chargriller pro mods

[bogey3368]

Does anyone have pics of mods they have done on there chargriller pro s/ SB? I have searched but came up with to many vague explanations. Any comments are greatly ajppreciated.

 

[teeotee]

Check out this thread for starters.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ead.php?t=9774

Then nere's my own thread on a mod i completed.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=15579

 

[watermelonslim]

So I am a total newbie when it comes to this sort of thing...

Anyway, I bought a Chargriller Super Pro and the Side Fire Box. I seasoned them last weekend (per instructions in the manual- using bacon grease).I have been reading online about mods that should be done to the Chargriller to get the best experience. I have a few questions about these mods...

1: The smokestack. If I bring it down to grill level, it will interfere with the warming rack. What is the best way to route the smokestack around the warming rack? Are there any simple plans or easy instructions for this mod that I can follow?

2: The charcoal basket. I have seen the posts about people putting rails in and then sitting the charcoal basket on the rails (lowering it to just above the ash pan). What if I made a charcoal basket that had a "lip" around it and let the "lip" sit on the "ledges" that normally hold up the cooking grates? Say I had a basket that was around 13" x 13" x 6.5" with a "lip" that was about halfway down, So when it was sitting in the SFB, around 3 inches of the basket would be above the cooking grate level, and around 3 inches would be below it. Would this work as good as if I had the metal "straps" mod that lowers the basket? Any ideas on how I could build it and where to buy the stuff to do it? I was thinking of cutting expanded steel, folding it into a box, leaving the ends a little long (so the end folds over the side a bit) and then bolting some "rails" onto the sides. The bolts should hold the "rails" on as well as hold the basket together. Any thoughts on that?

3: Baffle. I have read the posts about putting a baffle from the side fire box into the main cooking chamber. I have also seen where people have turned the ash pan (in the main cooking chamber) upside down, and moved it to the highest level- thus acting as a baffle. I don't want to put a permanent baffle there because it would interfere with the ash pan (the handle to raise/lower/remove the ash pan is right in front of the hole where the baffle would go). Is the charcoal pan raise/flip/move all the way over as good as a permanent baffle? If not, is it at least good enough? I plane on doing some long cooks, and I'd rather not have any surprises.

4: Thermometer. What is a god thermometer to get? I plan on lowering the lid thermometer to handle level. I read that it is not that great of a thermometer to begin with, so I would like to put a better one in there when I lower it. I also want to get one of the digital thermometers (with probes for meat and a grill level chamber probe as well). I want to have the digital thermometer as my main thermometer, but I still want the "dial" type in the lid as a backup. Any suggestions as to which thermometers I should get?

5: Rotisserie. If I buy the Chargriller rotisserie, can I close the lid while I use it or does the lid have to remain open? And when I am not using the rotisserie, does it leave holes in the chamber? Is there an easy way to plug the holes (and unplug them when I need the rotisserie)? Is the Chargriller rotisserie the one I should get or is there a better one I should be looking at?

6: The Chargriller charcoal baskets. Does anyone have the dimensions of them? Any reason I should or should not just buy one (or 2) of them? They look (in the picture on Chargriller's website) like they are shaped to fit the curvature of the main cooking chamber- when you put one on each side (for rotisserie). Do they really fit nicely there? If I put them in the side fire box, will they drop into the area where the cooking grill goes (part below the rail, part above)? They look like they should "catch" the "rails" that normally hold up the cooking grate somewhere between halfway up the basket and the top of the basket. Has anyone put one or 2 of these in the side fire box yet?

Thanks in advance for any help...

 

[tmw611]

Salty Dawg, I just got mine and did most of the mods you are doing, no pics but the threads from Teeotee helped alot.

1. I had to remove the heating rack. Unless you cut and modify it the stack mod wont go in. The question then becomes does the warming rack serve a purpose? No, it will only get in the way if you do multiple ribs that have to stand on end.

2. I dont believe 13x13 will fit through the door. I did mine 12.5 x 11.5 x 4. You could probably get away with 6 deep but you have to lift it off the bottom or it interferes with the drawer. That is what I saw anyway.

3. I have been using the aluminum foil for the baffle and then some perferated aluminum trays for the tuning plates. I have not made mine permanent yet. This seems to even the temp across the grill. Alot better than stock anyway. I tried the upsidedown coal pan but it just moved the hotspot to the other end. Saw someone doing a reverse flow plan somewhere on this site.

4. I bought two digitals from Home Depot. Remotes with alarm I use for the grill temp (through a potato) I also have another digital for meat. Digitals are pretty accurate, even the cheapies. The stock thermo is about 75 degrees cold on mine.

I know nothing of the rotisserie, sorry.

Hope that helps.

 

[renomike]

Here is a good link on youtube for building a no weld charcoal basket     for all the peeps searching for this mod.

 

[cliffcarter]

Here is a good link on youtube for building a no weld charcoal basket     for all the peeps searching for this mod.

 Easy to find here too-

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/89796/i-call-it-the-20-20-charcoal-basket

Posted 2 years after this thread was started.