Vision Kamado - Indirect Setup

I got a Vision Kamado about 2 weeks ago and grilles some steaks.Foe smokingI realized I would need a diffuser. Vision sells one that is available at Hime Depot

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...rizontal1-1-_-NA-_-202928211-_-N#.UDbmHKAdNqw

this unit has a bracket that places the stone below the grate so both grates can still be used for smoking. I checked at the local HD and this is only available on line :shocked: while I was there, I saw this for $13




Ialso picked up a 14" teracotta pot base for $9 and a couple of 1/2" non galvanized steel bars to make a bracket.




I tried it with some ABTs with good results.


the brackets put the plate 4" below the grate.

$9 for the plate and $6 for the steel is a lot better than $50 for their stone.

Crazy Harry said:

I got a Vision Kamado about 2 weeks ago and grilles some steaks.Foe smokingI realized I would need a diffuser. Vision sells one that is available at Hime Depot

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...rizontal1-1-_-NA-_-202928211-_-N#.UDbmHKAdNqw

this unit has a bracket that places the stone below the grate so both grates can still be used for smoking. I checked at the local HD and this is only available on line :shocked: while I was there, I saw this for $13

Ialso picked up a 14" teracotta pot base for $9 and a couple of 1/2" non galvanized steel bars to make a bracket.

I tried it with some ABTs with good results.

the brackets put the plate 4" below the grate.

$9 for the plate and $6 for the steel is a lot better than $50 for their stone.

Click to expand...

I purchased the exact same pizza stone for my Vision and it has been working well. I love the "flower pot" setup. How is that holding up? Looks like a simple mod that will give me the lower grate surface area back for more meat during a low and slow.

I do love this grill.

jon s said:

The danger with terra cotta is that they are not designed for this... They can shatter from repeated cookings. When it happens, the noise can scare the sh*t out of you...

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I was wondering about that. :biggrin1:

I bought this spider

http://shop.ceramicgrillstore.com/vision-spider-1/

and first used the lid to a cast iron pot which worked great but was very heavy. I now use an old skillet from the kitchen with the handle removed. It doubles as a drip tray.

Just a heads up and props to the nice folks at Kamado Joe, I'd finally decided on the KJ deflector to use on my yet unused Vision after my kids moved my Akorn and dropped it on it's face for the second time(2 different sons 18 and 19 y.o.), you'd think one would check the darn caster lock, but oh well...:doh: Back to main story, they're very hard to find except at Ace, but Ace won't ship to my house, only to a store and our town of 100,000 doesn't have one, so I'd have to drive an hour each way, almost did, but sent a message to KJ asking if there's another sales channel, they called back and sold me one direct, should have it today. I know they have a dealer channel, but I thought it was very nice of them to accommodate me. Should be here today I hope, then it's on to experimenting with the Vision. I did wings the other day with no deflector, and boy it does cook differently than the Akorn. New learning curve.

Great forum topic, thanks much to all - Luther (Chris) Merced, CA

I've found a deflector on top of the smoking stone is absolutely necessary. I just baked Jamaican beef patties on it a few days ago and burned some of their bottoms in not too long a time. I used the cheapo metal cookie sheet to bake the patties on that I normally sit above the deflector/below the grill. Wrong move. Should have left that pan as a second deflector an used a second cookie sheet to bake the patties. I found the temperature harder to control without a second deflector above the stone, too. I'll be buying a couple more cookie sheets to fit, the one there now has been through a lot of fires and will need replacing at some point. I'll always keep a second sheet handy for making pastries and things that burn more easily. I've made a few meat pies that turned out great. Fantastic cooker!

Anyone setup their grill so that you can do indirect and direct cooking at the same time?

I am actually thinking that double or triple wrapped aluminum foil might do the trick on half the grill?

Or maybe cut a pizza pan in half?

Anyone setup a direct and indirect system for this grill?

I've never set it up that way. I usually have so much to smoke that it takes all available space -- anything that needs to be seared or grilled goes on the gasser. In my experience with this smoker a grill triple wrapped in aluminum foil wouldn't give the meat enough protection during smoking. I use a cookie sheet over the smoking stone where the two short ends have next to no direct exposure to heat coming up around the stone -- the two long sides are more in line with the stone so they allow the heat to come through fully on those long sides. Even with added protection from the cookie sheet I still get overcooking on those long sides while away from them the cooking is good. I think a pizza pan cut in half would be better than foil but I feel more protection is necessary to smoke low and slow without the stone. What about using both halves of the pizza pan and sandwiching a slimmer piece of brick or maybe a few ceramic tiles to create insulation/more protection? You'd have to check into the food safety of what you sandwich in between. Allign it all so it looks like a half moon smoking plate. The smoking will likely go on longer than the searing/grilling, why not put the stone back when you've finished grilling -- or keep the stone in until you start grilling?

sandiegobbq said:

Anyone setup their grill so that you can do indirect and direct cooking at the same time?

