Dave's Smokefire EX6 Experiences


 
Bob Swaskoski said:
Dave, your detailed analysis and observations are very helpful, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us!
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You've very welcome. I've been thinking about starting my own YouTube channel (All 4K content) since I like to cook, mod and work on things. The positive responses here makes it encouraging for me to possibly attempting some videography. I enjoy stuff like this.
 
TIME FOR MORE MODS - PROBE ACCESS PORT...

I didn't get a chance to install my probe access port yesterday, but after I got home from a nice brunch, I decided now would be a good time. I grabbed my drill, a drill bit and a 1-3/8" step bit.

I didn't measure for any of those. I just eye balled it to have the probe port enter above the lower grate and in front of the controller. I used a regular drill bit to drill through both the outside and inside panels, paying attention to get the bit as straight as possible during the drilling operation. The silicone probe port inserts I linked earlier in this thread require a 1-1/4" hole, but the end is aluminum, so the step bit made quick work of it with some cutting fluid, using the original hole I drilled as a guide. I did not drill the inside hole as big and probably ended up somewhere around 5/8-3/4". Enough to allow probes to be inserted, but minimized to allow a large amount of heated air to enter that the side panel area. All told it took about 10 minutes and I like the results.

To start this, I first needed a couple of these as motivation during brunch. That's a nice Irish Coffee for those not in the know.

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After returning home, with high levels of motivation I headed to the garage to acquire tools. Grab your bits and start your drills.....

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I think i came out good and will keep the probe wires out of the way. I hate routing probe wires through doors - it just looks meh. Remember, OCD. lol.

While I was making all kinds of noise, my neighbors popped over the fence with a plate full of fresh home made Indian food. I had just eaten, but know never to turn down one of their offerings. An award for a job well done.

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I'm running out of mods, so if you have ideas or suggestions, please let me know. :)
 
I hate to admit it, but working for an offshore Indian IT company does [very] occasionally have some side benefits, like when someone brings on some samosas, biryani, etc. That plate looks good.

Dave, I used those same grommets on my monster in the back yard for exactly the same reason. I have 4 leads running through them.
 
DWambolt said:
You've very welcome. I've been thinking about starting my own YouTube channel (All 4K content) since I like to cook, mod and work on things. The positive responses here makes it encouraging for me to possibly attempting some videography. I enjoy stuff like this.
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Dave, please do I am sure a lot of us would subscribe.

For better or for worse your reviews on the Smoke Fire have really helped people make a decision or regret their decision. If you don't mind me asking what do you figure the mods cost to bring it to what you feel was acceptable.
 
Brian B Atlanta said:
Dave, please do I am sure a lot of us would subscribe.

For better or for worse your reviews on the Smoke Fire have really helped people make a decision or regret their decision. If you don't mind me asking what do you figure the mods cost to bring it to what you feel was acceptable.
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Thanks for the feedback. Some of the items I've modded are not required, for example the casters or grates. I do think the gasket material (I bought 3/4" and 1/2") which cost around $25 and the probe port which was around $12 would be where I'd start. I wanted stainless grates, so I went that route but there was nothing wrong with the stock grates out of the box, other than that they would rust with time. I also have a Weber Gourmet stainless kit on the way which I'm going to install, but it will require a modification to the extra grate I have remaining. The casters do make it much easier and quieter to move around. In all fairness, it worked out of the box, but I wanted it to work a bit better. Plus I hate smoke residue on the outside of the cooking chamber - I like my stuff to look clean, so that was the main driver for buying the Nomex gasket material.
 
Jason, don't want to speak for Dave but this is an age old argument about where you spend your money and I never tell anyone how to spend their money. No different as he said did he really need stainless grates or the casters, or do you really need a Mk4 Thermapen, or whatever. I am with you, the Camp Chef for the needs that I have is probably for my birthday going to do the job.

However there have been many times which my wife would be more than happy to tell you she really did not get what I spent. If your happy with the results it does not matter.
 
Jason in CA said:
Is it just me or does modding a $1000 grill to make it acceptable sound a bit, what's the word I'm looking for.?..
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None of these mods are required. Just like people add hinges and s/s doors and grates and screws and nuts to the WSM, so will people mod SmokeFire. Please don't take this as a criticism of what David's doing, he's having fun doing these mods, he says he's a bit OCD, he thinks they improve the grill, and he likes sharing what he's doing. So it's all good with me.

Regarding making the door more airtight, I assume SmokeFire is leaky enough elsewhere that getting a good seal on the door doesn't negatively impact airflow into the cooker for combustion?
 
