Interesting Box Store Gravity Feed Smoker comparison video

[RCAlan]

Here’s a very interesting and informative comparison video of box store Gravity Feed Smokers… FYI. Everyone has their opinion, just wanted to pass the info along to current owners and potential buyers..


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Char-Griller 980 GF… Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... In SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[negolien]

Chargriller came out a couple years later than MBGF's so no Suprise they are a little better reviewed. They were able to see what the issues were with the 1st gens of MBGF's and what people liked before they jumped in the market. They are also bigger so that gets reviews bumped. They are close to 750$ so that's not cool. That's virtually the same price as the 1050's. I guess if you're comparing em to the 1050 but then the 1050's have made adjustments over the 560's and fixed what some people said were issues. I seen MBGF 560's on sale for as low as $200 so that would be a no brainer. Was an ok review I guess thanks for sharing. I wish I had cash for the real good ones but /shrug. I love the gravity feeds in general I can't tend for snot so great for us nubs lol.

 

[RCAlan]

Just like the popularity of Pellet Grills, Gravity Feed Smokers are making their mark in the bbqing world for the common consumer. They’ve been around since the 1990’s… but now since the past 3 plus years, the general public can afford them. I’ve seen the competition level ones cost as much as $10,000, so to be able to go too your local hardware store and buy a GF smoker for less then $1000.00 and in some cases, around $500.00-$700.00 is nice. Will there be some bugs and growing pains for some?? Sure, but most issues if any can be resolved. A bonus that the entry level GF smokers have over some of the higher priced mid-level GF smokers don’t come standard with are…. their PID controllers, hopper fans to control the air flow and the ability to monitor and make adjustments via WiFi and Bluetooth. Being able to Set-it and Forget-it and have true hardwood and charcoal smoke flavor profile is a added bonus for making bbqing easy. I think good, honest and unbiased reviews, no matter their origins are very important and they help to keep everyone informed. .02



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Char-Griller 980 GF… Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... In SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[negolien]

I agree with everything u said. I love the abiltiy to set it and forget it for the most part. I used to have a weber I could only direct grill on it cause I suck at fire tending and temp control. I wasn't a fan of the pellets so the GF was a game changer that allowed me to be able to smoke and grill like a lesser pro lol.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

Interesting video. however, for the most part, I see these as a solution, looking for a problem, while bringing potential problems of their own.

I can get set it and forget it capabilities with a WSM or a kamado and a good temperature controller.

Minimal moving parts and a lot less to go wrong, and with charcoal and wood flavor..

 

[G8trwood]

The difference is in flavor of smolder vs active fire.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

The difference is in flavor of smolder vs active fire.

What's the difference in taste from food cooked in a gravity feed charcoal smoker vs say in a WSM charcoal smoker?

 

[negolien]

Interesting video. however, for the most part, I see these as a solution, looking for a problem, while bringing potential problems of their own.

I can get set it and forget it capabilities with a WSM or a kamado and a good temperature controller.

Minimal moving parts and a lot less to go wrong, and with charcoal and wood flavor..

Umm yeah cept u have to add charcoal like 12 more times on a wsm vs a gf lol but sure.. And other stuff.. but yeah ok lol

 

[one eyed jack]

Umm yeah cept u have to add charcoal like 12 more times on a wsm vs a gf lol but sure.. And other stuff.. but yeah ok lol

12 times? My 18 inch WSM will run 225 -250 for at east 10 hours. I don't even want to smoke anything that takes 120 hours to cook.

I have had to start a new fire in the WSM several times but, overall, mine is extremely predictable and easy to regulate temp's in.

 

[RCAlan]

