robertyb

I saw one the other day at mine but am not in the market for a Kamado at this time. It was the cart model too.

I usually pull my venison roasts at around 135 IT.

You will do good staying to the 2-2-1 method. I am probably closer to 2 - 1 1/2 - 1/2 but I cook closer to 300 usually.

Are you buying these pre-assembled or are you assembling them yourself? It sounds to me like someone is assembling them incorrectly.

I am not a FB user either.

I see no reason it will not work unless it is touching the lit coals and I am nor certain if that will hurt it as I have had mine might close on several occasions.

When I shut mine down it does not get opened again till it is all the way cooled off. I can usually shut mine down from 400/450 and have it ready to put up in 3 to 4 hours. You either let some coals get fresh air or you have a small leak. Have you lit your smoker and thrown some wood on get it smoking well and then shut it off to see if it is leaking? If not do so next time you are ready to cook before putting the meat on.

I would have stuck that butt straight on my smoker and let it keep heating up.

The only difference between a low and slow at 225 and 300 is the amount of time for the cook. Taste wise you will not find any difference other than maybe a tad darker/crispier bark. Thus if you are cooking at 225 and it is fluctuating between 225 and say 280 do not worry about it at all. Just pull your cook when your internal temps hit your target point.

A cotton ball soaked in alcohol will light that just as well and a lot cheaper.

I brush mine down and turn the temps up to 400 to 450 for a few minutes then close it off. I have not sprayed it down with anything in over 3 years and no rust at all and it is clean and ready to use when needed.

I use the TTT (Tip Top Temp) and it has never failed to work perfectly after almost 5 years of service, I just set it and walk away.

My Akorn is 4 years old and still looks new. I store mine in a small room in my garage and roll it around to different points depending on wind direction when I cook on it. I would not be able to do this with the majority of the ceramics due to the weight involved and the difficulty of rolling them on grass and uneven surfaces. My nephew has owned a large BGE for around 10 years now and after watching me move my Akorn around and cook on it he went and bought one for his Dad and himself. He recently told me that he is now using the Akorn for almost all of his cooks. The BGE must be getting lonely.

The only time my kamado stayed lit for hours was when I neglected to shut the top vent all the way on shutdown. It normally cools off in about 3 to 4 hours depending on how hot I cooked but was still barely lit the following morning when left cracked open. Any air flow can keep the coals lit.

I worried about mine for the first cook or two then realized it did not need watching at all. I set my vents before putting on the meat now and never even look again until it is about done.