Barbecue (alt.food.barbecue) Discuss barbecue and grilling--southern style "low and slow" smoking of ribs, shoulders and briskets, as well as direct heat grilling of everything from burgers to salmon to vegetables.

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Default opinion about char-griller

I saw at Lowe's a chargriller combo gas and charcoal grill (half of the
grill is each, and they're independent) for 299.00. The side box is
available for the charcoal side as well. I was going to buy this since I
need a new one of both. Any comments/reviews/opinions on this?

the only thing is I dont see it on-line so I can't point it out to you;
I saw it at the store yesterday.
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On 9-Mar-2008, Walt Fles > wrote:

> I saw at Lowe's a chargriller combo gas and charcoal grill (half of the
> grill is each, and they're independent) for 299.00. The side box is
> available for the charcoal side as well. I was going to buy this since I
> need a new one of both. Any comments/reviews/opinions on this?
>
> the only thing is I dont see it on-line so I can't point it out to you;
> I saw it at the store yesterday.


The link to the Chargriller Duo on their site is a dead end. It doesn't
clearly say anything about it except that either it is out of stock or
no longer available. Not much of an explanation in my opinion.

--
Brick(Youth is wasted on young people)
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"Walt Fles" > wrote in message
et...
>I saw at Lowe's a chargriller combo gas and charcoal grill (half of
>the grill is each, and they're independent) for 299.00. The side box
>is available for the charcoal side as well. I was going to buy this
>since I need a new one of both. Any comments/reviews/opinions on
>this?
>
> the only thing is I dont see it on-line so I can't point it out to
> you; I saw it at the store yesterday.



There's a picture here but no info...

http://www.chargriller.com/grills.html

I went to get one and they were out of them. Looks like a nice
set up to me. I might have to take a drive to get one at a nearby
lowes.

Joseph

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On Mar 9, 9:53 pm, "Joseph" > wrote:

> I went to get one and they were out of them. Looks like a nice
> set up to me. I might have to take a drive to get one at a nearby
> lowes.


They sell those at Academy Sports as well. The guys there told me
they literally cannot keep them in stock. It looks like a nice rig to
me.

Chargriller seems to put out a good product, and the bang for your
buck makes it even better. I bought a Chargriller Smokin" Pro early
summer of last year, and with some modifications it is pretty damn
nice.

I bought the little Patio Pro for a friend of mine at Christmas so he
could cook his steak on the cast iron, and he loves it. It certainly
isn't any kind of pit, but a great little charcoal grill. Nicely
made, sturdy, and $59.

If they follow with the same quality on the gas side that they do with
their charcoal products that would seem to be a pretty hard deal to
beat.

Robert












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On Mar 9, 10:14*pm, " >
wrote:
> On Mar 9, 9:53 pm, "Joseph" > wrote:
>
> > *I went to get one and they were out of them. *Looks like a nice
> > set up to me. *I might have to take a drive to get one at a nearby
> > lowes.

>
> They sell those at Academy Sports as well. *The guys there told me
> they literally cannot keep them in stock. *It looks like a nice rig to
> me.
>
> Chargriller seems to put out a good product, and the bang for your
> buck makes it even better.



Let's emphasize, good product for the money. For a casual griller/
barebecuer, they'll be fine. If you grill more than 52 times/year and
slow cook 4-6 times a year or more, Chargriller won't last too well.
Thin metal, etc. I burnt mine out in 3 years. But, I grilled on it 2x
week, and did butts and ribs on it with the offset, it was damn sure
worth it. For three years. If you're serious, go ahead and invest in
something with 1/4" steel.


> *I bought a Chargriller Smokin" Pro early
> summer of last year, and with some modifications it is pretty damn
> nice.
>
> I bought the little Patio Pro for a friend of mine at Christmas so he
> could cook his steak on the cast iron, and he loves it. *It certainly
> isn't any kind of pit, but a great little charcoal grill. *Nicely
> made, sturdy, and $59.
>
> If they follow with the same quality on the gas side that they do with
> their charcoal products that would seem to be a pretty hard deal to
> beat.
>
> Robert




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On Mar 10, 8:45*am, "Nunya Bidnits" > wrote:
. Cleaning the firebox of ash down to the metal after every
> use will prolong the life of the steel.
> MartyB in KC


Seriously, do you really do this or know anyone who does?

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On Mar 10, 10:09 am, Tutall > wrote:
> On Mar 10, 8:45 am, "Nunya Bidnits" > wrote:
> . Cleaning the firebox of ash down to the metal after every
>
> > use will prolong the life of the steel.
> > MartyB in KC

>
> Seriously, do you really do this or know anyone who does?


It's pretty damn slow around here, so here's a response with some
unsolicited commentary. It's raining like hell here, so I have the
time.

I don't clean the cooker out immediately after I use it, but usually
the next day. I am not too careful, I just open it up, sweep it out
and then spray the inside with oil to ready for the next cook.

We have great conditions here most of the year for barbecue, and we
don't have most of the conditions that tear up a cooker. We can
literally go a couple of months (or more) with no rain. Nothing.
Zero.

