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smokingmeats

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I got my new kamado Big Joe smoker a few weeks back and have been doing several cooks on it. One issue that has come up is how long it takes to cool down after you are done cooking. After I close all the vents, it takes 90 mins+ to snuff out the fire. Is that normal for other Kamado owners?

Any tips from more experienced owners on how to quickly cool the smoker down?
 
I've had the classic model Big Joe for a couple of years, so keep in mind I don't have the new top vent or anything like that. My guess is your fire is dying long before the 90+ minute mark. What you're probably seeing is the residual heat in the ceramic, which is how kamado's hold temp so well and why they're so efficient.
 
hogs122 said:
I've had the classic model Big Joe for a couple of years, so keep in mind I don't have the new top vent or anything like that. My guess is your fire is dying long before the 90+ minute mark. What you're probably seeing is the residual heat in the ceramic, which is how kamado's hold temp so well and why they're so efficient.
Click to expand...

If there was in issue with an air leak then your fire will stay lit far longer than 90 minutes. If you are able to hold low and slow temps solidly then there probably isnt a leak.
 
If you shut down vents and closed the lid- that's it. The Ceramic will stay hot a long time. But when you opened the lid during the snuff out phase to check the coals- you gave it a breath of fresh air- extending the burn. Shut it down. Close the lid and don't open lid until cool to the touch or the next day.

I'm sure your dealer warned you but in case it got lost in the excitement Ceramic cookers have the ability Flashback. YouTube has a good video on the flashback phenomenon
 
After use, we always close all vents completely....and walk away. The next morning, after the cooker has cooled, the lower vent will be opened fully, as this is how we prefer to "store" the cooker between uses. It seems that a little "breathing" ability keeps moisture buildup at bay, and in the case of our lake-house cookers, which are used much less frequently, it stems the growth of cooties all over the grids and on the inside ceramic walls.
 
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smokingmeats said:
Any tips from more experienced owners on how to quickly cool the smoker down?
Click to expand...

Any reason in particular you need to cool the cooker down more quickly?

I've got a ceramic and an insulated cabinet - I'm always impressed with how well they're insulated that they both stay hot for hours after I shut them down :) That's the reason you can do long cooks without having to add fuel
 
If the cooker is new and it take 90 minutes to put out the fire, it's because the vents are still clean and air is escaping around the daisy wheel. Every kamado/weber I've ever had has had this issue. It's the same reason new cookers run hot the first few cooks.

You can either give it time and not worry about it or dab a little (very little) amount of crisco in the daisy wheel holes and give it a spin after the next cook. Go light or you will "fat glue" it shut. lol. You are basically trying to simulate 20 cooks in one swoop.

The next time you use the cooker it will be like a brand new grill.

If that does NOT fix it and the fire still doesn't go out, you have an air leak somewhere else but i'm 90% sure what I said above will fix your issue. Hope this helps!
Justin
 
The fire is probably snuffed out in less than 90 minutes but there is still enough residual heat to reignite when you give it a blast of oxygen. Shut all the vents and wait until the next day. If it is cold and your charcoal is still there, it snuffed the fire out. If it is still warm and the fire reignites when you open it the next day, or all the charcoal has burned up, you have an air leak.
 
Yep, what the others said. Do you have a lot of charcoal left over for the next cook after shutting the vents? If everything burns out then you have an air leak.

In that case check whether smoke leaks out the sides or do the dollar bill test. Also check that the bottom vent is sitting flush.

When assembling my Big Joe I accidentally bent my bottom vent slider which caused an air leak and my coals were burning out. I took it off, straightened it out as best I could and applied some spare gasket material I had to the end of it. Now it seals perfectly and I always have plenty of leftover charcoal.
 
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