**IMPORTANT MESSAGE**

Do not use or refer to the manuals

The manual is seriously flawed and times/temps are all wrong in some cases!

Tim M's BBQ cooking area

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This information also works for the
Primo Kamado cooker as well.

This section is for newer users and those considering purchase. I hope it answers your questions.

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Throw Away the Manual !!

 Needed Accessories

 Primogrill.com forum

 

Here is my large cooker after 20 hrs of cooking. Note I still have hours left in lump charcoal left for the next cook. I had filled the firebox full before I started - that will give you 20+ hrs of cooking time at low temps. This is not charcoal briquettes - it's 100% lump charcoal.

Very easy to light - very little ash. See below what came out after cooking a Boston Butt for 20 hrs. Give it a quick stir to get the tiny pieces to fall through the grate then add some new charcoal and you are ready to go again. After every 4-6 cooks you empty the ashes out. Just scrap them out the bottom vent into a pan.

This is a really full load for 20+ hr cooks. Note the hickory chunks in the lump.

Here is my cooker ready for the next cook. I have added enough lump for 4-6 hours of low and slow cooking (200 - 275 deg) or 2 hours at high grilling temps (400-700 deg). Note the little brown chunk of fireplace starter log. I chop them up into pieces - easy to light and they get the fire started in 15 - 20 min!! When the flame goes out - close the dome and let it heat up to 275 then adjust vents. I currently use Webber Starter Cubes - they work from under the grate or on the lump and you close the dome while they are burning. Start from below the grate only when cooking above 300 deg, otherwise start the fires from the top of the lump. The lump is about 2" above the holes in the fire chamber - this is the minimum amount to use. Fill lump to top of fire chamber for really long cooks or for long high temp cooks. You can use an electric starter or various starters.This is how I start a lo&slow fire - from the top with a fire starter or fire cube. No Fluids-ever!!

Here is what came out, as ash, after 20 hours of cooking a Boston Butt. This is about what you will get out after 4-6 normal cookouts.You need only clean this ash out every few weeks -- very fast -- easy and VERY efficient burning! You would get this much ash from 10-15 regular charcoal briquettes which are full of clay and lime that become ash. We don't use them - 100% lump charcoal only!

Needed Cooker Accessories

Pictures of how to use the Slide/Daisy Top

Approx Vent Settings & Operation for Large BGE or Primo Kamado ceramic cookers

Your settings may vary from these below and a lot depends on the amount of lump charcoal you have and its size. The small pieces can get clogged in the grate holes and restrict air flow. Always start out with at least as much lump as pictured above (1/2 full firebox). You can't use too much and you close up the cooker after its use to save the remaining charcoal for next time.
Never worry about too much - worry about too little!!

  • Before we start the fire, stir the old lump charcoal around with the ash tool. This gets the ash and tiny pieces of old lump to fall into the bottom.

  • Add some new lump. You will almost always need to do this. Always start out with a good amount of lump so your fire won't go out on you.
  • Start with a starter cube, electric starter, fireplace log chunk, chimney to start your fire. Bottom vent wide open, dome closed unless using fireplace log chunks. Leave the dome closed while the starter cubes are flaming. Don't worry about dome temps until the starters go out and are not producing a flame. The cooker is now a chimney and it won't be long before the dome thermometer is rising. If your going to cook at 200-275 deg, add the daisy top when your dome thermometer hits around 250. It should be open 1/2 way, then close the bottom vent to 2" open. Watch the dome thermometer for a couple minutes to see the change direction and adjust as needed. Your settings for 200-225 will be about 1/4-1/2" open bottom vent and the daisy almost closed. Adjust only the daisy unless you have it wide open, then open the bottom vent a little to raise the temp. If your going to cook at 300- 500 deg, let the cooker get up to 50 deg of your temp goal and add the daisy top (max temp is 400 deg with the daisy top) or the slide/daisy top (max temp is 650 deg) and shut bottom vent to about 3-4" open. Adjust the top as needed. The higher temps tend to be harder to hold but it doesn't matter too much at those temps. If your cooking at 600 - 800 deg, your vents are always wide open and no top at all. High temps go through LOTS of charcoal lump so don't skimp. Caution opening the top - HOT!
  • Don't worry about holding the temp really close the first few times. You will get use to it after 2-3 cooks.
  • The dome thermometer reads the hot gasses that accumulate in the dome. If you open the dome, you will loose these and it will take a few minutes to get back there again. Don't worry and don't change any vent settings.
  • When done, remove the top and add the rain cap (green ceramic top) and close the bottom vent. The daisy tops will not always make the fire go out even with the bottom vent closed - use the rain cap.

Here is the approx lower vent setting for holding the temp of your cooker at 225-250deg. With the daisy or slide/daisy top on the cooker, this vent setting is what you use for 225 deg and 18-22 hours of slow cooking - ie: for pulled pork, brisket, etc.

Leave this vent open until you approach 50-75 deg of your desired cooking temp.

Sometimes a larger vent opening is needed, open wider if higher temps are needed. The temps can be fully adjusted with the slide top and an open vent, or you can adjust both - many ways to do it.

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