So, you plan on cooking some smoked fish or meats you have set up for the big game.
The Kamado Joe grill offers everything from grilling and smoking to baking opportunities.
Each cooking variation has different ideal temperatures.
For smoking purposes, temperatures need to range between 225 and 275 Fahrenheit.
In the case of the Kamado Joe not smoking, anything from wet coal lumps to inadequate fire-starting skills can be responsible.
It requires some finesse between mixing or not mixing wood and coal, along with other adjustments within the dome.
The Kamado Joe enhances grilling experiences but these can only be achieved with proper usage of the unit.
Dive into some causes of the Kamado Joe not smoking and explore possible fixes.
Is Kamado Joe Good For Smoking?
Is the Kamado Joe good for smoking?
That question is best answered by those who’ve tested and proven it to be worthwhile.
This grill is perfect for smoking grilling and all things barbequing.
It is perfect for smoking because it uses specific tools to make that happen.
Between vent settings, adjustments for wood and coal using grates, and the use of deflectors, one can smoke whatever they wish to.
The Kamado Joe is good for smoking because of the materials used.
The dome is made out of ceramic which is perfect for insulating heat.
Additionally, the top and bottom ventilation features allow you to control temperatures within the dome.
These features make it perfect for smoking purposes and of course, the use of coal as opposed to fuel helps too.
A Kamado Joe not smoking scenario occurs when certain aspects mainly linked to prepping are not considered fully.
The Kamado Joe is good for smoking only as far as the owner can maximize its potential.
Sometimes, aftermarket products might need to be considered for better cooking.
However, the grill is good enough with standard features to make for epic smoking sessions.
Kamado Joe Not Smoking? – Causes
If a Kamado Joe, not smoking scenario occurs, chances are you need to upgrade grilling skills.
However, the Kamado grill is built to combine old-school cooking practices with modern technology.
Thus, there might be an oversight on your part concerning lighting procedures and perhaps the coal used.
Lump Coal
If the coal in use is damp, one can never get smoking done right using the Kamado Joe.
The lump coal needs to be dry enough to be lit easily and keep smoking.
The idea is to use natural coal or small bits of wood chips to light up the grill.
Using fuel causes other harm to the ceramic bits of your dome, and doesn’t help with lighting proper fires either.
Damp coal doesn’t light up at all and if extra help is needed to get it lit, the smoking experience will not be pleasant or productive.
Vent Control
Top and bottom vents are there to make changing temperatures easier.
These vent settings need to be performed properly and professionally.
The vents can cause serious changes in the dome temperatures.
Because smoking requires mostly lower temperatures one needs to be attentive to vent settings and weather patterns that might affect temperatures.
Inadequate vent control and settings can be responsible for Kamado Joe not smoking properly.
It can also cause you to waste charcoal and time trying to maintain smoke when there isn’t any.
Unclean Dome
The interior of your dome should be cleaned regularly to facilitate better temperature control.
Aside from extra ashes and dirt making it harder to maintain decent temperatures, it can also limit smoking.
With the Kamado Joe not smoking, there could be stuff hindering better ignition and maintaining those high temperatures.
Be sure to clean out the charcoal basket and remove any dirt from the bowl.
Also, use clean coal and throw in only bits of used coal to help with the lighting process.
Coal Placement
The coal needs to be placed in exact positions along with grates for smoking to occur.
This might require the help of a veteran grill man to not waste coal.
When placing the coal within the dome some aren’t aware of proper coal placement.
This should be attempted properly knowing mounds are better than simply throwing in the coal.
Along with the coal are wood chips which need to be used moderately and sparingly.
Throwing in too many chips doesn’t necessarily help create better smoking situations.
Ceramic Stone
Some grills may not come with this stone standard meaning you need to purchase them after the fact.
The ceramic stone missing between coal and meat can interfere with proper smoking results.
Without one of these inserts, you will not smoke properly.
