Gasket: re-glue or replace

Re-glue or replace?

The Big Joe II has a wire-mesh fibreglass gasket, one strip on each rim. Kamado Joe gives no replacement interval. Sauce, grease and very hot fires wear it out early.

• A small loose section: Kamado Joe Europe says re-glue just that part; you do not need to remove the whole gasket.
• Burnt, torn or leaking smoke: replace both strips with the Big Joe kit BJ-MGA24. Check the bands and the latch first, since both affect the seal.

Each Big Joe rim is about 2.2 m round (the Classic's about 1.6 m).

Take the old gasket off

Kamado Joe Europe's method, with the firebox step from Kamado Joe's gasket video (filmed on a Big Joe I, felt gasket).

1. Let the grill go cold and take the firebox out, so no debris falls in.
2. Lift the old base strip gently with a putty knife, working along under it.
3. Do the dome rim the same way.
4. Scrub the bare rims with sandpaper; Kamado Joe's video uses a wire brush.
5. Wipe both rims with rubbing alcohol and let them dry.

Glue on the new gasket

Kamado Joe Europe's method, written for the Classic and Big Joe kits alike; the laying tips are from Kamado Joe's gasket video.

1. Run a generous bead of heat-resistant glue round the base rim, even though the kit is self-adhesive. One tube does both rims.
2. Lay the strip on, starting at the back. Do not stretch it: ease it on, pressing it down as you go.
3. Butt the ends together, trim, and join them with a connecting patch.
4. Do the dome rim the same way, with its joint away from the base joint.
5. Close the dome and leave it closed for 12 hours before you light it.

A small gap at the front after a new gasket settles with use (Kamado Joe's video).