@@SmokingDadBBQ they now sell the sloroller for the classic one. Do you really need the rack they sell it with or can I just use my flexible rack (divide and conquer)?
I know Im asking the wrong place but does someone know a method to get back into an instagram account? I somehow lost the password. I would love any tricks you can offer me!
Great tips and tricks. Love the celery seed tip and started adding that to my cooks. I'll have to experiment with the 1 finger gap and more open top vent.
ha! When I got the big Joe I couldn't modify it to accommodate the big joe so i thought I would just build a new one. Who knew it would take all summer to get the replacement classic i ordered lol. thinking about designs now for the new project
Does the slow roller allow you to use more of the grilling space (by removing those heat spots). I am in between a classic and big Joe, big figured of if I used the slow roller I could get away with bigger cooks
Sir I used all your recommended tips in your video in order to get a good bark and smoke rings on my Big Joe 2 and I ended up having the most beautiful bark and a super pink and well defined smoke ring on my Choice Beef Brisket. Thank you so much for your videos.
Anyone know if the SloRoller is compatible with the Grilla Kong? Kong is 24" and SloRoller says for most 24", but wanted to verify. Thanks ahead of time for the help/response.
i don't have one near by to test fit... FYI they lowered the max temp to 300f so i might be more inclined to do my double indirect with a pizza stone instead
Just picked up a big joe 3 last Friday! Cooked on it twice already. Absolutely love this grill! Thanks for all the information and help! Will be trying the slo roller out this weekend. Can't wait to compare the big joe to my old electric pellet grill! Just up the road from you in flambrourough as well! Great seeing quality canadian content! Keep up the great content 👍👍
Smoke rings have nothing to do with smoke, and more to do with the gasses emitted during combustion (mainly NO & CO) and their interaction with the myoglobin in the meat. Meat temp is involved as well as once the meat passes a certain (around 170° for beef) the reaction between the gasses and is no longer possible. Bottom line: spoke ring is purely visual and is not a reliable indicator of quality BBQ, it's just something people are accustomed to. If you just have to have it, the smoke ring can be faked with Prague powder (curing salt).
scientifically i agree with everything you said, however I disagree slightly on the notion that you can't taste the smoke ring (you can't, agree).... while you can't taste the smoke ring you can taste a clean fire vs. a dirty fire. I have done briskets on a Weber summit, Broil King keg (insulated), and L/XL BGE which from my experience i would say are all more energy efficient than the series 3 KJ but all struggle at making a noticeable smoke ring and or clean smoke taste. I have pellet grills that draw thick red lines that don't have any smoke taste whatsoever so I agree the line isn't the measure to strive for, but good clean combustion with the occasional bonus ring for instagram photos lol
My question may seem simple to many and you. I just got my Big Joe III and I’m questioning the set up for smoking. I’ve done two cook’s so far, but not sure my setup was correct. Do you have a step by step from placing the charcoal and placing the grills etc. video on this for us new to the Joe family? Thank you
Good stuff! Let me know what you think of the SloRoller... its my go too for brisket, ribs etc. where you want more even heat over a longer period of time
Why do you want to have huge smokering? That´s not affecting anything, not taste or texture of the meat. Or is just the look? Good job, loving your channel!
Finally a head to head! Thanks for the video. Although the smoke ring is less at 225/230, do you find the meat comes out more tender? I've found cooking pork ribs at 250 sometimes comes out dry even with a 1.5 hr wrap. Thoughts?
I don't plan on licking wood anytime soon LOL.. thanks for that visual! You made a great comment that most of us have believed to be true at one time or another, more smoke is better. A blue almost clear smoke is best. Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it's not working. I think we all struggle with that piece. Great in depth video. Thanks as always!
The Kamado Joe Classic One is so inexpensive it's the one many of us just starting out are using. I'd love to see a few videos comparing the Classic 1 and Classic 3 for brisket and ribs.
