Operating Advice for the Summit Kamado


 
J

Jacob

New member
Good morning, I posted this on Reddit as well, but I really trust the folks in this forum for advice, so I'm posting here as well. I'm looking for some operating advice for the Summit Kamado.

I'm coming from both an 18 WSM (which I loved) and Smokefire EX6 (which is fine, but did not love). I'm keeping the Smokefire, at least for now, just so I have something very convenient that I can basically set and forget, as well as for sheer size when I need to cook a lot of food. Admittedly, that is rare, so if I really love the WSK I may end up getting rid of the Smokefire all together and using the WSM when I need some extra space.

Anyway, just looking for some tips and tricks when it comes to smoking or low and slow on the WSK. I'm used to the ease of the temperature control with my WSM and wondered how the WSK compares. Do you mainly just crack the bottom damper and adjust temperature with the top one? Is it as responsive as the WSM? Do I need to monitor it a bit more than I would a WSM? Also, do I need to use a water pan? I believe I put a pan on top of the diffuser plate as a drop pan, but should I put water in it like I would in the WSM water pan?? Also, can I run my probe wire over the lip and just close the lid and still keep a good seal or do I need to run the probe through the top vent?

Or how about any accessories I need to buy with it? I already have a Thermoworks Signals, so I was thinking of getting a Billows to help with temperature control, but if it works as well as my WSM did, I'm not sure I'd even need it. I've been seeing that this vortex thing is pretty popular these days, so that might be an option as well.

Also, one last thing I was wondering. It comes with a plastic bucket looking thing. Anyone know what that is supposed to be for?
 
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Welcome Jacob,

The plastic bucket works well as a dog dish or a not so stylish hat. Weber says it's a coal scoop 🙄
 
Here is a link to a way to find WSK threads

Chris Allingham

Thread 'Weber Summit Kamado Threads'

Several members have expressed interest in making it easier to find threads about the Weber Summit Kamado E6 and S6 charcoal grills, including the original 2016 Weber Summit Charcoal Grill and Summit Charcoal Grilling Center.

> When starting a new Summit charcoal thread, click the "More options" button, type wsk in the "Tags" field, and click "Post thread".

> Click this link to find all threads tagged with wsk.

> To tag existing threads with wsk, click the tag icon below the thread title, type wsk in the field, click wsk in the drop-down list, and...
  • Like
 
Low temps: a few of us have a Billows. It's convenient yet I rarely use mine.

My advice is to learn how to control the low temps manually first, and if you decide to get a Billows it will work well to ensure your temp stays above the min for a long overnight cook.

For low temp on the WSK, don't light alot of coal. Start small and ease the pit temp up to your target. I use both upper and lower, but controlling intake is the main one for me.

I run probe wires towards the back, mostly so they are out of the way.
 
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DanHoo said:
Low temps: a few of us have a Billows. It's convenient yet I rarely use mine.

My advice is to learn how to control the low temps manually first, and if you decide to get a Billows it will work well to ensure your temp stays above the min for a long overnight cook.

For low temp on the WSK, don't light alot of coal. Start small and ease the pit temp up to your target. I use both upper and lower, but controlling intake is the main one for me.

I run probe wires towards the back, mostly so they are out of the way.
Click to expand...
Yea, I would likely use the Billows mainly for those overnight cooks or if I have to leave my house for awhile in the middle of the cook. I don't know how much different it is from the WSM, but if it's anywhere near as easy, I ought to be able to figure it out pretty quick.

For starting my old WSM I used to just do the minion method and that always worked for me. I'm assuming it would work on the WSK.
 
Jacob said:
Yea, I would likely use the Billows mainly for those overnight cooks or if I have to leave my house for awhile in the middle of the cook. I don't know how much different it is from the WSM, but if it's anywhere near as easy, I ought to be able to figure it out pretty quick.

For starting my old WSM I used to just do the minion method and that always worked for me. I'm assuming it would work on the WSK.
Click to expand...
I can't compare to a WSM 18. I had a WSM 22 and all I can say is on the WSK, add as much coal as you want, but only light a small amount if you want low temp. If you fill the bottom and light it small, and control the temp to 250 or so, it will burn a long, long, long time.

I suggest reading through some of @Brett-EDH cooks:

<edit - fixing the link >
tvwbb.com

Search results

tvwbb.com tvwbb.com

Brett has mastered cooking on his WSK, and exclusively cooks on the WSK.

