Should I upgrade my Chargriller?

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macdad

Fire Starter
Original poster
Apr 7, 2009
34
10
I am currently smoking with a GOSM. I got the bug BAD! I would love to buy a Lang or similar, but don't have a couple grand sitting around
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I have a chargriller without the sidefire box. This grill is a couple years old, and I absolutely love it. Here are my questions.

If I mount a sidefire box on the grill, I should still be able to use it as a grill, right?

With the vent mod and "tuning plates," would the smoke quality be any improvement over the GOSM? I know some of you may be partial, but, if any of you have experience with both, I would love to hear from you.

I guess I am looking for two things. Improvement in quality of the smoked food and something a little closer to the wood smoker experience
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question #1....yes

question #2...the quality of the smoke as to what smoker you use is totally a matter of opinion.

question #3....i myself have a CGSP and a GOSM....for obvious reasons the char griller is closer to the wood experience. I to am wanting a lang but i want to make absoulute certian when i spend that money i am well trained in using a piece of equipment like that....so for now im stickin with my CGSP for practice
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I am thinking along the same lines. Also, I need to make sure I will stick with this for a long time before I invest that kind of cash. Not to mention, it will probably take me years to convince my wife
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true very true...a happy wife is a happy life. all ya gotta do is whip some of that good Q on her for a few years and she will cave
 
Ya I got a Lang 48 mobile and a Chargriller Duo Pro. No need for me to convert but a neighbor did but won't listen to the mods he should be making and is always complaining bout heat controll. Go Figure. I love the CG grill and Do Not See Any reason for you not to upgrade as long as you make the mods.
 
I would get the sidebox and add it to the existing chargriller. Read up on all the mods and then decide what mods you want to do to your chargriller. In the meantime keep using the GOSM. Before long you'll be skilled at both smokers. Then when you get your turn key Lang with all the bells and whistles, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you could modify a more basic model into something similar to your Lang.
 
By all means, add the SFB. You will still be able to grill direct & indirect. Be sure to knock out that football on the side of the CG or you will never get the temps high enough in the main chamber.

As for the mods, my advice is to do them one at a time & see what works best for you. With mine, I line it with foil & roll the ends of the foil loosely up to the lip. When I close the lid, it seals the cooking chamber pretty good. I don't use tuning plates. I take the cooking grates from the SFB & set them inside the cooking chamber. I flip the ash tray over & set it on those grates. The curve of the ash tray pretty much matches the top of the SFB opening. The temps on either side of the cooking chamber at grate level stay within 5-10 degrees of each other. I did mod the stack, but the last cook I did without the stack mod & didn't notice any difference.

Be sure get some therms to measure temp at grate level. The stock CG therm is pretty useless.
 
That is a good idea about using the grates to support the ash tray. That would get me started with less investment.

As for the thermometer, I never use it for grilling. It gives me an idea if I am running hotter or cooler that's it. For grilling, I just hold my just above the grate and start counting. I have a decent digital thermometer to measure the temperature.

I think I will be buying the SFB in a couple weeks. That should give me time to clean up my grill a little and buy the few pieces/parts for the mods.
 
Definately! I have the char-griller with side box and I do use it as a grill ocasionaly as well. Just be aware that you will need to re-season your cast iron grates after high temp grilling. The higher temps seem to burn off that nice seasoning I get on them from smoking
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Another option is to still build your fire in the side box, but remove any tuning plates... then the temp right near the firebox will be much hotter and allows for some med to low temp grilling.

If you add the firebox definately do the dryer vent smoke stack upgrade, add two therms at grate level, you can flip the charcoal pan upside down to use as a heat baffle/tuning plate (works quite well), and get a BBQ wok at home depot or lowes to use as a charcoal basket.

Best of luck!
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