Master Your Kamado Grill & UNLOCK The 5 Skills You Need!

[@squabsquab99]

I’m recently divorced and always had my husband grill. Yet he always burnt the food. So when he took our old grill , I did a lot of research and purchased my first grill and went with a Kamado Big Joe Classic lll. I love smoked and seared and it seemed to have everything I needed for a beginner. Your channel has helped me so much. Thank you.

[@wesleydrew9242]

I've unlocked all 5 skills because I found your channel a few years ago. There is no better Kamado or BBQ channel on KZbin. I've directed my friends with Kamados to watch your videos in order to level up their skills.

[@missinbrain]

Yeah, came here to say this ☝🏻

[@Gemitaur]

Congratulations! I took all your tips and lessons then risked it. I cooked 3 briskets equaling 23 lbs plus all the full meal trimmings for 60 seniors. Everything was eaten right down to the last slice of brisket. It was like watching seagulls on bread. Everyone raved about it. Thank you for the lessons.

[@hanktrantham2641]

You may be known as “smoking dad” but after years of watching you and following your tips you would be better described as Kamado King! Your tips are dead on and always helpful. I started 12 years ago with a Vision Pro, then went to a Yoder YS 480 and this year to a BJ3, and every video you do, I learn something! Keep helping us along…..I just hate you’re not my neighbor.

[@tpcdelisle]

I've unlocked all 5 skills because of your teachings. Because of two great deals, I bought a new Classic III, 50% off, with most of the goodies (Joetisseri, etc) and a new Joe Jr, 65% off, back in November. I was very blessed and have had so much fun and great food since then. My wife and I judge bbq on the Memphis in May circuit and so have quite a bit of smoking and grilling experience with various cookers. I'll have to say that I should have bought a Kamado Joe years ago but now have them thanks to you. By the way, we had Joetisseri chicken wings last night and a Joetisseri Rib Roast last week. So goooooood. Thank you James. 😋👍😇

[@henrykrinkle5353]

They only need to listen to you, James, for the real scoop on Kamado cooking. Your vids have served me well since starting my journey. Many thanks and keep on cooking!🧑‍🍳

[@isabelg8788]

You are the absolute best! Been cooking on kamados for 20 years now, but am learning so much from you! Just upgraded to a Classic III and need to learn how to use the slo roller and joetisserie. Thank you for all your work!

[@OneBaldingWookiee]

Yes!!! Another video to watch several times. KJC3 owner here, one week in so far. First cook was pizza and wow wow wow. This weekend will be spatchcock chicken. Working the courage up to a brisket. Thank you for sharing your wisdom in these awesome vids.

[@herb7877]

EXCELLENT material & info here even for an old dog such as myself.Never hurts to go back and brush up on the basics.a sincere THANK YOU

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Glad it was helpful!

[@chrisgibbs3304]

Just got my first Kamado Joe. I've been studying all of these videos for about 2 weeks now. I can't wait to get started cooking! Thanks James!

[@rlreynos]

i did my first cook on the joe jr a couple days ago, i well donned my steak #cry

[@williamwilson2624]

Great tips, James. I bought a Kamado Joe last year, and you haven't steered me wrong yet. Thank you.

[@admranger]

I have some dark rum that will be my flambé alcohol on my next ribeye. Using the soap stone as a searing stone was never in my thoughts until now. Can't wait to try it!

[@AshSmith-s9d]

Just purchased my big Joe 3 waiting on delivery can’t wait coming from a master touch Weber

[@pavelsavov6090]

James-currently the best, soon to be a legend! Thanks for everything!

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

glad to help

[@smokingtarheel3003]

Great tips for beginners and experts alike! Double indirect rocks!

[@6AnAsianGuy9]

The irony is when I first got my Kamado, I went straight into making a brisket following one of your vids on it and it came out really good!

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

attaboy

[@andythedrew7]

Hey James love the videos. I've been watching videos thinking of getting a kamado joe..coming from a weber kettle but need more real estate for cooking and looking at trying bigger/ long cook like a brisket. Opened my eyes to some new things like burying wood chunks instead putting on top

[@umakegoodcookies]

This is a great video. I only noticed a couple of things. One thing you discuss elsewhere unmentioned (but I may have missed it) and another thing you don't discuss that should be mentioned. Where do water pans fall? I know you're a fan. And how do they relate to double indirect? The other issue that people should know about is that adding wood to the ash drawer won't work with an earlier KJ with the cast iron charcoal grate. You need something more open like the baskets you use or a stainless grate.

[@erikpalmqvist1625]

James! Watching your videos for a long time inspired me to get a big Joe series one and with your help my first cook was the 101 ribs and they were fantastic!! Thank you for guidance and inspiration - and as was written previously - maybe you should change then name of the channel to "Kamado King"! Greetings from Sweden!

