.

I've got the required gaps on the BGE cast iron vent down to a science so no need to adjust. I just set it, slide the cap over the top, and set a brick on it. Of course, it helps that I have a BBQ Guru on the other vent.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:

quote:

Originally posted by flesheatingvirus:
A worthwhile upgrade:

Stainless Steel Chimney

The stock cast iron one was a bitch to use. It would also flop around when opening/closing the lid. Plus, I can cook in the pouring rain now.

I can cook rain or snow too and it only cost $6 or $8 at Home Despot for a 6" chimney cap (snug fit over BGE top vent).

Funny to see this picture, Todd, then scroll down and see "N Houston, TX" for a location. You DO get around.

Question about smoking. I watched the video posted above about smoking a pork butt in a Kamado Joe. The guy said something to the effect: "If I see the smoke die down, I'll just add more wood chunks." It looked like the only way to add more wood--in both BGE and KJ is to open it up and essentially remove everything to get down to the charcoal and seasoning wood, add the wood, then put everything back in, bring temp back up and stabilize, etc. Is that right? Looks like a PIA; would that need to happen very often?

Not for me it doesnt, Snake charcoal method with wood chunks placed at specific points and I smoke for about 20 hours before I have to add more.

quote:

Question about smoking. I watched the video posted above about smoking a pork butt in a Kamado Joe. The guy said something to the effect: "If I see the smoke die down, I'll just add more wood chunks." It looked like the only way to add more wood--in both BGE and KJ is to open it up and essentially remove everything to get down to the charcoal and seasoning wood, add the wood, then put everything back in, bring temp back up and stabilize, etc. Is that right? Looks like a PIA; would that need to happen very often?

You should never have to add any wood in the BGE.
It will excessively smoke in the beginning and then lessen.
This is normal.
It is better to not open the hatch too much > " If you are lookin' you are not cookin' "

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
Question about smoking. I watched the video posted above about smoking a pork butt in a Kamado Joe. The guy said something to the effect: "If I see the smoke die down, I'll just add more wood chunks." It looked like the only way to add more wood--in both BGE and KJ is to open it up and essentially remove everything to get down to the charcoal and seasoning wood, add the wood, then put everything back in, bring temp back up and stabilize, etc. Is that right? Looks like a PIA; would that need to happen very often?

Like smschulz said, " If you are lookin' you are not cookin' "

However, there are grates that make this much faster if you're so inclinded.

Access hinge - https://www.amazon.com/Luxury-...-Green/dp/B007XNQFAG

Oval grids -


I've never felt the need to spend money on the grates since I don't recall ever having to add more charcoal (even on 8+ hour pork butts and 12+ hour brisket).

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Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

I have the Adjustable Rig grates on my XL and after a Thermapen feel they are the best accessory I own. It makes it easy to get a pizza near the top of the dome for more even baking and I have cooked sixty five pounds of Boston Butt at once for a neighbor kids graduation party. I could have easily added a couple more butts if required. This was a low and slow cook and I had charcoal to spare at the end of the cook. The AR/Woo2 setup gets rid of all the jury rigged combinations of junk I had contrived in the past for different types of cooks. Knowing what I know now I would never have bought the plate setter and flimsy raised grid for the BGE and just bought this setup right away. When I got the AR I gave away all the other junk I had accumulated.

Just to be clear. The cook in the KJ video above, that I referenced, did not say anything about the possible necessity of adding more charcoal. He indicated the possibility of adding more of the apple and pecan wood he was using for the smoking of the pork butt. At the end of the video, it wasn't stated whether he did, in fact, add more. I'm seriously interested in one of these ceramic-type cookers. Wondered if that was an issue; obviously, with an indirect smoker, adding more chunks of flavoring wood is easy-peasy.

I will mix the wood chunks in with my lump charcoal and at 225-235 it will run for around 22 hrs without having to add anything, its also my understanding after the meat hits 140 it will no longer take on any more smoke flavor.
This is in a large BGE.

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
Just to be clear. The cook in the KJ video above, that I referenced, did not say anything about the possible necessity of adding more charcoal. He indicated the possibility of adding more of the apple and pecan wood he was using for the smoking of the pork butt. At the end of the video, it wasn't stated whether he did, in fact, add more. I'm seriously interested in one of these ceramic-type cookers. Wondered if that was an issue; obviously, with an indirect smoker, adding more chunks of flavoring wood is easy-peasy.

Most of us are lighting our Kamodo's using the minion method where you're lighting it from the top of the charcoal pile. For longer smokes (e.g. pork butt or brisket) we intersperse our wood chunks throughout the layers of lump charcoal. We're controlling the airflow top and bottom to control temp so the bed of coals will slowly light adjacent areas on fire. Having the wood chunks interspersed throughout means we have smoke throughout. Additionally, since moving to Texas I have more access to a greater variety of lump charcoal (options were limited in Canada and Alaska) so my lump charcoal is oak which is darn good on its own so I only add a little bit of hickory for beef and pork.

I've tried a bunch of methods to light mine:

Big Green Egg All Natural Charcoal Starters - 2nd favorite way. Extremely reliable and inexpensive. Great way to start out before buying more expensive ways.

Charcoal Chimney - 3rd favorite way. Liked it at first, but started running into reliability problems with it (newspaper would light nice but wouldn't light charcoal). I pitched it.

Red Dragon VT 1-32 C 25000 BTU Mini Weed Dragon Propane Vapor Torch Kit . Lights it fast, but lots of sparks which resulted in burns marks in shirt and was a little nervous I'd start a fire. Also, I only used this in the summer in Alaska because I was afraid that getting it hot so fast may crack the ceramics. I haven't used this method in over 2 years.

Looftlighter 70018 Fire Lighting Tool. this is my favorite way. I bought it when I moved to Houston and I haven't used another starter method since. It's quick, but doesn't require propane and doesn't spark as much.

Regardless of the starting method. I start 3 small fires on the top of the charcoal about 120 deg apart. It gets a nice even temperature fire, and I've done brisket and pork shoulder overnight in Canada in the winter with this method. Never needed to add either smoking wood or charcoal.

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Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.