Kamado Joe Jr newbie here. I have had trouble reaching 200°C/400°F with the heat deflector in its lower position even with bottom and top vents fully open.
The last time I put the heat deflector in its upper position (see YouTube at 5:31 below) and it helped a lot to easily reach those temperatures when cooking steaks 4+4 minutes on both sides followed by zucchini and halloumi slices.
Or do I need to use the heat deflector at all unless for slow cooking at max 150°C/300°F?
by wywhsoycd
4 Comments
Heat deflectors can be super useful on high temp cooks, I use half moon for wings at 190c then finish them over the direct side.
Same with reverse seeding stake, start at your desired temp, 60c etc keep the half moon in and raise to 260+c for searing.
It sounds like you just might not have enough charcoal or enough small and large mixture to reach that temp.
Smoking dad’s videos aren’t that great anymore and are quite gimmicky. Try searching for a few videos and see what combination suits you.
Charcoal and the amount does play a factor.
Also, don’t add the deflector plates till the KJJ is about 300F so you have the confidence the fire is well lit.
The charcoal basket is a great investment for grilling with the Jr. I have no problem reaching 400+ F with the plate in when I do a spatchcock chicken and actually have to be careful not to let the temp get away from me.
The video shows them cooking directly on the deflector plate in the upper position. I don’t think this is going to be good for the plate’s longevity and I wouldn’t recommend it. The Jr, as far as I’ve ever figured out, does not have an upper position for the deflector plate that allows you to cook on the grate surface.
If you’re searing a steak, grill direct or, better yet, use a soap stone on the grate with no deflector plate in. If you’re reverse searing a thick steak, smoke it low with the plate in and when it gets close to temp remove the plate, crank up the heat and finish with a sear.
I have a similar issue. It’s a tight fit aorund the circumference. The deflector reduces the total space for air to move from bottom to top, dramatically hindering the draft. I have some bit of success waiting 10-20 minutes for the fire to involve more charcoal before placing the deflector or you can try using two or three starters to get a good fire going.