I joined the Kamado ranks

JPete · Post by **JPete** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 1:14 pm

After agonising where to go from gasser and kettles, nearly bought a pellet grill, i acquired a new new Vision Kamado Classic B series. Looks like the ones costco was selling for about $800 a year or so ago? Couple of pics http://1drv.ms/1hMwBG7

The lady put it on gumtree later at night...i couldnt sleep and woke at 3am and found it...was sick from work and went and picked up 10am! I am pretty happy with myself about now.

Can i use accessories from smoke king and urban griller, do i just go for stuff to suit a 22in kamado and should be ok?

I want killer temp monitor. Whats the best one - good balance of monitoring, bluetooth, multiple sensors and not too many buttons

What other accessories to go for? I was thinking heat deflector and a pizza stone (whats the right size)? Is there something i can get for 2 zone cooking or is that only for the ovals?

Since i got a killer deal on this, i will pay it fwd and offer my OTG super cheap in the for sale section.

Muppet · Post by **Muppet** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 6:05 pm

Looks like a 18in Kamado from here, and looks like a split/2 zone grill too. Is the deflector 2 piece? I would measure to make sure before spending on accessories. Most 18" ceramic Kamados are interchangeable for internals 'I use some Smokekings parts in my Saffire'
You will definitely want a deflector, your setup looks similar to the Smokekings flexible cooking system.
For a thermo, go straight for a Maverick either the 733 or 735 depending on what you want. I like the 733. Firstly check the internal size, my 18" is roughly 450mm to 460mm
Get something to easily light it, Looftlighter or heat gun etc

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Muppet · Post by **Muppet** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 6:08 pm

On a second look I'm not so sure if the grill is a split/2zone

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JPete · Post by **JPete** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 7:35 pm

Thanks. Now its not quite like the smoke king one...there is no deflector of any kind. the charcoal is directly under the grill. So i will get one for slow cooking...but i was hoping for 2 piece so i could sometimes do indirect and direct at the same time?

It has this second story rack but thats it...not ash catching tray...are they a standard item i can buy anywhere?

I already had a looftlighter, bought a few months ago, but i was running beads in the kettle...the loofter is useless on them. But now i have used it on charcoal today for the first time, i can see why people this they are awesome. I reckon it took 2 min to get charcoal in there, get it lit in 3 spots and chuck some sticks on. Pretty happy since i have never used one before and the kettle was taking much longer.

Bought a pizza stone and tried that for my first cook...little worried about getting it too hot, i only really got it to 200deg, but still worked well enough. evidence here http://1drv.ms/1jQ8Jmf

niko123456 · Post by **niko123456** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:40 pm

Looks like a great unit, well done!

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Muppet · Post by **Muppet** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:45 pm

The split stone will depend on the lower arrangement of your grill. The flexible cooking system, and divide and conquer have a designed support for it. I really don't use my flex system much, it's simpler for me to get half a chimney rocking and sear elsewhere... From a low temp cook you still need to ramp the heat up to sear and that takes time.
I've not heard of a ash tray for a Kamado, I stir and then scoop it out from the vent into a flower pot base... Lol it works.

JPete · Post by **JPete** » Tue Oct 20, 2015 9:33 am

thanks Niko - pretty pleased with myself

Muppet - you still use a chimney to start it? I have lit mine once, but i just used the loofter on the charcoal and it lit in seconds. Do you use the chimney when you want it going hotter quicker?

I will make a little ash scraper and something to hold half a pizza stone and cut a pizze stone in half to make a deflecter...as a start and go from there.

I already have the cheaper white maverick and its ok...not sure how to get a probe in there. Drill a hole in the top hat? But i wanted to get something fancy to let me see the temp when i am not home. A controlled fan would be ok, but not essential.

Gumb · Post by **Gumb** » Tue Oct 20, 2015 11:22 am

Just put the probe over the gasket on the base and close the lid on it. No need to drill any holes in the cap.

Muppet · Post by **Muppet** » Tue Oct 20, 2015 3:51 pm

JPete wrote:thanks Niko - pretty pleased with myself

Muppet - you still use a chimney to start it? I have lit mine once, but i just used the loofter on the charcoal and it lit in seconds. Do you use the chimney when you want it going hotter quicker?