I have a BGE in addition to the WSK, and a gas grill too.

I use the WSK more for grilling than for smoking and I only smoke larger cooks on the WSK like several slabs of ribs, or a full brisket. Smaller smokes, say one or two pork butts are done on the BGE but it is the same concept: start small, ease temp up to the target and try not to overshoot your pit temp. It's easier to bring temp up than it is to bring it down. If you light too much coal for a low temp cook it will fight you.
 
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I often use the Billows and Signals combination with my WSK, but it is mostly just extra peace of mind. It is not necessary at all. The WSK easily holds temperature wherever you set it.

Honestly, just do what Brett and Dan do. Reading their posts and taking inspiration from them really reduced the learning curve when we got our WSK.
 
DanHoo said:
For the lower vent I marked lines with a black sharpie the

I can't compare to a WSM 18. I had a WSM 22 and all I can say is on the WSK, add as much coal as you want, but only light a small amount if you want low temp. If you fill the bottom and light it small, and control the temp to 250 or so, it will burn a long, long, long time.

I suggest reading through some of @Brett-EDH cooks:

tvwbb.com

Search results

tvwbb.com tvwbb.com

Brett has mastered cooking on his WSK, and exclusively cooks on the WSK.

I have a BGE in addition to the WSK, and a gas grill too. I only smoke larger cooks on the WSK like ribs, or brisket. Smaller smokes, say one or two pork butts are done on the BGE but it is the same concept: start small, ease temp up to the target and try not to overshoot your pit temp. It's easier to bring temp up than it is to bring it down. If you light too much coal for a low temp cook it will fight you.
Click to expand...
Will definitely check out his posts. With my WSM 18 I would normally throw in a bunch of unlit charcoal, then light up about 15-20 charcoals in my chimney, let them get pretty gray, then spread them out, along with some smoke wood, over the unlit coals and that would usually do the job.
 
DanHoo said:
For the lower vent I marked lines with a black sharpie the

I can't compare to a WSM 18. I had a WSM 22 and all I can say is on the WSK, add as much coal as you want, but only light a small amount if you want low temp. If you fill the bottom and light it small, and control the temp to 250 or so, it will burn a long, long, long time.

I suggest reading through some of @Brett-EDH cooks:

tvwbb.com

Search results

tvwbb.com tvwbb.com

Brett has mastered cooking on his WSK, and exclusively cooks on the WSK.

I have a BGE in addition to the WSK, and a gas grill too. I only smoke larger cooks on the WSK like ribs, or brisket. Smaller smokes, say one or two pork butts are done on the BGE but it is the same concept: start small, ease temp up to the target and try not to overshoot your pit temp. It's easier to bring temp up than it is to bring it down. If you light too much coal for a low temp cook it will fight you.
Click to expand...
Hopefully this posts correctly.

This is a link to all threads started by me versus any posts by me. Hopefully this helps you drill down my succinctly in finding the data you seek.

tvwbb.com

Search results

tvwbb.com tvwbb.com
 
Jacob said:
Will definitely check out his posts. With my WSM 18 I would normally throw in a bunch of unlit charcoal, then light up about 15-20 charcoals in my chimney, let them get pretty gray, then spread them out, along with some smoke wood, over the unlit coals and that would usually do the job.
Click to expand...

I mostly use lump, but for a 250F low temp smoke I would light the equiv of 6 to 8 briquettes.

Or I'd use a few table spoons of fat in paper towels and light a small spot with a torch and get a few coals going. I'd keep it small as in the size of an orange.

Also, foil wrap your deflector. Its much easier to clean.
 
Just finishing up a LnS I started this morning on a pork butt. Here's what I do when not using the controller....