Interesting debate.. . I would’ve chimed in yesterday, but I was flying over the Pacific Ocean and internet service wasn’t available. Everyone is going to have their favorite bbqing cooking tools and will manage to work around any flaws they may have. In most cases, there’s mods available to improve performance and in some cases eliminate manufacturers defects all together. If anyones followed my pellet grill journey over the years here, then you know all things are possible if you’re willing to try hard enough. Should bbqing have to be so difficult? No.. Heck No!! Should someone have to spend over $1000.00 or even $600.00 to have a reliable and effective Bbq Smoker? No. By all means, if you have it $ and want to spend it, go for it. At this point in life, I just want something that I can fuel up, turn on and sit back and relax. I know there are many bbqing devices that offer that ability, I just happen to discover the Gravity Feed series smokers for the masses and I’m quite pleased. I got mine for $500.00 and so far no complaints. Is there routine maintenance required? Yes. Are there things to watch out for to avoid problems and issues down the road? Yes and I’ve posted them. Is the CharGriller 980 perfect? No. No bbq grill or smoker is. Can a Off-Set stick burner put out excellent bbq? Yes they can, they just require to much work. ie. They’re not able to Set-it and Forget-it. Can a WSM? I’m sure they can as well, but the GF series has me covered. Overall, the CG 980 does what I ask it to do and it does it quite well. It all comes down to customer satisfaction, personal preference and what works best for you. .02



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Char-Griller 980 GF… Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... In SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[mcokevin]

Interesting video. however, for the most part, I see these as a solution, looking for a problem, while bringing potential problems of their own.

I can get set it and forget it capabilities with a WSM or a kamado and a good temperature controller.

Minimal moving parts and a lot less to go wrong, and with charcoal and wood flavor..

If all you are doing is smoking low and slow, by all means use the WSM + Guru. But a WSM does not have the ability to grill or sear. The MB and Chargriller gravity smokers can hit 700+. Also, if cook surface area is important the largest WSM tops out at 726 square inches, well below what is available with the gravity smokers.

The WSM is obviously a great smoker and a workhorse among hobbyists here, but comparing them to the gravity smokers is apples and oranges.

 

[negolien]

12 times? My 18 inch WSM will run 225 -250 for at east 10 hours. I don't even want to smoke anything that takes 120 hours to cook.

I have had to start a new fire in the WSM several times but, overall, mine is extremely predictable and easy to regulate temp's in.

So u run 10 hours without adding charcoal in your wsm? lol

 

[mcokevin]

So u run 10 hours without adding charcoal in your wsm? lol

Yes, you can. WSM is much more fuel efficient than any of the gravity smokers.

The only time I ever had to add extra fuel in mine was doing 12+ hour smokes.

 

[texomakid]

So u run 10 hours without adding charcoal in your wsm? lol

Absolutely you can. 1st you need to make sure you seal up any air leaks in the WSM so you can control the air with the lower vents. Snake method and Minion method are 2 ways that I'm aware of to utilize charcoal for long slow cooks. There may be other methods as well I'm not aware of. You can google them and find a plethora of information to help you achieve the slow burn of charcoal.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

As already mentioned, a WSM can run 10-12 hrs on one load of charcoal no trouble.

Also, one can in fact sear and grill on a WSM as well.

The easiest way to do that is by using the bottom section of it.

Another way of doing so involves moving the charcoal grate up to the water pan tabs, placing the fire ring on top of that charcoal grate, and adding another charcoal grate atop the fire ring and building the coal bed on it, and grilling using the top grate in it's normal place.

Finally, available space was brought up. 8 pork butts can be done in a WSM. Two turkeys. If space remains a consideration, then using a hanging method, as many as 20 racks of St Louis cut ribs can be smoked in a 22.5in WSM at once.

But aside from all of that, I was curious after watching the video and I mused as to what these gravity fed charcoal smokers that were reviewed in the video, offer that a charcoal smoker such as a WSM with a temperature controller doesn't, except more moving parts?

When someone alluded to or mentioned a flavor difference of a smoldering fire vs an active fire, it caused me to wonder if these gravity fed smokers burn charcoal in a different manner than do other charcoal burners. Do they, and is that the advantage?

 

[one eyed jack]

As already mentioned, a WSM can run 10-12 hrs on one load of charcoal no trouble.

Also, one can in fact sear and grill on a WSM as well.

The easiest way to do that is by using the bottom section of it.

Another way of doing so involves moving the charcoal grate up to the water pan tabs, placing the fire ring on top of that charcoal grate, and adding another charcoal grate atop the fire ring and building the coal bed on it, and grilling using the top grate in it's normal place.

Finally, available space was brought up. 8 pork butts can be done in a WSM. Two turkeys. If space remains a consideration, then using a hanging method, as many as 20 racks of St Louis cut ribs can be smoked in a 22.5in WSM at once.

