The Kamado Joe grill you own boasts a nifty feature allowing for the free flow of air in and out of the grill.
This feature not only lets you adjust how much goes in and out but it works wonders when used with the temperature guide.
Whether you are smoking meat, grilling, roasting, or even baking, the Kamado Joe is apt.
As far as the Kamado Joe vent settings are concerned, they help you control air entering and leaving the entire dome.
The grill boasts a bottom vent and the control tower, which encompasses slightly more settings.
Understanding how to adjust both the bottom and the top vents makes for better grilling results.
It also produces healthier meals.
How Do You Use Kamado Joe Vents?
As mentioned earlier, the vents help one to monitor and adjust the airflow within the Kamado Joe grill.
This is easier said than done and needs ample practice to fulfill temperature needs.
For instance, one might be seeking to cook low and slow while another grill man hopes for hot and fast grilling.
There are a few methods worth noting regarding the use of Kamado Joe vents.
Bottom Vents
The bottom vents essentially control how much air goes into the drum.
This is where the main adjustment takes place and remains that way unless temperatures get too hot.
For instance, after lighting coal and achieving the right temperature, the bottom vents are left open to approximately an inch.
This doesn’t change and any temperature adjustments forthwith are carried out on the top vents.
Top Vents
These vents make up what is known as the control tower.
Here, there are two parts to this mechanism.
The first part is the main unit with an opening that slides completely open or can be left slightly open.
It is exactly like the door to a war tanker.
Inside this is the daisy wheel, used to let air in slowly, and in little amounts.
It has small holes that open and close as the daisy wheel is rotated counterclockwise.
Essentially, this top vent is adjusted when there is a need to let out the air.
This approach allows meat to cook slowly and temperatures to rise.
Kamado Joe Vent Setting
Grill men cook at different temperatures while preparing different meals that require different vent settings.
Mastering these vent settings can make a difference between charred meat, rarely cooked steaks, and overcooked beef.
These are the most common Kamado Joe vent settings used particularly for roasting, grilling, and searing.
Slightly Open Vent – low and slow
When attempting to cook at 225 to 275 degrees, the bottom vent is left open with an inch of space.
This is done once you reach optimal temperatures.
Opening this vent more allows more air into the chamber and thus creates more heat – more fire.
It means as you close the bottom vent you restrict the amount of oxygen entering the dome.
This is important when things need to cook slowly and at low temperatures.
Typically, smoking and roasting fall under this category.
Fast and hot
When you need to do some baking, perhaps cook a whole chicken or some chicken wings, the bottom vent is adjusted.
The precise Kamado Joe vent settings, in this case, involve leaving the bottom vent halfway open.
This grilling session revolves around the 325 to 350 degrees mark.
It means the daisy wheel may not be the best option to regulate heat.
In this case, the holes in the wheel remain fully open, and the slider is open slightly for more air.
It allows the chamber to reach higher temperatures and adjusting the opening can reduce or increase temperatures as needed.
Daisy Wheel
Once temperatures reach these optimal temperatures of 225 to 275 degrees, the top vent can be shut off too.
At this point, the daisy wheel is used.
Rotating it slightly counter-clockwise permits a little air to leave the chamber.
These Kamado Joe vent settings are best for grilling steaks and burgers while having total control of internal temperatures.
This wheel has a slider that is left open until optimal temperatures are reached.
The Kamado Joe vent settings allow food to cook much in the same way as you would indoors, on an electric oven.
The idea is to bring the old-school ways of cooking and ancestral ideas to the new age.
This is what the Kamado Joe vent settings hope to achieve.
Speaking of ancestral type cooking, there are specific settings for smoking your meats.
Kamado Joe Vent Settings for Smoking
Adjusting the vents is tantamount to achieving the best possible cooking results.
When cooking using the smoking approach, there are adjustments for both the top and bottom vents also depending on the model.
For starters, the ideal temperature for smoking is between 225 and 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
Ideally, you will be cooking low and slow rather than hot and fast.
The Kamado Joe vent settings for smoking include:
Leave the top vent with only one hole open and the bottom vent with less than an inch of opening to it.
This is the ideal setting to achieve a slow and low temperature for smoking purposes.
Incidentally, these settings are based on the P series.
Other models have their equivalent settings to the aforementioned.
Smoking recipes might require this step to be carried out effectively or lose out on nutrients and taste altogether.
It is also important to ensure is constantly cleaned or a grill man will have trouble controlling temperatures and dishing out healthier meals.
Remember, adjusting the bottom vent should be done with some knowledge of the power of oxygen.
Letting in too much air increases the amount of heat and can bring miserable cooking results.
Kamado Joe Vent Replacement
For starters, the grill should be cooling down for you to attempt removal.
Some owners claim to have found it difficult to remove the control tower/top vent.
If indeed it is stuck, let the grill warm up or after using it, do not let it cool completely.
Remove the top vent while it’s still warm.
Unscrew It
While trying to unscrew the top vent might prove difficult.
Simply try removing it while holding the insides of the wheel. This helps you get a better grip on it.
Also, the chances of damaging the dome are slim to none.
Hold the Dome
If push comes to shove, have someone hold the dome while you try to unscrew the top.
If need be, turn the dome in the opposite direction to the direction the vent is heading.
This should let the vent come off quite easily.
Clean the Area
Once the old vent is off you should probably clean the area first before putting on a new one.
This should be done with a safe degreaser, one that likely might find itself onto some ready-to-cook meat.
Also, have a gasket or rope seal ready in case the new one doesn’t fit too well.
Install the Vent
Place the new vent in its rightful place and rotate it in the appropriate direction for a tight fitting.
If it doesn’t sit well, use the rope seal to compensate for any extra space.
Do not use a sealant (obviously) as you will likely need to remove the top vent eventually.
How to Burp Kamado Joe?
Burping your Kamado Joe is very simple process.
But safety is a important while burping the Kamado.
Always keep in mind that you’re removing any probable flashback conditions within your Kamado grill.
First, check that bottom vent of the grill is open as you’ll want fresh air entering the kamado.
Then stand back and to the side and lift the grill lid 1 to 2 inches.
Wait a moment for air to fill the grill chamber.
When you find that the charcoal has plenty of freely-circulating oxygen to combust, you can open the lid fully and get back to your grilling process.
Keep in mind that you should always burp your kamado every time.
Related Questions
Why does Smoke come out of the bottom vent of Kamado joe?
If you notice that the smoke coming out of the bottom vent of Kamado joe, then you might have reversed the vent setting.
You should narrow the bottom and wider the top to resolve the issue.
Why do you burp a Kamado Joe?
Burping’ your Kamado Joe allows air to slowly and safely enter the dome.
It prevents any flare-ups that could cause a flash of heat to burn your hand.
Recommendations
Keep things clean before and after replacing the top vents.
This is because it becomes harder to remove it when it’s all greased up, and more cleaning is required as you place the new one.
Additionally, it is important to use quality and OEM products.
Buying a new part from non-accredited suppliers only attracts problems like loose fittings and less grilling.
References:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDpeEr6PuWU
https://www.reddit.com/r/KamadoJoe/comments/c5zfd4/remove_top_vent/
Related Articles:
Kamado Joe Kontrol Tower Problems
Kamodo Joe Not Getting Hot Enough?