  1. Clean out old ash. Put 5-6 wood chunks of smoking wood spread around on bottom charcoal grate.
  2. Fill bottom charcoal area up with charcoal - I personally use lump (not a briquette fan personally). And I mean FILL - right up to where the grate/diffuser goes on.
  3. Take out my MAPP torch and focus the flame on one small area for about 45 seconds. I do the spot on the LEFT side as my fire tends to burn left to right. Light the size of a golf ball maybe - nicely glowing edges etc.
  4. Put on my 2nd charcoal grate (if you have one) and diffuser plate (or just your diffuser plate if you don't have 2nd grate). I do this for extra mass in the grill for more temp stability...not really needed. This is my "must have" option personally - saves me a lot of hassle so often!
  5. Put some air-gap spacers (1/2" copper pipe elbows) down on diffuser plate and then put my drip pan (usually with water too) on top of spacers. Prevent direct heat transfer to pan.
  6. Put on top cooking grate.
  7. Put lower vent opening to the "smoke" position - vent barely open. I never touch this afterwards
  8. Put upper vent opening to roughly 1/4 open. Close lid and walk away for an hour - usually settles right in on 225ish. Top vent a little more than 1/4" will settle in at 250.
  9. Usually have some nice smoke now...put on food etc. Over the course of the day, I will sometimes make just the slightest (and I mean SLIGHTEST) adjustment to top vent to micro-adjust if desired.
 
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Michael Chen said:
I often use the Billows and Signals combination with my WSK, but it is mostly just extra peace of mind. It is not necessary at all. The WSK easily holds temperature wherever you set it.

Honestly, just do what Brett and Dan do. Reading their posts and taking inspiration from them really reduced the learning curve when we got our WSK.
Click to expand...
Question about the Billows. Do you wait until you get the grill dialed into the your desired temperature before turning on the Billows fan? Or do you turn it on after you get your grill lit and let the Billows get the grill up to temp?
 
Jacob said:
Question about the Billows. Do you wait until you get the grill dialed into the your desired temperature before turning on the Billows fan? Or do you turn it on after you get your grill lit and let the Billows get the grill up to temp?
Click to expand...

I've done both!

Most recently, I've been just lighting a fire starter (or two if I'm feeling a little impatient) placed near the edge of the lump, and then as soon as the initial flames are out and a few of the coals are lit, I assemble everything minus the actual meat, close the lid, close down the top vent to what I think it needs to be set to, and let the Billows slowly bring everything to temp.

After it stabilizes for a bit and the smoke isn't bitter, I'll place the meat on. I don't really have a set time frame for this because it's usually by feel, but it usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour before I actually place the meat on.
 
Michael Chen said:
I've done both!

Most recently, I've been just lighting a fire starter (or two if I'm feeling a little impatient) placed near the edge of the lump, and then as soon as the initial flames are out and a few of the coals are lit, I assemble everything minus the actual meat, close the lid, close down the top vent to what I think it needs to be set to, and let the Billows slowly bring everything to temp.

After it stabilizes for a bit and the smoke isn't bitter, I'll place the meat on. I don't really have a set time frame for this because it's usually by feel, but it usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour before I actually place the meat on.
Click to expand...
Gotcha. I thought I read somewhere that with the Billows it can be hard to get the grill to temp if you start it like that.

I know it's not a WSM, but when I would start up my WSM, I'd do a minion method, let the grill get up near my desired temp, then start choking it off to where I think the dampers and vents need to be. Was thinking I'd do that with the Billows, but if I could just do what you did and be done, that's even easier.
 
Jacob said:
Gotcha. I thought I read somewhere that with the Billows it can be hard to get the grill to temp if you start it like that.

I know it's not a WSM, but when I would start up my WSM, I'd do a minion method, let the grill get up near my desired temp, then start choking it off to where I think the dampers and vents need to be. Was thinking I'd do that with the Billows, but if I could just do what you did and be done, that's even easier.
Click to expand...
just adding; three years+ now on my WSK and never needed or desired a Billows. The Signals, however, is near must-have IMO. I think Signals is one of the smartest bbq tools you can employ. So much data to glean and info to learn from as it records your whole cook.
 
Brett-EDH said:
just adding; three years+ now on my WSK and never needed or desired a Billows. The Signals, however, is near must-have IMO. I think Signals is one of the smartest bbq tools you can employ. So much data to glean and info to learn from as it records your whole cook.
Click to expand...
Yea, I don't think I "need" a Billows, as I never used anything like it on my WSM, but I figured I'd give it a shot for the overnight cooks. We'll see how it goes. It can't hurt, I suppose. I've had a Signals for awhile now, though, and it is pretty sweet.
 
Brett-EDH said:
just adding; three years+ now on my WSK and never needed or desired a Billows. The Signals, however, is near must-have IMO. I think Signals is one of the smartest bbq tools you can employ. So much data to glean and info to learn from as it records your whole cook.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. Billows is just another toy. :)
 
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