I am actually thinking that double or triple wrapped aluminum foil might do the trick on half the grill?

Or maybe cut a pizza pan in half?

Anyone setup a direct and indirect system for this grill?

Click to expand...

Thats what JM did, cut a pizza pan in half.

Kamado Joe will be releasing a split heat deflector soon for the classic size. They've already released it for the Big Joe.

caution about notching

Hi folks,
I’m a new Vision Classic owner and new to this forum. Like many others I’ve been looking at heat deflector options for my Vision. I’m in Canada, so my options are somewhat limited compared to the US. I’m currently using an old cracked pizza stone on the lower grid, which works, but it looks crappy, especially in a work of art like a Kamado.

The Vision lava stone isn’t available here, but I can get the KJ heat deflector locally.
Before ordering the KJ, I thought I'd check with Vision about notching the bowl as many on this and other forums have done. I thought I should share Visions reply, which is that notching the bowl will void the warranty.

I emailed Vision and got this response just the other day:

"Dear Brian: I would have to say that we could not warrant a fire bowl that has been modified. Putting notches in it could very well lead to a break, which would void the warranty.

Laurie Copeland
Customer Service Manager
Vision Grills"

I'd hate to jeopardize a lifetime warranty for the sake of some notches, so I'm hoping the KJ fits height-wise with no issues, especially when using both grids.

K-ville -- did you buy your Vision Kamado at Canadian Tire? It didn't have a heat deflector? Did the box and paperwork not say it should come with a heat deflector? My Vision Pro came with a heat deflector lava stone, my problem with it is it's too small, the edges of what I'm smoking burn terribly (especially large pieces of meat) so I use an old cookie sheet to create a baffle, I just rest it on the thick rim of the fire bowl before I put down the first grill. Works beautifully, no burned edges on turkeys or pork legs/shoulders. The heat deflector mine came with is only 15", I want one at least 16" and would prefer 16.5" for the type of smoking I do.

Thank you for posting Vision's reply, that is very helpful information.

Kathy's Smokin' said:

K-ville -- did you buy your Vision Kamado at Canadian Tire? It didn't have a heat deflector? Did the box and paperwork not say it should come with a heat deflector? My Vision Pro came with a heat deflector lava stone, my problem with it is it's too small, the edges of what I'm smoking burn terribly (especially large pieces of meat) so I use an old cookie sheet to create a baffle, I just rest it on the thick rim of the fire bowl before I put down the first grill. Works beautifully, no burned edges on turkeys or pork legs/shoulders. The heat deflector mine came with is only 15", I want one at least 16" and would prefer 16.5" for the type of smoking I do.

Thank you for posting Vision's reply, that is very helpful information.

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Hi Kathy's. My daughter is in Guelph, going to OVC.
Mine is the Vision Classic B from Coscto. It doesn't come with a heat deflector. The cookie sheet works, but I'd prefer something heavier for some thermal mass. A local pottery store in Ottawa sells 15.5 inch round kiln shelves which are made of Cordierite - they are designed to withstand over 1000 degrees celcius and they only cost $25. If I can rig up a bracket, I may go that route.

Cool about your daughter at the OVC. I agree, a cookie sheet isn't enough, I use the cookie sheet on top of the deflector. Eventually I'm going to figure out a 16" deflector, I'm unhappy with how much direct heat comes around the 15". There's a welding shop down the road, I may ask them to cut me a very, very thick metal disk. Our brethren N8man repurposed a very thick metal something -- don't remember what it was -- but he really liked the way it acted as a heat deflector.

Edit: I'll try to take a picture of my bracket and post it. There should be some pics on the Vision site, too.

I just ordered this "Kiln Shelf" from an online pottery store.

https://www.axner.com/cordierite-shelf-15roundx58.aspx

It is 15" and 5/8 thick. It is rated for cone 6 kilns (up to 2165 degrees, had to look that up)

I will let you know how it goes. Cost $17.95 plus shipping. I also got the half shelf since it only cost $10.95.

Drunk Monkey said:

I just ordered this "Kiln Shelf" from an online pottery store.

https://www.axner.com/cordierite-shelf-15roundx58.aspx

It is 15" and 5/8 thick. It is rated for cone 6 kilns (up to 2165 degrees, had to look that up)

I will let you know how it goes. Cost $17.95 plus shipping. I also got the half shelf since it only cost $10.95.

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How much was shipping? I looked at that, but the site seemed to be unwilling to identify the shipping cost without creating an account and proceeding to checkout.