I don’t have a series 1 but it’s a great grill. where the 3 has some additional benefit is on things like brisket. most other cooks would be close to impossible to taste a difference
GR8 info awesome vid.. I've adapted a lot of ur techniques to my akorn auto kamado with my own mods and fabricated slow roller. I haven't tried a brisket yet but am confident it will turn out well.. thank you again for all the GR8 content.
its fine 90% of the year, but in the dead of winter in sub zero temps i don't like dumping raging hot coals into ice cold ceramics so i often just use a torch
Sure happy to help make this video happen.... in short so you don't need to wait try (1) 1-2 chunks of wood on the bottom (2) charcoal on top (3) less charcoal so there is a smaller fire burning hotter (4) vent settings to encourage air draw (less on the bottom, more on the top)
I've been watching your videos for the last month+ and finally got our Classic 3 last weekend. I also got the DoJoe, Joetisserie & Napolean basket thanks to you (not the Ikamand yet)! lol What I've noticed while learning how to burn and control temperature this week is that my 1st bag of Big Block is all small to really small pieces and not 1 large or "big" piece. The pieces do not look like yours. While picking up the Joe the sales person commented on how they've sold 2x the volume this year; COVID driven it would seem. Perhaps the spike in demand has resulted in the size reduction. We'll see what the 2nd bag brings. Thanks for your videos, they've been very helpful!!
Thanks, James. I really appreciate this video and tips! I will try my next slow cook at slightly higher temperatures (>225) and adjust the vents as you suggested to encourage more air flow.
KJ joe jr vs small BGE, I can’t decide. I already have a large BGE but I want something smaller for reasons you already understand. I know you’re partial to KJ but what’s your opinion? I’d buy the small BGE used where as I’d buy the KJ new. Idt portability is really a factor because I probably wouldn’t take a joe jr with me anywhere. I’m pretty sure I know your answer but if you have time let’s hear it
I don't know why BGE doesn't sell the small with the minimax nest... I saw someone modify the nest on the egghead site and it looked perfect. Depends on what you are going to do with it... if you are going to move it around, go with the Joe Jr as it has a nest that works in remote locations. If its going to be built into the table at home, the small and jr are the closest two grills in the lineup so it literally comes down to cost and colour preference if you're not going to need the travel cart
Smoking Dad BBQ can I use the SloRoller with the grill expander on the KJ Classic3? I just smoked my first wings and they were prefect I just want to smoke more! I can't get a second grill at the moment.
Hi, nice interessting Video. I have a question about my big Joe 3 and the slo Roller. Wen i install the slo Roller, the divide&conquer grate holder is too high and i cant close the kamado Joe because the Cover is Pressing on the grate holder. Do you have any Tips how i can fix that? I already have builded All parts of the Firebox New but IT is the same Problem. Thanks a lot.
Are you installing the cone / base of the sloroller directly on the metal ring that holds the firebox together? Then the rack goes on top of the black cone / base and sits in the 4 post spots.... is this exactly what you see?
Looks like the first cut was badly over-cooked. Grey beyond the smoke ring. I’m a little dismayed to see the slow roller also generated an overcooked piece of meat, but I’m guessing you can handicap it all by the fact that the meat was cooked at 350.but I did learn a lot from this, especially the practice of putting your smoking wood under the coals. Nice!
