AdamG Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 2 minutes ago, Kentish Man said: On a big green egg forum, the suggestion was up to or just above the air holes in the firebox Fill up every time and shutdown after use to save fuel, a statement of the obvious, but kamado’s temp is set by air flow, not by amount of fuel this is what I do everytime, just top up to to the full mark so i will never run out mid cook. Snuff it out once finished (or after a quick heat clean). I have finished cooks with 3/4 left over since there is no waste Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adi dassler Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 Hello everybody noob here. Mine came today and I think the tape came from the same roll as last years. I stuck some tape to the back of it and used that to peel it off. I'm just curing mine now and I've got to say I'm really impressed with it. It's worth 350 just for its looks. I've lit it up with some half used coals that I took out my pro q and added about 15 bits,its been going for 4 hours now and its hardly used any fuel. I held it at 260f for about 90 minutes then upto 350 for about the same now I'm holding at 440f Looking forward to getting some cooks on the go next week. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamG Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 3 minutes ago, Adi dassler said: Hello everybody noob here. Mine came today and I think the tape came from the same roll as last years. I stuck some tape to the back of it and used that to peel it off. I'm just curing mine now and I've got to say I'm really impressed with it. It's worth 350 just for its looks. I've lit it up with some half used coals that I took out my pro q and added about 15 bits,its been going for 4 hours now and its hardly used any fuel. I held it at 260f for about 90 minutes then upto 350 for about the same now I'm holding at 440f Looking forward to getting some cooks on the go next week. sounds like your well on your way👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamG Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 (edited) Also just a tip for everyone new to kamado's, dont forget to learn how to 'burp' your grill. I do this everytime I open it so it becomes natural. Would not want anyone to experience a backdraft🔥😲 I posted this just in case someone is not aware👍 Edited May 2, 2020 by AdamG 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 40 minutes ago, AdamG said: Also just a tip for everyone new to kamado's, dont forget to learn how to 'burp' your grill. I do this everytime I open it so it becomes natural. Would not want anyone to experience a backdraft🔥😲 I posted this just in case someone is not aware👍 Great tip @AdamG, not many people know that, sometimes when opening a Kamado, because it’s starved of oxygen, and the fire gets a sudden rush of oxygen, it can result in a fire ball! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedmus Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 56 minutes ago, AdamG said: Also just a tip for everyone new to kamado's, dont forget to learn how to 'burp' your grill. I do this everytime I open it so it becomes natural. Would not want anyone to experience a backdraft🔥😲 I posted this just in case someone is not aware👍 Especially don't forget to do this if you're a little pished and heating the grill up to cook some steaks, can be a bit of a livener. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foggy01.1983 Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 1 hour ago, tedmus said: Especially don't forget to do this if you're a little pished and heating the grill up to cook some steaks, can be a bit of a livener. Easy way to get rid of the nose hairs 😂 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arian Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 6 hours ago, TrulySNAFU said: At the German forum (grillsportverein) AK users recommend to use a charcoal basket. This one should fit https://www.amazon.co.uk/Besthouse-Charcoal-Stainless-Accessories-Louisiana/dp/B07CVW9YW6/ I ordered one but my AK hasn't yet been delivered so can't confirm if it fits £40! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrulySNAFU Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 18 minutes ago, arian said: £40! Yes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmateurPitBoss Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 8 hours ago, James Garbett said: my view is that the deflector supplied with the Aldi unit is slightly too small so I might get a bigger one How long have you been using this kamado? Bought mine a year ago, thought the same as you, even asked a welder to cut me a steel disc out a bit bigger, he let me down. The plate is fine, used it week in week out and never had an issue, even when the rack is literally full of ribs/brisket/chicken. If you've only just bought the kamado, use it for a month or 2 before deciding up swap the deflector out, honestly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedmus Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 11 minutes ago, AmateurPitBoss said: How long have you been using this kamado? Bought mine a year ago, thought the same as you, even asked a welder to cut me a steel disc out a bit bigger, he let me down. The plate is fine, used it week in week out and never had an issue, even when the rack is literally full of ribs/brisket/chicken. If you've only just bought the kamado, use it for a month or 2 before deciding up swap the deflector out, honestly i'd agree. I thought the same initially but it works fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Garbett Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 (edited) Thanks both - only just got the thing so agree no point buying a bigger deflector yet - I just assumed it should be closer in diameter to the kamado than it is Edited May 2, 2020 by James Garbett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kentish Man Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 Cooked a spatchcock chicken on it yesterday afternoon - wasn’t sure how it was going to go, but came out great! Lit the bbq and gave it an hour to make sure I had temp under control (165c ish), then cooked the chicken with direct heat, skin up, and just left it while monitoring the temp using thermopro. I made one mistake, when I opened the grill to put the chicken in, the temp inside dropped, obviously, and I adjusted the settings to try and get back up to temp, presumably i should have just