[@poorman2515]

😊 Love this video absorbing all the knowledge like a sponge. Talk to you soon James excellent video keep going.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Thanks!

[@davelindey8023]

Amazing video James. Well done! Thanks

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Many thanks!

[@Zuhlsmann1]

I need a Kamado Jo badly! It looks like so much fun.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Cheers

[@CoolJay77]

Some very helpful hacks and tips in this video.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

thanks

[@GlennJanssen]

Really fun video, James! Sent this to my best friend who recently started cooking on a kamado :).

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Awesome, thanks

[@aaroncohen7550]

My big Joe III came last weekend and so far I've made amazing pizza and some killer ribs using a double indirect set up. I'm going to do your rotisserie chicken tomorrow. Thank you for all the wisdom. One thing I'm not quite clear on is the kick ash basket and adding chips since the ash drawer doesn't fit... Do you just toss them in? You alluded to it in the video but I didn't quite follow.

[@6AnAsianGuy9]

Nice comprehensive video! I'm excited to try the flambe on a steak the next time I get a chance

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

yaaaaas

[@stymeron]

Great summary of the journey. A must watch for new owners. For double indirect, instead of a pizza stone (or heat deflectors), I assume soapstones would work?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

if you have two of them... but they don't sit flush unless you put them on two grids so you would have heat coming in the middle

[@patrickbilodeau3785]

Awesome video ! Just recently got my Big Joe and followed your suggested first cooks...this weekend I'm doing my first pulled pork ! To complicate things, there's some rain in the forecast for tomorrow. Will push forward anyways !

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Hope you enjoy

[@patrickbilodeau3785]

@@SmokingDadBBQ Well, the KJ Big block charcoal did not last. When the time came to bump up the eat after to 330-350F after putting the roast in a foil boat, the grill would max out at 298F. I did use the biggest pieces I could find and was generous with the amount. The cook was completed in the kitchen oven. What charcoal do you recommend for long cooks ? Video ? Thanks again. :-)

[@justingonzalez6448]

I am contemplating moving from my Weber master touch kettle to a Kamado style cooker. Your videos are great. Almost pulled the trigger on a jr. Joe or Mini Max BGE. I love seeing small cookers produce big flavor. I see some similarities as they are both charcoal cookers. Have you thought about doing a series surrounding the size of the grill?

[@LightZone9]

Another totally awesome video James. I'm in the unfortunate position of trying to adapt your kamado lessons to a KJ kettle Joe. Would I be better served trying to adapt your guidelines and suggestions or would it be a better idea to try and convert suggestions designed for Weber Kettles to the kettle joe? I know the real answer is to break down and buy a REAL kamado cooker, but that's unfortunately not in the budget at this point in time. Thanks again for all of the tips and tricks you provide!👍🏻

[@darknessblades]

For Ribs, the only kind I make are BACON-RIBS. First 2 times they where a little dry, but now I have gotten it to a tee. [within the limitations of my grill] Also testing out which charcoal works the best [currently working trough what I still have, since there is no need to open a new bag when I still have 3KG left of one] [my bag of gravel-like charcoal is a exception. [roughly a large cups worth every time I start to heat my grill], and then larger lump on top after it becomes white] Having proper charcoal also plays a huge part in grilling, since CHEAP charcoal might not light up or get as hot as slightly more premium charcoal

[@seamusthebostonterrier9629]

Hi James which high heat gloves would you Recommend

[@dgordon130]

My thanks for this brilliant video, as they all are. I'm sold. Keeping an eye out for a Series 1 classic when it goes on sale. Missed the Rona one recently. :-( Fantastic channel and long time subscriber. :-)

[@ViewTalay]

James is the real Sensei

[@SizzleSmokeBBQ]

Hi James, love your videos. Been following you for a while now and learned a lot so far. I finally got myself a kamado bbq some time ago and I have a setup question. The kamado is a monolith classic pro 2 which is comparable to the Joe classic. It comes with standard drip trays which are above the heat shields with an airgap of about an inch. and i wonder if this setup can be seen as double indirect, or does the second layer need to be ceramic as well? Regards from The Netherlands

[@liamdillon9465]

Thanks for another great video James! Question: when using a slow cooker, generally longer = more tender. Does this apply when you are doing beef ribs in the Kamado? Sometimes my ribs aren’t as tender as I would perhaps like, despite hitting that 203° internal temp, but I worry that longer in the Joe might actually make them tougher. Cheers!

[@JamesCarmichael-hr8pu]

Thanks for your amazing teaching videos. I bought your vent settings guide. For the Joe jr (daisy wheel) indirect set up there are three diagrams: daisy wheel, bottom bent and an oval shape. What does the oval shape represent?

