Mods

[bbqsmoke]

Hi Everyone,

I'm a newbie to smoking but have had great success with what I've done so far thanks to all the tips I've picked up here. I'm using my first smoker, a Char-Grill pro smoker. While I think it's a good one, it does seem to need constant tending. What I'd really like is some input from other owners of this same smoker regarding mods to the unit that helped to stabilize temps, etc..I looked around here but couldn't find any specifically for this smoker. Thanks to everyone. I love this site!

Bbqsmoke

 

[jirodriguez]

Under the forums link go to smoking supplies & equiptment, then click on charcoal smoakers. Do a search for Char-griller or Char-broil mods. You will find pages and pages of mods. The four most important mods for most of the under $200 offset smokers are:

1) two new thermometers one on the left side, one on the right side located just above grate level. Factory therms are usually off by 25-75°!

2) some sort of charcoal basket to get the fire up off of the bottom of the fire box and allow the use of the minion method of charcoal burning.

3) some sort of tuning plate / baffle to even out the temps from the fire box side to the non-fire box side.

4) extending the smoke stack down to grate level.

For step 1: Home Depot or Lowes sell some 2" dial therms in the BBQ section that you mount by drilling a 3/8 D. hole where you want the therm. Insert the therm from the outside and secure with a nut from the inside. Cost about $7 each.

For step 2: Lowes Shaker Baskets can be used to make a very easy charcoal basket that work great (see link)

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/85443/cgsp-charbroil-charcoal-basket-mod  

For step 3: Sinc you have a Char-griller you are in luck. Take the big charcoal tray that is in the main cooking chamber, flip it upside down, then use the hangers and hang it as high as you can. That will even out your temps from side to side quite a bit. You will still probably have a 10-15° differance, but you can use that to your advantage. Lower slower meats go on the cooler side away from the firebox, hoter stuff can go next to the fire box.

For step 4: Lowes or Home Depot sell a 3" flexible metal heavy duty dryer duct for about $10. Attach that to the small part of the exhaust vent that sticks into the smoke chamber (I used a hose clamp), then bend it to follow the curve of the lid down to just above the grates. Cut it to length - I personaly then drilled a 1/4" hole in the end of the lid and throught the side of the dryer tubing and used a bolt, washer, and wing nut to secure the tubing to the side of the lid.

Make those mods and you will be in much better shape.