A new member to the family

[Skagg2000]

It's been a while since my last post, but I thought I'd introduce you to my latest purchase. Damn Amazon Warehouse! I'd had this in my watch list for ages at £304 as acceptable condition. Now i never usually buy anything less than like new or very good from their warehouse. Fast track to a Saturday night & a bottle of wine to many & I bit the bullet. Three days later I have Arrow XL on my doorstep trying to get me to sign for a washing machine. I wonder back to the van with him & pointed to a very tattered box in the back of the truck, that's mine. I laid it out in the garden & whilst there were a few scratches on a few part all seem to be good & unused. An hour later I had it assembled, I then discovered the only thing missing was the thermometer. I got onto Amazon chat & after a bit of negotiation managed to get them to refund an £65. It's now cost me £239 which is more palatable given i remember when Asda were selling them for £199 shortly after Walmart bought them.

So now to stop the smoke leaks, & boy did it leak, doors / joints screw holes, they all leaked. Initially I tried using the regular BBQ gasket seal, but could see this wasn't going to cut the mustard for any period of time. I sealed the holes & tried to make a bed around the doors a good seal with RTV silicone,  ok for the holes, but no good on the doors. It took an aged to remove this. I found that label remover of CT1 worked well to remove it. My final choice was fire rope. This worked a treat on the doors, firebox & joint between the smoking chamber & fire box. I've also added  a cut down loaf tin the reduce the height of the chimney stack internally, hold more smoke & better heat distribution. I've bought twin temperature probes, added two locking latches in the mid door position to ensure the doors close without leakage. I also have on order a probe port & stack extension from Lavalock. The probe port is to be able to add the Tappeque signal extender, so the signal from my Meater probe gets outside the smoke box without issue. The smoke stack extension has good reports of improving the draft & therefore internal temperature in the Oklahoma Joe. That said, I've been able to get it to sit at 250Deg F for hours on very little lump wood charcoal.

I have a lovely Argentinian full packer brisket ready & waiting spend a good few hours sat on this Highland Smoker.

 

All in all I'm please with my purchase, which is not the same view as SHMBO, seven different BBQ / Smokers is excessive in her view, but I really can't see the issue.

Cheers n Gone Nick 

Edited July 28 by Skagg2000
additional information

[AdamG]

Great purchase👍

And a very neat job with the fire rope

[AdamG]

What are your 7 wonders/grills by the way?

And more importantly....how did you convince SHMBO that each addition was needed?🤔😜🍻

[Skagg2000]

Just had it cooking a pork loin, not a smoke leak anywhere from the apple wood & a rock steady temperature throughout using Big K Marabu charcoal. Not bad for a £7 quid Lidls joint.

Cheers n Gone Nick

[AdamG]

Looks great👍

[Skagg2000]

Ha,

Old Weber Kettle which is my go too.

A newer Weber master touch  premium which I've never used.

A mini Kamado

A ProQ Frontier (Elite?)18" bullet

A Fornetto Razzo 22" bullet. (Its huge)

A Beefeater 4 ring gas BBQ,  rotisserie & pizza oven. (Only used for pizza, rotisserie and storage)

Finally the Oklahoma Joe Highland

Cheers n gone Nick

Edited July 28 by Skagg2000

[U can do that again]

What the secret to having so many grills?

Currently have: Napoleon kettle,  Napoleon bullet think biggest Proq, Broil King signet 390 4 burner with rotisserie & side saucepan ring, not been used for a while, ProQ smoking cabinet. Would like a kamado probably a big joe.......

[AdamG]

Just a Monolith classic kamado for me