[@WKHC]

I recently added a soapstone and just want to cook everything on it. Marinated chicken seems to work great on it but I don’t see any videos of people using it for chicken

[@DerekZak-z2k]

I love the dry brine, been doing that for a bit now. Trying to add in the meat injector as well. Do you inject the meat and then let it sit in the fridge or is it right before the meat goes on the grill?

[@soumynonareverse7807]

Thanks for the video james, 17:31 what kind of roast was that? It looks like bones sticking out but it doesn't really look like a prime rib roast. 24:48 heey, #EMV Al, did you not make a video where you fitted 4 pork butts on a Primo? Sure you don't want to go back to KJ?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

at 17:30 that is a full NY strip roast (no bones)..... and yes thats 6 shoulders on the big joe, i had to do two levels to start but once they shrunk i was able to fit all 6 on the main grid

[@chadfootball96]

I did 3 racks of Costco baby back pork ribs last weekend. 270 for 2 hrs with slo roller and heat deflector on BJ3. Foil wrap with butter for 1 hour. Roughly 15-20 minutes unwrapped at the end to set the liquid on the surface. Ribs were amazing except 1 rack had a section on the top side of the rack that was tougher and dried out with the texture of a pork chop. Was the rack of ribs just cut wrong ? What would this tougher section be?

[@agpmjm]

Nice review. BBQ season getting underway here in the UK. Ribs this weekebd

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Hope you enjoy

[@agpmjm]

@@SmokingDadBBQ Tonight in the UK we have our annual wallow in Kitsch, called The Eurovision song contest. Hard to explain to non EU folk- no offense!¬but it`s a kind of musical masochism, watching truly awful acts compete. We even have watch parties. Ribs for everyone round mine :)

[@hcamardelle]

So does the only fire spit fit securely into the KJ JoTisserie?

[@jayoliver67]

Hi what temperature does the outside of the at 200-300 Kamado Bono get to when cooking ?

[@k2u364]

Wich Kamado model/ equipment would you recommend for a young couple with close to 0 experience with grill/BBQ that just moved into their first house.

[@xity86]

Classic Joe 2/ Classic Joe 3 👍🏻

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I would do a series 1 KJ Classic at $799... add if you want (but not required) fireboard (see my kamado fan review for full details) if you want some assistance on controlling fires.. but for food that tastes better I would add a pizza stone for pizza and double indirect, a joetisserie and a soapstone. see my KJ buying guide a few weeks back for more info on the series compare and finding the right match - kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXOboKqorpeXpck

[@k2u364]

@@SmokingDadBBQ Thank you James ! Much appreciated

[@DavidSmith-qr3yh]

Hi, newbie to Kamado Joe (classic iii). In your videos, you say the thermometer is fairly accurate and can (should) be calibrated periodically. So far so good, but when you give cooking temperatures, do you mean as stated on the lid thermometer or temperature at the grill, as measured by either wired or wireless thermometer at the grill level? I ask because I noticed there’s a significant difference. TIA

[@DavidSmith-qr3yh]

Ha, I’ve just bought and downloaded your vent guide and the answer is there. Dome temperature. I asked because my chicken cooked beautifully, but the skin was pale. I don’t oil the skin, just season. It browns nicely in my kettle bbq. I’ll give it another go. Possibly the deflector, grill level I need to look at. Love your videos. Really helped me setup the Kamado out of the box. In your setup video, you skip past setting up the trolley, but that bit took me the longest. 😂 Thanks, from Yorkshire, UK.

[@docwhiskey2898]

Is the inclusion of a drip pan making it a triple indirect vs. double indirect?

[@arad.6711]

what is the longest hot hold timeframe before the brisket starts drying up?

[@carlkevan1662]

Is it all 3 parts of the slo-roller that are temperature limited? Only asking as I noticed in the video that the base was used as a vortex to cook chicken wings. Asking as I would like to try this too.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Mine says 500 so I still use it

[@leejohnson197733]

OK I'm currently looking to buy a kamado in the UK really can't go above £900 as I'm.sure I need accessories, any advice for must have items and what to look for? I'm checking the sales as summer is over and trying to get a good deal

[@bigguess87]

James I just got a classic Joe 1. I did the double indirect method with the sloroller, but I had trouble getting to 270… and I have the smoke ware cap and your guide. I also ran out of charcoal. Any guidance?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Start with the first issue and add more charcoal so you have enough for your cook. I would also consider calibrating your gauge to make sure it’s accurate

[@bigguess87]

@@SmokingDadBBQ Thanks James! My Joe series 1 is a brand-new grill would it need to be calibrated? I have used the Akron for the last 4 years and have upgraded. Using deflectors on the basket limited the amount of charcoal and smoking wood.

