Offset-wannabee Char-broil grill -workable as a smoker?


 
M

Mary M

TVWBB Fan
Hey all,

I'm a WSM woman myself, but a good friend just purchased this: http://www.charbroil.com/Produ...ill--600-Series.aspx

Yeah, wouldn't have been my choice either. It looks like an offset smoker, but it's not. It's a charcoal grill with a long fire pit underneath the grill (at the bottom of the horizontal tank). So, the fire is a lot more direct than I like. What do you think -- with a little care, could this beast be used as a smoker? After eating a lot of my smoked salmon, he's all chuffed to do his own, and I promised I'd help. I don't want to disappoint him!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> could this beast be used as a smoker? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I suppose so just as a Weber kettle can smoke. A lot depends on how well sealed the unit is. If it lets in a lot of air then it will be difficult to control the cooking temp. If there's no adjustable vents, then it becomes tricky; again controling the cook temps. It has an adjustable damper which can help. Assuming the unit is not sealed real well (air moves in freely), he can experiment with adjusting the damper. Large offset smokers use an adjustable damper. He can also work on sealing the unit with foil around edges were the lid meets the bottom unit.

Lit coals (I'd recommend the Minion Method here) are offset to one end of the grill, the food goes on the opposite end. Add wood (chips in foil or small whole pieces) and smoke away. Paul
 
Yes it can. We smoke on kettels. With a propper radiant heat shield i bet that will work just as good. Dunno bout the steady temps of that unit. But with some practise i bet it will be good. Indirect is the key ofc.

*once again another member wrote a reply when i was writing*

Im with you Paul!
 
IMO them charbroils would be better off with thicker metal instead of thin TIN... I would love to have a smoker/grill like that but not when it will be rusted out in two years...
 
Thanks, Paul. Believe it or not, I hadn't thought of creating the offset by locating the coals at one end. We'll give that a try and see how it goes. It does reduce the cook surface, but it might not be too bad.

It seems to be fairly tightly sealed, but it's a Char-Broil -- it's not the best manufacturing quality that anyone ever saw. We'll give it a try and see how it goes.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I hadn't thought of creating the offset by locating the coals at one end </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
that's important otherwise he'll be grilling using direct heat. For smoking you usually want lower temps and in this case it is most likely best achieved by cooking indirectly using the Minion Method .

Paul
 
Minion method was the plan, although with small fuel amounts (it is only about a 3 hour cook for salmon). A little love and care and some nice alder wood, and we'll be fine. Thanks for the help!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Wolgast:
Yes it can. We smoke on kettels. With a propper radiant heat shield i bet that will work just as good. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

So, what's the idea with the heat shield? Is it like the pan on the WSM, basically a shield between the cooking surface and the coals? How would you rig it in a grill like that, where there's basically a long grate for coals that's directly below the cooking surface?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">How would you rig it in a grill like that, where there's basically a long grate for coals that's directly below the cooking surface? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

build a row of fire bricks about a third from one side and build your fire between the bricks and the side. Put the salmon on the opposite side.

you want heat conducted by convection so its nice and even. If you have too much radiant heat from one direction, it'll cook unevenly.
 
What jeff said: Fire bricks is your friend.
icon_smile.gif
 
I would use a length of dryer vent hose and extend the exhaust stack down to grate level. That would hold more smoke in the chamber. Here's how it was done on Char-Griller. See mod 5. I did it and it's not hard. Fire bricks for sure. A charcoal basket made of expanded metal might make the Minion Method a little more predictable.
 
All good suggestions above. It will work OK for offset smoking. I wouldn't bother with adding a side fire box (assuming it's available as an option). These units are really to leaky and too thin to make good SFB smokers.

I used a CharGriller Pro with an SFB for years until I wore it out. It was great as a grill. You could put the fire on one side and move food to the other side, etc. It also had an adjustable fuel grate (which I believe the unit you show does as well). In that sense I liked it more than the Weber Kettle style. But in the end too light duty, leaky, etc overall.

But it will work for grilling and smoking IMHO based on my lengthy experience with the CG Pro.

You won't be able to control temps nearly as well as say with a WSM or Weber Kettle without adding some mods. And for the price/quality of the unit - just not worth the effort.

In the end money better spent towards a kettle/WSM though IMHO. Just from an overall quality lifetime perspective.
 
Thank you all for your help! The cook went much better than I had expected. We used three bricks to create a firepit at the opposite end from the upper vent, and amazingly, were able to keep the temp at the outflow at 225 throughout the cook. There were plenty of leaks, but not enough to be a problem. Results tasty and delicious, and my friend is very pleased and feels he got his $40 worth. I didn't know this, but among other things, he used to be a welder and has all the gear -- so he's already planning all kinds of mods, including a firebox. We'll also improve the vents and use some stove sealant to plug the leaks (and while we're at it, we'll probably do some mods to my WSM too!). Best of all, I now have a new local barbecue buddy who can't wait to do his second cook. I foresee many dual-smoker parties in the warmer months! Thanks again to all the great VWBBQ folks -- you made this one a success!
 
As Kevin Kruger says, and I paraphrase, - If you focus on the finished product you can cook outstanding food on anything. Congratulations.
 
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