I will make a little ash scraper and something to hold half a pizza stone and cut a pizze stone in half to make a deflecter...as a start and go from there.

I already have the cheaper white maverick and its ok...not sure how to get a probe in there. Drill a hole in the top hat? But i wanted to get something fancy to let me see the temp when i am not home. A controlled fan would be ok, but not essential.

Sorry I should have been clearer. No, I use a Looftlighter to light my Kamado it's perfect, what I meant was if doing a reverse sear, I would light half a chimney when it's time and sear on another Q. (Of course if small enough you could sear on top of the chimney) I have Webers, Hibachi, open charcoal grills and the like all set up next to each other.

Edit- A stoker would be preferable to a internet style thermo IMO
There's no point knowing something is going seriously wrong if you can't get to it.
Best advice would be spend a few months learning your que and what can go wrong then look at where to head. It's hard making informed decisions when you are flying blind.

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JPete · Post by **JPete** » Tue Oct 20, 2015 10:23 pm

Thanks, i know what you mean...but on the other hand i have this tiny window where i can 2-300 on accessories this week and if i dont, she will use that for something else.

I think I'll get/make deflector of some kind. i was thinking a whole one and a half one and start making the bench. I have a 3m wall to bench to house it and my other bbqs and rambo burner. I also need smoke exhaust, its kinda indoors where it is now.

Cooked burgers and home made sausage rolls in it today!

We have a mountain of thumb to wrist sized hard gum tree sticks, we are going to turn them into charcoal this weekend for a bit of fun.

thanks

Bob S · Post by **Bob S** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 6:43 pm

I have a Vision grill . My setup is a Woo ring:
http://ceramicgrillstore.com/vision-classic-woo-ring/
and a Broil King stone for a deflector:
http://www.amazon.com/Broil-King-69814- ... izza+stone

The Broil King stone is 15" in diameter, so only leaves a small area for the smoke to escape. I find this enhances my temperature control and allows me to dial in lower cooking temperatures than I could with a smaller stone.

The Broil King stone also seems to be the most crack resistant of the bunch. All my other stones cracked when exposed to high heat. So far, the Broil King stone seems to be holding up pretty well.

I'm in the US, so not sure if those items are available to you.

Bob S

JPete · Post by **JPete** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 9:51 pm

Thanks. Dont seem to be, so i will have a go at making my own. I might look at a steel deflector, wrapped in foil would have to ave similar properties to stone at those temps?

stm · Post by **stm** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 10:35 am

BBQs Galore sell the Kamado Joe deflector (split - two piece) which is pretty good. I purchased one for my Dragon kamado.

O2zi3 · Post by **O2zi3** » Sat Oct 31, 2015 5:22 pm

i can recommend the KJ heat deflectors, i bought 1 for the big joe and it is still going strong, compared to my other solutionss.

When i first got the joe they were changing their inventory so i couldn't get a KJ deflector at the time. So i made my own:

1. terracotta plates, dishes, tile (must not be sealed, glazed) etc....i went thru about 3 or 4 of these things, very cheap but they only lasted about about 3-or 4 cooks before splitting
2. Travertine tile...make sure its fully natural, not sealed or filled in any way, cost me $16...this thing was brilliant about an inch think, also fitted inside my oven. Alas eventually spilt into 4, now used as a trivet
3...various baking trays arranged in a criss cross position...this was good, they were the perfect size for my Big joe laying on top of fire ring...only downside a bit of a pain to get right (being picky here) + uneven gaps = uneven heat

finally got the KJ defelector for big joe......its just 2 lumps of ceramic but it hasnt cracked or anything ever since...thats like a year now.

pro tip.....2 half moons so much more versatile than 1 round 1 imo

JPete · Post by **JPete** » Wed Nov 04, 2015 8:13 pm

How much is reasonable for the split deflector i really need it now...been using rhe pizza stone but thats annoying.

Now i have used it a bit (doz or so cooks) i really need a better rack system.

The one that it comes with is ok, but the legs for the 2nd level arent in a great spot...very hard to add smoking wood after i have food in there.

I like the idea of the divide and conquer if i was doing steaks or wing and vegies. But for roasting i reckon the adjustable rig would be better.

Do some of you get multiple combos or have you found 1 rig that does ti all for you?

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