It does not snow here but once every 10 years. Maybe. We get ice
occasionally, but not often. So minimal care of the pit, most
importantly keeping it cleaned out and covered when not in use will
make them last a really long time. I had a really nice barrel smoker
that I had (no kidding here) for about 15 - 16 years. It wasn't one
of those Chinese things, it was a NB barrel that was made up the road
from me in New Braunfels.

However, when I gave it to a friend, he kept it out in the yard, and
didn't clean it. It only lasted a year after that.

I will be keeping track of how long the CG I have lasts. I am sure
that it is made from the least expensive metals they can use and still
get it to bend, but at $139, if it burns out in a few years, I'll buy
another, or something better when that time comes.

>>But, I grilled on it 2x
>>week, and did butts and ribs on it with the offset, it was >>damn sure
>>worth it. For three years. If you're serious, go ahead >>and invest in
>>something with 1/4" steel.


Couldn't agree more with that first part, and I will have to wait and
see for the second.

The CG works great for me as my heavy lifting for meats that require a
long smoke is done by my WSM. I do love that thing, but theWSM cooker
has its flaws as well; limited capacity.

That's where the CG comes in. I can put 6 - 7 full racks of loin cut
of ribs or 4 racks of spares easily on my CG, and still have room for
sausage. With the mods, I don't have to do much of anything until
about 3 hours in, and I just add more fuel. With the mods I have done
(easy ones) it holds temps like a champ.

The combo is perfect for me, since I can put a brisket in the WSM the
night before we are to eat it, and then get up the next morning and
put ribs in the CG and have the best of everything in affordable
performance.

I actually like splitting up the cooking on different setups. When I
am barbecuing for family and friends, I don't like to cook just one
thing. If I had a $1500 smoker, I would feel like I should cook
everything on it. But when I cook a brisket, it is at one temp,
chicken another, ribs another, shoulder at yet another. And of course
times on the pit vary, making this almost impossible. Cooking chicken
at 250 degrees is almost pointless, as is sausage. Sure is good for a
shoulder, though.

I guess the other thing about the bigger, heavier pits that I like is
a tradeoff in fuel. Some seem pretty efficient, some are great
cookers but fuel hogs. I had a chance just recently to buy a nice pit
made from 3/8" drain pipe that was about 5 ft long, and pretty well
made. According to the owner, it held temps very well, but the reason
he was selling it was he couldn't keep it in fuel. From lighting his
firebox and getting up to temps was about an hour and a half to two
hours steady temps and blue smoke.

He added seasoned split wood about every hour or better after that.
When he told me how much wood he burned for an hour smoke, I was
really surprised. He was fine for that when he lived in the country
and he cut his won wood, but not now where he has to buy it, or cut
and haul it in. Plus, for me I don't want to go back to the days of
snoozing by the pit all night tending a fire for a brisket. The WSM
has ruined me.

He also pointed out that this thing was no good for anything but
barbecue. To big to be a grill, he found he didn't use it but two -
three times a month, usually on the weekends or holidays. And while
he had great capacity, the other reason he was selling it was he
didn't want to use all that wood and personal energy to cook one
brisket and sausage for him and the wife.

Still, you see something like this and you have to lust a bit. The
mind wanders at how much it would cost to have that "perfect smoker"
built.

http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/spo/598819050.html

Robert


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Default opinion about char-griller

I plan on purchasing the side firebox and using the charcoal side solely
as a smoker. That way I can smoke food to get the flavor I want and then
either finish or keep warm the food on the propane side (and/or fix
burgers and dogs for the non-Q savvy eaters).

This way, if the firebox rusts away, it's easily replaceable.

Thanks for all the info!

Nunya Bidnits wrote:
> "Tutall" > wrote
>
>> Let's emphasize, good product for the money. For a casual griller/

> barebecuer, they'll be fine. If you grill more than 52 times/year and
> slow cook 4-6 times a year or more, Chargriller won't last too well.
> Thin metal, etc. I burnt mine out in 3 years. But, I grilled on it 2x
> week, and did butts and ribs on it with the offset, it was damn sure
> worth it. For three years. If you're serious, go ahead and invest in
> something with 1/4" steel.>
> ================
>
> FWIW, I don't know if you were using gas or wood/charcoal since apparently
> that rig can use both, but if using wood/charcoal, the number one enemy of
> steel in a cooker is ash. It will accelerate the rust and corrosion process,
> and will be made worse if any water at all mixes with the ash, or in damp or
> rainy conditions. Cleaning the firebox of ash down to the metal after every
> use will prolong the life of the steel. Thicker is still better where steel
> is concerned but keeping it clean and dry always makes a difference.
>
> MartyB in KC
>

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On Mar 10, 5:07 pm, Walt Fles > wrote:
> I plan on purchasing the side firebox and using the charcoal side solely
> as a smoker. That way I can smoke food to get the flavor I want and then
> either finish or keep warm the food on the propane side (and/or fix
> burgers and dogs for the non-Q savvy eaters).
>
> This way, if the firebox rusts away, it's easily replaceable.


