A Smoker Fell Into My Lap. I Couldn't Resist

Photo Egg

WeberWho said:

Whats wrong with this picture? A Texan coming up to Minnesota for a smoker? 

I was born in MN. Still have family and friends in MN.
A good deal is a good deal.
Not in Texas by choice. Ha Ha

HeavyG

WeberWho said:

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

caliking said:

W. T. F. 

You win for at least the rest of the year, if not longer. What an absofrigginlutely awesome find!!!

The KBQ that I am currently fostering for @20stone tends to leak some grease around the legs. I'd consider setting the legs in small foil pans, so you don't stain your concrete. 

Enjoy!

Thanks for the reminder. I should make it a habit. I really like the foil pan idea with the legs inside. Which will keep the pan in place with the wind. Genius!

I did pick up a full steam pan and have that sitting directly under the ribs. Then again it's only two racks of ribs. If this thing was loaded I'd be in trouble! 

The KBQ is intentionally designed such that the legs provide enough height differential in the back that the box is sloped enough that grease will flow towards the front door and drip out the two front corners. Assuming, of course, that the KBQ is sitting on a level surface to begin with. If it's not, then you could have grease dripping out of any of the four bottom corners.

Putting the legs in foils pans isn't a bad idea but you can buy a steam pan sized just right that you can lay across the front of the legs and it will catch any grease dripping out. The steel steam pan is heavy enough that it won't blow away so you don't need to set the legs inside of it which also means you won't have to clean any grease off the legs when you're done.

https://www.amazon.com/Winco-SPJL-2HL-Steam-Pan-2-Inch/dp/B001VZ6XUY

I place the internal steam table/drip pan as close to the bottom as possible. If you have it mounted right up near the meat that will impact airflow to some degree. No big deal really for just a couple racks of ribs but when you load it up with meat you'll want as much unimpeded airflow as you can get - the better the air can swirl around inside the more evenly the heat/smoke transfer.

If you are going to be running your KBQ on that nice clean concrete I'd be inclined to get one of those outdoor grill mats to set it on just to try and protect it from any errant drips/spills. I don't use any external drip pans but my KBQ is mounted to a stainless steel table so any drips are easily cleaned up.

I ran across the picture you posted with your stainless table and Karubecue. What a sweet setup. I wish I had room in the garage to store something like that. Plus it raises the whole smoker up so you don't have to bend down. 

My knees thank me for mounting it on the table every time I use it.

WeberWho

Photo Egg said:

WeberWho said:

Whats wrong with this picture? A Texan coming up to Minnesota for a smoker? 

I was born in MN. Still have family and friends in MN.
A good deal is a good deal.
Not in Texas by choice. Ha Ha

I remember you mentioning how you have to hit up Lions Tap everytime you're up here. (I grew up not even two miles down the road from Lions Tap. Also where my parents met) So I knew you were up here more than once. Plus Ice Fest obviously. You also found some short ribs at some Chinese grocery store last year here. I'm not sure why I remember any of this but I had a good assumption that you were from up here.

I sent you a message. @Photo Egg  

WeberWho

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

caliking said:

W. T. F. 

You win for at least the rest of the year, if not longer. What an absofrigginlutely awesome find!!!

The KBQ that I am currently fostering for @20stone tends to leak some grease around the legs. I'd consider setting the legs in small foil pans, so you don't stain your concrete. 

Enjoy!

Thanks for the reminder. I should make it a habit. I really like the foil pan idea with the legs inside. Which will keep the pan in place with the wind. Genius!

I did pick up a full steam pan and have that sitting directly under the ribs. Then again it's only two racks of ribs. If this thing was loaded I'd be in trouble! 

The KBQ is intentionally designed such that the legs provide enough height differential in the back that the box is sloped enough that grease will flow towards the front door and drip out the two front corners. Assuming, of course, that the KBQ is sitting on a level surface to begin with. If it's not, then you could have grease dripping out of any of the four bottom corners.

Putting the legs in foils pans isn't a bad idea but you can buy a steam pan sized just right that you can lay across the front of the legs and it will catch any grease dripping out. The steel steam pan is heavy enough that it won't blow away so you don't need to set the legs inside of it which also means you won't have to clean any grease off the legs when you're done.

https://www.amazon.com/Winco-SPJL-2HL-Steam-Pan-2-Inch/dp/B001VZ6XUY

I place the internal steam table/drip pan as close to the bottom as possible. If you have it mounted right up near the meat that will impact airflow to some degree. No big deal really for just a couple racks of ribs but when you load it up with meat you'll want as much unimpeded airflow as you can get - the better the air can swirl around inside the more evenly the heat/smoke transfer.

If you are going to be running your KBQ on that nice clean concrete I'd be inclined to get one of those outdoor grill mats to set it on just to try and protect it from any errant drips/spills. I don't use any external drip pans but my KBQ is mounted to a stainless steel table so any drips are easily cleaned up.

I ran across the picture you posted with your stainless table and Karubecue. What a sweet setup. I wish I had room in the garage to store something like that. Plus it raises the whole smoker up so you don't have to bend down. 

My knees thank me for mounting it on the table every time I use it.

I should have kept the steam pan at the lowest tray level. My thought was to keep it two slots down from the ribs. That way I still could get air to circulate around the ribs and keep the drips from splattering everywhere. 

I read somewhere that cooks could run 15 to 20% faster with the Karubecue with the fans. So I had this at the back of my mind when checking on my ribs. It took the whole 3-2-1 method for the toothpick test. My St. Louis ribs normally finish up around the 5 hour mark. These were close to the full six hours. I bet the steam pan was really slowing everything down thinking about it. I've never had St. Louis ribs come close to the 6 hour mark. The steam pan will stay at the bottom from now on! Thanks

Thatgrimguy

Heck yeah man!! Great cooker!

Ozzie_Isaac

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

caliking said:

W. T. F. 

You win for at least the rest of the year, if not longer. What an absofrigginlutely awesome find!!!

The KBQ that I am currently fostering for @20stone tends to leak some grease around the legs. I'd consider setting the legs in small foil pans, so you don't stain your concrete. 

Enjoy!

Thanks for the reminder. I should make it a habit. I really like the foil pan idea with the legs inside. Which will keep the pan in place with the wind. Genius!