But aside from all of that, I was curious after watching the video and I mused as to what these gravity fed charcoal smokers that were reviewed in the video, offer that a charcoal smoker such as a WSM with a temperature controller doesn't, except more moving parts?

When someone alluded to or mentioned a flavor difference of a smoldering fire vs an active fire, it caused me to wonder if these gravity fed smokers burn charcoal in a different manner than do other charcoal burners. Do they, and is that the advantage?

I recently smoked a store bought frozen duck in my 18" WSM. I was surprised that I could get the smoke chamber temp up to, and a bit above 350*. (12 years of "low and slow" smoking in it).

Duck took about 3 hours to get to 170* or there abouts, in the breast. Skin was "bight through" although not exactly crispy).

My WSM is around 12 years old and pretty well "grunked" up, (Well sealed). Water bowl is about half filled with sand.

There is a huge difference between smoldering fire as opposed to small but hot fire. Hard to argue against physics. Your gonna lose. (Think creosote, from the smoldering fire).

I look at the gravity cookers and think "There's a lot of unnecessary and prone to failure complexity". A solution to a problem that doesn't exist. And thin metal that's going to burn out pretty quickly, especially if you run hot temps in it.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

I recently smoked a store bought frozen duck in my 18" WSM. I was surprised that I could get the smoke chamber temp up to, and a bit above 350*. (12 years of "low and slow" smoking in it).

Duck took about 3 hours to get to 170* or there abouts, in the breast. Skin was "bight through" although not exactly crispy).

My WSM is around 12 years old and pretty well "grunked" up, (Well sealed). Water bowl is about half filled with sand.

There is a huge difference between smoldering fire as opposed to small but hot fire. Hard to argue against physics. Your gonna lose. (Think creosote, from the smoldering fire).

I look at the gravity cookers and think "There's a lot of unnecessary and prone to failure complexity". A solution to a problem that doesn't exist. And thin metal that's going to burn out pretty quickly, especially if you run hot temps in it....

What you describe above about smoldering fire vs small but hot fire, is indeed what I was thinking as well.

I light my WSM via the minion method. Small but very hot center. Nothing smoldering about it. Now granted, my WSM has an oversized basket in it which will hold just under 40lbs of Jealous Devil lump charcoal when topped off. 20hrs of burn time would be no problem for it. But my point with regard to smoldering fire, vs small hot fire, is that a WSM, using either a minion method or snake method, is hot, not smoldering.

When I hear about an automated charcoal smoker, with moving parts and other electronics in it, that will only run for about 10hrs without adding more fuel to it, and see a comparison of sorts between them, well like some, I'm scratching my head.

The fires built below will burn for well in excess of 16hrs, and steady as a rock using just a fan and controller. The one example below, the cook went over 15hrs, and that single fuel load had at least another 5hrs on top of that left in it. This was a brisket cook. The steady line shows that no lid, nor door was opened on it during this cook. No coals were added.

So when I see a comment about adding coals “12 times”, and I see surprise and disbelief expressed that an out of the box WSM can run 10hrs on one load of charcoal with the stock fire ring in it,... forget an oversized ring like mine which cost as low as $82.00 and which will allow it to run for crazy periods of time without adding a single charcoal to it, again, I'm left puzzled.

I'm all for advancements in cooking and smoking technology, and ease of effort.

But I'm having a time seeing these big box store gravity fed charcoal smokers as "improvement". With in addition to electronics, moving parts, ignitors and other parts that can fail, I don't see it.

 

[G8trwood]

Charcoal vs wood. Different taste buds and burning. What one calls hot another calls smoldering;) I had a wsm or clone as my first adult smoker. Just never liked the profile, likely because of what I grew up with. I also don’t care for burgers cooked over charcoal. We had lots of trees growing up and had stick burner.
The attraction of the gravity fed smokers to me is that you can add lots of chunks to change the profile. But the I like Dodge trucks, so I am a rebel

 

[SlowmotionQue]

Charcoal vs wood. Different taste buds and burning. What one calls hot another calls smoldering;) I had a wsm or clone as my first adult smoker. Just never liked the profile, likely because of what I grew up with. I also don’t care for burgers cooked over charcoal. We had lots of trees growing up and had stick burner.
The attraction of the gravity fed smokers to me is that you can add lots of chunks to change the profile. But the I like Dodge trucks, so I am a rebel

Don't get me wrong. I like gizmos as much as the next person. But to my eye, these gravity fed charcoal smokers are, well, ...gizmos. That's why I looked at the video and took it with a grain of salt. It's a gizmo comparison.

