F4User’s Manual for the Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy Knockdown Charcoal/Wood Cooker & Smoker Featuring Precision Controlled Temperature Cooking © The BBG Guru, 2006 – all rights reserved
The BBQ Guru 353 Ivyland Road Warminster, PA 18974-2205 USA Telephone: (800) 288-GURU (4878) www.thebbqguru.com Dear Customer, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for purchasing a Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy and a BBQ Guru controller. I am the president of the company that produces these products and I want you to know that I appreciate the faith you have placed in us and that we will do our utmost to justify that trust.
Contents Introduction to the Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy Overview Safety Warnings and Cautions Design Features Available Options Choosing the best BBQ Guru system for your needs 1 2 4 6 7 Getting Started Unpacking, Inspection and Initial Setup Installing your BBQ Guru temperature control system Preparing to Cook or Smoke Lighting a Fire Shutting Down 8 10 11 12 13 Cooking Configurations Barbequing Low & Slow Smoking and Drying Warming and Holding Grilling on the Convertible Top Grilling in the Cooker Gril
Introduction to the Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy Overview The Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy is a versatile vertical cooker & smoker incorporating state of the art charcoal cooking technology with knockdown storage convenience. Designed for cook-off teams, caterers, event vendors and backyard barbeque enthusiasts, it is a BBQ cook’s delight in every way. Compatible with any BBQ Guru temperature controller, the Tallboy can be controlled from about 90° F to 400° F with the turn of a dial or the press of a button.
Introduction to the Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy Safety Warnings and Cautions Your Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy has been professionally designed and carefully fabricated to the highest standards. It will give you years of trouble-free and enjoyable service. Nonetheless, the Tallboy confines and controls a charcoal or wood fire and heats its surfaces and content; this presents certain potential hazards to people and property. The use of common sense and reasonable care can prevent fires, burns and other injuries.
Introduction to the Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy NOTE: Pit fires can be avoided altogether if the cooker is kept clean and free from fat buildup during or between cooks. Changing drip trays during a cook cycle will help keep flammable fats in the cooker to a minimum. Cooking temperatures should be kept low enough to avoid ignition. You are dealing with an open fire when you are cooking on charcoal and wood. There are hot surfaces on all parts of the cooker before during and after cooking.
Introduction to the Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy Design Features While BBQ Guru temperature control systems can be applied to virtually any charcoal cooker or pit, the Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy was design from day one to integrate with a Guru controller. The rear panel features an inducer tube attachment for the draft fan and a high temperature silicone grommet for temperature probe insertion. This leaves the cooking compartment door free, making loading and tending a simpler task.
Introduction to the Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy The firebox of the Caldera Del Fuego is a practical marvel. Unlike ceramic cookers it won’t crack or break. It is made from two layers of mild steel that can knock down to be maintained or transported. It is a very versatile firebox that can be configured for different types of cooking and different heat outputs from roasting temperatures to low and slow to drying temps. If your firebox gets out of shape, any panel can easily be hammered back into shape.
Introduction to the Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy Available Options Weather and Cooking Cover – a stylish and practical accessory cover. Use it to insulate your Tallboy for long and slow cold weather cooks. This heavy duty, coated material can withstand 1000° F temperatures. Use it to protect your cooker from the elements when it is stored outdoors. The rugged, tear resistant cover is easily cleaned and readily folded for separate storage.
Introduction to the Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy Choosing the best BBQ Guru system for your needs Select exactly the control system you need for your Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy. Choose from three fine BBQ Guru controllers and three Turbo Draft Fans. Match your control system to your cooking wants and needs. ProCom4 – Our feature-laden wireless digital Guru controller provides a remote hand-held readout of pit temperature, meat temperature, two other monitored temperatures, cook timer, fan operation and more.
Getting Started Unpacking, Inspection and Initial Setup Your Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy will come crated upon a shipping pallet. The cooker is basically assembled and lying on its back. Certain parts are packed within the upper Cooking Chamber. Move the pallet to an appropriate area for assembly. Carefully remove the top and sides of the crate, being careful not to scratch the contents. Open the door of the Cooking Chamber and remove the racks, wheels and axles and small parts shipped within.
Getting Started Installing the Wheels 1. Slide the Axles (20-081) through the holes in the legs of the Firebox Enclosure. 2. Place a Wheel Spacer (20-083) on each axle and then a Wheel (94-084). 3. Place a Washer (95-047) over each axle on the outside of the wheel and secure it with a Hairpin Cotter Pin (95-046). 4. Repeat these steps at the other end of the axles.
