first grill session on new Kamado Joe....eh......

[bgaviator]

So I got this expensive Kamado Joe Classic last week, and I finally got around to using it last night.  Just a simple grill session of hot dogs and brats that had been boiled in beer.  Prior to getting the KJ, we primarily cooked on the charcoal side of a dual grill I had.  But the charcoal side had started to rust out, hence the new grill.  This time I wanted a grill that was built to last a long time, and that was also a smoker too.  

So I used Royal Oak brand lump, and stabilized the temp at 350 degrees.  Granted with brats and dogs it's not a very long cook as they are already essentially cooked.....but I'm used to really tasting a charcoal smoke flavor as I always experienced on my old grill using Kingsford Briquettes.  These brats had no smoke flavor at all, despite there being smoke coming out of the top chimney of the KJ.  Even my wife commented there was no smokey flavor like we traditionally like.  

Is that just the nature of ceramic cookers using lump charcoal?  Do they not provide that smoke flavor like briquettes do unless I use wood chunks?  

I could have just cooked those things on the propane grill and wouldn't have even noticed the difference.  Is there anything I can do to remedy this, or did I make a mistake with the KJ if that's the kind of flavor I want while making grilled foods?  I was pretty disappointed with the outcome last night.  Tonight I am going to try chicken, and I have apple wood chunks to go with it.  

 

[SmokinAl]

If you want smoke flavor your going to have to throw a couple of chunks of wood on the fire.

I don't have a ceramic grill, but in my Weber kettle, one chunk of wood will give me a nice smoke flavor.

Al