Kamado grill

[Gettin' Basted]

New here and I'm sure this topic has been beat to death in the past, but here goes... I have a kamado(Vision) and I cannot get decent smoke for a low and slow. It works great when using little coal for wings and such. But when I load more coal for a long cook, I get heavy white smoke which gives it a dirty ashtray taste in my opinion. It would be a PITA to leave vents open and use less coals but need to constantly add to it. Am I missing something obvious? Seems lots of others are doing long cooks on these with success....

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

Are you adding unlit coals to lit coals? If so, it's going to give you that smoke until the unlit catches. If not, you'll need to wait for someone with experience with that grill chimes in. My Weber WSM gives off acrid smoke until everything gets up to temp. Welcome to the site btw!

 

[Gettin' Basted]

Are you adding unlit coals to lit coals? If so, it's going to give you that smoke until the unlit catches. If not, you'll need to wait for someone with experience with that grill chimes in. My Weber WSM gives off acrid smoke until everything gets up to temp. Welcome to the site btw!

I always remove ash from previous cook and make sure vent holes are clean. Then I throw in and light a couple wax cubes over remaining charcoal and add the amount of coal I think I'll need for the cook. When they get going good, I will shut the lid and wait for the temp to hit my target of say 250 degrees. Then I will adjust my vents. Within 5-10 minutes, the white smoke starts rolling. If I give it more air, the smoke clears, but temp will shoot to 400-500 degrees in a few minutes. With just a handful of coal, I can get a beautiful thin blue smoke, and maintain a 250 temp, but would have add coal every hour to do a butt, which would suck to do with a kamado

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

Hopefully someone will chime in with some help. I just don't know enough about those grills. Good Luck!

 

[gmc2003]

Sorry, like 5Grillzntn I'm a WSM/Kettle user. I would suggest getting a charcoal starter and starting a few coal in the starter then adding them to the unlit coals in the kamado. I know that there are plenty of folks with your style of smoker that will chime in with more accurate information.

Chris

 

[Gettin' Basted]

Sorry, like 5Grillzntn I'm a WSM/Kettle user. I would suggest getting a charcoal starter and starting a few coal in the starter then adding them to the unlit coals in the kamado. I know that there are plenty of folks with your style of smoker that will chime in with more accurate information.

Chris

Are you talking about a chimney type starter? I have one of those stashed away in one of the barns from my camping days but keep forgetting to grab it when I go to the farm. I usually have to use at least two of the cubes to get the fire going and I'm about out of them. The chimney never gave me trouble in the past. Anyhoo... I really want to get this kamado figured out as it's a pretty large investment to only be grilling steaks once a month or so

 

[fivetricks]

Yeah, use the chimney to start just a few coals and play with your temps. You have too much fuel trying to burn at once, giving you the problems your having.

Try using half the fuel you are now and adjust from there.

There are folks that will tell you about minion or snake methods for your coals. Not knowing how a komando operates, I can't offer any advice to that end.

 

[hondabbq]

You add charcoal on top of the starter cubes?
IMHO I always, clean out my egg, add new lump, add old lump, then light.

 

[miller51]

Gettin' Basted - Don't give up on that smoker! I've smoked on gas, electric, an old home made stick/charcoal burner, but I've never smoked on a better rig than my Visions Kamado! It holds the temp all night (19 hr brisket with 1 reload), (dueling Butts for 12 hrs, no reload).

I think the secret is between 1/2 - 1 open hole on top, and then I control my heat through the bottom vent (usually 1&1/2 - 2 lines of the bottom holes. It's a little hard to maintain at 225, but around 230-260, I can run that baby all night with thin blue smoke.

I think the reason your seeing no white smoke when you open up too far is all the O2 boosting up the fire consuming it. I use oak lump charcoal, a chimney to start it with and what I think is enough extra to get through the cook in the smoker (takes a half hr or so to even out when you dump the chimney on), and big hunks of cherry logs (typically) for the smoke.

I mess with the vents for that half hr about every 5-10 minutes or so while i'm getting the meat ready, water pant, what ever. After that most of the heavy smoke is gone, and on the meat goes...

Feel free to reach out to me directly or in this post if you want to discuss more or see pics of my Visions if needed.

Good luck!
Jason

 

[hardcookin]

I will add lump and wood chunks to the Kamado...usually 4-6 wood chunks mixed throughout the lump. Then will use 2 starter cubes to light it. Top vent open...bottom vent 3/4 open.
If I am shooting for 300 about 270 I close my bottom vent to 1 row of holes and shut the top to about 1/4 open. And then dial it in. Don't leave your lid open to long adding food or you get a spike.
The Kamado is so well insultated you just need very minor adjustments.

I use my Kamado for smoking apple pies these days.

 

[Gettin' Basted]

I think I'm getting it figured out. I was just using to much lump. Did a prime rib for Christmas, everyone loved it. All I did was clean out ash from last cook and relit without adding any more. Settled right in at 250 with nice smoke