I did pick up a full steam pan and have that sitting directly under the ribs. Then again it's only two racks of ribs. If this thing was loaded I'd be in trouble! 

The KBQ is intentionally designed such that the legs provide enough height differential in the back that the box is sloped enough that grease will flow towards the front door and drip out the two front corners. Assuming, of course, that the KBQ is sitting on a level surface to begin with. If it's not, then you could have grease dripping out of any of the four bottom corners.

Putting the legs in foils pans isn't a bad idea but you can buy a steam pan sized just right that you can lay across the front of the legs and it will catch any grease dripping out. The steel steam pan is heavy enough that it won't blow away so you don't need to set the legs inside of it which also means you won't have to clean any grease off the legs when you're done.

https://www.amazon.com/Winco-SPJL-2HL-Steam-Pan-2-Inch/dp/B001VZ6XUY

I place the internal steam table/drip pan as close to the bottom as possible. If you have it mounted right up near the meat that will impact airflow to some degree. No big deal really for just a couple racks of ribs but when you load it up with meat you'll want as much unimpeded airflow as you can get - the better the air can swirl around inside the more evenly the heat/smoke transfer.

If you are going to be running your KBQ on that nice clean concrete I'd be inclined to get one of those outdoor grill mats to set it on just to try and protect it from any errant drips/spills. I don't use any external drip pans but my KBQ is mounted to a stainless steel table so any drips are easily cleaned up.

It is like buying a Harley.  First accessory is a drip pan.

alaskanassasin

Nice score man! Pro tip: buying equipment to create a tax write off is not a good business plan.

Photo Egg

Ozzie_Isaac said:

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

caliking said:

W. T. F. 

You win for at least the rest of the year, if not longer. What an absofrigginlutely awesome find!!!

The KBQ that I am currently fostering for @20stone tends to leak some grease around the legs. I'd consider setting the legs in small foil pans, so you don't stain your concrete. 

Enjoy!

Thanks for the reminder. I should make it a habit. I really like the foil pan idea with the legs inside. Which will keep the pan in place with the wind. Genius!

I did pick up a full steam pan and have that sitting directly under the ribs. Then again it's only two racks of ribs. If this thing was loaded I'd be in trouble! 

The KBQ is intentionally designed such that the legs provide enough height differential in the back that the box is sloped enough that grease will flow towards the front door and drip out the two front corners. Assuming, of course, that the KBQ is sitting on a level surface to begin with. If it's not, then you could have grease dripping out of any of the four bottom corners.

Putting the legs in foils pans isn't a bad idea but you can buy a steam pan sized just right that you can lay across the front of the legs and it will catch any grease dripping out. The steel steam pan is heavy enough that it won't blow away so you don't need to set the legs inside of it which also means you won't have to clean any grease off the legs when you're done.

https://www.amazon.com/Winco-SPJL-2HL-Steam-Pan-2-Inch/dp/B001VZ6XUY

I place the internal steam table/drip pan as close to the bottom as possible. If you have it mounted right up near the meat that will impact airflow to some degree. No big deal really for just a couple racks of ribs but when you load it up with meat you'll want as much unimpeded airflow as you can get - the better the air can swirl around inside the more evenly the heat/smoke transfer.

If you are going to be running your KBQ on that nice clean concrete I'd be inclined to get one of those outdoor grill mats to set it on just to try and protect it from any errant drips/spills. I don't use any external drip pans but my KBQ is mounted to a stainless steel table so any drips are easily cleaned up.

It is like buying a Harley.  First accessory is a drip pan.

Ok, that’s funny.

WeberWho

A couple pics and thoughts. 

I used a charcoal rub which turned the ribs a darker color. This was my first go around with this particular rub. The rub is descent but I'll stick with Tatonka rub when wanting a charcoal rub next time.



Our local bbq supply store was recently sold off as the previous owner was moving out of state. I was very happy to see someone willing to take over the business and keep it going. The new owner has his own brand of bbq sauce. I figured this was the least I could do and pick up a couple of his sauces and say thank you. His sauces below. 



A shot of the ribs coming off.



Beans, onions, and apple pie filling were tucked under the ribs for a little extra flavor.



Plated pics.





A few thoughts...

I'm not going to lie, it felt completely wrong when plugging the smoker into an outlet. Straight up wrong. That I think is the ultimate downfall of the smoker. Having to have it plugged into an outlet. Especially if you travel with it. The other real issue is the weather. This smoker isn't something you want to pull out and use in the rain. So that does restrict you a little to its full capability. Some people will find bending down or kneeling to check on food to be a hassle. Especially if you have bad knees. HeavyG has his on a stainless table which would help fix the issue if you have the room for a table.

The quality of the smoker is outstanding. The motor and fans sound like quality components when running. It hums along nicely without any hiccups. I found feeding the Karubecue is about on par with my much bigger smoker but ultimately uses smaller splits and the amount of splits needed to run it. So that is nice. The smoker itself is almost idiot proof. I was happy to see limited amounts of ash or spark coming from the open flame. I don't keep any grills or smokers on my deck and especially not this one. So storing or finding a permanent spot for the smoker could get tricky for some. 

I was seriously impressed with the ribs. I was wondering how much the fans were going to disturb the food and possibly dry it out. Especially with the previous owner calling it an "oven". I don't know what the previous owner was talking about. The ribs were probably one of the most moist ribs to come off any of my smokers. The moisture was unreal. The smoke was there. Not as much smoke flavor as my reverse flow but still a hint of smoke. I'd be interested in getting my hands on some hickory to see how that plays out. As white oak is a fairly light smoke profile. 

I don't think I could be happier about how the first cook went and how the smoker preformed. It has its limitations but the pros outweigh the cons by a long stretch. I'm looking forward to many more cooks on the smoker. 

teamunited33

@WeberWho speaking of CL finds, wanna pick this one up and restore it for me?

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ram/hsh/d/saint-paul-36-barrel-smoker/7148914576.html

StillH2OEgger

Quite a feast -- and a neat little adventure getting there. Congrats all the way around! Also, where is that BBQ store located?

WeberWho

teamunited33 said:

@WeberWho speaking of CL finds, wanna pick this one up and restore it for me?

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ram/hsh/d/saint-paul-36-barrel-smoker/7148914576.html

That's not a bad price! 

I haven't even finsihed restoring the small offset I picked up! I did do some work on it yesterday. It's getting close to becoming a functioning smoker!

