Sealing a Char Griller Smoking pro
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thsmormonsmokes
Smoking Fanatic
Sorry for the late reply. Work, you know.
YMMV = your mileage may vary.
I've used a piano blanket to insulate my cooking chamber during colder smokes. It helps, but I've had to be very careful to make sure it doesn't touch the firebox. Let's just say my piano blanket doesn't look as new as it did a year ago. Lots of little scorch holes in it. I've just been too lazy to go buy a welding blanket.
YMMV = your mileage may vary.
I've used a piano blanket to insulate my cooking chamber during colder smokes. It helps, but I've had to be very careful to make sure it doesn't touch the firebox. Let's just say my piano blanket doesn't look as new as it did a year ago. Lots of little scorch holes in it. I've just been too lazy to go buy a welding blanket.
HOLY COW Dave! No wonder it smells clear over to the neighbors house. LOL
Clean all that out and start over.
Dave have you read this thread? http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/58778/char-griller-smokin-pro-with-firebox-mods
It is 21 pages, so a very long read, but everything I've done mostly came from that thread.
Mormon, thanks for the translation.
Here is a photo of my charcoal basket after burning for 3 hours.
It's a little smaller than most use, but I get good air flow all the way around. You can see on the left, that grate I put in to rest it on.
The smoking wood flared up when I opened the door to take pic.
Here is the product of todays smoke
Spare Ribs were pretty durned good.
Clean all that out and start over.
Dave have you read this thread? http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/58778/char-griller-smokin-pro-with-firebox-mods
It is 21 pages, so a very long read, but everything I've done mostly came from that thread.
Mormon, thanks for the translation.
Here is a photo of my charcoal basket after burning for 3 hours.
It's a little smaller than most use, but I get good air flow all the way around. You can see on the left, that grate I put in to rest it on.
The smoking wood flared up when I opened the door to take pic.
Here is the product of todays smoke
Spare Ribs were pretty durned good.
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a different mod for char-grill coming up. Will post tomorrow if site lets me post pics. Having trouble tonight whit that.
daveinflorida
Smoke Blower
I cleaned/scraped it all off with Mean Green as suggested. I still lean in and smell the chemicals. Gonna use straight oak wood on saturday to see if I can get a good smoke/burn to kill off the remaining smell. We'll see.
I Dave, good to see you again.
When you cleaned it off, did you actually disassemble where you had to most of it inside, then clean and re-assemble with a minimal amount of sealer as possible? I think that is what I would've done.
But if you just scraped and cleaned inside the best you could and none is showing. Give it a good scrubbing with detergent, rinse well with hose and then, build a BIG bed of hot coals in the cooking chamber itself and let it get to 500-600* or so, for awhile and then just let the coals burn them selves out. That will take a few hours, so be patient. That may do it, but remember you are dealing with high heat resistant sealent. You'll have to re-season it after the high burn
I'm just guessing here, but it's the best guess I can think of. I used very little in my assembling to avoid this. If that super hot burn don't take care of it, then you will have to disassemble everything, clean and start over including seasoning it.
Let me know how it turns out.
When you cleaned it off, did you actually disassemble where you had to most of it inside, then clean and re-assemble with a minimal amount of sealer as possible? I think that is what I would've done.
But if you just scraped and cleaned inside the best you could and none is showing. Give it a good scrubbing with detergent, rinse well with hose and then, build a BIG bed of hot coals in the cooking chamber itself and let it get to 500-600* or so, for awhile and then just let the coals burn them selves out. That will take a few hours, so be patient. That may do it, but remember you are dealing with high heat resistant sealent. You'll have to re-season it after the high burn
I'm just guessing here, but it's the best guess I can think of. I used very little in my assembling to avoid this. If that super hot burn don't take care of it, then you will have to disassemble everything, clean and start over including seasoning it.
Let me know how it turns out.
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Here is a little different mod. Simple, but it works.
stead of turning ash pan over and trying to position it just right, I left the ash pan right side up as high as it will go.
Then just used those cheap disposable lids to those foil serving pans. One small and one large. They kind of overlap a bit.
You can see I snipped a couple of slots so that I could get the lids right next to the wall.
Same on other side too.
Now you have a flat surface that you can set water pans and the like under the grill.
With the grate flipped upside down, you don't have that option so easily.
I took a pic with the grill over both pans, but camera decided to quit working. Anyway, It'll fit.
But smoke was just the same as if I had flipped charcoal pan upside down.
Except this way, I can set water pans easily without try to balance on curved surface.
Now that I know it work okay, I will try to fit lids a little bit better, and maybe punch a few holes down the center for smoke.
This cheap trick opens possibilities. We can slide bricks or shallow sand pans into the coal grate for heat retention.
Do your own thing with it.
Note: You "DO" have to watch rust on your cast iron food grates when water pans. It seems to remove grates seasoning a bit.
Brush off and coat with oil after removing water pans, and let remaining coals burn to re-season your grates.
Then just used those cheap disposable lids to those foil serving pans. One small and one large. They kind of overlap a bit.
You can see I snipped a couple of slots so that I could get the lids right next to the wall.
Same on other side too.
Now you have a flat surface that you can set water pans and the like under the grill.
With the grate flipped upside down, you don't have that option so easily.
I took a pic with the grill over both pans, but camera decided to quit working. Anyway, It'll fit.
But smoke was just the same as if I had flipped charcoal pan upside down.
Except this way, I can set water pans easily without try to balance on curved surface.
Now that I know it work okay, I will try to fit lids a little bit better, and maybe punch a few holes down the center for smoke.
