Help! Trying to assemble Char-Griller!

[gaga]

I am pleased to announce that I'm finally done assembling my smoker!

Unless it pours, I'll be smoking on Sunday.

 

[howufiga]

Excellent! Your going to love it! I love mine, am going to mod it shortly!

 

[bigsteve]

Good for you. I can't believe how up-beat you stayed through all this. I'm more of a Homer Simpson. I probably would have taken a sledge hammer and destroyed it.

What are you making Sunday?

 

[gaga]

1. Oh, I did destroy it. And then I brought it to Lowes and they gave me a new one.

2. I didn't even mention the hassle I went through trying to find a 7/8" drill bit to install my new 3" temp guages. That sucked, but it was very satisfying to put those bad boys on the smoker.

3. I'm gonna smoke a big ole butt, some corn, some mushrooms, and some ABT's. The missus don't eat the creatures of the land (don't get me started), so I gotta put some veggie stuff on there, cause I ain't mixing pork and fish. I wanna smoke some turkey legs, but my understanding is that poultry needs to smoke at around 275*, while the butt smokes a 225*.

4. I'm inviting a bunch of friends over, cause I can't eat all that by myself.

 

[dpdarb]

I bought the side box and, as per instructions, hammered out the side panel on my charcoal grill first. All went well, a pliers straightened out any warpage. Then I went to do the same to the side fire box. In progression from small hammer to two-handed sledge, the knockout never knocked out and I ruined the entire box. I called Char-Griller, left my # etc. and, after 5 hours with no reply, took everything back to Lowes. They took it back with no questions and I came home with another one. Before I could unbox it and try to drill it at the spot welds, Char-Griller called. Said if I had any trouble at all just fax a copy of the receipt, my name and address and the problem...they would mail me a replacement. Very nice. Some of the units, made in China, have been welded too strongly and they are aware of it. Bad engineering decision; should have bolted the knockout unit on...could have used the same 6 holes the buyer has to punch out.

 

[markspacer]

I finished putting together my CGSP yesterday, and if I hadn't read about how hard getting that football out was I'd have probably destroyed mine. Instead, since I figured it was going to be difficult, I broke out the air chisel. It's been in this cheapo air tool kit my wife and daughters bought me years ago, and I thought it was the one tool in that kit I would never use... worked like a charm.

I did the chimney mod and made a heat baffle out of a cookie sheet. Did the seasoning fire this afternoon, everything looks awesome. Tomorrow it gets christened with chicken... can't wait to try a brisket in it. I've never smoked before, always been a griller and haven't fired up charcoal for 20 years or so. The seasoning fire smelled awesome.... now to get some food in that bad boy.