Firing up your Kamado Joe or other ceramic smoker couldn’t be easier. On my Big Joe, the whole process from starting the fire to a stabilized temperature is about 35 – 40 minutes.
*Note: I am doing this on my Big Joe. If you have a Classic Joe or Large ceramic grill/smoker, you will come up to temp faster and not have to open your vents as much to stabilize. The process and steps are the same.
Here are the basic steps and you can see them in action in the video below. If you are interested in more BBQ Basics and how-to videos, please consider subscribing to my youtube channel.
Steps
- Make sure you are ready
- Ash pan is cleaned outCharcoal is nearby/availableYou have your smoking wood available (if using)
- Gloves for handling charcoal, heat deflectors, grill grates
- Lighter available
- Add charcoal to your fire basket
- Larger pieces on the bottom for maximum air flow
- Smaller pieces on top
- Light the charcoal
- Make a well in the middle of your charcoal
- Place a fire starter in the well and light
- Bottom vent is wide open and top stays open while fire starter fully ignites the charcoal
- Get the smoker up to temperature
- Put any wood chunks on the charcoal (if using)
- Put the heat defectors on
- Put the grill grates on
- Close the lid but keep the top vent wide open
- Keep the bottom vent wide open
- Let the smoker roll and keep an eye on the temperature as it rises (from experience, it is always easier to bring the temperature up versus bring the temperature down if you over shoot the target temperature)
- Stabilize the temperature
- When the temperature gets near your target temp start to close down the vents
- Close the top vent to around the second marking on the vent opening
- Close the bottom vent to about 2 inches wide
- Let the smoker roll for 10 minutes and see where the temperature settles
- If the temperature needs to come up, open the top vent incrementally and let it roll for another 10 minutes
- After doing this several times you will get a feel for exactly how much to open the top and bottom vents to achieve your target temperature
