Every cook: ash out

Ash out, with no ash drawer

The Joe Jr. has no ash drawer, and Kamado Joe does not say how the ash comes out. Steps 1, 2, 5 and 6 are the 2024 manual's "Every cook"; steps 3 and 4 are our method, not Kamado Joe's.

1. Wait until the grill and the charcoal are cold.
2. Open the dome, lift out the cooking grate, the deflector and the rack, and stir the old charcoal with the ash tool so loose ash falls through the fire grate.
3. Rake the ash out through the draft door into a metal container with the ash tool (our method).
4. When there is a lot, lift out the fire ring, the fire grate and the firebox and scoop or vacuum the bottom, as in the deep clean (our method).
5. Wrap the ash in foil, soak it and bin it in a non-combustible container.
6. Refit the parts, wipe the outside with a damp cloth and cover the grill.

Kamado Joe's Joe Jr. charcoal basket (KJ15091121) lifts the coals out to shake off the ash, which Kamado Joe says separates them quickly.