THE BASTARD VX Medium Complete Met fre BBQ User Manual
- June 9, 2024
- THE BASTARD
Table of Contents
Medium Complete Met fre BBQ
User Manual
The vx
Every recipe is the start of a cooking adventure, not a set of rules that
cannot be changed. It is the start of something new: the start of your
creation. That is our philosophy. Take what is good, explore what can be
better, aim for the very best and challenge everything. This is how The
Bastard VX was born. Dreaming of the toughest and best ceramic grill ever, and
bringing this to life. Part by part, we determined our high standards and
discussed how the bar could be raised even further. The shape, materials,
accessories and even the packaging could only be the very best.
The golden rule at The Bastard has always been to ask ourselves the question:
“Would we buy this product?”. If the answer is ”no”, we simply don’t do it.
For the VX, we can happily say that the answer is 100% ‘‘yes’’. And we are
convinced that it will be the same for you. Good. Better. Bastard.
Martijn and Jeroen Wesselink (Bastards from the very beginning)
Read this before use
- Between the ceramic dome and base you find the glass fiber infinity gasket. Never remove this, since it ensures an airtight seal that helps to regulate the temperature.
- Never leave The Bastard unattended while it is lit.
- Do not use The Bastard on any inflammable surfaces like dry grass, wood or leaves, and keep a safe distance of at least 2 meters from inflammable objects.
- Make sure The Bastard is completely cooled down before you move it. It is recommended to hold The Bastard by the bottom sides of the hinge and pull it backwards, do not push it.
- Always be careful with any moving part of The Bastard, there is danger of entrapment. Never hold your hands near the springs of the hinge.
- The top cap is made of cast iron and can get very hot during use, heat resistant gloves are advised during operation.
- The barbecue has to be installed on a secure level base prior to use.
- It is recommended that the barbecue shall be heated up and the coal kept red hot for at least 30 min prior to the first cooking.
- Do not cook before the fuel has a coating of ash.
- WARNING! This barbecue will become very hot, do not move it during operation.
- Do not use indoors!
- WARNING! Do not use spirit or petrol for lighting or re-lighting! Use only firelighters complying to EN 1860-3!
- WARNING! Keep children and pets away.
- Do not use the barbecue in a confined and/or habitable space e.g. houses, tents, caravans, motor homes, boats. Danger of carbon monoxide poisoning fatality.
CAUTION when opening the dome!
The Bastard burns extremely efficiently thanks to the minimal supply of
oxygen. If you wish to open the dome, the sudden supply of oxygen may cause a
large flame. To avoid this, start by gently opening the dome a few
centimeters. This allows the oxygen to gradually reach the fire, preventing
flame jets. Subsequently, you can fully open the dome. This is called
“burping” and ensures that the oxygen ratio inside and outside the kamado is
in balance, so that no dangerous situations arise.
Tips & tricks
Let’s start low & slow
We have listed the steps for you.
- Check that all nuts and bolts are properly tightened.
- Put the brakes on the wheels.
- Fill up the charcoal basket generously with good quality charcoal (large pieces). This ensures better air circulation and hence better temperature control.
- Use firelighters made of natural material or fire starters. Never use chemical firelighters, spirits or other liquids. The ceramic is porous and when chemicals are used, they can penetrate the ceramic and impart flavour to the food. Our One Minute Lighter makes things even easier.
Let’s start
After lighting your fire, aim for a temperature 10 degrees Celsius below the
desired temperature and adjust the air inlet to stabilize the temperature in
time. The longer you leave the dome open, the higher the temperature can
become. Make sure that you don’t go too high as lowering the temperature takes
more time.
- Slowly heat The Bastard the first 3 times to a maximum of 225250 degrees Celsius. The more hot spots you create, the faster it heats up… So watch out for this! Close the dome in time to avoid the temperature getting too high.
- After cooking, close the air inlet and outlet to put out the flame. Always allow your kamado to cool down slowly. Next time, you can simply light the remaining charcoal, but do remove the ash.
- If you have used The Bastard 3 to 5 times, it is wise to check all screws and bolts.
- You don’t have to burn The Bastard clean!
It is important that you gently heat The Bastard to 225-250 degrees Celsius
the first 3 times you use it. The Bastard’s strength is that you can keep the
temperature very stable.
With little effort, you can maintain the temperature at 80-90°C for up to 12
hours. Or you can easily raise the temperature to 250°C.
You can control the temperature with the top cap and the air inlet (damper).
The more air you allow into The Bastard, the more the temperature will rise.
This means that closing the air inlet and the top cap will lower the
temperature.
How do I control the temperature of my Bastard?
First select the position of the damper and then adjust with the top cap. Do
this carefully with small taps. Otherwise you won’t have enough control. The
temperature of The
Bastard can then suddenly rise or fall sharply. This can be avoided by
allowing about 5 minutes for the Bastard to reach the right temperature.
Cleaning
Regularly remove the ash from the bottom of the Bastard. After a maximum of
four sessions, clean the barbecue completely (do not burn it clean). This is
the best way to maintain the airflow. If you remove the inner parts before
completely emptying The Bastard, do not leave the lid open. The Bastard is at
risk of toppling over without the counterweight of the inner parts. It is best
to keep the ceramic clean with the Cleaner & Polish. This will remove the fine
dirt and apply a protective layer to the ceramic.
The top cap is made from enamelled cast iron. It does NOT need to be burned
in, but is immediately ready for use. Over time, all kinds of fat, grease and
tar will build up on the top cap – this can be scrubbed off and washed with
hot water.
Regular maintenance
- Check all nuts and bolts. Please bear in mind that “fixed is fixed”. There is no need to lash the Bastard down completely! You see, steel expands and contracts when the temperature changes
- Polishing the ceramic. Fat, soot and other grease does deposit. To remove these, you can use our Ceramic Cleaner.
- Check the felt in the top cap and between the dome and base and replace when necessary.
- Replace rusted nuts and bolts immediately so as to avoid not being able to get them off again!
- Check whether your thermometer is properly calibrated by putting it in boiling water and checking whether it reads 100 degrees.
Getting ready for winter
Make sure you prepare The Bas- tard for freezing weather:
- Clean it thoroughly, remove all food residues, open the air slides and remove the cast iron top cap. This is the best way for The Bastard to breathe.
- Spray the metal bolts and hinges regularly with WD-40. Check and tighten where necessary.
- Remove the charcoal in the inner tray.
- Place a moisture absorber in The Bastard.
- If any mould has formed on the inside after the winter, this won’t do any harm. Easily resolve this by firing up The Bastard once.
- Keep tables indoors to prevent mould.
VX parts list
Exploded View
Assembly
Assembly
character. is. all.
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For assembly instructions, see page 41