Getting Started Installing your BBQ Guru temperature control system The BBQ Guru temperature control system is normally installed on the rear surface of the Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy. Start by inserting the nozzle of the Turbo Draft Fan into the Inducer tube of the Firebox Housing. Attach the Controller Mounting Bracket to the Tallboy. Attach the BBQ Guru controller to its bracket and connect the cables from the Turbo Draft Fan and from the Temperature Probes.
Getting Started Preparing to Cook or Smoke Your Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy arrives basically assembled and ready to cook. The BBQ Guru controller makes it fast and easy to get just the ‘right’ fire in minimum time. However, there are some items of preparation for each cooking session. Minimize the subsequent cleanup effort by preparing the surfaces of your cooker. Spray or wipe all of the grills with a vegetable-based oil to prevent sticking.
Getting Started Lighting a Fire The Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy is designed to run on charcoal fuel. Some wood chunks or chips can be used but too much smoke is not a good thing. When wood smolders it makes smoke that is rich with creosote or tar that will be deposited on what you are cooking. A little smoke goes a long way. The Tallboy will run on briquette or hard wood Lump. Hard wood lump is definitely preferred. Good quality hard wood Lump charcoal won’t smoke much because it has been well carbonized.
Getting Started Shutting Down Remove all food products from the Tallboy. Set the damper on the Turbo Draft Fan fully closed (or remove the Turbo Draft Fan and replace it with a kill plug or draft regulator plug.) Close all or the dampers on the Tallboy’s door. Close the Firebox lids. The fire should die within 30 to 45 minutes. You can accelerate the process by spraying the charcoal with water. Do this a little at a time using a spay bottle rather than a hose.
Cooking Configurations Barbequing Low & Slow The Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy fitted with a BBQ Guru temperature control is a slow cooking miracle. Load the firebox with charcoal, set the desired temperature and cook for hours; the BBQ Guru assures that the temperature remains absolutely stable at your setting. Overnight cooks are a breeze; no pit tending is required.
Cooking Configurations Smoking and Drying There are the three square adjustable stainless smoke dampers located at the center of the cooker door. They are used to vent smoke or heat and serve to enable visual monitoring of the product being cooked, as well as the amount of smoke being generated when the Turbo Draft Fan is running. When using the Tallboy for drying: • All three dampers should be opened wide to allow moisture to escape from the cooking chamber.
Cooking Configurations Warming and Holding Your Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy is an ideal warming and holding oven for outdoor events. Simply close the firebox tuning plate lids and set the BBQ Guru to a warming temperature in the 140°-165° F range. Use either steam table pans or disposable aluminum pans on a rack. Seal pans with aluminum foil to retain moisture.
Cooking Configurations Grilling on the Convertible Top There are several ways to grill with the Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy; the most convenient and efficient is to remove the External Top Plate and the Internal Top Plate. This requires about thirty seconds and no tools. Simply grasp the (fully cooled) External Top Plate and remove it, revealing the Internal Top Plate. Remove this and the top of the Cooking Chamber is exposed for grilling.
Cooking Configurations Grilling in the Cooker Remove both lids from the Firebox and you can broil on the lowest shelf of the Tallboy. You can use the racks above it for indirect cooking. You may also want to “tent” what you are broiling by turning a tray up side down over what is being cooked. This holds in heat and moisture and will serve to reduce cooking time. You can also broil on an upper shelf or even broil in the Cooking Chamber while it is detached from the Firebox Housing.
Cooking Configurations Grilling directly on the Firebox Detach the Cooking Chamber from the Firebox Housing and you gain a second open-top grilling surface. Place a grill directly on top of the Firebox and enjoy a high temperature pit for steaks, chops or those special frying pan creations. You can use the Firebox Housing simultaneously with grilling efforts conducted in and on the Cooking Chamber.
Cooking Configurations Deep Frying Break the Firebox Housing and the Cooking Chamber apart and use lower component as a temperature-controlled deep fryer. Place a stainless steel steam table tray in to the lit Firebox and fill it to a safe level with oil. Place the Pit Probe of your BBQ Guru control in the oil and enjoy the simplicity of “dialed temperature” deep frying over charcoal. Caution: Never place wet or frozen items in hot oil. Large items can cause overflow of oil into the fire causing flare up.
Care of Your Equipment Care of your BBQ Guru Your BBQ Guru is a robust solid-state system, requiring little maintenance. Still, there are a few things you can do to insure its function for the long term. Always remove the BBQ Guru before washing your Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy or disassembling it. Probes Our probes are made of high quality, high temperature materials.
