new unit?

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in. pred

Fire Starter
Original poster
Nov 24, 2024
55
84
i have been using a char griller unit i got at a garage sale for 50$. its a gas on one side coals on other. both are barrels on their side. the gas side rusted out a couple year ago but the coal side was like new. previous owner must been lazy. lol anyhow the coal grill became my go to smoker. the fire in the same chamber seemed really easy to regulate. i could toss in 14 coals and get around 250* in summer temps. i been reading a lil about different configurations. most of the new ones use a fire bow off to side. i hear people talk about baby sitting these. are they really that hard to regulate temp in cooking chamber or is that over exaggerated? i dont want to have to babysit my fire. the fire in chamber has been really easy to run forme.

this is the one i been leaning towards https://www.chargriller.com/products/competitionpro it has thicker steel than the one i use now and seems pretty sturdy compared to the other cheapos. id guess you could get a lot of life from it if kept out of the weather. on sale for 325$ locally now.

pros, conns, all opinions welcome.
 
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my fire is always off to one end not under it. coals at one end stack at the other.
 
Yes, The Weber kettle is used the same way... But the kettle has so many options/accessories to go with it.. It truely is a very versatile grill ... I have a 22" a 14" (smokey Joe) and 2 Mini WSM,s... I also have THIS ..

As for side fire box smokers... It's not that they are hard to control, Except for the cheaper box store versions... It's more so that they require you to add a split of wood every 30-60 minutes... But then that's all the more reason to drink beer all day ...

My first smoker/grill was the cousin of your chargriller... I had the one piece barrel... I made a charcoal basket for one end... I actually had it working half way decent... Did the exhaust extension inside the lid down to grate level... Tried sealing the top to the bottom better when you close the lid.. Because of those air leaks it was hard controlling temps with just the air intake... I had to close down the exhaust vent to keep temps under control... When working correctly (No air leaks) you should be able to run with exhaust wide open and control temps with the slightest of movement/adjustment on the intake vent ...
 
I started with something similar to the chargriller. If you are running charcoal with chips or chunks for smoke it isn't too hard to run. I would usually load up the firebox/basket with unlit charcoal then add half a chimney of lit charcoal. This would burn for hours.

The baby sitting comes when you want to use this as a true stick burner. In that case small size limits the fire you can build so you an expect to add a stick every 20-30 minutes.
 
really just depends on your budget and wish list. With any unit if you learn the unit you can make good Q so again it just depends on that budget and wish list.

Just make sure you have some good thermometers.
 
i already have a large kettle that just sets there. i also have an up rite gas(i made to also burn coals) smoker, that does a good job. can be touchy to run though. when a fire lights up and takes off that smokers temp really skyrockets!

im not apposed to tending the coals. been doing that for decades. the fire in the same chamber takes less wood i can see that. im not totally sold on these offset firebox for "hot smoking". ill have to watch some vids and see what they do with their fuel to get what temps.
 
I ran a 22.5" WSM for my low and slow cooker for many years, absolutely loved it. I paired it with a 22.5" Weber kettle for my hot and fast cooking. It was nice since they both used the same fuel, and I could transfer the top rack from one to the other - so if I was slow smoking a prime rib, but wanted a sear at the end I could fire up the kettle and then just take the entire rack, meat and all, and drop it over the hot fire on the kettle.
 
I will say if you are looking at the Comp Pro, I would look at the Grandchamp XD. Same company but a better smoker IMHO, I have it and it is a great COS for the money, won't break the bank and cooks some Amazing food, I love mine!!
 
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yes thats way more of a unit! i like the easy dump ash tray and coal basket. the seal on lids always a plus. mine smokes out of every crack there is. lol i see it has an "insulated smoke chamber". that would seem to be a plus. it also brings up the question of rust. concern is it rusting from condensation inside out. i wish they said more detail about how its insulated. ill have to stop by HD and see if they have any to bang around with. lol be great to compare it to oklahoma joes by the looks and price. id guess joe has an edge with steel thickness.
 
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Yeah it has a lot of nice features for the price. Mine is not rusting except for a bit of surface rust on the firebox door. Nothing major I just wire brush it from time to time and spray with pam or avocado oil. I feel like this smoker will last me many years to come. Ive had it over a year and half already! I have 3 racks of ribs going right now.
 
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