New Toy

[Paymaster]

I bought an Akorn Jr today to use on camping trips. Gonna be fun!!!

[buckytom]

Ooh, I want one. Aren't those things really heavy? I'm guessing you drive up to your campsite.

How big is it?

[Dawgluver]

Oh, PM, that is a thing of beauty!

[Paymaster]

Originally Posted by buckytom

Ooh, I want one. Aren't those things really heavy? I'm guessing you drive up to your campsite.

How big is it?

No it is not heavy at all. It is not a ceramic. It is insulated steel. Cooking grate is 14". It weighs about 15-20 pounds. Stands about two feet tall. I have the Regular size Akorn as well. It is the size of the large Big Green Egg. The Akorn weighs about 120 pounds and that is about half or less than the BGE. Both versions of the Akorn are very portable.

[buckytom]

Best of luck with it.

I used to do overnight backpacking trips with a Lil' Smokey Joe straped to my pack. It was a way to better control the cooking fire when conditions were very dry in the Summer, and there were a bunch of drunks about (my buddies).
I looked like a hillbillie's truck when hiking out with the grill, pots and pans, and the garbage bag all hanging off my pack.

Please post pics as you get to use it.

[Dawgluver]

Heh. When I went camping back in the day, I also took a little Smokey Joe, or something smaller.

[rodentraiser]

When I finally moved to a place that had a patio, I started cooking out as often as I could. The first thing I learned was don't throw lighter fluid at the flames. My first steak was a little well done that night and one of the firefighters had to give me a quick grilling lesson. He was cute, but a little sarcastic. Can't imagine why.

With that temperature gauge on the Akorn Jr, you could almost use that as an oven.

[Paymaster]

Originally Posted by rodentraiser

When I finally moved to a place that had a patio, I started cooking out as often as I could. The first thing I learned was don't throw lighter fluid at the flames. My first steak was a little well done that night and one of the firefighters had to give me a quick grilling lesson. He was cute, but a little sarcastic. Can't imagine why.

With that temperature gauge on the Akorn Jr, you could almost use that as an oven.

Kamado cookers have been called outdoor ovens by folks for some time. But they are more than that. You can cook in heat ranges from 200* to 700*. Low and slow BBQ to 5 minute pizza. They are very miserly on charcoal and never need fluid splashes!

[CraigC]

Originally Posted by rodentraiser

When I finally moved to a place that had a patio, I started cooking out as often as I could. The first thing I learned was don't throw lighter fluid at the flames. My first steak was a little well done that night and one of the firefighters had to give me a quick grilling lesson. He was cute, but a little sarcastic. Can't imagine why.

With that temperature gauge on the Akorn Jr, you could almost use that as an oven.

I hope you have graduated to a chimney starter and got away from fluid or match light type charcoal.

[Paymaster]

Originally Posted by rodentraiser

When I finally moved to a place that had a patio, I started cooking out as often as I could. The first thing I learned was don't throw lighter fluid at the flames. My first steak was a little well done that night and one of the firefighters had to give me a quick grilling lesson. He was cute, but a little sarcastic. Can't imagine why.

With that temperature gauge on the Akorn Jr, you could almost use that as an oven.

Originally Posted by CraigC

I hope you have graduated to a chimney starter and got away from fluid or match light type charcoal.

I don't use a chimney starter. I load the cooker with lump charcoal and use one Weber cube in the center of the load. I use the chimney when I am running one of my two offset smokers or lighting a campfire.

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[CraigC]

Originally Posted by Paymaster

I don't use a chimney starter. I load the cooker with lump charcoal and use one Weber cube in the center of the load. I use the chimney when I am running one of my two offset smokers or lighting a campfire.

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How do you light when using the lump left from a previous cook? Are Weber cubes petroleum free?

I can usually get 2-3 cooks by just adding a chimney full of lump to the leftover lump in the Egg. I have to get rid of the ash from the last cook, but a vacuum and poker do a great job. I'll also use my air compressor regulated to 20 psi to blow ash to the bottom and then vacuum it out.

[Paymaster]

Originally Posted by CraigC

How do you light when using the lump left from a previous cook? Are Weber cubes petroleum free?

I can usually get 2-3 cooks by just adding a chimney full of lump to the leftover lump in the Egg. I have to get rid of the ash from the last cook, but a vacuum and poker do a great job. I'll also use my air compressor regulated to 20 psi to blow ash to the bottom and then vacuum it out.

Cubes are mostly paraffin. I just set one down in the center as before and pull the left over lump to it. The Akorn has an ash tray on the underside.I only need to dump about once every 25 cooks or so. Takes about 2 minutes to dump.

[Roll_Bones]

Originally Posted by CraigC

How do you light when using the lump left from a previous cook? Are Weber cubes petroleum free?

I can usually get 2-3 cooks by just adding a chimney full of lump to the leftover lump in the Egg. I have to get rid of the ash from the last cook, but a vacuum and poker do a great job. I'll also use my air compressor regulated to 20 psi to blow ash to the bottom and then vacuum it out.

I am assuming you have a dedicated vacuum for the ashes?
I was using my shop vac, but stopped. Was concerned it would ruin the vacuum?
I bought a pail with a tight fitting lid. This is where I dispose of the ashes now. Still a pain in the butt though.

[Paymaster]

Hard to get simpler than this. Just two latches, slide out , dump and return.

[CraigC]

Originally Posted by Roll_Bones

I am assuming you have a dedicated vacuum for the ashes?
I was using my shop vac, but stopped. Was concerned it would ruin the vacuum?
I bought a pail with a tight fitting lid. This is where I dispose of the ashes now. Still a pain in the butt though.

Nope, my shop vac has a bag. I'd be worried if ash started coming out of the exhaust. For anyone reading these exchanges, the ash is cold and the vacuum has no safety pictures or warning labels so common sense must be applied about using the vacuum.

[tenspeed]

Originally Posted by Paymaster

The Akorn weighs about 120 pounds and that is about half or less than the BGE. Both versions of the Akorn are very portable.

Very portable at 120 pounds? Yikes! How much do you bench press?

[Paymaster]

Originally Posted by tenspeed

Very portable at 120 pounds? Yikes! How much do you bench press?

As compared to a ceramic cooker of similar size. I have carried the full sized Akorn afield many times. No, I can't load it on a truck bed by myself, however it is much easier to do than a 400 pound BGE.

This picture was taken by me of my Akorn at a deer hunt at Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge. Would have been near impossible to do that with a ceramic.

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[buckytom]

Originally Posted by Paymaster

a deer hunt at Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge.

Not much of a refuge, eh?

[Paymaster]

Originally Posted by buckytom

Not much of a refuge, eh?

Probably not. They kill between 250-500 deer on the refuge each year.

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[CraigC]

Originally Posted by buckytom

Not much of a refuge, eh?

Its called Wildlife Management. When you eliminate predators and reduce space, you have to manage. Only so many individuals can be supported in a given space. Even though there may be massive amounts of land, you have to consider the "Edge Effect", food, shelter and water. If any of these three are missing, the area will not support wildlife. I guess I do remember something from my Hunter Safety Instructor days.