Care of Your Equipment Cleaning your Caldera Del Fuego You’ll want to keep your Tallboy clean – it makes it much more pleasant to work with and far more attractive to your eating audience. It is easiest to clean racks and panels that have been sprayed with PAM or vegetable oil before cooking! Grills can be cleaned by spaying them with an oven cleaner and placing them in a plastic bag in the sun. Bagging dirty racks overnight with a healthy dose of ammonia is also effective.
Tallboy Knockdown Separating the Cooking Chamber and Firebox All panels and subassemblies of the Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy are held together by stainless steel carriage bolts and machined brass thumbnuts. The square shank of each carriage bolt mates with a square hole in the Tallboy. The thumbnuts are knurled to ease hand tightening. The nuts never need to be fitted more than hand tight, so no tools are required to break down or assemble the cooker.
Tallboy Knockdown Cooking Chamber Knockdown 1. Lift off the Top Lid (94-430) and lift out the Internal Lid Plate (94-444). 2. Unscrew the two thumbnuts securing the hinges of the Door Assembly to the Cooking Chamber and remove the door. 3. Remove the Small Door Handle from the Cooking Chamber by removing 1 thumbnut. 4. Detach the Inner Cooking Chamber Assembly by removing 6 thumbscrews on the rear of the Cooking Chamber. 5.
Tallboy Knockdown Outer Cooking Chamber Knockdown 25
Tallboy Knockdown Inner Cooking Chamber Knockdown 26
Tallboy Knockdown Door Knockdown 27
Tallboy Knockdown Shelf Slide Knockdown 28
Tallboy Knockdown Firebox Knockdown 29
Tallboy Knockdown Firebox Housing Knockdown 30
Reference Information Parts List Accessories Part # 94-014 94-501 93-002 20-051 Quan 1 1 1 1 Description BBQ GURU THERMOMETER ASH SHOVEL COTTON GLOVES BBQ STARTER SLEEVE Major Panels and Large Components Part # 94-427 94-428 94-429 94-430 94-431 94-432 94-433 94-434 94-435 94-436 94-437 94-438 94-439 94-440 94-441 94-442 94-443 94-444 94-445 94-446 94-459 94-422 94-453 94-424 94-463 Quan 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Description UPPER RIGHT SIDE PANEL UPPER LEFT SIDE PANEL FRONT DOO
Reference Information Smaller Fabricated Parts Part # 94-415 94-448 94-043 94-496 94-497 20-085 20-056 20-080 20-052 94-402 20-071 20-072 20-100 20-101 94-081 20-040 20-066 Quan 1 1 3 1 1 1 2 8 1 2 1 1 4 1 4 2 5 Description INTERNAL LARGE DAMPER NAME PLATE CDF/TALLBOY DAMPER DOOR LOWER DOOR HINGE UPPER DOOR HINGE DOOR LATCH HANDLE DOOR HANDLE FIRE BOX ROLLER FRONT INDUCER TUBE INDUCER TUBE NUT TALLBOY BACK INDUCER BACK INDUCER ADAPTER MAGNUM FIREBOX SPACER FIRE BOX LOCK KNOB TALLBOY WIRE SHELF BBQ REGULAT
Reference Information Dimensions and Capacities Dimensions Overall Dimensions: 26"deep x 18.5"wide x 47"high With patio wheels 48” high With off road wheels 51” high Total Weight of cooker: 175 lbs. Shipping weight with crate: 225 lbs. Internal Cooking Volume: 7.3 cu. ft. Charcoal Capacity: 10-14 lbs. Burn Time: 16-24 hrs @ 220° F Light load condition Fuel Consumption: .6 lbs. /hr.
Reference Information Door latch: Is adjustable with the thumb nut and carriage bolt it is attached to the cooker with. It is also bendable for increased spring load and precision closing and latching. Door locks: located on the lower left corner of cooking chamber door and fire box drawer are quarter turn knobs that are locked for security or transport of the cooker.
Reference Information Warrantee The BBQ Guru hereby warrants to the original purchaser of this Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy charcoal cooker/smoker that it will be free of defects in material and workmanship from the date of purchase as follows: Cooking Chamber steel panels against rust / burn-through 10 years Firebox Housing steel panels against rust / burn-through 10 years Firebox steel panels against rust / burn-through 2 years Grill racks 2 years Oak handles 1 year All remaining parts 5 years when assembled
Reference Information Getting Factory Help Reach us by toll-free telephone at: 1-800-288-GURU [(800) 288-4878] Call our local telephone number: 215-674-9992 Visit our website for links and information: www.thebbqguru.com Contact us by E-mail at: info@thebbqguru.