[@leeharding6359]

What are the silver towers you have on the left side ones?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

these are the smokeware vent caps

[@cookingwithsylvmac6831]

After the buttermilk brine, do you rinse the chicken and then pat dry?? You were talking so fast that I missed it. I think you mentioned rinsing the bucket, as you showed on the video, but you didn’t say if you rinsed the chicken??

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

yes rinse and pat dry, i then if i have the time add a little more diamond kosher salt to the outside and let dry brine 4hrs to overnight to help the skin dry out

[@ronscott700]

You need to receive an honorary PHD degree for backyard bbq.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

😂

[@jim3578]

how about using a smoke tube?

[@jim3578]

ok you answered my question - Thanks

[@radutudoran8708]

You remind me of Joel Osteen... I say this because although your videos are better then ever and very good put together, TV quality nonetheless, they are still somewhat unchanged. Let me qualify that: we are a growing generation of ADHD and while your videos are therapeutic in that sense, sometimes I just wish they were shorter!🙈 I wish you'd do 5 min clips with all that info still in there! In Kamado we trust!

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

thanks, will see what i can do

[@radutudoran8708]

Thank you for actually not getting offended. My message might have been a beet tongue in cheek and that's always a risk. But since you are here and you are reading this I will explain better what I meant. As I already said, your videos are very watchable, it's a real pleasure to watch them, thorough, clear, you have a very nice way of presenting things and you have a nice voice, pleasant to listen to, use a good steady rhythm a good tone, I find myself listening back to back to hours of your videos. Just purely for the pleasure of listening. Now, onto Joel Osteen... I will be surprised if you don't know him but he is also very nice to listen to, is pretty much therapeutic, if maybe giving away a hint of a "salesman" in his tone there. Well, of course, he's selling his prosperity gospel and you are selling your own things, which by the way are more practical and frankly, at the risk of offending my brethren, more useful than his. About the "TV quality" that was meant to be taken both ways. Firstly, yes, it's obvious you are putting a huge amount of effort into producing your videos. They are very well put together, with camera angles, cuts and zooms ins, transitions, graphics and text on the side of the screen, excellent. Can easily be broadcasted by any national TV. However, what TV shows also do, they tend to be somewhat diluted, repetitive, reiterating the same things over and over, starting over after the commercial etc. In that sense, unfortunately your videos also do strike a similarly. You are often starting off amazingly, highlighting what you'll do, why and how, then... But without giving away any useful info, yet. Then you start explaining it again from the beginning, paraphrasing everything. Then... You start again, breaking down things even further. By the time you actually get to put on the screen the first thing and get to the heart of what you were gonna do you're already 5-10 min in. This is not all bad, I recognise there's method to this but unfortunately, at least as far as I am concerned as I can't speak for everyone out there, sometimes I just need a quick "instructable" to get going. For example, how long does the charcoal last? 1-2 min time lapse would be great. How much charcoal to use? Again, just say how much 😊, then maybe break it down into why, etc. Obviously some videos do need the lenght to explain what's what. Also, I realise many people prefer "low and slow", to use one of your catch phrases, when it comes to learning. In that respect, you're videos are perfect. But... We are moving fast (already there actually) into tiktok, KZbin shorts era and ADHD doom scrolling, an era where lots of people, and most younger generation can't physically get past the first line on their email, or skim their SMSs, nobody really reading the whole thing, the TLDR era. While, like I mentioned, I love watching your videos, sometimes my ADHD (not formally diagnosed but pretty sure I have it to some degree) takes over and just needs "feeding" "hot and fast". Actually, here's a suggestion: have a "hot and fast" channel where you time lapse and summarise your topics, from maintenance, use, to Joetisery, brisket, ribs, and to comparison between kamados, between all sorts of other grils, cheap Kamado Vs expensive, Kamado vs Webber, smoker Vs etc. which you already have. Or, have all your videos do a "hot and fast" intro 1-2 min max containing the substance of everything you will be detailing in the rest of the video for those people who are less time constrained or love to hear the details. Anyhow, thank you reading my feedback and for taking it in good spirits. Stay the best!

[@Nicolasdu5]

Didmy first bad smoke today !!🤢🤢😅

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

oh no, what happened

[@brucelotz3552]

I’m brand new to Kamado cooking and was disappointed in this video. I was hoping to get all the info needed to get started (“training wheels”, remember?) but other than a brief intro you didn’t provide what’s needed to do the job. You didn’t actually explain *how* to do the beer can chicken, which is supposed to be the first cook. Other than a temperature of 350 degrees, I’m left wondering what to do.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

There’s 400 free videos including specific deep dives on all of these cooks