the meat wasn’t cooked yet. I pulled these at 165 which is far from tender. they then went into the stew recipe I was doing to finish cooking to tender
Hi James, just wanted to say your videos have been informative and insightful. In other words they are fantastic! I've watched many videos to educate myself - noting I only did my first cook yesterday, and the fire was very average yet the rotisserie chicken was delicious. I did my second cook today, a steak on soap stone and another on the grill/fire and it was one of the best tasting steaks I've made. Keep up the videos! Have been watching the sloroller videos and as much as I would love one, I am still learning to enjoy what it can do before I take it up to the next level with all the extra bells and whistles. Keep up the good work 👍🏾 Michael from Sydney
Sorry, I can't pay attention to the rest of the video for looking at that shiny top vent on the Jr. Maybe a stupid question, but I thought a large part of the difference in how the Joe 3 series behaves compared to the 2 series is because the 3 series is quite a bit taller? It's been a while since I looked at the specs, but I figured KJ made them taller for a good reason. I'm just curious how much of that "extra airflow" / better smoke is height. Makes sense to me that if your meat is farther away from the fire, you can burn the fire a bit hotter for better smoke. I also got my SnS Kamado assembled today, but I it was after dark so I haven't fired it up yet. Honestly not sure what I'm going to do for the first few cooks (which are recommended to be under 300 degrees after a burn-in between 300-350), as my usual go to for slow cooking (without having a crap ton left over like I would with a Boston Butt) is ribs, and due to the pandemic, in my local grocery store apparently ribs are $30+ right now, which I'm not paying if I don't have to.
@Smoking Dad BBQ Great tip on burying the wood chunks. now I'm hungry for the rest of the meal and wishing it was also a complete how-to to the plate! Thanks for video series, new Kamado user .... very helpful! chuckkennedydc on IG/Twitter/Web.
Would you say the classic 3 is better than the classic 2? I’m trying to decide between the two? Any taste difffences between the 2 classics? Love the videos! Been watching everyday all your content.
thanks. the 3 is 4” taller so it has a three level grid rack vs a two level. this allows the SloRoller to fit and not reduce the grid size. also has the charcoal basket and metal side shelves
Just my opinion but I think the slo roller is a total waste of money. If you cook anything that drips juices which is pretty much everything it hits the hot metal plate and creates a dark gray burnt smelling smoke. Also it is suppose to eliminate hot spots , but cooking wings at 400 degree I burnt the wings directly over the plate and they cooked in 30 minutes when they normally took 45 mins. I just feel the ceramic discs are much better and there is no benefit to the slo roller. The only good thing it does is make it easier to add wood or more charcoal
like you said it does cook faster, just like your oven does on convection vs bake. I think it shows off it’s difference on things like a brisket better than it does on normal cooks where I agree it needs to be protected from drips that will taste bad
Greetings and regards from Los Angeles. I’m a new viewer/subscriber who thoroughly appreciated this video. I’ve BBQ’d for years including a stint on the KBBQ competitive circuit and you taught me plenty which I never knew. I appreciate the professionalism of your presentation. Thanks!
I wish you had included a taste test. I think that better flavor was the third bullet on one of your lists. The two smoke rings were indistinguishable. The bark differed - was it just looks or did it produce better taste? Cook times were identical. If I had an older KJ I don't think I'd spring for it. I've watched other videos - the headroom gets cut back quite a bit on the older models.
Didn’t notice anything about the taste difference. Especially if you did a blinded taste test comparing slow roller vs no slow roller if it imparts a better smoke flavour with the show roller. Great info as always.
Related question: Will the sloroller fit in an original Big Joe? That's what I have and I've heard conflicting information regarding the fit and space left in the cook chamber. Appreciate any insights!
they sell a stand alone model which comes with a raised grid and smaller diameter cooking grid. this one fits, i don't think the series 3 rack with the sloroller will fit as there is a 4" height difference. the site says it fits series 1 - www.kamadojoe.com/collections/accessories/products/kamado-joe®-sloroller-w-stainless-steel-cooking-rack
One of my very first smokes was a ham for Thanksgiving about 12 years ago when I had no resources like YT to learn. I thought the smoker needed to billow white smoke the whole time lol. That ham was horrible, everyone ate it and no one complained to me, but no one went back for seconds. I felt so bad, but my family was awesome. No one complained.
Hi James, Great video, love you work. On another note, I’m about to get the Doughjoe accessory for my Big Joe 3. Can I use Pizza Wood logs ( that a wood fired Pizza Oven would use) to get the heat up. Or am I best to use just lump charcoal? Any tips would be great. Thanks Paul Sydney Australia.