This cheap trick opens possibilities. We can slide bricks or shallow sand pans into the coal grate for heat retention.
Do your own thing with it.
Note: You "DO" have to watch rust on your cast iron food grates when water pans. It seems to remove grates seasoning a bit.
Brush off and coat with oil after removing water pans, and let remaining coals burn to re-season your grates.
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Very cool mod Thumbs Up
I am not a fan of the water in my cook chamber, so I would lay some heat treated tiles on top of the pan lids for a heat sync, but a very cool way of looking at solution.
I am not a fan of the water in my cook chamber, so I would lay some heat treated tiles on top of the pan lids for a heat sync, but a very cool way of looking at solution.
daveinflorida
Smoke Blower
No. I bought some of permatex' sealant remover and used that, scraped off everything visible, washed the entire grill on the inside with mean green and did a good washing. I'm ready to try it out tomorrow. When it gets light tomorrow, I'll take some pics of how it looks now. I plan to start a fire with some charcoals but put in oak to get it good and hot and hopefully burn off any remaining residue.
I'm not a fan of water pans either jarjarchef, but I had to use them with some fish I was smoking. I kept getting too hard of pellicle.
Water pans helped that, but then took a little seasoning off my grills.
But the thing with this is just by not turning ash pan upside down, you have a level surface to do whatever you want with it. You could use cookie sheets or just steel sheet. You can make holes for more smoke if you want. Use bricks, sand.
No matter what, you have a level surface for it.
Dave, Good luck. Make sure you have hot coals end to end for good high heat. I think I would also stoke of the side fire box at same time.
It that don't go it for you, maybe contact Permatex or Grill manufacture for help.
I feel for you Dave. These kind of things can drive a person nuts. I hope it turns out well for you.
Water pans helped that, but then took a little seasoning off my grills.
But the thing with this is just by not turning ash pan upside down, you have a level surface to do whatever you want with it. You could use cookie sheets or just steel sheet. You can make holes for more smoke if you want. Use bricks, sand.
No matter what, you have a level surface for it.
Dave, Good luck. Make sure you have hot coals end to end for good high heat. I think I would also stoke of the side fire box at same time.
It that don't go it for you, maybe contact Permatex or Grill manufacture for help.
I feel for you Dave. These kind of things can drive a person nuts. I hope it turns out well for you.
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daveinflorida
Smoke Blower
So you're saying I should have a bed of coals in the cooking chamber AND the firebox in order to try and burn out the smell?
I would do just that. It will burn off any residue you have in there. I would get the temps up over 400 and let it ride for a couple hours. Now you will need to touch up some of the paint on the outside. Then wipe down the inside with a cloth with oil and season the smoker......... Do not put any food in until burned out and seasoned. That is what I would do.....
daveinflorida
Smoke Blower
Cool. I will do that today then my friend and see how it smells. Now I was also thinking of putting some sticks of oak wood on top of the coals to help with the burn and killing the smell. Thoughts?
I would add the oak during the seasoning step. However if you are just cleaning up some trimmings I don't see it hurting it.
Yep, what jarjar said.
First burn, you just want high heat to burn everything inside. Then after it cools, wipe inside down with damp cloths to remove anything burnt off in the process, THEN coat everything well with oil, Complete inside of barrel, top and bottom including firebox.
Then when you start your seasoning process fire, you could use a little wood I suppose.
PS, send a little heat up here. It's 7* right now outside!
First burn, you just want high heat to burn everything inside. Then after it cools, wipe inside down with damp cloths to remove anything burnt off in the process, THEN coat everything well with oil, Complete inside of barrel, top and bottom including firebox.
Then when you start your seasoning process fire, you could use a little wood I suppose.
PS, send a little heat up here. It's 7* right now outside!
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daveinflorida
Smoke Blower
Well I did a big burn 2 weeks ago and had briquettes in the SFB and in the cooking chamber along with a good piece of oak and let it burn. Did my first food cook last saturday. Finally, no chemical smell and the meat turned out perfect! Thanks for everyone's help. Also, as much as I scrapped off the red rtv, i thought I would have smoke seeping out, but it didnt so now on to bigger meats. Thanks again guys.
Glad it all worked for you.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
daveinflorida
Smoke Blower
yep. I did a turkey breast yesterday and the weirdest thing. As the temps was dropping in the cooking chamber down to about 200, i started to smell the chemicals again. I needed to bring my temps back up to around 250 to keep the turkey going and the smell went away. I'm doing 4 racks of ribs and chicken for new years day so will take pics and post. We're having about 20 people over for a new years day hangover party. I'll probably still be hammered from the nite before. Should be a good time. :)
Have you had your smeller calibrated lately Dave? LOL
Ask a few other people to tell you what they smell when you are cooking. Don't tell them" what smell" you are looking for.
Pretend you are testing their smellers to identify the flavors or something. And they will tell you if it smells off or not.
Kind of like a blind smell test. You may be still smelling it, because you are worrying about it, and thinking of what it was like before.
Post some pics of the inside now that you've cleaned it up. If you've done as good a job as it sounds like, I bet you have it licked.
If you didn't clean off the excess from on outside of unit, then maybe that is what you are smelling.
Ask a few other people to tell you what they smell when you are cooking. Don't tell them" what smell" you are looking for.
Pretend you are testing their smellers to identify the flavors or something. And they will tell you if it smells off or not.
Kind of like a blind smell test. You may be still smelling it, because you are worrying about it, and thinking of what it was like before.
Post some pics of the inside now that you've cleaned it up. If you've done as good a job as it sounds like, I bet you have it licked.
If you didn't clean off the excess from on outside of unit, then maybe that is what you are smelling.
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