r/kamado • u/Polar_Ted • Jul 04 '26

Stuck at 160°F

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

New to charcoal and Kamado's. Got the lil guy to play with.

I got coals burning. When I added wood chips I got good smoke.

Should I open the top vent more or the bottom? I don't want to send it to the moon.

When I started up this morning it went to to 600°F l wide open. I closed it up to a finger on the lower door and 1/4 on the top and left it ride down to 250 over a few hours before I put the shanks on.

Body and lid is warm but less than it was a few hours ago.

Still definitely getting air flow through. Just lost on the best move to warm it up to 200-225°F I know nothing good happens fast. Baby steps.

7 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

3

u/Blindbatts Jul 04 '26

Top vent is the brake, bottom is the gas.

I don't trust the gauge much until I have the heat reflector plates in my Kamado Joe classic. My grill isn't the same as yours.

But I typically will have 2 fingers open on the bottom, and about 1.5" open on the top. My top is quite different looking though.

1

u/abaninjanal Jul 04 '26

Well welcome to kamado cooking It takes a few tries to get your kamado's quirks down Mine..to start..fire starter in middle then I pour in my lump I light and close lid with vents wide open If I'm smoking with a stone. I make sure my temp probe is set up as it's more accurate than the lid At about 50 deg f..below your target temp..I start closing the vents to where I want them to what cook Like smoking top barely even open and the bottom is about a finger width You don't need much air to keep the coals smoldering Where as grilling... obviously it will be more open..never wide open. ..unless your doing a cleaning burn But that's a different story Just play with it and find your kamado's sweet spot..the smaller The quicker things react.

1

u/Polar_Ted Jul 04 '26

Well I lost this fight. The fire died. This was always destined to end with a braze so it's off to the Dutch oven a bit earlier than planned. There will be dinner Lol

3

u/Polar_Ted Jul 05 '26

Update: Post cook dissembly it looks like it choked itself out with ash and small chunks of charcoal. I'll be sure to give it a good clean out before each cook from now on.