Char Griller - Beating a dead horse

[whitesox1837]

Hi all,

I bought the Char Griller Pro from Menards this spring and so far its worked okay.  I have only been using it to BBQ w/o a SFB and have had no problems so far.  I was using my Weber Kettle for grilling and such but had to retire it.  Today I am making a beer can chicken on the Char Griller but I cannot get the temp to go over 275 no matter how much charcoal I throw on.  When I first bought the grill I noticed a lot of smoke spilling out of the sides and the chimney.  I sealed the chimney with sealer and bought 3/4 inch hosing to seal the sides but apparently the size was too big as I could not get the vent to close more than halfway with it on. :P  I didn't worry about it as I was not having any trouble maintain 250 degrees but now its a problem.  Can anyone tell me what size tubing I should use, if that is even the best way to do seal the sides?

I realize this has been covered countless times on countless sites but I am looking for some specifics.

Thanks!

 

[whitesox1837]

Also, I assume where I saw the smoke leaking out of the sides is where the heat is escaping from.  Am I correct in assuming this?  Chickens been on for two hours now but the chicken temp in only 130 degrees.

 

[venture]

They aren't the greatest, but they make a decent smoker.  You are not using it as a smoker really, you are just trying to smoke on a grill.  As grills go, it is a large grill and it takes a lot of fuel to run that thing.  Even with the SFB, a common knock on offsets is that they are less fuel efficient and require more fire tending than some other types.  For beginners this can be a good thing because you learn a lot about fire control and general smoking skills.You can get good cooks off that, but it will take more work, more fuel and a few mods to do it.  Check the search tool and you will see all sorts of ideas that have worked for other people.

Good luck and good smoking.