A Couple PK Grill Mods or Tips

[hikerman]

For the PK owners or maybe soon to be owners. The owner's manual warns you to keep charcoal away from outer wall of grill body. Not always a simple task so I got an old metal cake pan 9"X12"X2"deep. Folded the short-side lips up using pliers, and then drilled about 60  3/8" holes in bottom of pan. This will keep charcoal neat and away from walls and sure makes clean-up easier, although it wasn't hard to clean anyway.

The next tip is to use the same-sized pan, with short-side bent up. This is now your drip pan for indirect cooking which this grill is killer at. Lately I found using an aluminum foil pan for this purpose leaks after one use causing a greasy mess in bottom of grill and on lower tray. This cake pan ends that mess and you can line it with a disposable pan or use heavy duty foil to make clean up a breeze.
Grill on Garth!


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[LostArrow]

With extremely high heat porcelain coated steel developeds crackes due to differential expansion .
That's why a weber kettle has about a 10 year life span !!
Aluminum may warp / ? Melt at extreme temps of charcoal grilling.
I've never heard of a PK cooker body failing!
I make charcoal fences & baskets out of aluminum expanded metal , coals touch the walls , can't tell any wear & tear on any.
If I'm betting the PK body will long outlive you without any special care 

[hikerman]

With extremely high heat porcelain coated steel developeds crackes due to differential expansion .
That's why a weber kettle has about a 10 year life span !!
Aluminum may warp / ? Melt at extreme temps of charcoal grilling.
I've never heard of a PK cooker body failing!
I make charcoal fences & baskets out of aluminum expanded metal , coals touch the walls , can't tell any wear & tear on any.
If I'm betting the PK body will long outlive you without any special care 

LongArrow what I've done has nothing to do with extending the life of this grill. It is about easier clean-up, being able to switch from indirect to direct in a flash, and keeping grease out of the bottom of the body. I would certainly prefer sitting on the deck sipping a cold one as opposed to scraping grease from the bottom of the body. But everybody has their own agenda, mine is to be relax and enjoy the day while blue smoke drifts out of the cooker!

[smokeasaurus]

I have always wondered why they say to keep the coals away from the edges. I think the PK body will last forever......one reason they have all the other replacement parts on their site    I love an easy clean-up and I am gonna get me one of those cake pans right away 

[memphistiger2004]

What is the can for?

Also, have you experienced any issue with spent charcoal choking out your fire during long cooks?

[drholly]

As a hopefully soon to be owner - thank you - bookmarking this.