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Q-talk *ON TOPIC ONLY* QUALITY ON TOPIC discussion of Backyard BBQ, grilling, equipment and outdoor cookin' . ** Other cooking techniques are welcomed for when your cookin' in the kitchen. Post your hints, tips, tricks & techniques, success, failures, but stay on topic and watch for that hijacking.


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Old 06-11-2013, 10:35 AM   #676
Teltum
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Join Date: 03-26-13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MidNightBBQ View Post
Hi folks, this is my first post here in the forum. I was going to start out asking the ins-and-outs of the Char-Griller kookers before I purchased one, but there was a delay in approving my membership to the forum. Meanwhile I called around to local Lowes, Home Depot and Menards and found the LAST Char-Griller Akorn in stock anywhere (in my area) at Menards, so I had them hold it and I ran out and grabbed it. $299 with an 11% mail in rebate, pretty good on the price!
I got the red one, I assume its a newer model, has the cast top damper, I'm wondering what else I should look for to tell if its a newer or older model, and what might need to be tweaked a bit if this isn't the latest version?
I JUST got it assembled, took a break to post this and have a moment of "meditation" and now I am going out to light the first fire and season the cast iron grill with Crisco. (I did watch most of JMSetzlers most excellent videos on YouTube last night)
Any tips you guys have for an Akorn newb I would appreciate it...
Fill it up to just below where the smokin' stone holders are with charcoal. I use weber cubes you can use whatever you like but cubes work great for me. Break or cute a cube in half. Make sure your charcoal is in a pyramid shape. Take the top off and add the half-cube light it and replace a couple bits of lump on it.

Wait for about 10 mins or so for the few pecies to light well. Close the lid and adjust vents to get desired tempature. It will take a while to get hotter than 200-250 with this method. (1/2 hour - 3/4 hour to get to 225-250). This is the point where I toss on smoking chunks.

If you are shooting for a quick 400-600 degree cook then light a cube at the bottom and be careful about your vents. It will heat up like a chimney starter. With a quicker cook I tend to not have as much coal in the cooker. More air will be more efficent getting to the coals to keep the heat up.

If I am smoking chicken/turkey at 350-375 I use a full cube and bury it a bit deeper in the cooker than normal 225-275 smoking. I also add the chicken at about 325. There will be a rush of air and that will cause the heat to spike to 350-375 and then I shut the vents down a bit it will be right abour 330 then I goose the vents to 350-375...

When you add a heavy diffusor it changes how it comes up to temp. My Acadamy 14" griddle really makes getting to the right temp a bit more of a chore. You fight because the temps are slower than the norm, you open the vents to heat it up a little that chunk of cast iron will slow the temp changes when making small adjustments. And if you open the lid the iron will convert that extra heat into a longer temp spike that vents can't immeditely control. Because cast iron can hold a lot of heat.

Once you get it down the Akorn will be the best cooker you could spend 300$ on.
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Old 06-16-2013, 07:09 PM   #677
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After following this tread for a while i have joined the club. I bought a redhead and set her up.

I agree this is the most versitale cooker I have tried. Today I fooled around for fathers day and came up with a bacon wrapped filet mignon stuffed with mushrooms, gorganzola and chiple. There are no leftovers so I guess it didn't suck.

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Old 06-16-2013, 07:13 PM   #678
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I picked up a black one this evening. I haven't assembled it yet. Hope to learn some tricks on it before my Big Joe comes in later this summer.

Did you have to do any mods to get it up and running? I brought home a tube of red RTV, just in case some gaps needed to be sealed up.
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Old 08-26-2013, 05:09 PM   #679
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Wondering if this would be a good upgrade from my CharGriller Smoking Pro?

Would like something to use during the winter months.
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Old 08-26-2013, 10:41 PM   #680
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I like mine even if I don't use it as often as I should. No mods yet but still a great deal.
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Old 08-26-2013, 11:33 PM   #681
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChetPunisher View Post
Wondering if this would be a good upgrade from my CharGriller Smoking Pro?

Would like something to use during the winter months.
IMHO yes.

I bought mine over a year ago and haven't touched my WSM or Weber kettles since. The Akorn is very efficient and nearly weather and wind proof. I've grilled and smoked year round with great results. The only unknown is longevity, again I've had mine 1 1/2 years with no problems.

The only mods I have made on mine are buying a Weber grill grate and 16" pizza pan as a diffuser.

Read through this thread, Search "jmseltzer" on the search bar at the bottom of this page, and look at the posts and videos on his forum http://www.kamadoguru.com/
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Old 08-27-2013, 05:08 AM   #682
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Yep, lots of good info on Jim's site. I have my mod's on their. Like every other smoker/grill you have to learn yours. Took me awhile to get it to where I can set it and forget it, even overnight smokes and I don't use the maverick anymore. I still use the maverick in the winter time. The Acorn uses less coal than any other smoker I have used, even my smaller bullet. 20 hrs and still have 1/3 of a load left unburned. The swing out shelf/top rack is a nice feature. Here are 2 butts at 12 hours/250 degrees. For searing meat this thing is fantasic! Pizza too!
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Old 08-27-2013, 09:56 AM   #683
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The red one is $275 at



But what they are selling has a good black top
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Old 08-27-2013, 10:36 AM   #684
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I had to replace the thermometer on my Pro, will I have to change it out of the Kamodo?
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Old 08-27-2013, 12:00 PM   #685
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChetPunisher View Post
I had to replace the thermometer on my Pro, will I have to change it out of the Kamodo?
IMO some form of digital probe is almost a must on the Akorn.. Most units the supplied thermo is way off.. Also the supplied thermo is slow to react, I think so much of bringing the Akorn is watching how fast the thermo rises and shutting down the vents accordingly.. Their is a re branded Remington Maverick ET 732 Remote thermo for like 45 bucks and that is a bargain.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChetPunisher View Post
Wondering if this would be a good upgrade from my CharGriller Smoking Pro?

Would like something to use during the winter months.
As I stated in the other thread that was my primary reason for buying the Akorn.. The thing will chug all day with hardly any difference in fuel over summer.. Winter cooking is another reason to take the suggestion above and get some form of remote digital thermo.. You can sit in the house watching football while the cooker chugs along and you know what is happening out there..

I have the smokin pro as well.. As it being upgrade in some ways.. Its very versatile from pizzas, to grilling, to smoking.. I still love feeding splits in the smokin pro, but I gotta say most days the Akorn gets the nod.. Why? Very little tending, once you have your temps settled in, you sometimes wish something would happen so you have something to do that makes you look like you are actually doing something.
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Old 08-27-2013, 12:08 PM   #686
ICDEDTURKES
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Additionally some folks are finding the Akorn cheaper than 299.. Some Krogers will run this time a year at 160 making it a no brainer.
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Old 08-27-2013, 05:25 PM   #687
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Thanks guys. Is there one color better than another? :)
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Old 08-27-2013, 05:54 PM   #688
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Red is best - its only

 

at Amazon
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Old 09-03-2014, 12:23 PM   #689
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Any updates to longevity of these?
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