How Do I Grill on a MAK 2-Star?

[pmillen]

My BIL and I took four hours to assemble my new 2-Star.  I'll write a description of that effort another time.  I have three ribeyes to grill in a couple of days and I don't have comprehensive instructions.

I see that I need to remove the FlameZone covers expose the holes in the FlameZone pan.  After that I'm pretty much lost.

• What temperature should I set?
• Grill with lid open all the time or closed?  (Temperature setting is probably not important if the lid is always open.  The temperature will never be reached.)
• Do you have any Best Practices to offer?

[old sarge]

I don't know if you've viewed this (most likely you have) but you can set manually to grill. Two are for the MAK and the last is for a Fast Eddy pellet.  I hope they help.

[pmillen]

Thanks for the reply, Old Sarge.  And for the link to the video.  I missed the video because I only looked for one from MAK.  A video has to be rather well produced and acted before I can stand to watch it so I skipped that guy.

I asked MAK CS essentially the same question.  Here's their reply.

"The best way to sear is to set the MAK to GRILL. This turns the auger continuously allowing for a better sear.
 
"I usually close the lid, but you can keep it open.
 
"My best tip would be to give your grill about 30 minutes to reach searing temperatures before you start. I also like to take the steaks out of the fridge about 45-60min before cooking so they aren’t cold when I grill them."

(I didn't get far enough through the Pellet Boss menu to see that there's a GRILL choice.  I bailed out early because connection to my WiFi is fatally tedious and the instructions need to be updated, so I quit.)

I think I'll keep the lid open.  The Cookshack Charbroilers don't come with a standard lid.

If I were MAK I'd include these instructions in their instruction book or a YouTube video.  But that's just me.

EDIT:  Removed a line inadvertently included in a Copy/Paste action.

[old sarge]

" The Cookshack Charbroilers don't come with a standard lid."
You are better off following the instructions you got from MAK.  Point of fact, the CS smokers have two models and the other (PG 1000) does have the standard style lift up lid. Enjoy your MAK!

[pmillen]

" The Cookshack Charbroilers don't come with a standard lid."
You are better off following the instructions you got from MAK.  Point of fact, the CS smokers have two models and the other (PG 1000) does have the standard style lift up lid. Enjoy your MAK!

We're addressing two different Charbroiler products, Old Sarge.  I had a Charbroiler Fast Eddy PG500 for 8 years and have some familiarity with the PG1000.

The Charbroiler is Cookshack's commercial unit for restaurants.  It's a pellet-fueled grill.  Here's a link to their web page.  They offer a cover but IDK if they recommend grilling with it closed.  It may be for covering it when it's not in use.

[old sarge]

I stand corrected.  I thought the PG (pellet grill) 500 and 1000 just had the ability to grill high as well as indirect and smoke.  Thanks for setting me straight.

[pmillen]

There's something about my mind that causes me to take everything literally and view everything as black or white.  Also, if there's a possibility that some instruction can be interpreted different from the intended meaning—I'll interpret it differently.

As I reread the MAK instructions–
"The best way to sear is to set the MAK to GRILL. This turns the auger continuously allowing for a better sear.
 
"I usually close the lid, but you can keep it open.
 
"My best tip would be to give your grill about 30 minutes to reach searing temperatures before you start. I also like to take the steaks out of the fridge about 45-60min before cooking so they aren’t cold when I grill them."

He writes that he usually closes the lid.  Then, he goes on to suggest that I preheat the grill, with the auger running constantly, for 30 minutes.  That sounds like a recipe for an overheated pit.  I plan to preheat the pit at 400 to 425°F, lid closed, and then switch to the GRILL setting and cook with the lid open.

I'll let you know how the steaks turn out.