Go and grab it! Lets see it in action!

WeberWho

StillH2OEgger said:

Quite a feast -- and a neat little adventure getting there. Congrats all the way around! Also, where is that BBQ store located?

Thanks!

The store used to be called Quetopia in Minnetonka. The new owner changed the name and is now called Northern Fire Grilling and BBQ Supply. 

https://www.northernfirebbq.com/

Brisket_Fanatic

WeberWho said:

StillH2OEgger said:

Quite a feast -- and a neat little adventure getting there. Congrats all the way around! Also, where is that BBQ store located?

Thanks!

The store used to be called Quetopia in Minnetonka. The new owner changed the name and is now called Northern Fire Grilling and BBQ Supply. 

https://www.northernfirebbq.com/

Nice score!! I'm pretty sure 2014 was the year they won the blind at Barrels and Bacon. I remember seeing them and selling sauce line. Lucky 19 is a great bunch of guys, doing very well with MBS and KCBS. I'm glad they took over Tony's business as its a nice place. 

WeberWho

Brisket_Fanatic said:

WeberWho said:

StillH2OEgger said:

Quite a feast -- and a neat little adventure getting there. Congrats all the way around! Also, where is that BBQ store located?

Thanks!

The store used to be called Quetopia in Minnetonka. The new owner changed the name and is now called Northern Fire Grilling and BBQ Supply. 

https://www.northernfirebbq.com/

Nice score!! I'm pretty sure 2014 was the year they won the blind at Barrels and Bacon. I remember seeing them and selling sauce line. Lucky 19 is a great bunch of guys, doing very well with MBS and KCBS. I'm glad they took over Tony's business as its a nice place. 

Thanks! Tony moved back down towards you in Iowa. I was super happy to see that someone was coming in to pick up where Tony left off. 

Tony was always friendly and would say, "Hi" when walking into the store. He would come out behind the desk if you asked for help. I never thought much of it.  This new owner was on top of his game. He was out walking the floor with customers and going over different options for rubs and sauces. When I was looking over rubs there was a customer next to me who was going to be catering a high school graduation party. So the new owner helped him go over bbq rubs. Then it was time for selecting sauces. The owner suggested 3 or 4 different sauces before getting to his sauces on the shelf. His bbq sauces sit on the shelf along with the rest of the other bbq sauces. No indication saying they were his sauces. That right there told me he cares about what you want. He wasn't trying to pimp his sauces and down talk other bbq sauces. You can tell he has enthusiasm about his job and the love of bbq. He's also brought in bigger name smokers to the store. I wish them all the best!

The Cen-Tex Smoker

holy crap what a score! Yours looks way better than mine lol

WeberWho

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

holy crap what a score! Yours looks way better than mine lol

Thanks. I went to clean up the smoker this afternoon to make it sparkly clean than thought, "This is completely stupid". It's only going to get dirty again. I cleaned it enough where it would be presentable enough for the next cook. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

WeberWho said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

holy crap what a score! Yours looks way better than mine lol

Thanks. I went to clean up the smoker this afternoon to make it sparkly clean than thought, "This is completely stupid". It's only going to get dirty again. I cleaned it enough where it would be presentable enough for the next cook. 

It’s kind of a PITA to keep clean so it’s better to to stay on top of it. The fans actually aerosolize the fats And spray them everywhere. I clean it every couple of cooks these days. Oven cleaner works well (this is what Bill Karau recommends). I find that if you don’t clean it often, the fats get rancid and smell terrible until they heat up and burn off while warming up.  I love it but contrary to what Bill says, it’s a lot of work to keep it in tip-top shape. 

WeberWho

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

WeberWho said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

holy crap what a score! Yours looks way better than mine lol

Thanks. I went to clean up the smoker this afternoon to make it sparkly clean than thought, "This is completely stupid". It's only going to get dirty again. I cleaned it enough where it would be presentable enough for the next cook. 

It’s kind of a PITA to keep clean so it’s better to to stay on top of it. The fans actually aerosolize the fats And spray them everywhere. I clean it every couple of cooks these days. Oven cleaner works well (this is what Bill Karau recommends). I find that if you don’t clean it often, the fats get rancid and smell terrible until they heat up and burn off while warming up.  I love it but contrary to what Bill says, it’s a lot of work to keep it in tip-top shape. 

I used oven cleaner on the rack walls on the inside of the smoker. I freaked out as I thought I messed up and permanently ruined the finish of the stainless. As I couldn't remove spots after using oven cleaner. It turns out I didn't ruin the wall racks but they were hard as hell to clean any residual spots off it. The best method I found was white vinegar and a magic erase marker but holly hell did that take hours and hours to clean.

I'm going to give oven cleaner another go. I just need to mustard up the courage and know it's not going to ruin the finish on the stainless. (I tested a small spot on my  Berkel slicer with oven cleaner a few years back and it ruined the finish. I've been hesitant with oven cleaner since)

Thanks for the push!

HeavyG

WeberWho said:

A couple pics and thoughts. 

I used a charcoal rub which turned the ribs a darker color. This was my first go around with this particular rub. The rub is descent but I'll stick with Tatonka rub when wanting a charcoal rub next time.



Our local bbq supply store was recently sold off as the previous owner was moving out of state. I was very happy to see someone willing to take over the business and keep it going. The new owner has his own brand of bbq sauce. I figured this was the least I could do and pick up a couple of his sauces and say thank you. His sauces below. 



A shot of the ribs coming off.



Beans, onions, and apple pie filling were tucked under the ribs for a little extra flavor.



Plated pics.





A few thoughts...

I'm not going to lie, it felt completely wrong when plugging the smoker into an outlet. Straight up wrong. That I think is the ultimate downfall of the smoker. Having to have it plugged into an outlet. Especially if you travel with it. The other real issue is the weather. This smoker isn't something you want to pull out and use in the rain. So that does restrict you a little to its full capability. Some people will find bending down or kneeling to check on food to be a hassle. Especially if you have bad knees. HeavyG has his on a stainless table which would help fix the issue if you have the room for a table.

The quality of the smoker is outstanding. The motor and fans sound like quality components when running. It hums along nicely without any hiccups. I found feeding the Karubecue is about on par with my much bigger smoker but ultimately uses smaller splits and the amount of splits needed to run it. So that is nice. The smoker itself is almost idiot proof. I was happy to see limited amounts of ash or spark coming from the open flame. I don't keep any grills or smokers on my deck and especially not this one. So storing or finding a permanent spot for the smoker could get tricky for some. 

