Ok guys I'm sitting here at 1:30 EST with 4 butts on the smoker.....my wife got me the chargriller with the side box. Put them on about 7 tonight and temp is still around 120. Seems like I've gone through about 2/3 bag of kingsford. I cant get the temp above 190-200. What am I doing wrong. Getting ready to pull them off, wrap in foil and put in the oven at 170 untill about 6. Any help is very Much appreciated. I have had brinkman and Webber's before but this is a first for this set up.
Thanks in advance for any help.
[Reply]

Sounds like this is a first run for this new pit?

Assuming your thermometers are accurate and well placed and you have enough fuel in there, I'm thinking that it might be leaking air like a sieve. For the immediate fix, you can use aluminum foil to make temporary gaskets to seal the leaks. Permanent fixing them would depend on where they are.
[Reply]

second time out. first time last weekend with a lot less stuff on it and a lot more Sam Adams in me.....Maybe thats why it didn't seem so bad. Would seem like if I had air leaks it would be running hot with that much fuel. Like I said the side fire box concept is new to me......Ive cook a couple of herds on gas and the old reliable Weber....which is what I really wanted in the first place....but wadya gonna do tell the wife to take it back?
[Reply]

This is one of the horizontal drum types right? I was thinking possibly a severe leak around the door on the cooking chamber actually.
[Reply]

I do get some smoke around it but nothing severe.
[Reply]

Not real familiar with the chrgriller design & layout, so that's all I could think of offhand.

Are you burning blue-bag KF or KF comp? KF comp burns significantly hotter, but for not as long. It's possible that there might be nothing wrong, and that pit justs requires a fuel that burns hotter..
[Reply]

Right on the button Brent! Just a little midnight snack for the crew!

Image
[Reply]

An empty smoker is a sad sight...I think I can make her happier!

Image

Time to light her up!

Image

That's a happy Smoker!

Image

Like Brent sad...cooks reward

Image

Steady as she goes!

Image
[Reply]

Finishing up for tonight, and I still get a few hours sleep!

Image

Image
[Reply]

What was your weather like?


[Reply]

Or he just smoked Jenifer Lopez :-)
[Reply]

Now that is a beautiful picture. A table with a cleaver, some ribs, a cigar, and some liquor!!
[Reply]

**sniff** A tear just came to my eye....a thing of beauty **sniff**
[Reply]

How big were your pork butts? If we are talking about a 9-10lb which is what I smoke usually at 6 hours you are only halfway through. I don't recall if 120 is near my halfway temp but well.


As for your cooker temp where are you getting that temp. From the lid thermo?, one on the grate? etc. I have the Chargriller duo and side box. The lid temp is always high, and then temps move warmer to cooler from right to left as you get farther from the fire.

And another note, if I was you I'd take a look at this mod. It make your life a lot easier and may raise your temps to right where you need them.
[Reply]

Bastid....I'm in full-blown man-tears now....Sweet Brother....Sweet!
[Reply]

Image

:-)

Image
[Reply]

Looks great Darrell.
[Reply]

Thanks, it's been a while since I smoked anything. All winter it was too windy to bother to fire it up.
[Reply]

Lookin good dude except for those damn forks. Put that sh!t away and use your hands:-)
[Reply]

Thanks for the link, I'll be looking for a basket tomorrow. The temp was from the one in the lid and also from one sitting on the rack to the left side. I pulled the off about 315 and checked with a meat thermometer. They were reading 140 so I covered with foil and stuck them in the oven at 180 until 7 and turned off the oven and left them in till 8. Pulled them out let them rest till 10. Pulled 2 of them to take up to my nephew's church for opening day off little league baseball where the went over great. Pulled the other 2 about 1 and they were even better.
[Reply]