Sounds like a great plan to me, Walt. I hope you post an update after
you get it up and running. You will be the pioneer.

Robert
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On Mar 10, 6:39 pm, "Nunya Bidnits" > wrote:

>
> Those are meaningful observations, at least for me. You point out a big
> drawback of the high dollar stuff, and as I learned long ago, more cookers
> are better than a more expensive cooker.


I have always wondered about that. I went to a competition several
months ago, and one of the guys that had the most ribbons was cooking
brisket on a rather modest sized smoker (really nice one, though) and
he had 3 - 4 WSMs and a barrel pit.

He was cooking three briskets. He apparently had everything timed ,
and had obviously done this many, many times before. When he mopped
the briskets (there was some controversy), he would put chickens or
sausage in at the low temps for brisket. Most of them were around 275
for their cooking temp. He left them in for an hour or so, then
finished them up on the WSM which was around 350 or so. Got the smoke
and the texture he wanted.

I made a note there as I had not considered putting the meat in to get
it smoked up then finishing on another cooker.

He had his ribs in WSMs, some pork and some beef. Just before
judging, he took out the ribs and threw them on the barrel pit with a
large fire under them to crisp up any bits of surviving fat, and give
them a little bit of black char. They judged sausage for taste and
bragging rights, but not for points or ribbons. I didn't get to taste
any of them, but they looked great.

But I was really surprised at how much equipment there was. I had no
idea. There were guys with magnificent pits with different chambers
and accessories too, but not near as many ribbons as this guy. But
then I didn't see anyone working as hard as this guy either.

> WSMs and stick burners also don't die and ruin your competition or home cook
> if your power goes out and you don't notice it right away. OR overheat and
> go tits up 45 minutes before chicken turn in at competition, which the big
> fancy box has also done.


Ouch! No kidding, at the start of the smoke after I have stabilized
for an hour, the most my WSM has lost temp wise when I went to bed was
only about 12 degrees. My outside temp gauge showed a drop of just
under thirty degrees from the time I went to bed, and I was in bed for
about 7+ hours before I got out to check. Not bad for an off the
shelf unit.

> Seems like with high dollar pellet rigs you have to hold your mouth right
> with the workarounds (they teach in classes) to overcome various temperature
> and flavor issues. Its an excuse for manufacturers to sell all sorts of
> MSG-laden glop.


No comment. I am worried now that barbecuing is going to go the way
of cigars years ago. Everyone made them, hardly anyone made them
good, and quality suffered. I can't imagine a cooker so good that you
have to be taught how to work around short comings so obvious they
have classes to help you get around them. Why not make a better
cooker? Those damn things are sure expensive enough to have some high
demands put on them. My WSM and I were good friends after the second
cook!

> The NBBD is a wood pig too. However the heatsink technique helps that a lot,
> adding bricks, rocks, or whatever can hold heat wherever there's room for
> it.


I always wondered about that. I have never used one, but they are on
the market from time to time, here. Around here where those pits were
designed and built, barbecue wood is plentiful. Different oaks,
mesquite, and pecan are easy to get, most of the time for free. I am
sure that had a lot to do with the original design and manufacture.

The most surprising thing about the CGSP is the fact that it doesn't
take a lot of fuel. When I smoke 4 racks of spares and some sausage,
I only use about 8 - 9 lbs of Royal Oak and 4 - 5 small fist sized
pieces of seasoned red oak. All 4 racks and the pig tubes take about
7 hours or so. It would NOT do that without the mods or better
charcoal basket, though.

> Some of the houses in older upscale neighborhoods around here have really
> nice brick pits built in ground in their back yards. They are about half
> under and half above ground with nice chimneys. They are a pain in the ass
> to clean out but they are the best damn cookers I have ever seen on a home
> scale. That would be my perfect cooker, if I didn't care about being able to
> take it with me.


All classes have those things here in the older houses. And as "Texas
Traditional" building (whatever the hell that is) is coming back, they
are offering them in some semi custom homes where outdoor kitchens are
now becoming the rage. I am getting ready to move soon, and I would
be willing to bet that I will have one of those rascals at the next
house, most likely built by me.

Robert




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On 10-Mar-2008, Tutall > wrote:

> X-Received-Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:09:33 EDT (nwrddc02.gnilink.net)
>
>
>
> On Mar 10, 8:45*am, "Nunya Bidnits" > wrote:
> . Cleaning the firebox of ash down to the metal after every
> > use will prolong the life of the steel.
> > MartyB in KC

>
> Seriously, do you really do this or know anyone who does?


I sure don't, but I'm about to complete year five with my NB Silver. It
isn't 1/4", but it's a little heavier then most I think. Of course it looks
awful because I burnt the powder coat off very early on. I expect to
get at least another year out of my NBS. It has a roof over it, but is not
otherwise protected from the Florida elements.
--
Brick(Youth is wasted on young people)
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