New addition to the Komodo family

plumbfir01

So I know I might catch flak from some about me buying a KJJ but I weighed the options of the Mini/Small/KJJ and the MiniMax was out of the question since i needed it before april. My cousin (15yo boy that i am the guardian of,) likes to camp and mountain bike with me so we are going for a week on his spring break to Fla and asheville to ride. We opted for the KJJ due to size, weight and accessories for the price of 404.10. I felt it was best option instead of building my own egg carten and buying more accessories. I like the bge customer service and dealer network and LOVE This community. I also plan on taking back and forth to the firehouse for cooks. 

My only question for the Small guys out there, do i need to cardboard/pad the componenets (firebox) between the egg before travel, like it was shipped or just take as is in back seat of my car?

caliking

oh man are you gonna catch sh!t for this...

Just kidding of course. The KJ Jr looks like a great grill, plus it comes with some accessories standard. 

From your pics, a couple of things you should watch out for:

- Gasket. Looks like the old BGE wool blanket type of material. Hard to tell from the pic. 

-Stand. When the mini had the ring style stand, some folks had tragedies occur. The bottom of the mini would crack and fall off where the ring touched the base. @Mickey has pics of a mod he did to keep a gap between the the base and the stand.

I really like the handle on the KJ Jr.

Focker

plumbfir01 said:

My only question for the Small guys out there, do i need to cardboard/pad the componenets (firebox) between the egg before travel, like it was shipped or just take as is in back seat of my car?

You can buy a pack of wood shims for a couple of bucks, keeps the innards from shifting during transport.

$400 is a good deal for that setup.  My small at a fest was $400, in 2012. 

plumbfir01

I already thought the gasket would be short lived.... so a new one should be ordered soon i guess.

@Focker I didnt even consider the wood shims....super easy...thanks for that idea. 

Mickey

For the old ring style mini stand I used (idea from Chubby) insulation wrapped in HD tape. If you would like a pic just say so.

Lit

Congrats I should have ordered black I'm still waiting for my red one. I don't think that stand will be an issue like the mini was there is a small gap around the KJ for expansion where there wasn't on the mini. Pretty sure on the mini that was not even really its nest that was for the chiminea or however you spell it. If you don't have a small woo they are worth the money for sure as it can be a pain to flip things lower in the base with the smaller diameter. My woo almost never leaves my small egg.

plumbfir01

@Mickey can i please get a photo? Also i notice no screen on the draft door...should i be concerned for embers backing out?

SkinnyV

I like it,good looking piece with good hardware. Well done.

Focker

plumbfir01 said:

@Mickey can i please get a photo? Also i notice no screen on the draft door...should i be concerned for embers backing out?

My large was older, non stainless draft door, without a screen.  Embers would come out on occasion, burning my wooden table.  Have since parted out a friend's warranty claimed base and upgraded to the SS draft door, with mesh.  I would err on the side of safety here.  Houses have been burned because of this. 

Wonder if you could mount some aluminum screen mesh over the opening?  You may have to remove the draft door and use the silicone to hold the screen, then screw on the draft door?  Or mount from the inside using washers under the draft door nuts to hold the screen in place?

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Focker said:

plumbfir01 said:

My only question for the Small guys out there, do i need to cardboard/pad the componenets (firebox) between the egg before travel, like it was shipped or just take as is in back seat of my car?

You can buy a pack of wood shims for a couple of bucks, keeps the innards from shifting during transport.

$400 is a good deal for that setup.  My small at a fest was $400, in 2012. 

nice. noted

grege345

I thought it had a firebox or ash box thingy that had a screen on it ????? @plumbfir01‌ ?

Focker

Yeah, that should be a standard anymore with liabilities?

Jeffroe189

Im also a mountain biker. I used to live in the Asheville area (specifically Brevard right out side the Pisgah National Forest). Its a great place to ride you will ride some of the best trails in the nation. If you are in the Brevard area I used to work at Sycamore Cycles a few years back. Its a great shop and place to get a info on a great ride.

R2Egg2Q

Congrats on your new Kamado! Sorry but a Komodo is a dragon or a REALLY expensive brand of kamado)



As long as the ring around the KJJ has a little space around it (appears to in your photos) you shouldn't need any mods. The KJJ is supported by bars under the base and not suspended around the base like the old stand for the Mini.

plumbfir01

So I have had a slight issue with the lump sparking and blowing back through the draft door becasue has no screen. Well i come outside to find my bag of lump smoldering as i guess while i was prepping food, the sparks caught into the paper bag.... i caught it as it was not a big deal but I contacted KJJ and they said several brands of lump spark asking which i use and i could fix the issue buy using KJJ lump... I responded with ROCKWOOD, trying a bag of OO and actually had a bag on had of KJ Lump (not sure where it came from but my dad had it)... I was under the impression that moisture causes the sparking and me living on the river is a big factor once the bag is opened... @stlcharcoal   is this right/wrong?

plumbfir01

Ps....I have asked them to remedy the issue as I cant have this possiblity of burning my porch or house when my wife or the 15year old cook and im at the fire house...NOT The irony i would like in my life... So if they cant help, I will sell the KJJ and the new owner can register the warranty since I have not. 

Eggcelsior

plumbfir01 said:

So I have had a slight issue with the lump sparking and blowing back through the draft door becasue has no screen. Well i come outside to find my bag of lump smoldering as i guess while i was prepping food, the sparks caught into the paper bag.... i caught it as it was not a big deal but I contacted KJJ and they said several brands of lump spark asking which i use and i could fix the issue buy using KJJ lump... I responded with ROCKWOOD, trying a bag of OO and actually had a bag on had of KJ Lump (not sure where it came from but my dad had it)... I was under the impression that moisture causes the sparking and me living on the river is a big factor once the bag is opened... @stlcharcoal   is this right/wrong?

This is such BS. All lumps can "pop" out of the bottom vent due to the nature of wood. I have had one interaction with that company and this just backs up why I will never do business with them.

 Personally, I'd ask about their return policy if they fed me a line like that. I wouldn't want to foist that problem on anyone else. 

plumbfir01

Yeah kinda where I'm at right now. Gasket is cheap and already wearing out after 3 cooks at <400f

SmokeyPitt

It looks like a great design, but the no screen thing really does bother me. I didn't catch that when I first looked at these. The funny thing is, I was searching on various forums and it seems when they first came out this was a common complaint; so then they started making screens standard (you can see this on the naked whiz review for example). Then they put screens on the little ash catcher...so why the hell did they make the KJJ with no screen??  

It seems like it might be easy enough to fab something up. Is there room between the sliding door? If you could get some screen material could you just cut it to fit and slide it in? It's a shame to have to "rig" something on a brand new cooker though. 

plumbfir01

That's my biggest issue. I shouldn't have to rig anything. I probably can but I will not!

SmokeyPitt

It seems like the solution on the other eggs is that ash catcher with the built in screen.  

They should make one for the JR.  That being said- I'm still not crazy about the design of this.  It has a 1/2 gap at the top!