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| Dances With Tornados |
I'm not making a recommendation, but I'm curious about a "Charcoal Caddy Storage Bin" to keep the charcoal in? I recently had a bag get wet, actually thoroughly soaked, by a surprise rainstorm. Ended up throwing it out. And, to keep your hands clean, a "Charcoal Scoop", resembles a big ice scoop? Thanks! | |||
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Drill Here, Drill Now |
See my first post on last page about my charcoal bins IMO, not necessary with the bins I purchased. The have a flap lid on one end and handle on the other end so I can pour into the BGE. 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. | |||
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Member |
Ditto on the mapgas torch for lighting the charcoal. I cook on it about 3 times a week. I have a dedicated shop vac that I use to vacuum out the cold ash from the bottom before I start the fire. I like the Grill Grate for grilling steaks and burgers. If you intend to do any long cooks in your smoker, definitely the Digi-Q temp controller from Barbecue Guru. I have had it hold the temp at 225 for up to 16 hours many times, and it makes life so much easier. I have a large and an extra large BGE. When all the family is here and we are feeding 20-25 people the large just was not big enough. I built nest tables from cypress and the egg sits on a paving stone. Heavy duty casters on the table so I can move it around. Accessories are kept under the table in water tight bins. CMSGT USAF (Retired) Chief of Police (Retired) | |||
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| Dances With Tornados |
^^^^^^ Sorry, MaterTodd, I missed that. Lol. Thank you. | |||
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| Drill Here, Drill Now |
The OP doesn't say where he lives. When I lived in Alaska, during the summer I used to light my BGE with a mini weedburner hooked up via 6' hose to a 20 lb propane tank. It worked great and kept my hands further from the charcoal than a MAP. However, during the winter I didn't use it as I was concerned about heating up the ceramic too fast. Instead, I used 3 firestarter blocks and brought it up to temp slower. Since moving to Texas, I've switched to a Looftlighter (straight heat gun instead of right angle heat gun) and I have a lot less holes in my shirts from sparks than I did from my propane torch days. 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. | |||
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| Drill Here, Drill Now |
 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. | |||
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E tan e epi tas |
Once again all I appreciate all the info. Once I get around to getting this thing I am going to pick your brains for some slow cook / smoked meat /barbecue type recipes/tips. Brisket and turkey come to mind. "Guns are tools. The only weapon ever created was man." | |||
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Fighting the good fight |
I wouldn't start with brisket if you've never smoked before. It takes more know-how, technique, and time than many other meats, and they're fairly expensive so you'd be wasting more money if you really muck it up. (It happens.) Smoking a turkey breast or two is much easier, cheaper, and quicker. Or a pork butt would be another good option for a first try, since they're about as close to foolproof as you can get when it comes to classic smoked BBQ meats. Lemme know when you're ready for some recipes/instructions. | |||
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| E tan e epi tas |
Well shit I’m not ready for instructions but I am now hungry.  "Guns are tools. The only weapon ever created was man." | |||
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At Jacob's Well |
I've had my Kamado Joe for 8 years now. There are a lot of do-dads and do-hickeys that you can purchase, but the three things I can't (or wont') do without are, 1) A good instant read thermometer. Every cook needs one, whether you're grilling outside or cooking in the house. My results improved immensely once I got my Thermopen. Cook to temperature, not to time. 2) A MAPP torch for lighting. I've tried all of the other methods (except the Looftlighter), and nothing gets the grill going faster than the torch. Hit the charcoal in 3-4 spots and it's ready to cook in 10-15 minutes. Plus, a MAPP torch is handy for other applications around the house. 3) A remote thermometer with two probes, one for the meat temperature and one for the grill temperature. I've discovered that I like to do long smokes overnight, and this lets me sleep or do other things rather than having to keep checking the grill. Kamado grills are very efficient and hold temperature well, but they still need adjusting from time to time. Other suggestions here are helpful, but keep in mind that the BGE and Kamado Joe come with a different set of standard equipment. Some of the advice given doesn't apply to both. J Rak Chazak Amats | |||
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| Member |
Two books to get: The Big Green Egg Cookbook Serious Barbecue by Adam Perry Lang Also there are many recipes on the Big Green Egg Forum CMSGT USAF (Retired) Chief of Police (Retired) | |||
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| Thank you Very little  |
