Outdoor cooking - Barbecues, Barbecue, BBQs, BBQ, Smokers, Grills. And Ribs.

It’s the 32” big bad. The controls are really simple graduated holes to let air in at the bottom and air release at the top. Because it is such a large but insulated mass the temperature is meant to remain really stable so once up to desired temperature it just ticks over for literally days at a time. So you can have lots of rack space for indirect cooking but still put other food items in the rack directly over the coals for searing/grilling.

I will be getting the rotisserie spit and also the rotisserie cage for porchetta, large beef joints etc. Also the smoker device which produces cool smoke which means this can also be used to smoke bacon or fish or cheese.

It’s a ludicrous indulgence and is a 50th birthday gift from my wife. But unlike another fucking bike this will still be useable in 30 years time. Thankfully the patio where it is going is accessible via a gate from the front of our house so no cranes required to install it, plus it is on casters.

The controls are really simple graduated holes to let air in at the bottom and air release at the top.

Isn't there a fan to regulate airflow, that's what I thought I read it had, not just the normal vents?

It’s a ludicrous indulgence and is a 50th birthday gift from my wife.

You have a very nice wife.

It's got me scouring the Web looking at different kamados tonight. I can't wait until we buy our next place and have outside space again. In the meantime I'm living vicariously though this thread.

No fan. Just a faceplate for mounting a fan if you chose to add one.

I dread to think how much carbon will be released getting that up to temperature

I am considering making my own charcoal.

#tofuorgolfclub?

This is very, very cool.

Ah OK, I'm intreged as to how well it holds temp then. I always found you could easily get temp swings with slow cooks, especially when there was a bit of wind about. Not a problem if I was monitoring but no way I could do overnight cooks

When I started using a fan I'd have rock solid temps for as long as I needed (20 hours was the longest cook I did). I was doing overnight cooks in wind, rain or snow.

You might need it. I built a bread brick oven (not pizza oven but big thermal mass for long heat retention) a few years ago. It was stable as hell but took 4-5 hours to get to cooking temperature.

Maybe 5-10kg of wood per firing to get to temp.

Kamados are extremely efficient, my old one was 100kg and one basket of charcoal would be enough for most cooks. Temp would be reached between 30 mins and an hour.

For slow cooks there'd usually be unlit charcoal left over in the basket for the next cook.

same.

Well this is indoors but meh. 4 hours before we see the final product...

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Isn’t posting that here like posting a track bike on the offroad thread?

Beef Birria is easily one of the best things I have ever made. My son and I ate the broth-seasoning carrots when it was done. They were utterly divine. Every thing was swimming in beef fat like a careless employee at the tallow factory. The tortillas hugged that fat as I placed them gently onto a pan to sizzle and toast. Using Italian Fontina as a replacement for the unattainable Oaxacan quesillo was inspired. I need my arteries cleaned with an oil pipeline pig while I nap.

Unspeakably good. Birria Tacos are food of the gods.

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they do look massively banging - i have beef fat envy!

I’ve got a pork shoulder going slow in a Weber kettle. I’m reminded how stressful I find watching the temperature all the time. I am one to hyper fixate. What are some set and forget options I can look at to pass the time? And avoid watching this temperature indicator

BBQ options or mod options?

Thermoworks make a billows kit to monitor kettle BBQ temp and blow/reduce air accordingly.

For set and forget BBQ pellet grill is probably your best option, Traeger, GMG, Masterbuild, Pitboss all make options. BBQworld stock a lot for online browsing.. I've had a GMG for 4/5 years and adore it - it's really as simple as an oven once you're used to it.

I have no idea if this is any good but I saw it browsing their site last night it basically promises a mechanical alternative to billows. Might be worth investigating?

Thermoworks make a billows kit to monitor kettle BBQ temp and blow/reduce air accordingly.

I had this as set it and forget it with with my kamado, obviously not as simple as a traeger but I did all my slow cooks overnight whilst I went to bed.

Got a recipe??

In the past I’ve considered both a kamodo and a pellet grill but then never made a decision and then BBQ type weather disappears and i forget about it till next year.

Pork is getting on okay. I’ve resisted the urge fiddle with everything and accept a bit of temperature variation. A beer has helped in this regard.

BBQ type weather disappears and i forget about it till next year.

Kamados are great in this regard as you never have to worry about the weather again, the only mod I made was a chimney hood to the top vent to stop rain getting in and I did cooks all year round, in the snow and pissing rain.

Pellet grills are great in this regard as you never have to worry about the weather again, the only thing I did was prop an umbrella up over it and I did cooks all year round, in the snow and pissing rain.

(Tongue in cheek. Kamado will definitely have better heat retention in snow, but my pellet grill also has a natty fireproof thermal blanket to keep it toasty when it's chilly out)

Re: the pork, don't stress it. You don't really need to bat an eyelid anywhere between 225f and 285f in terms of end product - it will only affect cook tine.

Agree with this, I used a kamado in sub zero temperatures last December and although it took longer than usual to get up to temperature - not surprising as everything was starting from freezing - but once it did it was like every other time

There are many. I used this one for simplicity's sake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PrHkB14Ovs

Most of the chilis you should be able to find from the Cool Chili company. If you are a fellow SE postcode-enger I can recommend a place near Peckham that will have all the chilis in stock.

Is there a reliable way of working out how long I’ve got left cooking? Something I can put my temps and weight in.