Thanks so much Paul, I have seen a few people do it with wood but I think its easier to get the stable temps and no creosote inside your Joe by sticking with the charcoal
Why does the 3-series breath better? Is it just because they are bigger? Does that mean the Big Joe also breathes better than the Classic Joe? Just due to size and the amount of fire needed to keep them at temp?
I am not sure about intensity as this can be impacted by the charcoal, the amount of smoking wood, type of wood, the size of the fire etc but for a moment if we assume there are no differences in those variables and just focus on the sloroller vs. non sloroller it does a much better job as the temps ramp up. At 200f I can't tell a difference. at 250-270f+ it makes a massive difference in the quality of clean smoke on things like a brisket, pulled pork, ribs etc..... and at 400f for chicken wings or regular chicken it crisps up the skin much better as the air circulates apparently 20x more over the food than without it and i believe based on the results.
Awesome explanation of the process and how you got there. I guess I must have missed the video on whats on the top of the Joe on the far left? Sweet celery seed tip. Oh I fully understand neighbor issues. LOL
Hi James, you mentioned improved airflow with a single finger width on the bottom vent and a little wider up on top - have you noticed any difference in flavour and smoke ring when using an iKamad or Flame Boss etc.? Thanks and great channel! :-)
I noticed that you started your coal in the center of the whole pile of charcoal instead of at the front middle area that you have shown in your previous tips video. Have you find a new best practice to actually start your fire in the center of the charcoal pile?
Thanks Chris... as this was only 3 hrs we wouldn't get a significant shift in the charcoal direction like we might on a 14-18hr cook... when i was finished recording i put a lodge cast iron dutch oven in the classic on the x accessory ring and wanted the heat under the centre
I know you cook without the "winged" part of the ash catcher. have you ever tried not cooking with the ash catcher pan with the handle? It seems that it would increase air flow without the pan blocking the incoming air flow.
no I haven’t. it has holes in it to allow the air to pass so it’s never caused me any trouble. it prevents the chance for a hot coal to fall out of the grill
@@SmokingDadBBQ check out workhorse pits. If I can ever get wife approval, thats prob the smoker ill get. 1/2 the price of a Franklin, and looks just as nice if not better to me.
Good video. I was wondering myself about the upper/lower vent settings. This makes me curious though - I've read (somewhere, don't remember where) that you need to have a more restricted upper vent setting with a temperature controller in order to have stable temperatures. This begs the question - will a temperature controller then result in a more acrid smoke?
Good question! This isn't true, you can remove the top vent completely and control with the bottom vent... but in partnership they work better together especially for lower temps. You want the fire to draw the air in so you don't get reverse airflow (with smoke coming out the bottom)... also a fire drawing its own air is more stable than one being stoked by the wind ... should the breeze change directions your temps will fluctuate
I'd love to read the article you mention about the science behind putting wood under the charcoal but am unable to find it. Can you please provide a link? I have a membership to amazingribs.com and also looked in the paid area. Thank you!
@@SmokingDadBBQ Thank you, James. I read that article, and it doesn't seem to talk about putting the wood under the charcoal on a barbecue. Meathead seems to be pretty down on kamados in his articles and his book.
If you had to choose one grill between the Kettle Joe (w/ its version of the SloRoller) and the Classic II WITHOUT a SloRoller, which would you go with?
I would do the classic 2. the build quality is not the same on the kettle and the usability of the SloRoller is not good for switching mid cook I show some of this on the kettle in the first section here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qH0wxZlpoQ8.html
The Kettle Joe, for sure, because the technology behind the SloRoller was developed at Harvard and ceramic kamados have never been known to be very good cookers until the SlowRoller came along.