I was seriously impressed with the ribs. I was wondering how much the fans were going to disturb the food and possibly dry it out. Especially with the previous owner calling it an "oven". I don't know what the previous owner was talking about. The ribs were probably one of the most moist ribs to come off any of my smokers. The moisture was unreal. The smoke was there. Not as much smoke flavor as my reverse flow but still a hint of smoke. I'd be interested in getting my hands on some hickory to see how that plays out. As white oak is a fairly light smoke profile. 

I don't think I could be happier about how the first cook went and how the smoker preformed. It has its limitations but the pros outweigh the cons by a long stretch. I'm looking forward to many more cooks on the smoker. 

Looks good! I'm gonna have to try the baked beans with apple pie filling.

Five or six months before I bought my KBQ I was wanting another grill, something of a type I had never used before. I kept going back and forth and looking hard at the Yoder YS640 pellet grill on their competition cart. Ultimately I decided I didn't really want a grill that I had to plug into an electrical outlet.

So imagine my surprise when, a few months later, I bought the KBQ which... requires an electrical outlet. But..."no regerts" as they say.

Don't forget to play with the poppets. If you want a heavier smoke open up the top poppet all the way and close the bottom poppet some or completely.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

WeberWho said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

WeberWho said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

holy crap what a score! Yours looks way better than mine lol

Thanks. I went to clean up the smoker this afternoon to make it sparkly clean than thought, "This is completely stupid". It's only going to get dirty again. I cleaned it enough where it would be presentable enough for the next cook. 

It’s kind of a PITA to keep clean so it’s better to to stay on top of it. The fans actually aerosolize the fats And spray them everywhere. I clean it every couple of cooks these days. Oven cleaner works well (this is what Bill Karau recommends). I find that if you don’t clean it often, the fats get rancid and smell terrible until they heat up and burn off while warming up.  I love it but contrary to what Bill says, it’s a lot of work to keep it in tip-top shape. 

I used oven cleaner on the rack walls on the inside of the smoker. I freaked out as I thought I messed up and permanently ruined the finish of the stainless. As I couldn't remove spots after using oven cleaner. It turns out I didn't ruin the wall racks but they were hard as hell to clean any residual spots off it. The best method I found was white vinegar and a magic erase marker but holly hell did that take hours and hours to clean.

I'm going to give oven cleaner another go. I just need to mustard up the courage and know it's not going to ruin the finish on the stainless. (I tested a small spot on my  Berkel slicer with oven cleaner a few years back and it ruined the finish. I've been hesitant with oven cleaner since)

Thanks for the push!

Bill uses straight lye to clean parts. He told me to use oven cleaner “but make sure to get the Heavy Duty one with lye”. He recently replaced my control box (mine stopped working after 4 years and he sent me a new one no questions asked). I asked him if I should clean it first and he said “no need, I’m just going to dip it in lye and it will look brand new”. 

I think you are good. 

WeberWho

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

A couple pics and thoughts. 

I used a charcoal rub which turned the ribs a darker color. This was my first go around with this particular rub. The rub is descent but I'll stick with Tatonka rub when wanting a charcoal rub next time.



Our local bbq supply store was recently sold off as the previous owner was moving out of state. I was very happy to see someone willing to take over the business and keep it going. The new owner has his own brand of bbq sauce. I figured this was the least I could do and pick up a couple of his sauces and say thank you. His sauces below. 

A shot of the ribs coming off.

Beans, onions, and apple pie filling were tucked under the ribs for a little extra flavor.

Plated pics.

A few thoughts...

I'm not going to lie, it felt completely wrong when plugging the smoker into an outlet. Straight up wrong. That I think is the ultimate downfall of the smoker. Having to have it plugged into an outlet. Especially if you travel with it. The other real issue is the weather. This smoker isn't something you want to pull out and use in the rain. So that does restrict you a little to its full capability. Some people will find bending down or kneeling to check on food to be a hassle. Especially if you have bad knees. HeavyG has his on a stainless table which would help fix the issue if you have the room for a table.

The quality of the smoker is outstanding. The motor and fans sound like quality components when running. It hums along nicely without any hiccups. I found feeding the Karubecue is about on par with my much bigger smoker but ultimately uses smaller splits and the amount of splits needed to run it. So that is nice. The smoker itself is almost idiot proof. I was happy to see limited amounts of ash or spark coming from the open flame. I don't keep any grills or smokers on my deck and especially not this one. So storing or finding a permanent spot for the smoker could get tricky for some. 

I was seriously impressed with the ribs. I was wondering how much the fans were going to disturb the food and possibly dry it out. Especially with the previous owner calling it an "oven". I don't know what the previous owner was talking about. The ribs were probably one of the most moist ribs to come off any of my smokers. The moisture was unreal. The smoke was there. Not as much smoke flavor as my reverse flow but still a hint of smoke. I'd be interested in getting my hands on some hickory to see how that plays out. As white oak is a fairly light smoke profile. 

I don't think I could be happier about how the first cook went and how the smoker preformed. It has its limitations but the pros outweigh the cons by a long stretch. I'm looking forward to many more cooks on the smoker. 

Looks good! I'm gonna have to try the baked beans with apple pie filling.

Five or six months before I bought my KBQ I was wanting another grill, something of a type I had never used before. I kept going back and forth and looking hard at the Yoder YS640 pellet grill on their competition cart. Ultimately I decided I didn't really want a grill that I had to plug into an electrical outlet.

So imagine my surprise when, a few months later, I bought the KBQ which... requires an electrical outlet. But..."no regerts" as they say.

Don't forget to play with the poppets. If you want a heavier smoke open up the top poppet all the way and close the bottom poppet some or completely.

@HeavyG

I had both poppets almost completely open. So I should close the bottom poppet for heavier smoke? Thanks 

WeberWho

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

WeberWho said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

WeberWho said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

holy crap what a score! Yours looks way better than mine lol

Thanks. I went to clean up the smoker this afternoon to make it sparkly clean than thought, "This is completely stupid". It's only going to get dirty again. I cleaned it enough where it would be presentable enough for the next cook. 