left it given I’d already stabilised the temp while pre heating? A bit of impatience while the temp slowly came back up. I’d recommend this as a first thing to cook while making sure you’ve got the hang of temp control 👍 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamG Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 19 minutes ago, Kentish Man said: Cooked a spatchcock chicken on it yesterday afternoon - wasn’t sure how it was going to go, but came out great! Lit the bbq and gave it an hour to make sure I had temp under control (165c ish), then cooked the chicken with direct heat, skin up, and just left it while monitoring the temp using thermopro. I made one mistake, when I opened the grill to put the chicken in, the temp inside dropped, obviously, and I adjusted the settings to try and get back up to temp, presumably i should have just left it given I’d already stabilised the temp while pre heating? A bit of impatience while the temp slowly came back up. I’d recommend this as a first thing to cook while making sure you’ve got the hang of temp control 👍 It is very tempting to open the vents because its dropped in temp. But you are right to leave it. It will get back to your stable temp as if by magic😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kentish Man Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 45 minutes ago, AdamG said: It is very tempting to open the vents because its dropped in temp. But you are right to leave it. It will get back to your stable temp as if by magic😁 As soon as I did it I knew it was an error!! Just needed to trust that it was going to do what i knew it should....anyway, no harm done! One other observation, when I got it going, the temp went up very quickly, much quicker than the day before when I had the heat deflector in. It felt yesterday that I would have struggled to keep the temp down to 120c for a low and slow, but is that just because i didn’t have the deflector in so the probe was picking up direct heat rather than purely indirect? My concern was that (not that it mattered for the cook I was doing yesterday) that using a whole wood wool lighter had lit too much charcoal. im planning a low and slow lamb shoulder midweek, so just wondering if I should cut a lighter in half? Or if it will be ok with the deflector and early damping using the vents.... I suppose there’s no downside to using half a lighter. Might just take longer to get going, but better that way than too much charcoal lit and then there’s no way back. Sorry, this has turned into a bit of a ramble! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamG Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 what you said is pretty much right! indirect does take longer due to indirect and the ceramic plates themselves soaking some of that heat to begin with. in terms of lighting I tend to try and light a little spot (roughly same size everytime) for low and medium temps and a slightly bigger spot for high and very high temps. Although for direct med/high i like to do 2 small spots opposite each other to try and get a slightly more even heat distribution for burgers, sausages etc. You will find your own way of doing things and it looks and sounds like your on the right track👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrulySNAFU Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 20 minutes ago, AdamG said: in terms of lighting I tend to try and light a little spot (roughly same size everytime) for low and medium temps and a slightly bigger spot for high and very high temps. From the book "Hot coals" "We like to have a glow in one or more spots" And youtube says:https://youtu.be/NCBHIOk4lRk and how he starts this "Miniature Kamado"https://youtu.be/ohmig_HBXTQ?t=509 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamG Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 4 minutes ago, TrulySNAFU said: From the book "Hot coals" "We like to have a glow in one or more spots" And youtube says:https://youtu.be/NCBHIOk4lRk and how he starts this "Miniature Kamado"https://youtu.be/ohmig_HBXTQ?t=509 Sorry I should have worded it better. I make a bigger spot for high temp cooks like pizza if its indirect only so I can keep the heat travelling from the centre up and around the plates as evenly as possible. Thats just what I prefer for indirect🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adi dassler Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 Done a first on mine yesterday. Covered my deflector with foil but think I'll use a drip pan next time. Used one wooden straw fire lighter and as soon as it burnt out I closed the lid and bought it up to temp that way. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 still no dispatch email from aldi and I ordered at 3am after it went live! I am in scotland though, anyone else still waiting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ams1987 Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 7 minutes ago, Randomguy said: still no dispatch email from aldi and I ordered at 3am after it went live! I am in scotland though, anyone else still waiting? Same. Absolutely nothing. Other than rather useless twitter replies. Annoying really. I'd be happy with just some info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Garbett Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 That's a shame I ordered mine on the Sunday and it arrived 3 days later last Wednesday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adi dassler Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 Ordered mine on the Sunday and it arrived this Saturday and I'm in the Midlands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Garbett Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 Just a question - when people talk about the lower vent being fully open - do they mean wide open without the perforated section visible - or with the perforated section visible but with all holes revealed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamG Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 2 minutes ago, James Garbett said: Just a question - when people talk about the lower vent being fully open - do they mean wide open without the perforated section visible - or with the perforated section visible but with all holes revealed? thats a good question, I always assumed without but thats probably because my kamado does not have a perforated section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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