Finally found a used Akron on CL
 

It official. I am part of the kamado club. After months of searching, thanks to a "heads-up" from one of our fellow BBQ Brethren, I finally was able to find a used Char-Griller Akron on CL. Picked it up a couple of hours ago and already have it cleaned up and doing a test burn. It was dropped while moving by the original owner and has a dent where the fastener is located under the handle. Assessing during the test burn how much effect it will have on being able do seal and maintain temps for smoking. I bought it primarily for direct high heat grilling and baking, but would like to use it for an occasional low and slow cook.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...psb3682350.jpg

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...ps4939c6ee.jpg


Am going back and reviewing all the JMSetzler videos to flatten the learning curve as much as possible.

So far I am a pretty happy camper.

What I would do as some one who owns one:
1 coat the grate in veg oil.
2 fill the bottom with charcoal
3 add a weber cube to the top of the pile and light it. and cover with a few bits of charcoal.
4 add a small chunk of smoke wood to the top to see leaks better.
5 run vents open to 350 then get temp to 400 to season the grate.
6 let stand at 400 for an hour or so.
7 lock down vents to snuff out fire.

I love my Akorn. Season the grate and know that the dome thermo is pure crap. (Mine varies from 20-120 degrees off. 250 shows as 200 on mine.)

Great minds think alike. I am doing almost exactly what you had listed. Only thing I am doing different is that after doing the high temp seasoning burn, I stepped the temp down to 225-250 and going to see if it will maintain for an hour or so before snuffing the fire out.

please post results because I have one I can't control and wondering if it is just a bad one or not.

What's the problem Kave Dweller? I've had an Akorn for a few months now and have no problem with the low and slows. Went 14 hours this past weekend between 240-248 and the thing didn't need to be touched once.

Congrats on the purchase Benniesdad.

I will save you a couple hours of watching a grill not do much. It is an insulated cooker. It is going to take hours to come down from 400 to 225-250. 4 hours to drop from 400 to < 100 per JM's video. If you close the top vent to .3 or .5 and the bottom completely it will stay lit and go down to 225-250 but it will take a couple hours to get there (2-3 hours).

Kave, where do you see the smoke pouring from? If you need help please shoot a PM over. I am about to leave work and go get the kids. So I will lose track of this thread. You can post what is going on a lot of people here are knoladgeable on this cooker.

Was very pleasantly surprised by how well it held low temp given both the dent around the front fastener and the fact that no special mods have been done to the ash pan or other seals. As Humphrey Bogart would say, “Akron, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

I can tell you how that dent happened so you won't let it happen to YOU!

The latch on the front of this grill has NOTHING to do with sealing it up for air tightness. It's a latch to hold the dome lid in place so you can move the kamado with the wooden handle and NOT dump the grill. Someone move that one without latching the lid and it toppled on them and that part of the grill is what hit the ground when they did it!

Its just my wife and I 99&#37; of the time. One of the neatest mods I did for my Akorn was to buy a 7.5qt stainless steel spaghetti strainer from BedBathBeyond. It sits on the charcoal grate filled with 3/4 chimney of lit coals poured in.
Gives me a great area for grilling a less hot area for veggies, and cleanup is just lift the cooled strainer and pour into trash. I believe cookers are like pets. No one loves them as much as their masters. But I do love mine so.

Sounds neat - can you post a pix or a link?

TIA

Sounds like you know by experience :icon_smile_tongue:

I wonder if you might have found one a little sooner had you searched CL for Akorn. :loco: :roll: :doh: :oops: :wink:

JMSetzler is active across a few communities. This is a VERY common issue over in some other communities. JM's Akorn was in non-dropped condition last video I saw though I heard he also sold his and now owns a few ceramics.

JM is a top noch dude when it comes to the Akorn, if I had a question on one he would be the guy I seek out.

+1, I'm with you :-)