I agree on your temp recommendations of 250-275. Even though I have to wait a while to try my next brisket, these temps hold true on my masterbuilt smoker. I’m am so curious and excited to try the SloRoller for the first time.
its the marketing name for the Hyperbolic smoke chamber insert accessory designed by Harvard. Check out this article for more info - www.engadget.com/2019-10-25-harvard-barbecue-desora-kamado-joe-cinder-grills.html
Awesome insights James! So, in short, does the charcoal on top of the wood help purify some of the smoke in your view whereas it would be too strong sitting on top of the fire? Also if u had smaller chunks would u use the same method?
Thanks Ryan, yes exactly. Found the article that helped explain this - amazingribs.com/more-technique-and-science/grill-and-smoker-setup-and-firing/what-you-need-know-about-wood-smoke-and
Would you be able to share some tips about how to get an accurate temp with the SloRoller? I liked your previous method of separating the ceramic plates but that's not really an option here. Great content as always!
Yes I can, its not a dedicated video but on Dec 10 I am doing Montreal smoked meat overnight with the SloRoller and spend some time walking through the setup and stabilizing the fire
Tanken you for your videos, will you make an in depth of the size comparison on the classic vs big vs jr? Currently smoking ribs on a weber 57cm and think we "need" the big to fit more ribs etc... but it is soo much more money and weight. Would be an awesome video! Thank you, will continue watching each video and hit the like button! Cheers from Sweden! Also looking forward to see your new table if you build one!
@@SmokingDadBBQ Sorry for Swedish Autocorrect! Tanken should have been "Thank you!" We need to convince us that we can handle 2-4 rib racks on the Classic 3 and therefore not need the big... But still, when money goes out in this amount, we need the best! Will wait with popcorn and burnt ends for the video to understand at what time we need the Big over the Classic! Sorry to bother you, but you have one of each! Who else to ask? ;)
Awesome video James as always! Definitely need one of those flame guns 🔥 and seriously nice smoke ring in such short order certainly agree on the smoke ring tips.
Hey James, I find all your videos very useful, such a great resource! I have a question, if you don’t mind? I’m looking to get a Joe but can’t decide between the Big Joe or getting both the Jnr and Classic. What would your recommendation be?
Great question... i have completely changed my mind now that I have the big joe. A year ago I would have said the classic and the jr.... but the big joe has stole my heart lol. Its not as inefficient as I thought it would be, and you can cook your entire meal on one grill with true multi zone temp differences .... if started from scratch it would be my first choice
Were you looking for a specific internal temp? If so what? I must have missed it if it was in the video. The results look great, wish I could sample it.
No I wasn't as after slicing these I threw them in a dutch oven on the classic on the x accessory ring with beef broth and Guinness beer to braise until fall apart tender for the tacos. After three hours these would have been in the 150f-160f range and not very tender
Interesting comparison. One thing about my classic 2 is that while it just fits racks of ribs or a packer brisket, the edges sometimes get a bit more well done. Does the slo roller prevent this? If so I'm sold.
It makes the classic feel like a bigger grill as you now have the entire 18" surface to work with. I am sure with an infrared gun its not perfect 100% even everywhere but when i concentrate the fire in the centre the metal heats up and radiates the heat in what seems very very even distribution
I have a Classic 1 and I'm torn between getting a SloRoller for my 1 or just buying the III. Does anyone know how well the SloRoller is with the classic 1?
thanks so much. the issue with adding to series 1 and 2 is the grid space you lose. While its a great accessory I likely would sell my older one and upgrade as you get the basket, gasket, hinge, metal side shelves, and the new top vent for the difference for likely less than the stand alone cost of adding these
@@SmokingDadBBQ Thanks for the response! That is what I was kind of thinking while starting to price it all out. I actually "stole" my original KJ 1 off of Craigslist for $500 new when they were $1000+ due to an unclaimed freight issue. If I could get $300 for my used one I will have paid $200 for the last 5 years! Winning!!!! But now I'd have to fork out a lot of $ for the KJ III but that's life. Happy Holidays, stay safe in this Covid world, and thanks again.
