Let's Talk BBQ

Outdoor Cooking Equipment => Grills & Smokers => Kamado Style Cookers => Topic started by: scrowder on June 08, 2019, 07:30:34 PM

Title: Temp is running up on Pit Boss kamado
Post by: scrowder on June 08, 2019, 07:30:34 PM

I bought a brand new Pit Boss kamado-style grill and even if I barely have the top and bottom vents open, I can’t get the temp much lower than 270/280 at the grate level.

Has anyone experienced this on the same grill and figured out a fix?

Title: Re: Temp is running up on Pit Boss kamado
Post by: rwalters on June 09, 2019, 08:37:49 AM

I have not cooked on that specific kamado... but I have done a ton of cooking on Kamado Joe’s. Can you describe your startup procedure? Also, once your kamado is sitting at 250°ish, what do your vents settings typically look like?

Title: Re: Temp is running up on Pit Boss kamado
Post by: scrowder on June 09, 2019, 09:04:00 AM

I use a chimney starter and let the coals get good and hot and then dump them in the firebox. Then I add more lump charcoal and some wood chunks and drop the heat deflector in and close the lid with both vents barely open. Temp still goes over 280.

Title: Re: Temp is running up on Pit Boss kamado
Post by: HighOnSmoke on June 09, 2019, 10:50:24 AM

Here is what I do with my Akorn Kamado. I will fill my firebox with lump. I put one starter cube in the center and light it. Once the initial smoke dies down a little (I give it about 3 minutes) I add a few chunks of wood around the fire and put a couple of small pieces of lump on the fire. I then put on my deflector, drip pan and grate. Both my top and bottom vents are wide open. I monitor the grate temperature with a digital thermometer. I use the Smoke from thermoworks. Once the temperature hits around 150 I will close both vents to about 1/2 open. When the temperature gets to 200 I close both vents to about 1/4 on the bottom and between 1/4 and 1/2 on top. This will maintain temperatures between 225 and 235 with my Akorn for several hours. You will get spikes when the wood catches, but I ignore them. I don't touch the bottom vent at all after the last setting. If needed I will adjust the top vent a little. Make sure you give it at least 10 minutes to adjust to the new settings. Hope this helps.

Title: Re: Temp is running up on Pit Boss kamado
Post by: rwalters on June 09, 2019, 11:19:33 AM

Yep, that’s solid advice ^^^^

Start there and tweak as needed. Sounds like you are starting off w/ way to big a fire. Kamados require a tiny fire to keep them running in the low/mid 200’s. Start small and allow the fire to grow a bit from there vs starting big and trying to choke the fire back.

Title: Re: Temp is running up on Pit Boss kamado
Post by: scrowder on June 09, 2019, 01:39:29 PM

Do you close the lid right after you put the deflector and grate on?

Title: Re: Temp is running up on Pit Boss kamado
Post by: rwalters on June 09, 2019, 02:12:04 PM

I always did with vents wide open. Start making vent adjustments when you are 30ish° from your target.

Title: Re: Temp is running up on Pit Boss kamado
Post by: scrowder on June 09, 2019, 04:04:14 PM

Thank you both! I will try this and update the thread.