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I'm not sure I recognize this cut after cooking. Is this the same as "sirloin" cap roast, or coulotte, a triangular cut. https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/cuts/cut/2592/coulotte-roast Your roast is rectangular, with a nice fat cap, but it's no longer whole, and it's hard to see the grain in cooked meat. A photo of the raw cut, in the link, shows that the bottom half of the triangle is grained by marbling. This end is extremely tender so it's best cooked to gentle temperatures. Thick steaks can be cut across the grain; when spit-roasted it's known as picana at Brazilian bbq. As slices get closer to the point, there's less marbling so it gets less tender, becoming more like the sirloin cuts below it. Flavorful, but you need to chew. That makes it even more important to cook gently and cut thin across the grain. That's a good description of sirloin cut with the grain, but I can't tell from the pic, save for the first where the slice in the foreground is with-grain and likely tough. When raw, did your meat have the heavy, marbled grain in the photo? That makes this an easy cut to orient, compared with a cut like London Broil that can be undone by turning the wrong side up. We've all found the correct grain after cutting.... Stay well, Frank

I used the oven. My stick burner used a lot of fuel, and was only good for 6-8 hrs. before the intake clogged with ash. OK, I was using briquettes... Frank

Use a hammer, or pour extra fuel and put the big ones back in the bag. I used the latter approach yesterday, and can report a sustained 850F. Ironically, they were the worst pizzas to date. We did two larger pies out of a 2-pound dough instead of three (bad idea), I overcooked one of the pies trying to add cheese late (bad idea). My son's pepperoni pie was great after he blotted the pepperoni grease, while my sausage and hot pepper pie was awful! Sausage crumbles were flavorless and large amounts of banana pepper produced zero heat! I sliced more pepperoni to try and make the sausage/pepper pie edible. It didn't work. YMMV, mine certainly did. Stay well, Frank

Sounds like floor space matters. That's the only reason for an upgrade instead of a second grill. I have a original Big Joe. The divide-and-conquer grate system combined with the fire bowl divider gives you a wide range of options for dual cooking environments. It's very easy to do direct/indirect sides. I commonly use soapstone over the lit half of the fire bowl, and deflector/grate on the indirect side. Or the opposite... you can rotate the whole grate system while you're cooking. Don't discount the upgrade path too quickly; it can do two things at once, albeit with limited grill space. If you have the floor space, or need more grill space, it's hard to beat @John Setzler logic, especially since Classic I is available for $500-600. Different hinge and gasket but the same accessory commonality and cooking capabilities as your Classic II. Stay well, Frank

First off, WELCOME! Second, when it cools down after this cook, take a good look at your Akorn Jr. Many hand-me-down grills have an undiscovered problem behind the original owner's generosity. The most common is air leaks. Any gaps where parts meet can be gasketed. My full-size Akorn was handed down due to a leaky bottom vent, that limited its capability. Mine was great between 275-500F - burgers and corn an hour after lighting ain't bad! Third, Akorns are sensitive to leaving the lid open. They suck air in around the perimeter of the grill and become infernos in minutes. "Burping" only lets in more air. Once you pass your target temp, the only quick way to lower temperature is to put a bunch of cold stuff in. Patience with vents can also work, unless the vents are leaky. And lastly, ribs are a great first cook, second only to pork butt in terms of "things hard to ruin." You can get great ribs at 275-350F as long as you adjust cooking time and rearrange them regularly to keep the thin end from burning. I assume the racks are cut in half to fit. That's SOP even on my 24" Big Joe. HAve at it and enjoy! Frank

And has for years. Ours carry everything; logs, chunks, chips, pellets... with choice of species for all. Frank

I had smoked at 225F for decades, but "I could never do that in... the Akorn." Post like @eflyguy above lead me to conclude that Akorns are not created equal. Each owner gets a unique experience. Learn yours and stay within its capability and it's a great little grill. Stay well, Frank

I've seen an experiment in smoke uptake that says a wet surface condenses more smoke. I put meat on the smoker cold and wet, and I don't worry if it takes an hour for the grill to reach 225F. YMMV. Stay well, Frank

Akorns are great grills, but they have weaknesses. I could never run below 250F, it either went out (your experience) or rose uncontrollably. Stop the uncontrollable rise and it went out. I gave up and ran where it was happy, about 275F. Having upgraded, I find the issue is driven by lower vent leakage; you can't control the air into the grill. It's more than an ash pan gasket issue, because I had a great seal there. My KJ will die if I close only the lower vent, leaving the top open. My Akorn would run about 350F. Stay well, Frank

If you want to clean out the grill, start a small fire and put a big chunk in the middle. The chunk will keep everything else burning until it's ash before the big chunk is done. Otherwise, I break up pieces that are bigger than my fist. Experimenting today, to see if I can cook pizza with KJBB. In the past, it's never passed 500F while I want 800F. My BJ's also carried a mesquite-based fuel that's good for 900F, even though it's also chunky. Stay well, Frank

That's the ideal temp for ribs in my book, and about the lowest I could consistently run my Akorn. That makes them a great match. Enjoy! Frank

Just got a replacement set... 2 years on the first pair. Took a month, but I can't complain under warranty. Discolored cracks just mean the cracks were there for a while before it broke. When you drop them, all bets are off. Stay well, Frank

As long as you don't have a dog. Frank

Is a Big Joe enough? Kamados are the Jack of All Trades of BBQ. Cold-smoked cheese to Neopolitan pizza, Kamados span the range of what can be cooked. That means other grills will be better for specific things. Burgers and chicken parts fit better on square-cornered grates of gas and some charcoal grills. So you may have to adapt; to cook 30 burgers on a BJ, do 15 at a time. The other factor is when you serve. Burgers and chicken are usually served hot off the grill. Brisket needs a many-hour rest, and pork butt needs both rest and pulling. It's really easy to cook BBQ ahead, and rewarm for service. That also frees up the grill for real-time cooking and hot-off-the-grill service. I serve ~100 people, but we prepare ahead in three multi-day cooks, for brisket, pork butt and turkey breast, and add a gas grill for burgers and dogs (large kid contingent). Stay well, Frank

I don't think there's anything to worry about. I use clear Corningware in the grill all the time. Magic Eraser cleans it very easily, and the glass remains clear. Your ceramic-coated cast iron has the same sort of surface; it's harder than the Eraser, which is harder than the dirt. Just clean "easily." I bet you could hurt the pan if you tried... you have to know when you're scrubbing a stain. Or use Lodge pans and you won't feel so bad if one's ruined. Stay well, Frank