I see this much in the same way as I see an iRobot vs a broom or a vacuum cleaner. I'm thinking; "Wait a minute.....my broom and vacuum cleaner work just fine, and they get into hard to get areas much better."

Again though, with regard to your post, I'm trying to follow.

So you had a WSM clone, and you were burning just wood in it?

If that is the case, then small wonder that the profile left some to be desired. They are intended to burn charcoal, Of course one can add wood chunks, chips, even small splits as well, if desired.

However on that point, in the strictest sense, anyone who burns lump charcoal is burning wood.

OTOH, many briquettes out there, have binders in them which allow them to be shaped into the square form that they are usually in.

But you mention that the attraction for you was the ability to change the profile by adding chunks of wood. I can add chunks or even 1/8 splits to my WSM, to "change the profile" as well, if I like. And in a variety of configurations. Chunks, chips, splits, I typically build my fire with chunks buried intermittently within the charcoal, or I place my wood on the bottom of the pile as in the immediate below pic. This can all be done without the risk of mechanical failure, and for longer periods without refueling.

Like I say, I see these as a solution looking for a problem, while at the same time, introducing the possibility of other problems.

Lighting this via minion method, those coals in the center of the pile, are red hot, ignites that wood, and keeps it hot. Or if I want to intersperse my wood and charcoal, I can do so as well. 20hrs is possible with that.

Why I would want it to burn for so long on one load of fuel?

That was a brisket cook. I can take that brisket off, and immediately load 6 racks of ribs over that same fire, and never add another piece of charcoal before they were done. I have not seen the big box gravity fed that can do that.

I don't care for burgers cooked over charcoal either, and I'll use skillet over charcoal, or just my Camp Chef griddle for burgers.

 

[RCAlan]

Basic Gravity Feed info: 101…

Here’s some info about Gravity Feed Smokers and the CG 980 in general to help the general public have a better understanding of their workings. So how do they work?

1. So how do they work? A Gravity Smoker works with, well, gravity! The Gravity flows downward so there’s a natural feeding of the charcoal. Charcoal and a few hardwood chunks are loaded into the airtight charcoal hopper and is lit at the bottom through the firebox door. The charcoal and hardwood slowly burns, feeding heat and smoke up into the chamber and ultimately out of the chimney smoke stack or an exit port.
2. Gravity Feed Smokers when compared to pellet grills, have less complexity and fewer moving parts. Modern Gravity Feed Smokers will have a charcoal hopper, ash bin, an ash bin fan to feed the charcoals air for fuel and a PID controller to monitor and control the smokers temperature. Very simple…
3. Hardwood chunks can be added to the ash bin basket and the charcoal hopper for added smoke flavor. Some have even added small hardwood splits to the charcoal hopper to increase the smoke production to there liking.
4. The CG 980’s charcoal hopper is triple walled to give lasting use year after year and its cooking chamber lid is double walled for added insulation and temp control.
5. The CharGriller and the Masterbuilt units come with a charcoal hopper lid contact switch and a ash bin door contact switch to communicate with the PID controller and for safety. Coming from a Pellet Grill background, I knew when I first purchased the CG 980, that simple, general maintenance would be required to maintain a troubled free operation of the smoker.
6. For general maintenance, I spray the contact switches with electrical contact cleaner after every other bbq. I also clean the main cooking chamber or any grease buildup and I remove and shop vac any charcoal ash that is present in the ash bin and ash bin basket. So far as of July of last year, I’ve had not one issue.
7. Lastly, I wanted to start this tread to give those who were on the fence some independent and unbiased info, but unfortunately I see this thread has been high jacked. If some want to discuss or debate about other bbqing equipment, start your own thread…. I’m not knocking other bbqing methods or equipments, but this thread was about and for Gravity Feed Smokers and potential owners. .02

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Char-Griller 980 GF… Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... In SoCal and Always... Semper Fi