Step 4:  Preparing the Kamado

Building a Fire

Clean out the fire box and the ash receptacle, taking care to brush away any loose ashes from the fire box and the gasket rings. Fill the fire box or Lump Saver Plus with approximately two pounds of unlit lump charcoal, first placing large chunks in the fire box or Lump Saver Plus, then filling the remaining voids with smaller chunks. Place four fire-starter chunks in strategic places among the charcoal, where they will ignite as much charcoal as possible. Place a large chunk of hardwood or fruitwood on top of the charcoal. The wood should be at least the size of your fist.

Pictured here is the Lump Saver Plus filled with lump charcoal in the fire box of a #7 Kamado. On top of the charcoal is a length of pecan wood. Other recommended woods include alder, hazelnut, apple, and peach. Avoid oak and hickory; they tend to overpower the delicate flavor of turkey.

With a propane torch or long-handled lighter, light the chunks of fire starter. Allow the fire starter to burn off completely. Because they are made of sawdust and wax, they tend to emit an acrid, unpleasant smoke.

NOTE: To light the lump charcoal, you can use a chimney starter. I prefer to use fire-starter chunks or an electric charcoal starter because they leave no ashes behind and I'm better able to arrange the charcoal for maximum burning efficiency.

Pictured here is the lump charcoal just after the fire starter was lit, with all four chunks of fire starter in flames.

Assembling the Grills and Heat Deflector

Place the lower bracket into the Kamado, as pictured here. I strongly recommend wearing a heavy pair of welding gloves.

On top of the bracket, place an 18-inch grill. On top of the grill, place a large pizza stone to act as a heat deflector.

For a heat deflector, some people prefer to use a pizza pan or shallow roasting pan filled with water, believing that the water will add additional moisture to the meat. Though the water does work effectively as a heat deflector, I find that it adds little or no additional moisture. In addition, it can overflow if juices drip into it, and it can douse your fire if you spill it while adjusting the fire or grills.

TIP:  To keep your pizza stone free of stains, wrap it in aluminum foil before placing it in the Kamado. In the pictures here, I'm using an old, cracked pizza stone. It isn't pretty, but it works just fine as a heat deflector. However, I do scrape the stone thoroughly before each use, so fat and juices that have dripped onto it don't get a chance to burn and smoke.

Adjusting the Dampers

Open the bottom damper about 3 inches. Rotate the top damper until it is open about 1 inch. With the sort of fire pictured here, the Kamado should stabilize at 425 degrees Fahrenheit after about 30 minutes, plenty of time for the lump to become fully engaged and the fire-starter chunks to burn off completely.

TIP:  One challenge in cooking turkey is to get the dark meat done at the same time as the white meat because the dark meat tends to take a bit longer to cook, resulting in the white meat being overdone. Brining helps to ensure even doneness, but roasting at an initial higher temperature also helps. In adjusting the dampers, I was shooting for an initial dome temperature of 475 degrees Fahrenheit, intending to roast the turkey at that temperature for the first 45 minutes and then drop the temperature to 350 degrees. Keep in mind, though, that it can take a while for temperatures to drop in the Kamado.

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