It’s kind of a PITA to keep clean so it’s better to to stay on top of it. The fans actually aerosolize the fats And spray them everywhere. I clean it every couple of cooks these days. Oven cleaner works well (this is what Bill Karau recommends). I find that if you don’t clean it often, the fats get rancid and smell terrible until they heat up and burn off while warming up.  I love it but contrary to what Bill says, it’s a lot of work to keep it in tip-top shape. 

I used oven cleaner on the rack walls on the inside of the smoker. I freaked out as I thought I messed up and permanently ruined the finish of the stainless. As I couldn't remove spots after using oven cleaner. It turns out I didn't ruin the wall racks but they were hard as hell to clean any residual spots off it. The best method I found was white vinegar and a magic erase marker but holly hell did that take hours and hours to clean.

I'm going to give oven cleaner another go. I just need to mustard up the courage and know it's not going to ruin the finish on the stainless. (I tested a small spot on my  Berkel slicer with oven cleaner a few years back and it ruined the finish. I've been hesitant with oven cleaner since)

Thanks for the push!

Bill uses straight lye to clean parts. He told me to use oven cleaner “but make sure to get the Heavy Duty one with lye”. He recently replaced my control box (mine stopped working after 4 years and he sent me a new one no questions asked). I asked him if I should clean it first and he said “no need, I’m just going to dip it in lye and it will look brand new”. 

I think you are good. 

Bill seems like a really nice guy. I emailed him about the oven cleaner as I wanted to be 100% confident that I wasn't going to screw the finish up. He emailed back only hours later explaining what I should look for. Top notch service!

HeavyG

WeberWho said:

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

A couple pics and thoughts. 

I used a charcoal rub which turned the ribs a darker color. This was my first go around with this particular rub. The rub is descent but I'll stick with Tatonka rub when wanting a charcoal rub next time.



Our local bbq supply store was recently sold off as the previous owner was moving out of state. I was very happy to see someone willing to take over the business and keep it going. The new owner has his own brand of bbq sauce. I figured this was the least I could do and pick up a couple of his sauces and say thank you. His sauces below. 

A shot of the ribs coming off.

Beans, onions, and apple pie filling were tucked under the ribs for a little extra flavor.

Plated pics.

A few thoughts...

I'm not going to lie, it felt completely wrong when plugging the smoker into an outlet. Straight up wrong. That I think is the ultimate downfall of the smoker. Having to have it plugged into an outlet. Especially if you travel with it. The other real issue is the weather. This smoker isn't something you want to pull out and use in the rain. So that does restrict you a little to its full capability. Some people will find bending down or kneeling to check on food to be a hassle. Especially if you have bad knees. HeavyG has his on a stainless table which would help fix the issue if you have the room for a table.

The quality of the smoker is outstanding. The motor and fans sound like quality components when running. It hums along nicely without any hiccups. I found feeding the Karubecue is about on par with my much bigger smoker but ultimately uses smaller splits and the amount of splits needed to run it. So that is nice. The smoker itself is almost idiot proof. I was happy to see limited amounts of ash or spark coming from the open flame. I don't keep any grills or smokers on my deck and especially not this one. So storing or finding a permanent spot for the smoker could get tricky for some. 

I was seriously impressed with the ribs. I was wondering how much the fans were going to disturb the food and possibly dry it out. Especially with the previous owner calling it an "oven". I don't know what the previous owner was talking about. The ribs were probably one of the most moist ribs to come off any of my smokers. The moisture was unreal. The smoke was there. Not as much smoke flavor as my reverse flow but still a hint of smoke. I'd be interested in getting my hands on some hickory to see how that plays out. As white oak is a fairly light smoke profile. 

I don't think I could be happier about how the first cook went and how the smoker preformed. It has its limitations but the pros outweigh the cons by a long stretch. I'm looking forward to many more cooks on the smoker. 

Looks good! I'm gonna have to try the baked beans with apple pie filling.

Five or six months before I bought my KBQ I was wanting another grill, something of a type I had never used before. I kept going back and forth and looking hard at the Yoder YS640 pellet grill on their competition cart. Ultimately I decided I didn't really want a grill that I had to plug into an electrical outlet.

So imagine my surprise when, a few months later, I bought the KBQ which... requires an electrical outlet. But..."no regerts" as they say.

Don't forget to play with the poppets. If you want a heavier smoke open up the top poppet all the way and close the bottom poppet some or completely.

@HeavyG

I had both poppets almost completely open. So I should close the bottom poppet for heavier smoke? Thanks 

Yes. Or at least close the bottom poppet down some so that the draw will be pulling more from the "dirty" smoke side of things.

It might take you a few cooks to find what suits your tastes. with the wood you are using, various poppet settings, how thick your coal bed is, etc. For most cooks I'm not suggesting to just run with the top poppet open just to perhaps favor it for a portion of the cook.

WeberWho

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

A couple pics and thoughts. 

I used a charcoal rub which turned the ribs a darker color. This was my first go around with this particular rub. The rub is descent but I'll stick with Tatonka rub when wanting a charcoal rub next time.



Our local bbq supply store was recently sold off as the previous owner was moving out of state. I was very happy to see someone willing to take over the business and keep it going. The new owner has his own brand of bbq sauce. I figured this was the least I could do and pick up a couple of his sauces and say thank you. His sauces below. 

A shot of the ribs coming off.

Beans, onions, and apple pie filling were tucked under the ribs for a little extra flavor.

Plated pics.

A few thoughts...

I'm not going to lie, it felt completely wrong when plugging the smoker into an outlet. Straight up wrong. That I think is the ultimate downfall of the smoker. Having to have it plugged into an outlet. Especially if you travel with it. The other real issue is the weather. This smoker isn't something you want to pull out and use in the rain. So that does restrict you a little to its full capability. Some people will find bending down or kneeling to check on food to be a hassle. Especially if you have bad knees. HeavyG has his on a stainless table which would help fix the issue if you have the room for a table.

The quality of the smoker is outstanding. The motor and fans sound like quality components when running. It hums along nicely without any hiccups. I found feeding the Karubecue is about on par with my much bigger smoker but ultimately uses smaller splits and the amount of splits needed to run it. So that is nice. The smoker itself is almost idiot proof. I was happy to see limited amounts of ash or spark coming from the open flame. I don't keep any grills or smokers on my deck and especially not this one. So storing or finding a permanent spot for the smoker could get tricky for some. 

