Fire is the single most important ingredient in successful kamado cooking—and it’s made from just three elements: oxygen, heat and fuel. Learn how to control them, and you’ll know how to control your fire.
FLAVOUR COMES FROM FUEL
Only use premium hardwood lump charcoal to fuel your fire. Combustible liquids (starter fluid, etc.) will impart undesired flavours, damage your grill and create a fire hazard. Remember: flavour comes from your fuel. The taste you put in will eventually come out on your plate.
GOOD FIRE STARTS WITH GOOD AIR FLOW
Add charcoal to the firebox until the mound reaches the fire ring. Maximum charcoal amount for the Joe Jr. is 3lb (1.36 kg). If you’re aiming for high temperatures, you can arrange your charcoal mound for maximum air flow—large chunks on the bottom, smaller pieces to fill in. Now you’re ready to light your charcoal. Fire is a living thing. It needs to breathe a little while before you begin adjusting the temperature, so leave the dome open for about 10 minutes after lighting.
MORE AIR, MORE HEAT–LESS AIR, LESS HEAT
The Kamado Joe’s top and bottom vent system is like a volume dial for your fire. Air moves in the bottom vent and out through the top. Open them to accelerate air flow and ‘turn up’ the temperature; close them to lower it. If you want a hot fire for searing, you’ll need both vents to be mostly open. A low fire for smoking? They should be mostly closed.
CONTROL FROM THE TOP DOWN
The Kamado Joe can achieve temperatures ranging from 225°F to 750°F (105°C to 400°C). It’s easiest to reach and maintain your target temp by setting the bottom vent and adjusting with the top vent. To begin, close the dome and keep the top vent all the way open until you are 50°F (10°C) away from your target temp. Then begin closing the top vent down, wait a minute or two and make necessary adjustments by closing or opening the top vent more.
GIVE THE FIRE TIME
The biggest mistake you can make is short changing your Kamado Joe on time after lighting the charcoal. You get beautiful results from your grill because its ceramic walls absorb, retain and distribute heat like nothing else—but it takes time for those walls to evenly absorb heat. Give your grill 20–40 minutes after lighting to stabilize its temperature before starting your cook. And while you’re working to raise the grill’s temperature, go slowly. Because those ceramic walls retain heat so well, it’s much easier to increase the heat slightly than it is to bring the temperature down after overshooting your target.
