DWFII

I had to buy a firebox, too--new. Mine was shattered...I don't think there was a piece much larger than the palm of my hand and most smaller. I couldn't buy a used one, either...although I saw one sold. The good news is that the firebox on a BGE seems particularly vulnerable and when I bought it...from a "registered" dealer...I got a receipt. And from everything I've read, that means it's under warranty. If it breaks I can get another one shipped in no charge. So, didn't regret that. The bad news is that while resurrecting this LBGE, and after putting close to $250.00 (which, being retired on a very limited income, I could not afford--mostly birthday money), I discovered a hairline crack in the lower body. All the advice I got on the Egghead forum suggested that it wouldn't be a problem--people said they'd been cooking on eggs for years and years that were similarly cracked. And that seems to be true. My Egg doesn't leak and I have no problem controlling temp or shutting down. But I don't do much with it except pizza. Yum!!

I suspect this post won't be all that welcome but FWIW... I read both this site and the BGE site. I am not sure where I get better or more information. One one hand, I have never had a post/question ignored on the BGE site. But an answer (much less recognition that a question has been asked) is never certain here. At the same time, the answers I get on this site are usually clear and to the point whereas the BGE site is full of political crap, snark, off topic posts, and mini flame wars. When I was trying to resurrect my "inherited" LBGE, I was astonished at the incredible, un-looked for, generosity and forthcoming openness that I received on the BGE forum--even though I offered to pay for used parts, people sent me pieces (like fire rings and platesetters) that I was missing and never even asked for the shipping, much less the cost of the item itself. And much advice and outreach...even follow-ups in PM's--as if people really cared enough to see how their advice worked out for me and whether there was anything more they could help with. In my opinion...FWIW... sometimes I suspect a forum can just get spread too thin. What makes the BGE forum so active is that the members are all interested in the same product and drawn together by that product. Maybe it's a bit cult-ish--I'm at the fringes so I'm not effected, if it is. On the other hand, when the interest and focus is so dispersed, people don't feel any pressing need to help (and don't get me wrong, I know there's no obligation to help anyone) others with different kamados or odd, old, and long since tedious, questions. Bottom line is that I keep coming back to both forums. I learn from both forums (including when to ask a question and when not) and I am grateful for both forums and the people on them. just my, admittedly unsolicited, opinion...

Thank you for the reply. I saw somewhere...was it here?...a series of photos in which a fellow was making a kamado. If I remember correctly he had a form and he was covering it with something--refractory cement? I dunno. AFAIK, the material was just left to cure, it was never fired or anything like that. I never saw how it held up with use, but in the end it was a good looking kamado. What else could it have been, if not refractory cement?

Nice job! I always thought that refractory cement might be a good deal. I have a "platesetter" for a LBGE. One of the legs is broken diagonally (I can still use it as is) and thought I might try to repair it. What are the downsides? Poor strength? Off gassing of noxious odours? It may not be worth it considering I can use it the way it is but bottom line is: why don't more people repair ceramic kamodos with refractory cement?

Thanks...sounds like a plan!

Got that...thank you. So if you were grilling a dozen thighs or three burgers or six brats, how long will you grill them for? Or how long before you open the lid and flip every thing over and then how long?

No I haven't...that's the reason i asked about all this. I've always had the offset for grilling and a WSM for smoking low and slow. When I got the Akorn I thought it would do it all so I gave the other stuff to my SIL

So "grilling" is not a good idea? Better to do wings, brats, steaks and burgers on the Weber kettle and save the Akorn for butts, pizza and briskets, etc.? Is that what you're saying? I'm starting to regret giving my Cg offset to my son-in-law. Can you grill open lid on your Big Joe?

Temp control is very good with my Akorn. I figured it would go out...it's just that I had to go eat and having the dome open throughout the cook had really stoke the fire. Nervous Nellie I suppose. Bottom line I wanted to cook on the Akorn the way I would have cooked on the Weber kettle--lid open and just a quick fire, not a lot of charcoal. Maybe that's not a good idea? I guess that's what I'm really asking--can it be done and should it be done?

Thank you for that. How full do you fill the bottom of the firebowl for grilling? Just a chimney full? Frankly it kind of scared me a little when I tried to shut the Akorn down afterwards. The coals...more or less one level deep...were glowing hot and although they only covered half the make-shift coal grate, the temp was above 500° and rising. The temp probably would have stabilized as the air flow was cut but I wasn't gonna be there to monitor it and make sure.

I tried to grill some chicken drums yesterday--open dome, indirect fire. The legs turned out fine, but I had some questions: First, I cleared out all the charcoal from the firebowl. Then I laid a small charcoal grate on the "tabs" that hold the plate setter and added a chimney of lit charcoal on one side of the grate. I put the cooking grid in its usual position. The problem was that the fire was really too close to the meat--I don't think there's more than 4-5" between the charcoal and the food in that kind of setup. Closing the lid momentarily , the dome temp was pretty high. The other problem is that although there wasn't that much coal in the Akorn, when I finished with the cook and closed the dome to put the fire out, the temp soared and I worried that it might get out of hand. I ended up scooping out the lit coals before shutting down. I haven't got anything invested in trying to grill on the Akorn--I got the idea from posts here but now I am thinking it's a bad idea. Back to the Weber? Ar is there another way to cook chicken pieces, brats, hamburgers, etc.. any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

FWIW, I use the tube and in my experience...maybe misguided experience...it is hard to keep lit. I have taken to propping it up on a lighter cube and really getting it going. There has been several times when I lit it..I thought thoroughly...with propane and it went out in less than 20 minutes. When it works it works good, however, although I like a pan of ice cubes anyway. It can't hurt.

So how far away from the fire is your cooking grid? I know it's a PITA but do you possibly has a photo? So much conflicting testimony on this subject...but it would be a good option to have.

What is too much? Seriously.

I'm sure you're right but, as mentioned, this was half (?) an animal that we traded for and the cuts were what they were. I don't even know if we got a packer...probably...but I didn't see it when we put everything in the freezer.