Agree, had an iGrill, good unit, works well but BT only, you can loose signal in your house depending on position and wall construction. The Smoke works better and you should get the Smoke Gateway, it allows you to connect your smart device and receive data over wifi, which means you can run to the 7/11 for beer, soda, ice, while continuing to monitor the cook. https://www.thermoworks.com/Smoke-Gateway | |||
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Member |
I too have the Kamado Joe Classic II - I agree w/ Mars. When I light mine, I simply use a 1/2 sheet of paper towel with about a tablespoon of vegetable or avocado oil and layer a couple of small lump charcoal sticks above. I like using this method because it allows me to bring the KJ up to temp especially when I'm smoking. Once these get hot, they don't cool down very fast. In addition to an instant read thermometer (like the Thermapen) I bought a couple of Thermoworks DOT open box when they were on sale. I don't think you could go wrong with any of the Thermoworks products. | |||
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| Member |
Thermoworks Signals is 20% off now. I don't have one, but that's pretty tempting. | |||
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| Nothing ventured, nothing gained |
I have the Signals/Billows combo and would recommend it. You can see everything on your phone, also keeps the temps of the grill super steady/stable. I use a cheap heat gun to light the charcoal. Just light 3-4 spots, set the temp on the signals, and walk away. Also, and I know this might be blasphemy around here, I tend to like beef ribs a whole lot better than brisket. See if you can get the plate/dino ribs (123A) locally to smoke. | |||
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| E tan e epi tas |
Well I bit the bullet and we got a Kamado Joe Big Joe today. I have moved my share of heavy things but this sumbitch is heavy, awkward and has pokey bits and bobbles sticking out everywhere. Shipping weight of 450 lbs. it is/was not a one man job. Got her all set up and trying my first light. Temp coming up a little slowly but that is probably because I used a small amount of coal. All in all it’s a nice piece of kit I just need to learn the sorcery to make this cauldron work. Once again thanks for all the help. Chris "Guns are tools. The only weapon ever created was man." | |||
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| Member |
Welcome to the addiction. For starting fires for direct \high temperature cooking I use a chimney with bacon grease soaked paper towels. When cooking bacon I stack the bacon on paper towels on a plate. Once the pound is cooked I then take those paper towels and stack them in the frying pan, in the residual grease. Once fully soaked I then put them in a plastic container that I keep in the fridge. To start a fire I put a handful of lump in the base of the grill add one soaked towel and light it. (the base keeps the excess grease from dripping out the bottom and is soaked into the lump base) Immediately cover with the chimney filled with lump. Come back in about 10 minutes and dump the chimney and spread the coals. Works like a charm. | |||
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| Member |
Yeah I assembled my Joe as well.. Two man job to get it up and in the nest for sure. Make sure to get the set screws fully engages on the nest legs. I didn't get mine set good and the front two popped out as I moved the unit. I then reset them and used a bit of two part epoxy for peace of mind. | |||
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| Member |
I usually use a lot of coal, up to the vent holes on the Classic II, just keep closing the vents to keep temps stabilized where you want them, versus the amount of coal. When you're done just close the vents off, next time use the coal tool to sweep it around and add a little and light it again. I only use coal a maximum of 3 times. About every 3-4 cooks I'll bring it up to 550F for a while to burn off the grease or after the third cook or fourth open it all of the way after you're done cooking and let it heat up and eventually burn out. YEAH, they're HEAVY. A lot of times I use 1/2 of the heat diverter to do veggies or whatever on one side. Heat is a lot more even if you put the heat diverter on the same side that the bottom vent opens. For normal cooks 375-500F, I'll let the coal burn with the lid open until I get a 6-8" place of coal burning in the center then close the lid with both vents wide open, then when it gets within 20F, I start closing vents to achieve the temperature I want. Many times I'll leave the bottom vent mostly open and use the top vent to control temp......sometimes I do start closing the bottom too...... For low temp cooks, I close the lid after a baseball-softball size amount of coal is going and usually top vent at the first hash mark and bottom vent about a finger open is all you need for 225-250F. New coal will burn hotter than re-used coal.......This message has been edited. Last edited by: jimmy123x, | |||
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Member |
It'll take a bit of time for it to come to temp, it's a lot of ceramic to heat up. Be patient because it takes longer to come back down. Don't be afraid to fill the firebox because when you close it down the fire goes out and you'll be using the coal for several cooks. Shake out the ash and small pieces, add more and cook some more. You'll be amazed at how closed the vents are to run at 225 or 250. | |||
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