Char-Griller 3001 gas grill with SFB

[scsmokedyankee]

 Hello all! I think I have done enough research now to voice myself without sounding like a complete ass but I'm sure someone will disagree with me. I have purchased a new Char-Griller 3001 gas grill with a side fire box and will start my first indirect heat/smoking project tomorrow. I am here to ask anyone if I am missing something or acting a fool while I learn. I plan on using this as a grill and smoker that I can (fairly easily) switch between the two. First let me start with the mods I have done to the grill in preparation.

Cooking chamber

1 I have removed my gas burners and sealed the cooking chamber with heavy foil and I have a drip pan.

2 I have added the stove pipe section to just above the grill surface farthest from the sfb and closed off the vent closest to the sfb.

3 I added thermometers to both sides of the lid close to the grilling surface.

4 Added a section of foil from the box opening to the end of the second rack with holes in it to help even the heat.

Fire box

1 mounted coal rack a little higher and to the sfb itself so I can slide out the ash tray to empty it.

2 Left enough room to leave one grilling grate in there for a water pan on the left side.

I also painted the exterior with high temp paint and have done test burns to burn off any crap. I will be using dry hickory wood chunks and cowboy charcoal and testing for some time to make sure I can regulate the heat with the fuel I am using before I add food. For my first try I will be doing a 4-5 hour burn so that means ribs a small pork loin and a couple of small beer chickens or game hens. I know about cook times and temps and if your lookin you ain't cookin. 

My wife tells me that I am too much of an engineer and bring a methodical approach to an artistic process but I figured I would ask some non-biased persons for there thoughts on if what I am doing is overkill.

I can get pictures on here tomorrow but for now any words will be helpful. I can take it so flame away!

 

[pops6927]

Welcome to SMF!  Thank you so much for posting!

We're a little different forum.  We all highly respect each other and every contribution and only want to make your visit here worthwhile with no fear of ridicule or  flaming - the only flaming we have is in our smokers and try to keep it to smoldering instead!  

If you would kindly go to Roll Call and introduce yourself so we may properly welcome you, it would be great!  Don't forget to enter your location for reference!

Your work so far is impressive!  Any pics (we call it Qview) you post at first will have to go through moderation; everyone has to so as to keep spammers off the site.  Don't try uploading them over and over again; just once is fine, we check for new ones all day long and authorize them as soon as possible; it's only in your first 20 posts or so and it happens to everyone; thank you so much for understanding!

We look forward to all your contributions and great Qview - we love Qview.... anything that makes us drool all over our keyboards is great!  We love to drool!  lol!  Just remember one thing, we're all here to help!

 

[pops6927]

BTW, your engineering skills are most welcome!  It is artisan craft, but in some cases highly technical also, esp. when you get into curing, dry curing, sausages, custom smoker builds, analysis of smoker dimensions... I think you'll feel right at home!  Welcome!

 

[scsmokedyankee]

Lets see if I do the pic thing right. First the grill pre-cook.

I started the burn for about an hour to try and figure out the right amount of fire to keep the temp between 200 and 250.

Once I established correct temp. Insert yumyums.

Nows the maintain game which I got a little messed up at about the 3rd hour when the temp climbed to 300 for about 15 min which crisped the ribs a bit for me. End game, it turned out well with two seperate cook times and my f-up with the temp so I have learned and I will let you guys know how my next cook goes. Here is the final product.