I was seriously impressed with the ribs. I was wondering how much the fans were going to disturb the food and possibly dry it out. Especially with the previous owner calling it an "oven". I don't know what the previous owner was talking about. The ribs were probably one of the most moist ribs to come off any of my smokers. The moisture was unreal. The smoke was there. Not as much smoke flavor as my reverse flow but still a hint of smoke. I'd be interested in getting my hands on some hickory to see how that plays out. As white oak is a fairly light smoke profile. 

I don't think I could be happier about how the first cook went and how the smoker preformed. It has its limitations but the pros outweigh the cons by a long stretch. I'm looking forward to many more cooks on the smoker. 

Looks good! I'm gonna have to try the baked beans with apple pie filling.

Five or six months before I bought my KBQ I was wanting another grill, something of a type I had never used before. I kept going back and forth and looking hard at the Yoder YS640 pellet grill on their competition cart. Ultimately I decided I didn't really want a grill that I had to plug into an electrical outlet.

So imagine my surprise when, a few months later, I bought the KBQ which... requires an electrical outlet. But..."no regerts" as they say.

Don't forget to play with the poppets. If you want a heavier smoke open up the top poppet all the way and close the bottom poppet some or completely.

@HeavyG

I had both poppets almost completely open. So I should close the bottom poppet for heavier smoke? Thanks 

Yes. Or at least close the bottom poppet down some so that the draw will be pulling more from the "dirty" smoke side of things.

It might take you a few cooks to find what suits your tastes. with the wood you are using, various poppet settings, how thick your coal bed is, etc. For most cooks I'm not suggesting to just run with the top poppet open just to perhaps favor it for a portion of the cook.

Thank you for the explanation. I'll adjust the lower poppet during the next cook. I had it in my head that if both poppets were open it would force in more smoke. That logic appears to be way off...

HeavyG

WeberWho said:

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

A couple pics and thoughts. 

I used a charcoal rub which turned the ribs a darker color. This was my first go around with this particular rub. The rub is descent but I'll stick with Tatonka rub when wanting a charcoal rub next time.



Our local bbq supply store was recently sold off as the previous owner was moving out of state. I was very happy to see someone willing to take over the business and keep it going. The new owner has his own brand of bbq sauce. I figured this was the least I could do and pick up a couple of his sauces and say thank you. His sauces below. 

A shot of the ribs coming off.

Beans, onions, and apple pie filling were tucked under the ribs for a little extra flavor.

Plated pics.

A few thoughts...

I'm not going to lie, it felt completely wrong when plugging the smoker into an outlet. Straight up wrong. That I think is the ultimate downfall of the smoker. Having to have it plugged into an outlet. Especially if you travel with it. The other real issue is the weather. This smoker isn't something you want to pull out and use in the rain. So that does restrict you a little to its full capability. Some people will find bending down or kneeling to check on food to be a hassle. Especially if you have bad knees. HeavyG has his on a stainless table which would help fix the issue if you have the room for a table.

The quality of the smoker is outstanding. The motor and fans sound like quality components when running. It hums along nicely without any hiccups. I found feeding the Karubecue is about on par with my much bigger smoker but ultimately uses smaller splits and the amount of splits needed to run it. So that is nice. The smoker itself is almost idiot proof. I was happy to see limited amounts of ash or spark coming from the open flame. I don't keep any grills or smokers on my deck and especially not this one. So storing or finding a permanent spot for the smoker could get tricky for some. 

I was seriously impressed with the ribs. I was wondering how much the fans were going to disturb the food and possibly dry it out. Especially with the previous owner calling it an "oven". I don't know what the previous owner was talking about. The ribs were probably one of the most moist ribs to come off any of my smokers. The moisture was unreal. The smoke was there. Not as much smoke flavor as my reverse flow but still a hint of smoke. I'd be interested in getting my hands on some hickory to see how that plays out. As white oak is a fairly light smoke profile. 

I don't think I could be happier about how the first cook went and how the smoker preformed. It has its limitations but the pros outweigh the cons by a long stretch. I'm looking forward to many more cooks on the smoker. 

Looks good! I'm gonna have to try the baked beans with apple pie filling.

Five or six months before I bought my KBQ I was wanting another grill, something of a type I had never used before. I kept going back and forth and looking hard at the Yoder YS640 pellet grill on their competition cart. Ultimately I decided I didn't really want a grill that I had to plug into an electrical outlet.

So imagine my surprise when, a few months later, I bought the KBQ which... requires an electrical outlet. But..."no regerts" as they say.

Don't forget to play with the poppets. If you want a heavier smoke open up the top poppet all the way and close the bottom poppet some or completely.

@HeavyG

I had both poppets almost completely open. So I should close the bottom poppet for heavier smoke? Thanks 

Yes. Or at least close the bottom poppet down some so that the draw will be pulling more from the "dirty" smoke side of things.

It might take you a few cooks to find what suits your tastes. with the wood you are using, various poppet settings, how thick your coal bed is, etc. For most cooks I'm not suggesting to just run with the top poppet open just to perhaps favor it for a portion of the cook.

Thank you for the explanation. I'll adjust the lower poppet during the next cook. I had it in my head that if both poppets were open it would force in more smoke. That logic appears to be way off...

With both poppets open you'll get a blend of both "clean" and "dirty" smoke. I have no idea if the airflow with both poppets open is an even 50-50 or weighted more towards the top or bottom poppet. My guess is that the natural draw is pulling a bit more thru the bottom poppet. Whatever that normal ratio is you can change that so you can lean towards more smoke or less by adjusting the poppets.

When you did your ribs during most of the cook were you seeing any smoke leaving the exhaust vent when the exhaust fan was running?

Hoster05

@WeberWho as a follow Minnesotan, great score!

WeberWho

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

A couple pics and thoughts. 

I used a charcoal rub which turned the ribs a darker color. This was my first go around with this particular rub. The rub is descent but I'll stick with Tatonka rub when wanting a charcoal rub next time.



Our local bbq supply store was recently sold off as the previous owner was moving out of state. I was very happy to see someone willing to take over the business and keep it going. The new owner has his own brand of bbq sauce. I figured this was the least I could do and pick up a couple of his sauces and say thank you. His sauces below. 

