glenn3

Some time ago KJ indicated a retrofit kit would indeed be available to update older units. At this point it looks as if it may have been a pipe dream as nothing solid has developed in this area that I am aware of. That being said the Classic 1 is a good unit - perhaps without some of the added issues that have come up the Classic 2. I own a 2014 model 1. I am happy enough that I have no desire to update it. Glenn

I have been reading up on the Smobot and I personally lean towards that method of temperature control vs the complexity of a fan based unit. @ $400 Canadian it may be a bit more than my budget will tolerate, Glenn

I am a huge cast iron cookware fan, own dozens of pieces both new and old. That being said cast iron use on a high temperature grill is indeed very high maintenance. Call it a labor of love I suppose..but with care it will last generations. Soapstone may be perhaps better suited to this application, although I can say how long of service life it will provide,

I have been looking into the many different temp controllers now available. I see many here are using them - mostly for longer cooks. I have mixed feelings and not having used one myself my knowledge on them is limited. I wonder if perhaps it may take some of the intimacy out of outdoor cooking to a certain degree? For those that have them would you purchase one again? Whats your favorite model? For those without one what's held you up from getting one for yourself? Glenn

And thus is the potential problem that may be a factor in cloud based server products. Its a safe enough gamble with a large company like Thermworks but I am somewhat hesitant to put my money into lesser known cloud based products for fear the could become unusable altogether. First world problems...

I have tried it, Results are no different from Crisco as far as i can see.

I have the original.In black. I personally like the cast iron daisy wheel over the new problematic control tower. The air lift hinge is nice, but im not sure I am a fan of the new gasket that you need to latch the lid to seal it up. Firebox on the new one looks better but the stainless steel retainer ring may be an issue - some warping issues reported. The original has a solid track record.

A number of the early plastic slats had this issue. Mine lasted less than a year. I got a replacement set under warranty and have not had any further problems.

I prefer to keep the grill in it's factory stand as well. I really like the storage table you have built.

In my mind spinning up a whole bird yields the very best results, I love rotisserie chicken. I can't for the life of me master spatchcock with any consistency what so ever...

I have cooked my last few batches of wings indirect @ about 250 for an hour or so using frozen marinaded wings right out of the freezer. I ramp my temps up and go direct for the final part of the cook turning them constantly.

Try Mr Dash Chicken seasoning. Healthy choice and I love the flavor.

Id buy a few bags of Royal Oak and Maple leaf and see what you like best. In Edmonton Lowes has a # of different decent brands on hand including R/O, Basques, Kamado Joe and Maple leaf. Prices at Lowes are about as good as it gets around here - maybe cheaper than what you would pay in Yellowknife.

Had the week off with a house full of guests so I went through nearly the entire 10 lb bag over several cooks. Findings on a single test bag: *Medium density charcoal. Much longer burn times when compared to Basques or Maple Leaf. Very little ash. *Small to medium sized pieces only in this bag. Very little unusable micro pieces / dust. No large pieces. *All raw wood from actual trees. No lumber mill scraps, rocks, plywood, nails, etc. Some bark. *Lights up easily and burns clean as quickly as any others I have used. No black smoke. No sparks. *Nice subtle smoke flavor - not over-powering. I'm fixing to buy a few more bags next week and see how it goes. Nothing special about it I guess but nothing really wrong with it so far. Perhaps not a "premium" lump, but it's priced accordingly and it seems to cook food just fine! A bit cheaper than my go to charcoal [Basques] with a significantly longer burn time. Try bag or two and give me your thoughts.

What is the motivation to use a different charcoal for smoking? Longer lasting on long cooks?