AdamG

Looks great Povilas👍

When I used to use briquettes, my favourite brand was the weber premium briquettes (used to come in a white 12kg bag). Even though they cost more per kg, they actually worked out about the same price as cheaper ones due to them lasting longer👍

Pics look delicious, recipe sounds great...and im drooling just thinking about your serving suggestion at the end haha 🤤🤤😋

Good luck Smokey_Tim👍 And welcome!

Looks great @nbr_uk, hopefully one day I can have a space looking like this👍🍻 I am waaay behind on having a bbq area, to the point were the bbq gets moved around alot. Im in the process of building a countertop (part 1 of 2 at least) for the bbq to sit in so I have a worktop and easy access storage. Hopefully I will have the frame built in the next couple of weeks. The price of stainless steel at the moment is astronomical so part 2 of the build could potentially be years off😭

Keep the posts coming, its great to see what others are doing....by the way, dont forget to send leftovers my way👍😜 Ribs look great by the way

Welcome to the forum👍

When i decided to get a Kamado Joe I was torn between the Kamado Joe classic 2, the Kamado Joe classic 3, Aldi Kamado and Monolith classic pro 1.0 bbq edition...ended up going with the Monolith in the end. I was set on a big green egg large for 2 years, then I was set on a Kamado Joe classic 2 for 3 years...then the classic 3 and Monolith was released! 😕🤔😖🤯 If i ordered on a different day I could have ended up with a different kamado, it was a very close decision. I dont think there is a wrong choice and that just makes it harder lol. Just like pittmab said, price and personal choice is what it boils down to, Im sure you will be happy with which ever you go with👍

Pretty much the same as you lol. I did recently see a suggestion to do nacho's with grated cheese and any other toppings, put in the grill until the cheese melts...im gonna try it next time😋 We should scour the net for suggestions and put them in this post to create a collection👍🍻

Something that dawned on me today that I think is important. When I purchased mine the Aldi Kamado was smaller than it is currently, so this would have made the decision harder for me (I wasnt sure if the original size was too small for my needs). If you do decide to go with the Aldi Kamado then let me know what you think of it. It would be interesting to see what you think since your father has a big green egg for you to compare to👍

The main reason I bought a kamado was its ability to cook a wide variety of things with great results, a jack of all trades so to speak. Pizza, low and slow, stir fry, steaks, bread, rotisserie roasts, cold smoking, curries and slow cooker style dishes all done better than the oven and hob I have in the house. One kamado that takes up little space is my benefit rather than have an Ooni, a pellet smoker, a spit, a charcoal grill etc...and the biggest reason is the wife wouldnt let me haha🤔

With the kamado joe you will get a longer warranty, a better quality product and a higher chance of not having a damaged/defected one on delivery. On the flip side you can get just as good results from the Aldi kamado since its down to the user rather than brand to get great cooking results. If you plan on kitting out the aldi one with the dual zone cooking grids etc would there be a big price difference? When I got mine, it worked out roughly £900 to kit out the Aldi Kamado with everything I wanted (this was 3 years ago, so im sure things have changed)...in the end I went with a Monolith Kamado pro 1.0 for £1200. A lot of money I know but this included everything I wanted, longer warranty, all stainless steel metal and better quality materials overall. I dont believe it cooks any better but I do plan to have it for many years and would like the warranty and support to last that long aswell if I ever need it. I think ultimately it comes down to wether you would be happier with having a better quality product or saving money and getting the same cooking results. The Aldi Kamado would be the clear winner IMO if you didnt want extra accessories. If I was to buy a second one I would consider all brands including the Aldi Kamado, my most important criteria would be as long as current accessories fit into it rather than brand. My kamado is 3 years old, zero problems and looks almost new once i give it a clean, Im happy with my investment and expect it to last for many years (so far its basically cost me £400 per year). Hopefully my opinion help get you closer to a decision👍🍻

I have not seen one before either, looks delicious though😁🍻

Its a different brand of kamado so it never came with one

My bottom vent does not have a perforated plate behind the solid plate and thats why i use finger adjustments, however since yours have the perforated plate then use the holes as a guideline as they will be a much more accurate (and universal) way of measuring your vent settings.😁 I did originally plan to scribe some lines on my vent to help....but yeah, my memory to do things is like a sieve (or in this case, the perforated plate haha)🤔