I love it as it adds rain protection, no movement when opening just like what the new control tower top does.... its made by smokeware, you need the gasket in the combo - smokeware.com/collections/chimney-caps/products/sale-chimney-cap-adapter
Wait. Is there a taste difference between the two? I like smoke ring and all, but taste and texture are king imo. Same question for the brisket you mentioned you tested at the lower temp, was it more moist and/or more or less tasty than the one cooked at your higher temp “sweet spot”?
I three these into a stew as they weren't fully cooked chuck roasts yet (this was around 160f) so I didn't taste these in the picture. So the point of the SloRoller isn't just for smoke rings, you can get that without it. Where the sloroller shows up with an advantage is brisket cooks around 270f where i've noticed it moves air so much better i can now go fat cap up and render it properly and get that signature sticky, caramelized fat cap.
Ever tried to use a cast iron smoke pot on top of the fire with holes at the bottom to get constant thin blue smoke? There are some interesting threads on this topic...
Good question... this was not fully cooked (150f) as it was going into a dutch oven right after this video with beef broth, Guinness and another 3-4hrs of braising until it was fall apart tender. I wouldn't eat it as shown in the video, this was just to see the smoke ring development in 3hrs
if you cook a brisket / ribs every few weeks = yes. If you do a brisket or two a year, there are other accessories you might get a more noticeable difference / every day enjoyment from
I’ve had great smoke rings on everything I’ve cooked with the slow roller. What I seem to keep struggling with (and am admittedly new to the smoking/Kamado game) is getting a good bark. Made a packer brisket and it had a perfect smoke ring but couldn’t get much of a bark. Same for ribs. On my second go I did get a great bark on a Boston butt but so far that’s it. I know you’ve mentioned it but it does seem like the slow roller cooks faster at lower temps than expected. Great video though. I would’ve loved to see the final results of the pulled beef after braising.
Are you wrapping? if so, wait until 185 vs. 165 before wrapping. Also binders can hurt bark if its too wet. Spraying with water lightly helps built a bark as well about every hour and a half
Smoking Dad BBQ I did wrap with butcher paper. I think around 165. I’ll try wrapping it later. I did find a few people who suggested doing what you did in this video in that the close the bottom vent way down and open the top vent almost full blast and have had better results. I’ll also try no binders next time too.
So now I’m going to have to tell my wife that along the just ordered classic ii, I need a sloroller 🤡. But seriously; very comprehensive videos on your part! Subscribed and turned on notifications. My takeaway from this video though, is that I don’t really need a sloroller.
Smoking Dad BBQ The classic 2 will be my first Kamado, and I’ve only just started slow cooking. But good to know it works. Question also is; is it $200 worth? Judging solely from this video I’d say no.
bjornE46 if you’re just get started I think it’s best to start learning the smoker as it is before diving into additional tools that change the performance. Down the road if you decide you’d like it then you can always add it
What are your thoughts on a 300 degree first couple hours to set the ring and bark (burn up smoking wood) then dropping to 225 for the remainder on a slow and low brisket?
If i was to do a brisket tomorrow, I would do 270 unwrapped with the SloRoller until around 185f then wrap it with no added liquid ... the brisket can take this temp without burning, without drying out, forms an awesome bark and has perfect smoke flavour
@@SmokingDadBBQ @Smoking Dad BBQ thank you, following your lead with my own Sunday bbqs. If you care to respond (not expected) when I think of 270 throughout the whole cook without adding any liquid I get a feeling like brisket will lose some juiciness. Are you still misting those first hours as bark builds? Are you only wrapping it for an hour-2? pulling it at 210 to ftc?
Hi James! Question about the Meater+... can you leave it in the brisket during the rest and monitor the temp as it falls and/or get an alert when it hits a pre-determined serving temp? Thanks!
Thanks Scott... yes was trying to show that in this video that you can get a smoke ring on both but its more about the even bark and flavour of the food where it really shines