A shot of the ribs coming off.

Beans, onions, and apple pie filling were tucked under the ribs for a little extra flavor.

Plated pics.

A few thoughts...

I'm not going to lie, it felt completely wrong when plugging the smoker into an outlet. Straight up wrong. That I think is the ultimate downfall of the smoker. Having to have it plugged into an outlet. Especially if you travel with it. The other real issue is the weather. This smoker isn't something you want to pull out and use in the rain. So that does restrict you a little to its full capability. Some people will find bending down or kneeling to check on food to be a hassle. Especially if you have bad knees. HeavyG has his on a stainless table which would help fix the issue if you have the room for a table.

The quality of the smoker is outstanding. The motor and fans sound like quality components when running. It hums along nicely without any hiccups. I found feeding the Karubecue is about on par with my much bigger smoker but ultimately uses smaller splits and the amount of splits needed to run it. So that is nice. The smoker itself is almost idiot proof. I was happy to see limited amounts of ash or spark coming from the open flame. I don't keep any grills or smokers on my deck and especially not this one. So storing or finding a permanent spot for the smoker could get tricky for some. 

I was seriously impressed with the ribs. I was wondering how much the fans were going to disturb the food and possibly dry it out. Especially with the previous owner calling it an "oven". I don't know what the previous owner was talking about. The ribs were probably one of the most moist ribs to come off any of my smokers. The moisture was unreal. The smoke was there. Not as much smoke flavor as my reverse flow but still a hint of smoke. I'd be interested in getting my hands on some hickory to see how that plays out. As white oak is a fairly light smoke profile. 

I don't think I could be happier about how the first cook went and how the smoker preformed. It has its limitations but the pros outweigh the cons by a long stretch. I'm looking forward to many more cooks on the smoker. 

Looks good! I'm gonna have to try the baked beans with apple pie filling.

Five or six months before I bought my KBQ I was wanting another grill, something of a type I had never used before. I kept going back and forth and looking hard at the Yoder YS640 pellet grill on their competition cart. Ultimately I decided I didn't really want a grill that I had to plug into an electrical outlet.

So imagine my surprise when, a few months later, I bought the KBQ which... requires an electrical outlet. But..."no regerts" as they say.

Don't forget to play with the poppets. If you want a heavier smoke open up the top poppet all the way and close the bottom poppet some or completely.

@HeavyG

I had both poppets almost completely open. So I should close the bottom poppet for heavier smoke? Thanks 

Yes. Or at least close the bottom poppet down some so that the draw will be pulling more from the "dirty" smoke side of things.

It might take you a few cooks to find what suits your tastes. with the wood you are using, various poppet settings, how thick your coal bed is, etc. For most cooks I'm not suggesting to just run with the top poppet open just to perhaps favor it for a portion of the cook.

Thank you for the explanation. I'll adjust the lower poppet during the next cook. I had it in my head that if both poppets were open it would force in more smoke. That logic appears to be way off...

With both poppets open you'll get a blend of both "clean" and "dirty" smoke. I have no idea if the airflow with both poppets open is an even 50-50 or weighted more towards the top or bottom poppet. My guess is that the natural draw is pulling a bit more thru the bottom poppet. Whatever that normal ratio is you can change that so you can lean towards more smoke or less by adjusting the poppets.

When you did your ribs during most of the cook were you seeing any smoke leaving the exhaust vent when the exhaust fan was running?

I saw very little smoke coming from the exhaust fan. I also noticed yesterday that the exhaust wasn't very dirty or smoke stained. Should I see constant smoke coming out of the exhaust fan?

The Cen-Tex Smoker

WeberWho said:

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

A couple pics and thoughts. 

I used a charcoal rub which turned the ribs a darker color. This was my first go around with this particular rub. The rub is descent but I'll stick with Tatonka rub when wanting a charcoal rub next time.



Our local bbq supply store was recently sold off as the previous owner was moving out of state. I was very happy to see someone willing to take over the business and keep it going. The new owner has his own brand of bbq sauce. I figured this was the least I could do and pick up a couple of his sauces and say thank you. His sauces below. 

A shot of the ribs coming off.

Beans, onions, and apple pie filling were tucked under the ribs for a little extra flavor.

Plated pics.

A few thoughts...

I'm not going to lie, it felt completely wrong when plugging the smoker into an outlet. Straight up wrong. That I think is the ultimate downfall of the smoker. Having to have it plugged into an outlet. Especially if you travel with it. The other real issue is the weather. This smoker isn't something you want to pull out and use in the rain. So that does restrict you a little to its full capability. Some people will find bending down or kneeling to check on food to be a hassle. Especially if you have bad knees. HeavyG has his on a stainless table which would help fix the issue if you have the room for a table.

The quality of the smoker is outstanding. The motor and fans sound like quality components when running. It hums along nicely without any hiccups. I found feeding the Karubecue is about on par with my much bigger smoker but ultimately uses smaller splits and the amount of splits needed to run it. So that is nice. The smoker itself is almost idiot proof. I was happy to see limited amounts of ash or spark coming from the open flame. I don't keep any grills or smokers on my deck and especially not this one. So storing or finding a permanent spot for the smoker could get tricky for some. 

I was seriously impressed with the ribs. I was wondering how much the fans were going to disturb the food and possibly dry it out. Especially with the previous owner calling it an "oven". I don't know what the previous owner was talking about. The ribs were probably one of the most moist ribs to come off any of my smokers. The moisture was unreal. The smoke was there. Not as much smoke flavor as my reverse flow but still a hint of smoke. I'd be interested in getting my hands on some hickory to see how that plays out. As white oak is a fairly light smoke profile. 

I don't think I could be happier about how the first cook went and how the smoker preformed. It has its limitations but the pros outweigh the cons by a long stretch. I'm looking forward to many more cooks on the smoker. 

Looks good! I'm gonna have to try the baked beans with apple pie filling.

Five or six months before I bought my KBQ I was wanting another grill, something of a type I had never used before. I kept going back and forth and looking hard at the Yoder YS640 pellet grill on their competition cart. Ultimately I decided I didn't really want a grill that I had to plug into an electrical outlet.

So imagine my surprise when, a few months later, I bought the KBQ which... requires an electrical outlet. But..."no regerts" as they say.

Don't forget to play with the poppets. If you want a heavier smoke open up the top poppet all the way and close the bottom poppet some or completely.