You can take that flame suit off now vk2003 because thats very similar to me.👍😁 Only thing I would add is to have a quick look to make sure there is a good glow in the charcoal once the fire lighter has gone out...more of an assurance that its established a burn, but not really necessary. I feel if I stop checking then sods law will kick in and bad luck will snuff it out haha 🔥💨🤔 Never had a failed light yet though🍻

If I wanted to get beyond 350C then I would load the charcoal in by hand. I would also only use the biggest pieces to maximise airflow (roughly same size as my hand). I would create 3 hotspots when lighting, in a triangle formation so they eventually join together. Leave vents fully open (maybe remove top vent completely). If i wanted to use the deflector plate then i would also install them in a higher postion, allowing more hot air to escape the fire box. If you have a charcoal basket you could also remove the cast iron grate that sits under it to promote more airflow.😁 Just remember to burp the grill at high temps🔥👍 Regarding the gasket, I would personally be happy with a partial refund and get some more felt gasket to patch it in. They do eventually need replacing in time anyway. Regardless the felt gasket needs either patching or replacing so you can get a nice tight seal. Im not sure if this would cause your temps to steadily climb but I can imagine it would lose some fuel efficiency.

350C or 350F?

My first time I got the temp to around 120C and left it abit, then raised it to 150C and left it, then 200C and left it. then finally to 250C but this was more of a learning curve for me....then about 10 cooks in with a different brand of lumpwood, it snuffed out due to the excessive dust in the bag blocking the charcoal grate. I had to stir it to loosen the dust, then clean it out and finally start from the very beginning. I like to make sure there is minimal dust/ash before lighting, make sure the burn is established (glow means go) and the temp raises to at least 70C (lowest reading on my dome thermometer) before loading anything in. Just to eliminate the chance of snuffing it out.😀

Welcome to the forum!👍

I have not used Big K red bag before so I cant say if its that or not (although it should be at the very least useable). What you could try next time is to hand load any bigger chunks into the firebox until you cover the bottom, then gently pour some more on top (any unused chunks can be used next time). Light your wood wool starter and shut the lid with both vents fully open (while there is still a flame ignore your temperature probe as it will be a false reading at this point). Once the flame goes out keep an eye on your temperature and wait until its reading 100C (just for the purpose of this cure, it will change depending on desired cooking temp), check you have a nice glow in your charcoal, then load your deflectors, drip trays, cooking grids etc and close down the vents, about 1.5 to 2 fingers gap on the bottom, big hole closed and small holes fully open on top vent. (my brand of kamado is different so the vent settings may differ slightly, but this will give you a starting point for your kamado). At this point just leave it for an hour or so to see where your temp lands and becomes stable. If its about 160C then you can open about half a fingers width on JUST the bottom and then see where that lands after an hour. You can get a general idea of your vent settings while doing your curing process. My first time I tried landing on different temps to get rough vent settings for future cooks. Hopefully this all helps to get you started in the right direction. If someone with an Aldi Kamado see's this then they may be able to give some better advice👍😁

Hi @Dan_K Sounds like a few potential things could have gone wrong with your cure. Taking an hour to get up to 100C is a long time and this would suggest either you closed the vents too soon after lighting (almost snuffing the fire), too many small pieces have blocked airflow or something else has happened. Did you use lumpwood or briquettes? What did you use to light the charcoal? Also did you add in the deflector plate as soon as it was lit? thanks Adam

Just had a look at the link and seems like great value. They also look nice and big aswell. Saved them as a seller on ebay ready for next time👍 Thanks again! 🍻

Managed to get another cook in today and made a point to take more pics... Everything ready Buttered garden pea's with paprika and cayenne potatoes🌶 whiskey oak smoked and whiskey flambe steak 🔥 some macaroni pasta aswell since my daughter cant eat a full pack, even though i had not planned to have it🍻

Thats a great picture pittmab! Sounds like you have been busier than me😁, all sound delicious. What are you planning on using the chicken stock for? I want to get another cook in today....but not sure what just yet🤔