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Jason in CA said:
Is it just me or does modding a $1000 grill to make it acceptable sound a bit, what's the word I'm looking for.?..
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I think 85%+ of the folks who buy one of these things from Lowe's would be happy if it just worked electronically and mechanically in a consistent manner. Most people don't need to do anything I've done if they're happy. I realize your response wasn't directed specifically at me, but I just want to clarify again that pretty much everything I've done is to make it better for me, not to make it work. With that said, it does have some issues working, which I hope will be resolved promptly.
 
Chris Allingham said:
Regarding making the door more airtight, I assume SmokeFire is leaky enough elsewhere that getting a good seal on the door doesn't negatively impact airflow into the cooker for combustion?
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That's something I'm watching. If I find it's affecting performance, I'll crack the chamber door and see if it functions better. if so, I'll remove the top gasket and call it a day. Great point.
 
Brian B Atlanta said:
Jason, don't want to speak for Dave but this is an age old argument about where you spend your money and I never tell anyone how to spend their money. No different as he said did he really need stainless grates or the casters, or do you really need a Mk4 Thermapen, or whatever. I am with you, the Camp Chef for the needs that I have is probably for my birthday going to do the job.

However there have been many times which my wife would be more than happy to tell you she really did not get what I spent. If your happy with the results it does not matter.
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I may have come across a bit harsh in my post. It wasn't my intention to insult anyone. The thing is, I've been kicking around the idea (for a long while) of a pellet grill for myself. And I was excited about the Smoke Fire. However I think IMO Weber has dropped the ball, at least at this point. I had a line on one but I didn't bite and at this point I'm glad. If I dropped over 1K then any mods I made would be to make it better for me. Not to make it work. I think (again my personal opinion) Weber didn't do the testing and engineering that they claimed they did in all of the promotional releases they put out. Maybe it's just me but I expected better from Weber.
 
while I was making my last post I noticed other post were made about what I have in bold above before I sent it off. I'm thinking at this point I don't know if I dodged a bullet or if I'm ranting because I'm disappointed. Perhaps I should just delete the last few comments.
 
I'm another with high expectations on a $1000 + Weber product. Disappointed at this point but it also highlights why I'm no longer an early adopter. Companies focus on release dates more than quality. I expected more.

Where are these manufactured?
 
I removed the post related to sealing the ash box/pan. I found a larger source of embers/ash, and it was hard to see at first. However, I noticed a few embers coming out after I had sealed up the back and decided to take another look. Right behind the black bracket which holds the ash box, there's a solid 1/2-5/8" gap across the entire top. This allows ash to blow upwards and then fall to the ground. Because I'm concerned about back pressure after sealing the door, I'm going to think about this before doing anything else. I removed the sealing strip across the top of the chamber door as well, but will leave the sides and bottom to keep the door clean.
 
Dave I also would love to see you do some videos, thanks for all the info.
I’m joining you on the EX6 journey tomorrow. I like to make my simple life complicated so it sounds perfect for me.
 
Grt conversation going on here, as I look at this I'm still waiting for my 9 pound pork shoulder to get done on my first long cook on my new Cmp Chef I am now looking at hours and finally figured out DON"T PUT A DRIP PAN UDER THE PORK SHOULDER AS YOU BLOCK THE HEAT DIP STICK!
Lets face it the learning curve is going to take a little time
 
As Chris says its a conversation maybe Rich Dahl might have hit it on the nose. One of these threads he made a comment about Weber rushing these things out the door to quickly or something like that.

Here is what I don't get your late to the party should have been an advantage to get things sorted out but at what point did you realize that you had to get into the pellet grill market? Was it 9 mos ago or longer and you rushed the product to get into production obviously for the coming grill season which if you missed it another year goes by.

Unfortunately in these days there is no where to hide with You Tube, Facebook and others, I consider baby back maniac to be credible. It will be interesting to see what Amazing Ribs says I consider them credible also, the end all experts probably not and we have a ton of talent on our site also need Weber to get a few months under the belt before you can really make a decision give them time to sort things out.

Lowe's has a return policy of which states:
Returns and Refunds Policy. ... If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, simply return the merchandise to any Lowe's store in the US within 90* days. We, in our discretion, will repair it, replace it or, based on your method of payment with a valid receipt, refund your money.

Not real comforting because they are not saying they will give you your money back but it could be a nightmare for them. First time buyers of pellet grill who thought they were buying something that they pushed a button and off they went then find out that is not the case.
 
Rich Dahl said:
Grt conversation going on here, as I look at this I'm still waiting for my 9 pound pork shoulder to get done on my first long cook on my new Cmp Chef I am now looking at hours and finally figured out DON"T PUT A DRIP PAN UDER THE PORK SHOULDER AS YOU BLOCK THE HEAT DIP STICK!
Lets face it the learning curve is going to take a little time
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Your depressing me thought I was going to get a new toy in October appears the UDS will have to do the job for the foreseeable future. :)
 
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