@HeavyG

I had both poppets almost completely open. So I should close the bottom poppet for heavier smoke? Thanks 

Yes. Or at least close the bottom poppet down some so that the draw will be pulling more from the "dirty" smoke side of things.

It might take you a few cooks to find what suits your tastes. with the wood you are using, various poppet settings, how thick your coal bed is, etc. For most cooks I'm not suggesting to just run with the top poppet open just to perhaps favor it for a portion of the cook.

Thank you for the explanation. I'll adjust the lower poppet during the next cook. I had it in my head that if both poppets were open it would force in more smoke. That logic appears to be way off...

With both poppets open you'll get a blend of both "clean" and "dirty" smoke. I have no idea if the airflow with both poppets open is an even 50-50 or weighted more towards the top or bottom poppet. My guess is that the natural draw is pulling a bit more thru the bottom poppet. Whatever that normal ratio is you can change that so you can lean towards more smoke or less by adjusting the poppets.

When you did your ribs during most of the cook were you seeing any smoke leaving the exhaust vent when the exhaust fan was running?

I saw very little smoke coming from the exhaust fan. I also noticed yesterday that the exhaust wasn't very dirty or smoke stained. Should I see constant smoke coming out of the exhaust fan?

You can’t see the smoke from the bottom poppet- it’s totally clean. Put your hand over the exhaust and you can smell it though. Very subtle- which is what makes the kbq so cool. Most smoky flavor will come from the top poppet. I always run with it wide open for shorter cooks like ribs. I find the bottom poppet only is too subtle for me for most things. I like a little too smoke on most things. You are just going to have to play around with it but I would run with both wide open, take notes and adjust accordingly 

WeberWho

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

WeberWho said:

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

HeavyG said:

WeberWho said:

A couple pics and thoughts. 

I used a charcoal rub which turned the ribs a darker color. This was my first go around with this particular rub. The rub is descent but I'll stick with Tatonka rub when wanting a charcoal rub next time.



Our local bbq supply store was recently sold off as the previous owner was moving out of state. I was very happy to see someone willing to take over the business and keep it going. The new owner has his own brand of bbq sauce. I figured this was the least I could do and pick up a couple of his sauces and say thank you. His sauces below. 

A shot of the ribs coming off.

Beans, onions, and apple pie filling were tucked under the ribs for a little extra flavor.

Plated pics.

A few thoughts...

I'm not going to lie, it felt completely wrong when plugging the smoker into an outlet. Straight up wrong. That I think is the ultimate downfall of the smoker. Having to have it plugged into an outlet. Especially if you travel with it. The other real issue is the weather. This smoker isn't something you want to pull out and use in the rain. So that does restrict you a little to its full capability. Some people will find bending down or kneeling to check on food to be a hassle. Especially if you have bad knees. HeavyG has his on a stainless table which would help fix the issue if you have the room for a table.

The quality of the smoker is outstanding. The motor and fans sound like quality components when running. It hums along nicely without any hiccups. I found feeding the Karubecue is about on par with my much bigger smoker but ultimately uses smaller splits and the amount of splits needed to run it. So that is nice. The smoker itself is almost idiot proof. I was happy to see limited amounts of ash or spark coming from the open flame. I don't keep any grills or smokers on my deck and especially not this one. So storing or finding a permanent spot for the smoker could get tricky for some. 

I was seriously impressed with the ribs. I was wondering how much the fans were going to disturb the food and possibly dry it out. Especially with the previous owner calling it an "oven". I don't know what the previous owner was talking about. The ribs were probably one of the most moist ribs to come off any of my smokers. The moisture was unreal. The smoke was there. Not as much smoke flavor as my reverse flow but still a hint of smoke. I'd be interested in getting my hands on some hickory to see how that plays out. As white oak is a fairly light smoke profile. 

I don't think I could be happier about how the first cook went and how the smoker preformed. It has its limitations but the pros outweigh the cons by a long stretch. I'm looking forward to many more cooks on the smoker. 

Looks good! I'm gonna have to try the baked beans with apple pie filling.

Five or six months before I bought my KBQ I was wanting another grill, something of a type I had never used before. I kept going back and forth and looking hard at the Yoder YS640 pellet grill on their competition cart. Ultimately I decided I didn't really want a grill that I had to plug into an electrical outlet.

So imagine my surprise when, a few months later, I bought the KBQ which... requires an electrical outlet. But..."no regerts" as they say.

Don't forget to play with the poppets. If you want a heavier smoke open up the top poppet all the way and close the bottom poppet some or completely.

@HeavyG

I had both poppets almost completely open. So I should close the bottom poppet for heavier smoke? Thanks 

Yes. Or at least close the bottom poppet down some so that the draw will be pulling more from the "dirty" smoke side of things.

It might take you a few cooks to find what suits your tastes. with the wood you are using, various poppet settings, how thick your coal bed is, etc. For most cooks I'm not suggesting to just run with the top poppet open just to perhaps favor it for a portion of the cook.

Thank you for the explanation. I'll adjust the lower poppet during the next cook. I had it in my head that if both poppets were open it would force in more smoke. That logic appears to be way off...

With both poppets open you'll get a blend of both "clean" and "dirty" smoke. I have no idea if the airflow with both poppets open is an even 50-50 or weighted more towards the top or bottom poppet. My guess is that the natural draw is pulling a bit more thru the bottom poppet. Whatever that normal ratio is you can change that so you can lean towards more smoke or less by adjusting the poppets.

When you did your ribs during most of the cook were you seeing any smoke leaving the exhaust vent when the exhaust fan was running?

I saw very little smoke coming from the exhaust fan. I also noticed yesterday that the exhaust wasn't very dirty or smoke stained. Should I see constant smoke coming out of the exhaust fan?

You can’t see the smoke from the bottom poppet- it’s totally clean. Put your hand over the exhaust and you can smell it though. Very subtle- which is what makes the kbq so cool. Most smoky flavor will come from the top poppet. I always run with it wide open for shorter cooks like ribs. I find the bottom poppet only is too subtle for me for most things. I like a little too smoke on most things. You are just going to have to play around with it but I would run with both wide open, take notes and adjust accordingly 

Hey thanks. I had the two poppets pretty much all the way open throughout the cook. I'll play around with the bottom poppet during the next cook.