This is because one of the requirements for smoking is indirect heat and temperatures that are low.
This is easily achieved using ceramic stone.
These causes are not exhaustive but they offer insight into the main smoking issues one might experience.
Let’s examine the fixes available for said smoking problems.
Kamado Joe Not Smoking? – Fixes
Genuine Coal
Aside from using dry coal, it is important to buy genuine coal from suppliers.
If your local store seems to house used and somewhat damp coal, rest assured there are genuine vendors on the internet.
Buying genuine coal will not only create better smoking circumstances but it will improve efficiency.
According to experts, a decent amount of coal should burn for several hours, grilling and smoking food as it should.
Adding small wood chips to the coal helps with starting the fire and maintaining decent temperatures as well.
Ceramic Stone
Controlling temperature happens best when different features are maximized for optimal results.
These features also include an accessory known as ceramic stone.
It is placed between meat and coal to create the smoking effect that is needed.
These effects include indirect heat and lower temperatures.
When you achieve this effect smoking happens naturally, without the need for enhancements like fuel and the like.
Damper and Vent Control
It is important to maintain the right temperatures for any grilling you carry out on the Kamado Joe.
With the Kamado Joe, not smoking, simply make adjustments after you reach optimal temperatures.
This includes adjusting the bottom vent to leave a one-inch gap opening.
This is just enough to control the airflow entering the dome.
Additionally, one needs to close the top vent by closing the slider.
Once the slider is closed you can adjust temperatures using the daisy wheel.
It is the most efficient way of ensuring the Kamado Joe keeps smoking and maintains such temperatures for more than 15 hours.
Adjusted techniques
Using what is known as a top-down approach, the Kamado Joe should be loaded with coal in a pyramid shape.
This allows the coal to burn slowly while only a little heat reaches the meat.
Also, the wood chips can be added to create more smoke if deemed necessary.
With this proper technique, there will be no need for fuel or other fire starters to help with increasing temperatures or smoke.
Smoking Wood
These pieces need to be adjusted in quantity based on the meat one is cooking.
Poultry and beef will work better with varying quantities.
A chunk of smoking wood might work great with poultry while beef requires two or more chunks based on the size of the meat.
Smoking wood while necessary to help control temperatures can become a problem if overused.
Additionally, high-intensity wood works wonders with beef, and low-intensity wood works fine with pork.
What to Smoke With Kamado Joe?
When smoking with the Kamado Joe one is spoilt for choice.
The grill can be used to smoke fish, poultry, and meat like beef.
For many, the options are numerous and it all boils down to grilling skills.
The most commonly smoked food on the Kamado Joe is brisket.
Other favorites include ribs and of course ham.
When smoking these foods foil is preferred to maintain heat and reheat the meat.
At times, the meat can be returned to the grill to warm it up slowly after you are done smoking it.
Most common meats smoked in other grills, indoors and outdoors, can be smoked on the Kamado Joe.
It makes trying out recipes that are new and old quite easy.
All that is needed is some finesse with the charcoal arrangement and the use of starters – or none at all.
Thinking of the Kamado Joe not smoking issue as you would traditional coal stoves makes it easier to come up with fixes.
Recommendations
It is better to sacrifice one afternoon and learn how to smoke properly than waste time and coal on a thanksgiving weekend.
A Kamado Joe not smoking can be frustrating and could lead to a dismal grilling performance on football weekends.
Be sure to use ceramic stones and deflectors for an enhanced cooking experience.
The Kamado Joe is a simple-to-use grill that combines old-school cooking methods with newer technology.
Capitalize on its features or the grill becomes a decoration or fixture which is not what it is meant for.
References:
https://images.homedepot-static.com/catalog/pdfImages/a6/a67b19d6-22f9-4bbe-a347-3f06bd5ef239.pdf
https://www.kamadojoe.com/blogs/kamado-joe-blog/the-fundamentals-of-smoke-and-kamado-grilling
Related Articles: