My favorite thing about you dude is that you literally explain everything you do and also why you do it! You're literally one of the best at what you do, thanks for such great content
FINALLY! Thank you, James for figuring out a way for us JJ owners to enjoy food cooked using the DIM as well as how to add wood chips though the bottom vent. It's interesting to see how you install the chimney cap. I wrapped felt around the opening then fit the gasket over it. It's a struggle to push the base down so it fits flush on the dome so I only remove the top when needed. How bout some grilled desserts? (Grilled fruit doesn't count)
I've been on a reading jag lately. I've read the Aaron Franklin book and learned about offset smokers and the Rodney Scott book and learned about cinder-block pits. You're establishing a new category of cooking mechanics. I'm not springing for an offset like you have and no whole-hog big pit for me either. I'm sticking to the KJ and benefiting from your R&D. Nice tip o' the hat to Chuds at the end :-) Like you, he's a great innovator as well.
I've found cooking a whole picanha fat-cap down (regardless of smoker type) renders that line of silver skin under the fat-cap much more effectively and makes for a beautifully tender bite.
YESSS!!! Probably one of the many Joe Jr videos I’ve been waiting for. This is awesome! I’m so happy the double indirect method can be done on the Jr. The smoke ring on the Picanha looked amazing. Never seen one so pronounced on the Jr. before. Was there a reason why you went hotter at temp vs 250-275 range? I’m asking because personally I like a dark bark. So I’m thinking can I pull this off with a pork butt and will I get a pronounced smoke ring and dark bark? Also, will the fuel last long enough for the entire cook if I wrap in butcher paper? I’m also happy to see the smoke wood chip hack works here too as I have a ton of wood chips from an old smoker and did not know what to do with any of them. Great video and now my wheels are turning!! Let’s see how far the Jr can go!!!
Just got a Joe Jnr here in the UK and watching all your videos on it, thankyou they are excellent. We dont have that cut of meat here but I can get a flat brisket about the same size. Do I just cook it in exactly the same way ?
I love your content mate. I have a joe jr and have found If I put my wood chunks in the ash area during the cook I find I get an amazing clean smoke doing it this way and the meat comes out amazing. They combust relatively quickly also which surprised me. Thanks for all your research and development in kamado cooking.
This is great. Very helpful! I made a wood chip tray for the bottom with a sardine can, and improvised a handle #6 bolt, 2 nuts and 2 lock washers. Perfect fit for the joe jr. Drilled some holes in the side for ventilation.
Hello James from North Texas, just got through slicing into a pichana prepared just as your video on the Joe Jr. It is outstanding! I don't have the soapstone as of this time but did the double indirect using the regular heat plate and a foil wrapped 10-inch clay saucer (terra cotta I think). The air gap between the diffusers was about 1/2 inch and I used 3 little balls of foil to maintain the separation. Fat cap up and absolutely no overcooked bottom. Thank you for all the great content!
I’m making a meatloaf tonight and using this method on my Little Joe (my name for its companion “Big Joe”). It’s about 2 pounds - the perfect size for Little Joe. I think if anyone is limited on budget or space or both, you absolutely can’t go wrong with the Joe Jr. It’s a great grill and there are some decent accessories out there. The Smokeware top is a must-have.
Hi James! I love your videos and I´ve had the Joe Jr for 14 months now. I like it a lot. I also use the Kick Ash basket and I find that the bottom of grill get´s very hot. To avoid this, I leave about a 1/4 inch of ash on the bottom. Ash is a very good insulator. Another trick that I use is to put the cast iron grate between the deflector plate and a drip pan. This reduces somewhat the temperature of the drip pan. You can also use a small , 6 inch, aluminium pie form on top of the cast iron grate and then put your Beer Can Chicken in it. This works really well. May I suggest that you test the Fireboard 2 Drive to control the temperature in your Joe Jr during long cooking. With the Fireboard 2 Drive you can limit the fan´s capacity to, for example, 25% so as not to exceed the desired target temperature. BR from Sweden
Following your videos on the brisket and ribs with the larger KJ's, I tried double indirect on my Akorn Jr... It was a tight fit and my temperature control wasn't where I'd want it to be but I definitely got more smoke, cleaner smoke and a better cook going on some cheap, skinny pork ribs. Looking forward to trying it again with something I am more familiar with, like maybe belly pork or Aberdeen Angus beef short ribs
I take a hatchet to my wood chunks and split them down to about thumb size rather than using chips. When I throw them in the bottom I use my ash tool to tickle the bottom of the coal basket and encourage some embers to fall. Now I need to find that tiny soap sting and try some foil boats! 😁
James, I am a Kamado Joe owner. I have both a Classic 1 and a Joe Jr. I can understand you not trying to imitate some other pit-master but I wonder about, have you injected a brisket? You like the foil boat wrap. However, I took a class and the brisket was placed in an aluminum pan and doubled wrapped. When it was time to rest, a small corner of the wrap was opened, the entire pan was wrapped in a towel and placed in a cooler. The cook temp was about 320 degrees and the straight on the grill time was about 2 hours and wrapped time was about 2 hours and brisket temp was about 206 degrees. Rest time was about 3 hours. Many items very similar to your process. The major difference was the wrap on their end and the dry brine on your end. Can't wait to try your method. Thanks for the great videos. If you can find it, try Lawry's Cracked black pepper seasoning salt. Steve
I seriously liked this experiment always said if I get a KJ will be a jr first and this method seems to of worked excellent in such a small Kamado, killing it James!
So excited to know that you can do this method on the JJ. I love the efficiency of this little guy and I can't wait to try this with some beef ribs ....and adding the smoking wood at the bottom should yield an amazing result. Thanks!
Thanks so much for this video! I've struggled with managing lower temps on the JoeJr and your video really helped me to get started in the right direction. I'm making pulled pork today and an hour in to the cooking cycle the temps are holding perfectly! Thanks so much from a former temperature chaser!! :-)
Heh I tried the smoke drawer hack on my jr as soon as I saw you do it on the larger models. Even putting larger thumb-sized chunks in they are completely gone by the end of the cook 👨🍳 👌
EXCELLENT...I've been looking for something like this setup for the Joe Jr. It looks like the setup will work wonderfully for anything I cook with the Joe Jr. and an indirect method. Can't wait to try it.
I have kamados (2)GE’s & (2)akorn’s and going to apply methods you use.I’m loving the red color I’m start looking for a joe jr .it’s just me my wife & she eats bbq but light to no smoke is her choice .Great smoking information 5stars!
WOW!!!!! That looked so good and juicy. Thank you for coming up with double indirect method, I have been using it in my Big Joe an it works great. Thank you for all the helpful video’s.
Hey James, love your stuff man. I have a Jr with a Kick Ashe basket and a Smokeware cap. I’m getting great airflow and it gets super hot for steaks and burgers but having a really tough time getting it to hold around 250. Any chance you could do a detailed video of how you get your Jr dialed in for a low and slow?
I can definitely confirm the Joe Jr can handle some serious cooking. I’ve used a similar setup with only one heat deflector but a BBQ vortex i cut shorter to aim the heat only into the bottom deflector. With this setup I used a rib rack to bend a 14lb brisket and just barley fit it in the kamado. I still put tin foil on both sides of the brisket to try to further make it indirect. I’d be interested to try a second stone and already own the soap stone. I’ve done 4 briskets on the Joe JR and now am planning the 5th with some tips from your method!
You got a 14lbs brisket on the Joe JR? Legend status unlocked.... so its charcoal basket -> vortex cut down to centre the heat -> deflector in the low position -> rib rack on the deflector with a brisket folded over?
@@SmokingDadBBQ The brisket just barley fit and I’m almost sure the top thermometer was poking it! I don’t use a charcoal basket because 1. I use a “onlyfire stainless steel flame grate” which gives clearance for the cut vortex to fit and 2. You can squeeze a maximum amount of charcoal without the basket. But yes other than that you have it exactly right. I’ve cooked 4 briskets like this on it with one just last week! I also use a flame boss controller to control everything. I actually have a pretty extensive procedure if you’d like me to send it to you. Thanks for your videos I based a lot of my method on watching your videos combined with some trial and error!
I'm tempted to try this. So, with the deflector in the low position you can fit a water pan. Have you tried doing this to soak some of the heat being directed into the stone?
Im going to give this method a try soon. As always due to costs in the UK I'm holding off on the soapstone at the moment. What I've done though is buy a pizza stone that looks to be a slightly larger diameter than the deflector that comes with the jnr. I'm hoping that'll sit on the ledge where you placed the soapstone 👍🏻
How’d that go? I’m in the same predicament. That’s a pretty penny to spend. Thought about buying a vision grills lava stone plate for less than half the price but they’re out of the 12 inch and their 9 inch is too small.
Wow James that Picanha looked amazing on the Joe Jr with your double indirect method, I am definetly going to do one of them in my Big Joe I usually use my Pit Barrel Smoker for my Picanhas but I think you have converted me, Haha. Cheers Lloyd from Aus
Another great video! Love how you are innovating with new techniques and on the most underrated superstar in the Kamado Joe family, the Jr! When might we see a video featuring the offset smoker on the background?
I tried the soapstone and liked the result, except I missed having a drip pan. I am going to see if elevating the small smokeware pan with some pebbles to get an air gap has the same or similar effect.
I’ve setup my Joe JR with only the metal rack in it and a low lip cast iron pan (believe it was for pancakes and I cut the handle off.) Using a leaf blower you can get the top to measure in the 800 range easily and cook a thin crust pizza in about 3 minutes
I came from an offset smoker... Enjoy constantly maintaining the fire, it certainly has it's place but the Joe can do everything the offset can.. as for your family not liking strong smoke flavor the offset will probably not be ideal for them :).. my two cents.
the one i got is a texas style (up and over) hot clean fire... no tuning plates or reverse flow in my small patio sized one so curious to see how that compares for smoke when we get to some head to head
Hi, love the channel - you inspired me to get the Joe Jr! Where did you purchase your charcoal basket, top vent and soap stone - can;t seem to find it in your store?
Can you please do some smaller cook videos? Currently I’m still in lockdown and would love to know if it’s possible to do a small brisket? Or how you combo cook? Say ribs and a chicken etc. thanks for the content!
sure thing, a small tri tip usually has better marbling than a small brisket that fits on the joe jr which is why ive done that video and this one with a picanha like a brisket on the jr. vs an actual small brisket.
What you do at 11:04 seems like a great trick if you like your steak well done? Protect it from the charcoal and let the temperature get higher inside. Am I right? Greetings from Belgium.
I really wonder how much of a difference the slow roller vs a simple second set of deflectors really makes when using double indirect on a classic or big joe. I would guess that its advantage is diminished with the much higher base airflow you are getting from the second set of deflectors. I started thinking this when I saw how different the double indirect setup on gen 1 and 3 are in your tests - yet they seem to give the same results. The setup in gen 1 with the deflector’s below the sloroller looks like the sloroller might still create the intended vortex airflow. But in gen 3 the deflectors are above and right in the way of the vortex and it still cooks and tastes the same. All the sloroller might be able to do in this setup is push the air to the side and provide a radiation shield which is not (much) more that what another set of deflectors would do. Do you fancy a test of double indirect with sloroller + deflectors vs. deflectors + deflectors? It might open up great possibilities for non-Kamado Joe owners to close their gap as well. And then there’s the obvious question: What happens when you use additional insulation between the deflectors minimising radiation even more?
Like to see how you'd tackle doing a full texas style bbq to feed a small crowd on the big joe... if its possible, feel like you're the guy to nail it if it is!
Hi James, Thanks for the vid. A few questions please: (1)Instead of a soapstone can I use the BGE mini pizza stone (I got on your recommendation for pizza on the Jr )? (2) whether you use a soapstone or pizza stone as the 2nd layer, can I put a drip pan on top of that? I try to keep my stuff clean. (3) I always have done fat cap down. With fat cap up, does it affect bark development on the bottom? Cheers.
Hi Tony, 1) yes the BGE stone should work fine, i have one but didn't test fit it but i think it will fit the same 2) space is limited, might fit.... if not make one out of foil 3) the foil boat will soften the bark on the bottom which makes slicing through easy without tearing. if you don't boat you get good bark on the bottom too just need to not overdo it
James, Awesome video and I am really interested in trying the double indirect method. Captain Ron on the Fogo channel has a video named "We made the JUICIEST BRISKET EVER!!! Come See How!!!" I would love for you to incorporate both methods to see how well it would work. Not sure if it is redundant using the double direct method and Capt. Ron's method at the same time. What do you think, would it work?
Question on the Fogo black bag, does this still have the lower smoke flavor that your family prefers (versus the super premium Fogo)? Excited to get our Joe Jr later this week!
Where did you get the chimney top that replaced the daisy wheel? I have been cooking on my Kamado Joe Jr for 11 years and have always wondered why the company didn’t offer this upgrade like they do for the bigger Joe’s.
Hi all - been watching this channel for some time, now subscribed and have bought a KJ Junior. One of the things I want to do is cook bread in a cast iron Dutch Oven, probably to be bought from Amazon. Haven't been able to find out whether this D/O should be placed on the cooking grate resting directly on the fire box ring (direct heat) or with the grate resting on accessory plate with the deflector plate in place (indirect heat) - so my questions are (1) which option for using a Dutch Oven for bread should be used and (2), depending on the answer, what are the dimensions of a D/O - total height + full width including the handles which will fit in a KJ Junior as the dome height/width isn't that big. Thanks - Jeff (UK)
Thanks for the junior videos! I have a question: Is there a big difference between using 2 heat deflector Stones instead of 1 heat deflector stone and 1 soak stone? Thank you a lot!! Greetings from The Netherlands
Made foil boat ribs last night best bark and smoke ring ive ever gotten running at about 280 did a head to head of my own dry brine famous daves rub vs dri brine kinders salt pepper garlic family chose famous daves
thanks again for the great video. I tried it today and my picanha was good but a bit too dry. Do you spray water on it during the cook ? what do you think it could be depending on ?
Thanks for all the video. I have finally pulled trigger on the joe junior. Quick question what heat resistance glove are you currently using? Because I see they are different from the ones in your amazon page?
oh maybe i need to check my link (High heat gloves - amzn.to/33Ijdhk) The link i just checked shows me the right ones (JHSafety long sleeve), had them for 2 years now and they work great. my old blue ones were only lasting 3-6 months before they split
Great video!! Do you think you can still get the hotter/faster burn in the lower portion of the kamado with the multi-deflector method, but still run at 250 grate level?
Man you sure have a technique there. Not sure if I’m ready or as much of a smoker as you so for me too much work. Have you tried using less coal and no double layers?
So is the consistent conclusion of the need of the double-indirect method and things like the wood chips 'hack', basically an indication that a kamado-style grill design functions subotimally as a smoker compared to other similar price point options? That would be deflating for someone like me that bought a Jr a while back, and just shelled out for the Big Joe III...but I guess the results are the results. Seems like something Kamado Joe would have accounted for in their product engineering of a premium item.
I don't think thats a fair conclusion. You don't look at a Porsche 911 and say its a sub-optimal design because it can't carry my family of 8.... all grills have strengths and weaknesses. The Jr retains moisture well and holds heat well, given its small size it can happily cook all day at low and slow temps with only a few pieces of coal glowing along at a time. All grills are tools, how you use them can have a big impact on the result. BBQ tastes better with a hot clean burning fire, this is a technique to get a hotter/clean fire which works just as well on the bigger joes as it did here
@@SmokingDadBBQ Yeah, but we're talking core functionality - smoking, across the KamadoJoe ceramic cooker line. My impression from this and similar research you've done (which I appreciate) is that you can get better hot/fast bbq with adequate clean smoke with kludgey work arounds and I just would have thought it would have been that way out of the box. I don't seem to see similar techniques/advice from KamadoJoe itself which makes me think the low and slow with less hot fires are how the product was designed. Maybe I'm just going through some buyers remorse and will be singing a different tune in time. Thanks
@@davidclabaugh5530 the Kj is the Sports utility vehicle of bbqs. A little sporty, a little practical, a little economical, a little off road etc. in cooking terms, there is not another grill I’ve ever used that can do pizza near as good as a wood oven, a brisket near as good as an offset, a steak better than any steak house and everything in-between. Given it’s jack of all trades capabilities we are making slight tweaks that enhance the characteristics of the grill to perform even better in different niche segments
This may have been answered in the comments below but I'm curious how much more inefficiently this makes the kamado joe burn. Are you using 20% more fuel? Double? Triple? Thanks
this was a 5hr cook, normally a full basket on the jr is good for up to 12 hours. judging by the coal remaining lasting maybe another hour i would guess 50% more fuel used
thanks so much. this was choice as Costco in my area doesn’t have prime picanha. what would you like to see? i put a brisket and St. Louis ribs in the cart at my last Costco run
@@SmokingDadBBQ Of course brisket. Brisket is not my first choice of bbq to eat but it is my first choice of bbq to cook. It is about the fun of playing with fire for long hours, and to execute every step properly and be rewarded by a successful outcome. I also judge bbq restaurants I go to by the quality of the brisket, then move on enjoying the other meats on the menu. I have only found one bbq restaurant in Southern California that can consistently produce world class brisket. Briskets are challenging and fun to cook. You are very meticulous and detail oriented. I will enjoy watching the offset cooks even more...
Re: Meater: I used it ONCE. And haven't been able to get it to connect to the base ever since. It's clean, fresh batteries, back plate installed correctly...be wary.
have you contacted support? some people are connecting to the probe vs. the base station, i saw an article on how to confirm you are connecting properly which a few people said fixed their issue
@@SmokingDadBBQ I haven't contacted support yet. I like to exhaust all of my options before getting to that point. My probe will not connect to my base, no matter what I do. It's clean, has a fresh battery, and I have tried several times to remove and re-add the device via bluetooth. Eventually, I plan to contact them, if I cannot find a resolution otherwise. Thanks!
@@biffjohnson2076 found the post. It says - sounds like your probes may be paired directly to your phone rather than your Block. May I ask you to try the following steps to reset your MEATER Block? We recommend unpairing the Block from the app before trying these steps, but it's not required Turn off Bluetooth on our smart device. Make sure all 4 of the probes are docked in the Block. Start the Block in Standalone Mode. Hold down the Settings button (the gear icon) for 10-15 seconds until the "Erase All Settings?" notification appears, and select "Yes." Start your Block in Standalone Mode again, and wait for the check mark to appear next to all 4 probes. Enable Bluetooth on your smart device, then start the Block in WiFi Mode to connect to the app.
I was reading your description below but I didn't see it. What kind of wood chunks are those? Sorry for re asking a question that I'm sure you get asked a lot.
hi James, new to KJ and loving your content. Would this work on the Big Joe series 1, with the heat deflectors and a pizza stone? as the Series 1 does not have a slow roller included.
I’m trying to design my “outdoor kitchen“ for the house we are building. It will be on an enclosed patio. Three sides are formed by the house and the fourth wall is screened I took heating notes from your last video. Any thoughts on ventilation?
I have enough open air it clears everything. I would do flush mount electric in your situation for looks / headroom and get high volume silent range hood to vent smoke right above the grill
I just purchased a joe jr and the heat deflector does not sit flush in the bottom tier racks, is anyone else having the same problem ? I have to set the deflector on the tier where James has the soapstone sitting in my Joe jr.
James, at what temp did you pull the picanha? I can always wonder about low and slow on meats typically eaten med rare how they end up? I remember seeing Harry Soo or T-Roy fail on a trip tip cooked like a brisket.
My favorite thing about you dude is that you literally explain everything you do and also why you do it! You're literally one of the best at what you do, thanks for such great content
many thanks
So many techniques in this video. I had to watch twice to make sure I got all of the notes!!!
haha thanks Al
James, thanks for posting more Joe Jr content. I'm going to give this cook a try next weekend!
Hope you enjoy
Keep the Joe Jr content coming! I’m about to take the plunge and your videos are incredibly helpful! I don’t have room for a classic in my tiny home.
Me too. I'm trying to find a James video for unboxing and setting up the Jr.
Home depot has the Joe Jrs on sale $299 today .
@@darrenhughes8106 Will check it out. Thank you
@@summersands8105 you’re welcome. It’s about 3 hours left on the sale.
FINALLY! Thank you, James for figuring out a way for us JJ owners to enjoy food cooked using the DIM as well as how to add wood chips though the bottom vent.
It's interesting to see how you install the chimney cap. I wrapped felt around the opening then fit the gasket over it. It's a struggle to push the base down so it fits flush on the dome so I only remove the top when needed.
How bout some grilled desserts?
(Grilled fruit doesn't count)
Glad it was helpful! Love the idea, on a keto kick so i haven't been doing much dessert but that doesnt mean we can't do one for the family to enjoy
I've been on a reading jag lately. I've read the Aaron Franklin book and learned about offset smokers and the Rodney Scott book and learned about cinder-block pits. You're establishing a new category of cooking mechanics. I'm not springing for an offset like you have and no whole-hog big pit for me either. I'm sticking to the KJ and benefiting from your R&D. Nice tip o' the hat to Chuds at the end :-) Like you, he's a great innovator as well.
He is going to make a guest appearance on my offset debut, excited for that one
You need to add a sous vide rest to one of your videos and then lure Guga into a guest appearance :-)
@@emmgeevideo I’ve tried with no response. But if enough people comment we can make it happen
I've found cooking a whole picanha fat-cap down (regardless of smoker type) renders that line of silver skin under the fat-cap much more effectively and makes for a beautifully tender bite.
Haha love the way you dipped your bite into the juices on the board. Man after my own heart. Looks delicious 👍
😅 it would be a shame to waste that free tallow
YESSS!!! Probably one of the many Joe Jr videos I’ve been waiting for. This is awesome! I’m so happy the double indirect method can be done on the Jr. The smoke ring on the Picanha looked amazing. Never seen one so pronounced on the Jr. before. Was there a reason why you went hotter at temp vs 250-275 range? I’m asking because personally I like a dark bark. So I’m thinking can I pull this off with a pork butt and will I get a pronounced smoke ring and dark bark? Also, will the fuel last long enough for the entire cook if I wrap in butcher paper? I’m also happy to see the smoke wood chip hack works here too as I have a ton of wood chips from an old smoker and did not know what to do with any of them. Great video and now my wheels are turning!! Let’s see how far the Jr can go!!!
thanks so much, mostly because of dinner time and when i wanted it to finish
Just got a Joe Jnr here in the UK and watching all your videos on it, thankyou they are excellent. We dont have that cut of meat here but I can get a flat brisket about the same size. Do I just cook it in exactly the same way ?
I love your content mate. I have a joe jr and have found If I put my wood chunks in the ash area during the cook I find I get an amazing clean smoke doing it this way and the meat comes out amazing. They combust relatively quickly also which surprised me.
Thanks for all your research and development in kamado cooking.
thanks!
All right, I've got to get the soapstone for the Jr so I can try the double indirect. Nice work James!
thanks
This is great. Very helpful! I made a wood chip tray for the bottom with a sardine can, and improvised a handle #6 bolt, 2 nuts and 2 lock washers. Perfect fit for the joe jr. Drilled some holes in the side for ventilation.
Great video James and maximizing this little power house of a grill!
Hello James from North Texas, just got through slicing into a pichana prepared just as your video on the Joe Jr. It is outstanding! I don't have the soapstone as of this time but did the double indirect using the regular heat plate and a foil wrapped 10-inch clay saucer (terra cotta I think). The air gap between the diffusers was about 1/2 inch and I used 3 little balls of foil to maintain the separation. Fat cap up and absolutely no overcooked bottom. Thank you for all the great content!
music to my ears, congrats
Joe Jr is a champ! Just like Smoking Dad BBQ! I am definitely trying this method as I just scored a soapstone for my Joe jr. Thanks, James!
thanks Mike. let me know what you think
I’m making a meatloaf tonight and using this method on my Little Joe (my name for its companion “Big Joe”). It’s about 2 pounds - the perfect size for Little Joe.
I think if anyone is limited on budget or space or both, you absolutely can’t go wrong with the Joe Jr. It’s a great grill and there are some decent accessories out there. The Smokeware top is a must-have.
Very nice and informative! I need to use my Joe Jr more.
i love the little guy
Hi James!
I love your videos and I´ve had the Joe Jr for 14 months now. I like it a lot.
I also use the Kick Ash basket and I find that the bottom of grill get´s very hot. To avoid this, I leave about a 1/4 inch of ash on the bottom. Ash is a very good insulator.
Another trick that I use is to put the cast iron grate between the deflector plate and a drip pan. This reduces somewhat the temperature of the drip pan.
You can also use a small , 6 inch, aluminium pie form on top of the cast iron grate and then put your Beer Can Chicken in it. This works really well.
May I suggest that you test the Fireboard 2 Drive to control the temperature in your Joe Jr during long cooking. With the Fireboard 2 Drive you can limit the fan´s capacity to, for example, 25% so as not to exceed the desired target temperature.
BR from Sweden
thanks so much, might need to look into the fibreboard idea
Following your videos on the brisket and ribs with the larger KJ's, I tried double indirect on my Akorn Jr... It was a tight fit and my temperature control wasn't where I'd want it to be but I definitely got more smoke, cleaner smoke and a better cook going on some cheap, skinny pork ribs.
Looking forward to trying it again with something I am more familiar with, like maybe belly pork or Aberdeen Angus beef short ribs
How are you setting up double indirect in the Akorn Jr?
Perfect! I just got a soap stone too so I’ll give this a try
right on
I take a hatchet to my wood chunks and split them down to about thumb size rather than using chips. When I throw them in the bottom I use my ash tool to tickle the bottom of the coal basket and encourage some embers to fall. Now I need to find that tiny soap sting and try some foil boats! 😁
good idea on the splits
James, I am a Kamado Joe owner. I have both a Classic 1 and a Joe Jr. I can understand you not trying to imitate some other pit-master but I wonder about, have you injected a brisket? You like the foil boat wrap. However, I took a class and the brisket was placed in an aluminum pan and doubled wrapped. When it was time to rest, a small corner of the wrap was opened, the entire pan was wrapped in a towel and placed in a cooler. The cook temp was about 320 degrees and the straight on the grill time was about 2 hours and wrapped time was about 2 hours and brisket temp was about 206 degrees. Rest time was about 3 hours. Many items very similar to your process. The major difference was the wrap on their end and the dry brine on your end. Can't wait to try your method. Thanks for the great videos. If you can find it, try Lawry's Cracked black pepper seasoning salt. Steve
thanks steve, let me know what you think
I seriously liked this experiment always said if I get a KJ will be a jr first and this method seems to of worked excellent in such a small Kamado, killing it James!
thanks so much
So excited to know that you can do this method on the JJ. I love the efficiency of this little guy and I can't wait to try this with some beef ribs ....and adding the smoking wood at the bottom should yield an amazing result. Thanks!
100%. cheers
Thanks so much for this video! I've struggled with managing lower temps on the JoeJr and your video really helped me to get started in the right direction. I'm making pulled pork today and an hour in to the cooking cycle the temps are holding perfectly! Thanks so much from a former temperature chaser!! :-)
Glad it helped!
Thanks James so good to see you can do double indirect cooking on the Joe Jr thanks for the tip.
thank-you, so good
Love that thumb! lol The content. Top Notch. I always learn a thing or to.
Thanks Tommy, cheers
Heh I tried the smoke drawer hack on my jr as soon as I saw you do it on the larger models. Even putting larger thumb-sized chunks in they are completely gone by the end of the cook 👨🍳 👌
100%
EXCELLENT...I've been looking for something like this setup for the Joe Jr. It looks like the setup will work wonderfully for anything I cook with the Joe Jr. and an indirect method. Can't wait to try it.
You bet. Let me know what you think after giving it a go
@@SmokingDadBBQ Can do.😁
I have kamados (2)GE’s & (2)akorn’s and going to apply methods you use.I’m loving the red color I’m start looking for a joe jr .it’s just me my wife & she eats bbq but light to no smoke is her choice .Great smoking information 5stars!
Thank you for making a video on the joe jr..
My pleasure!
Tanks James again for this info it helps me to use the junior more and more ☀️😎👍🔥
Glad to help
I love your fire making science projects. It's the fun part of kamados :)
It really is! thanks so much
Hey! Love this video. Quick question, do you cook with the plate under the charcoal basket or have you removed it for the cook? Thanks!
You are such a Kamado pro!
thanks Sylvia
I like the offset in the back...🧐🧐😎😎
thanks. got some good plans for it this year
came for the double indirect but stayed for the reach around hug 😜
hahaha cheers
I think I hug my Joe Jr daily 🤣
@@mikecalcagni7073 hahah glad I am not the only one 😂
Thank you for sharing James.
My pleasure!
Thanks for the video. I have the JR and the soap stone so I am ready to roll!
Have fun!
WOW!!!!! That looked so good and juicy. Thank you for coming up with double indirect method, I have been using it in my Big Joe an it works great. Thank you for all the helpful video’s.
You are so welcome! Thanks for watching
Hey James, love your stuff man. I have a Jr with a Kick Ashe basket and a Smokeware cap. I’m getting great airflow and it gets super hot for steaks and burgers but having a really tough time getting it to hold around 250. Any chance you could do a detailed video of how you get your Jr dialed in for a low and slow?
I can definitely confirm the Joe Jr can handle some serious cooking. I’ve used a similar setup with only one heat deflector but a BBQ vortex i cut shorter to aim the heat only into the bottom deflector. With this setup I used a rib rack to bend a 14lb brisket and just barley fit it in the kamado. I still put tin foil on both sides of the brisket to try to further make it indirect. I’d be interested to try a second stone and already own the soap stone. I’ve done 4 briskets on the Joe JR and now am planning the 5th with some tips from your method!
You got a 14lbs brisket on the Joe JR? Legend status unlocked.... so its charcoal basket -> vortex cut down to centre the heat -> deflector in the low position -> rib rack on the deflector with a brisket folded over?
@@SmokingDadBBQ The brisket just barley fit and I’m almost sure the top thermometer was poking it! I don’t use a charcoal basket because 1. I use a “onlyfire stainless steel flame grate” which gives clearance for the cut vortex to fit and 2. You can squeeze a maximum amount of charcoal without the basket. But yes other than that you have it exactly right. I’ve cooked 4 briskets like this on it with one just last week! I also use a flame boss controller to control everything. I actually have a pretty extensive procedure if you’d like me to send it to you. Thanks for your videos I based a lot of my method on watching your videos combined with some trial and error!
@@TheSalvatoreAmico amazing. Sure email me at smokingdadbbq@gmail.com and I will credit you if I make a video showing your method
We need to see this…..👆👆👆 😀
I'm tempted to try this. So, with the deflector in the low position you can fit a water pan. Have you tried doing this to soak some of the heat being directed into the stone?
Im going to give this method a try soon.
As always due to costs in the UK I'm holding off on the soapstone at the moment.
What I've done though is buy a pizza stone that looks to be a slightly larger diameter than the deflector that comes with the jnr.
I'm hoping that'll sit on the ledge where you placed the soapstone 👍🏻
How’d that go? I’m in the same predicament. That’s a pretty penny to spend. Thought about buying a vision grills lava stone plate for less than half the price but they’re out of the 12 inch and their 9 inch is too small.
Great video! Always enjoy your KJ Jr videos...very innovative. Like the new technique!!
Thanks! 👍
Another great cook Sir. Must give a try soon!
Hope you enjoy
Hi James , I love my kj, jr. Since watching your channel! But I can’t find soapstone for the Jr.? Is it discontinued? Thanks!
After getting a kettle Joe I bought a JR. your videos have been a push to get out of the Weber
congrats on your jr
Wow James that Picanha looked amazing on the Joe Jr with your double indirect method, I am definetly going to do one of them in my Big Joe I usually use my Pit Barrel Smoker for my Picanhas but I think you have converted me, Haha. Cheers Lloyd from Aus
Cheers Lloyd, let me know what you think
Look at that offset!!! Can't wait for comparisons of offset vs your kamado
its going to be fun
Another great video! Love how you are innovating with new techniques and on the most underrated superstar in the Kamado Joe family, the Jr! When might we see a video featuring the offset smoker on the background?
I appreciate that! it makes it’s official debut in February
Great stuff on the Jr!
thanks. gonna give it a go on the mini max? should work especially with the GCS woo
As always, love the information I learn with you. Simply the best, thank you!
So nice of you. thanks 🙏
I tried the soapstone and liked the result, except I missed having a drip pan. I am going to see if elevating the small smokeware pan with some pebbles to get an air gap has the same or similar effect.
maybe some nuts or bolts might work
Great cook James, love the Joe JR. What is your setup for a pizza in Joe JR?
I too would love to know this! I’ve tried but I think I used the wrong dough recipe.
I’ve setup my Joe JR with only the metal rack in it and a low lip cast iron pan (believe it was for pancakes and I cut the handle off.) Using a leaf blower you can get the top to measure in the 800 range easily and cook a thin crust pizza in about 3 minutes
I have that on the to do list with the soapstone. I will include the dough recipe for the JR that it likes best as well
I came from an offset smoker... Enjoy constantly maintaining the fire, it certainly has it's place but the Joe can do everything the offset can.. as for your family not liking strong smoke flavor the offset will probably not be ideal for them :).. my two cents.
the one i got is a texas style (up and over) hot clean fire... no tuning plates or reverse flow in my small patio sized one so curious to see how that compares for smoke when we get to some head to head
Hi, love the channel - you inspired me to get the Joe Jr! Where did you purchase your charcoal basket, top vent and soap stone - can;t seem to find it in your store?
Hi, can you tell me how thick is the ceramic wall of Joe jr? inch, or cm
how do you secure a joe jr so it doesnt get damaged while travelling?
Can you please do some smaller cook videos? Currently I’m still in lockdown and would love to know if it’s possible to do a small brisket? Or how you combo cook? Say ribs and a chicken etc. thanks for the content!
sure thing, a small tri tip usually has better marbling than a small brisket that fits on the joe jr which is why ive done that video and this one with a picanha like a brisket on the jr. vs an actual small brisket.
Tried that with a tritip… best ever
i think the tri tip is the better cut for this type of cook
What you do at 11:04 seems like a great trick if you like your steak well done? Protect it from the charcoal and let the temperature get higher inside. Am I right? Greetings from Belgium.
you can achieve that with a normal deflector no problem
Honestly, how often do you use the jr? I have a classic 2 but thinking I need/want a jr…
I really wonder how much of a difference the slow roller vs a simple second set of deflectors really makes when using double indirect on a classic or big joe. I would guess that its advantage is diminished with the much higher base airflow you are getting from the second set of deflectors. I started thinking this when I saw how different the double indirect setup on gen 1 and 3 are in your tests - yet they seem to give the same results.
The setup in gen 1 with the deflector’s below the sloroller looks like the sloroller might still create the intended vortex airflow. But in gen 3 the deflectors are above and right in the way of the vortex and it still cooks and tastes the same. All the sloroller might be able to do in this setup is push the air to the side and provide a radiation shield which is not (much) more that what another set of deflectors would do.
Do you fancy a test of double indirect with sloroller + deflectors vs. deflectors + deflectors?
It might open up great possibilities for non-Kamado Joe owners to close their gap as well.
And then there’s the obvious question: What happens when you use additional insulation between the deflectors minimising radiation even more?
Don't have a Junior, but interesting cool. I never thought of a picanha, like a brisket.
the tri tip does a better impression than the picanha but it was good
Like to see how you'd tackle doing a full texas style bbq to feed a small crowd on the big joe... if its possible, feel like you're the guy to nail it if it is!
for sure, once we have some warmer weather we can load it up when there are enough people to help eat it
Hi James,
Thanks for the vid. A few questions please:
(1)Instead of a soapstone can I use the BGE mini pizza stone (I got on your recommendation for pizza on the Jr )?
(2) whether you use a soapstone or pizza stone as the 2nd layer, can I put a drip pan on top of that? I try to keep my stuff clean.
(3) I always have done fat cap down. With fat cap up, does it affect bark development on the bottom?
Cheers.
Hi Tony,
1) yes the BGE stone should work fine, i have one but didn't test fit it but i think it will fit the same
2) space is limited, might fit.... if not make one out of foil
3) the foil boat will soften the bark on the bottom which makes slicing through easy without tearing. if you don't boat you get good bark on the bottom too just need to not overdo it
Looks really good!
It was!
James, Awesome video and I am really interested in trying the double indirect method. Captain Ron on the Fogo channel has a video named "We made the JUICIEST BRISKET EVER!!! Come See How!!!" I would love for you to incorporate both methods to see how well it would work. Not sure if it is redundant using the double direct method and Capt. Ron's method at the same time. What do you think, would it work?
Nice cook! Whats the weight of that picanha?
I tried putting wood chips under the fire box and they never ignited if keeping fire 250 or below. Ideas?
Question on the Fogo black bag, does this still have the lower smoke flavor that your family prefers (versus the super premium Fogo)? Excited to get our Joe Jr later this week!
Where did you get the chimney top that replaced the daisy wheel? I have been cooking on my Kamado Joe Jr for 11 years and have always wondered why the company didn’t offer this upgrade like they do for the bigger Joe’s.
Smokeware makes them. I just received my yesterday. It’s design is great and the quality is pretty good. Stainless steel!
Great cooking on the kamado joe junior 👌 and a good tip how to use wood ships under the charcoal thanks for sharing James 👍
Glad you enjoyed it
Hi all - been watching this channel for some time, now subscribed and have bought a KJ Junior. One of the things I want to do is cook bread in a cast iron Dutch Oven, probably to be bought from Amazon. Haven't been able to find out whether this D/O should be placed on the cooking grate resting directly on the fire box ring (direct heat) or with the grate resting on accessory plate with the deflector plate in place (indirect heat) - so my questions are (1) which option for using a Dutch Oven for bread should be used and (2), depending on the answer, what are the dimensions of a D/O - total height + full width including the handles which will fit in a KJ Junior as the dome height/width isn't that big. Thanks - Jeff (UK)
Thanks for the junior videos! I have a question: Is there a big difference between using 2 heat deflector Stones instead of 1 heat deflector stone and 1 soak stone?
Thank you a lot!! Greetings from The Netherlands
Not at all
Made foil boat ribs last night best bark and smoke ring ive ever gotten running at about 280 did a head to head of my own dry brine famous daves rub vs dri brine kinders salt pepper garlic family chose famous daves
sounds delicious
Another great video I just ordered a kick Ash Can for the Jr. and a stand with wheels
Was wondering if you had any experience on either? Thank you.
i dont have either but i am curious about the can
Kamado joe junior what cap Do you have on the 1 from this video
The smokeware cap
t.jo.my/smokeware
💰 Use discount code “SDBBQ” to get 10% off any order site wide!
thanks again for the great video. I tried it today and my picanha was good but a bit too dry. Do you spray water on it during the cook ? what do you think it could be depending on ?
picanha is leaner that tri tip. i used a prime grade cut for this, id try a brisket point or tri tip for better marbling
Thanks for all the video. I have finally pulled trigger on the joe junior. Quick question what heat resistance glove are you currently using? Because I see they are different from the ones in your amazon page?
oh maybe i need to check my link (High heat gloves - amzn.to/33Ijdhk)
The link i just checked shows me the right ones (JHSafety long sleeve), had them for 2 years now and they work great. my old blue ones were only lasting 3-6 months before they split
Great video!! Do you think you can still get the hotter/faster burn in the lower portion of the kamado with the multi-deflector method, but still run at 250 grate level?
yes we didn't have to go this aggressive, 250 would be possible for sure
Man you sure have a technique there. Not sure if I’m ready or as much of a smoker as you so for me too much work. Have you tried using less coal and no double layers?
You definitely can skip it. Lots of extra work for the last mile of benefit
@@SmokingDadBBQ thanks
So is the consistent conclusion of the need of the double-indirect method and things like the wood chips 'hack', basically an indication that a kamado-style grill design functions subotimally as a smoker compared to other similar price point options?
That would be deflating for someone like me that bought a Jr a while back, and just shelled out for the Big Joe III...but I guess the results are the results. Seems like something Kamado Joe would have accounted for in their product engineering of a premium item.
I don't think thats a fair conclusion. You don't look at a Porsche 911 and say its a sub-optimal design because it can't carry my family of 8.... all grills have strengths and weaknesses. The Jr retains moisture well and holds heat well, given its small size it can happily cook all day at low and slow temps with only a few pieces of coal glowing along at a time.
All grills are tools, how you use them can have a big impact on the result. BBQ tastes better with a hot clean burning fire, this is a technique to get a hotter/clean fire which works just as well on the bigger joes as it did here
@@SmokingDadBBQ
Yeah, but we're talking core functionality - smoking, across the KamadoJoe ceramic cooker line. My impression from this and similar research you've done (which I appreciate) is that you can get better hot/fast bbq with adequate clean smoke with kludgey work arounds and I just would have thought it would have been that way out of the box.
I don't seem to see similar techniques/advice from KamadoJoe itself which makes me think the low and slow with less hot fires are how the product was designed. Maybe I'm just going through some buyers remorse and will be singing a different tune in time. Thanks
@@davidclabaugh5530 the Kj is the Sports utility vehicle of bbqs. A little sporty, a little practical, a little economical, a little off road etc. in cooking terms, there is not another grill I’ve ever used that can do pizza near as good as a wood oven, a brisket near as good as an offset, a steak better than any steak house and everything in-between. Given it’s jack of all trades capabilities we are making slight tweaks that enhance the characteristics of the grill to perform even better in different niche segments
would a similar set up work with a classic 2 and rest the soapstone on foil balls on the heat deflectors please?
yes, it would be like this video - ruclips.net/video/QEsrDj14XUs/видео.html
James, you mentioned you let it cool before wrapping and placing in a cooler. What temp did you let it cool too before you wrapped it?
Hi Mike, I didn't check, i just waited about 20min and then put it in the cooler
This may have been answered in the comments below but I'm curious how much more inefficiently this makes the kamado joe burn. Are you using 20% more fuel? Double? Triple? Thanks
this was a 5hr cook, normally a full basket on the jr is good for up to 12 hours. judging by the coal remaining lasting maybe another hour i would guess 50% more fuel used
Would two heat deflectors work just as well as an alternative to the soap stone?
yes or a pizza stone
Great cook, and demonstration. Was the picanha prime grade? What willl be your first video cook on your new offset smoker?
thanks so much. this was choice as Costco in my area doesn’t have prime picanha.
what would you like to see? i put a brisket and St. Louis ribs in the cart at my last Costco run
@@SmokingDadBBQ Of course brisket. Brisket is not my first choice of bbq to eat but it is my first choice of bbq to cook. It is about the fun
of playing with fire for long hours, and to execute every step properly and be rewarded by a successful outcome. I also judge bbq restaurants
I go to by the quality of the brisket, then move on enjoying the other meats on the menu. I have only found one bbq restaurant in Southern
California that can consistently produce world class brisket. Briskets are challenging and fun to cook. You are very meticulous and detail oriented.
I will enjoy watching the offset cooks even more...
@@CoolJay77 where in la? I can’t find it. I make my own, but I like to try good stuff and go out to eat sometimes. Thanks in advance😀
@@EricPetersen2922 I was referring to Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano. Bon appetit. Check the days they are open before you make the trip.
Re: Meater: I used it ONCE. And haven't been able to get it to connect to the base ever since. It's clean, fresh batteries, back plate installed correctly...be wary.
have you contacted support? some people are connecting to the probe vs. the base station, i saw an article on how to confirm you are connecting properly which a few people said fixed their issue
@@SmokingDadBBQ I haven't contacted support yet. I like to exhaust all of my options before getting to that point. My probe will not connect to my base, no matter what I do. It's clean, has a fresh battery, and I have tried several times to remove and re-add the device via bluetooth. Eventually, I plan to contact them, if I cannot find a resolution otherwise. Thanks!
@@biffjohnson2076 found the post. It says - sounds like
your probes may be paired directly to your phone
rather than your Block. May I ask you to try the
following steps to reset your MEATER Block? We
recommend unpairing the Block from the app
before trying these steps, but it's not required
Turn off Bluetooth on our smart device.
Make sure all 4 of the probes are docked in the
Block.
Start the Block in Standalone Mode.
Hold down the Settings button (the gear icon) for
10-15 seconds until the "Erase All Settings?"
notification appears, and select "Yes."
Start your Block in Standalone Mode again, and
wait for the check mark to appear next to all 4
probes.
Enable Bluetooth on your smart device, then start
the Block in WiFi Mode to connect to the app.
@@SmokingDadBBQ I will try this - but I only have the single probe and block. Thanks for the tips!
I was reading your description below but I didn't see it. What kind of wood chunks are those? Sorry for re asking a question that I'm sure you get asked a lot.
no worries. they are these clevelandwhiskey.com/smokerbricxdotcom/
Is there a specific Smokeware vented cap for the Joe Jr? I’ve tried hunting one down but I can only see the option for the regular Joe’s? Thanks.
Yes, this one comes with the gasket specifically to fit the joe jr - JR Vent cap - bit.ly/JoeJrSSCap
@@SmokingDadBBQThank you for the quick reply!
hi James, new to KJ and loving your content. Would this work on the Big Joe series 1, with the heat deflectors and a pizza stone? as the Series 1 does not have a slow roller included.
check these two configs out
ruclips.net/video/0yXnjW9kEfY/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/xO8AjvUZvCc/видео.html
@@SmokingDadBBQ Thanks mate, great stuff! and G'day from Australia.
Could you use two heat deflector stones with this setup instead of the soap stone. And save yourself some money.
yes for sure, i just use the soapstone for a pizza stone, scallops, steak etc. so its multi purpose enough it makes sense vs getting a spare deflector
I’m trying to design my “outdoor kitchen“ for the house we are building. It will be on an enclosed patio. Three sides are formed by the house and the fourth wall is screened I took heating notes from your last video. Any thoughts on ventilation?
I have enough open air it clears everything. I would do flush mount electric in your situation for looks / headroom and get high volume silent range hood to vent smoke right above the grill
I just purchased a joe jr and the heat deflector does not sit flush in the bottom tier racks, is anyone else having the same problem ? I have to set the deflector on the tier where James has the soapstone sitting in my Joe jr.
maybe a warranty question if your rack came bent?
Can you use the soapstone also as a pizza stone
yes absolutely, recording that one soon
Where did you get the vent cap that work with Joe JR? I hate the daisy wheel vent.
Smokeware vent cap - bit.ly/JoeJrSSCap (Save 10% code: SDBBQ)
Is your bottom felt gasket all burned off? Does that really make a difference negatively?
no its still there. you don't technically need a gasket but they help with a good seal and not damaging the ceramic when closing the dome
@@SmokingDadBBQ do you have any tips or tricks for changing the felt gasket on the Joe Jr?
James, at what temp did you pull the picanha? I can always wonder about low and slow on meats typically eaten med rare how they end up? I remember seeing Harry Soo or T-Roy fail on a trip tip cooked like a brisket.
P.S. that double indirect with the soapstone is a definite winner😊
it was 203. i agree, the tri tip does a better impersonation than picanha as it has more inter muscular fat