I'm a regular lurker on here, and have enjoyed reading thru the FAQ. My
smoker is a Chargriller with a side fire box. I'm probably best described as
a "casual" smoker - don't work at it too hard, but I enjoy tinkering with
the smoker. When I first got it, I replaced the thermometer with a Tel-Tru
and use it along with a remote thermometer mounted on the cooking grate.
These two thermometers calibrate well together, but at first Iwas getting
about a 40 deg difference in readings while smoking. After flipping the
charcoal grate in the cooking chamber and extending the chimney down to the
cooking surface, the two thermometers did a very good job of agreeing with
each other. Then I got in trouble. I was getting some charring from direct
heat at the fire box end, so I made a baffle and attached it inside the
cooking chamber opening to the fire box. At the same time, I added some
bricks in the bottom of the cooker for heat stability. Both of these mods
seemed to do what they were intended to do, but now I'm back to a 30-35 deg
difference between the two thermometers, with the one mounted in the lid
reading higher. I checked calibration on both of them again, and that's not
the problem. Any ideas what I did wrong that's giving me the big difference
in temp between the cooking surface and the top of the chamber? Thanks for
all comments. Bubba

"Bubba" > wrote

Any ideas what I did wrong that's giving me the big difference
> in temp between the cooking surface and the top of the chamber? Thanks for
> all comments.

Matthew Martin will tell you it's the law (of thermodynamics).

I'll just tell you it's naturally hotter at the top. If your thermometers
are agreeing and they're seperated by vertical inches, something's wrong.

Just enjoy the food and quit worrying about the numbers. It's easier that
way and there's more time for beverages.


TFM® (Who's logging times and internal temps on a picnic today, but gives a
rat's ass about cooker temp)

"TFM®" > wrote in message
>
> "Bubba" > wrote
>

> Just enjoy the food and quit worrying about the numbers. It's easier that
> way and there's more time for beverages.
>

I'll drink to that! Bubba, no matter what you do, the firebox side will
always be hotter just cuz the fire's heating that wall up if nothing else. I
leave that first grate for chicken cuz of that. Otherwise you've done what
you can to smooth out the heat distribution. I'd use the grate (meat) level
thermometer for cooking and the lid one just for indicating temps going up
or down as I've seen big lid temp swings (compared to the grate temp) just
based on how sunny it is or isn't that day.

Fuggetaboutit.

D
--

"Bubba" > wrote:
> I'm a regular lurker on here, and have enjoyed reading thru the FAQ. My
> smoker is a Chargriller with a side fire box. I'm probably best described
> as a "casual" smoker - don't work at it too hard, but I enjoy tinkering
> with the smoker. When I first got it, I replaced the thermometer with a
> Tel-Tru and use it along with a remote thermometer mounted on the cooking
> grate. These two thermometers calibrate well together, but at first Iwas
> getting about a 40 deg difference in readings while smoking. After
> flipping the charcoal grate in the cooking chamber and extending the
> chimney down to the cooking surface, the two thermometers did a very good
> job of agreeing with each other. Then I got in trouble. I was getting
> some charring from direct heat at the fire box end, so I made a baffle
> and attached it inside the cooking chamber opening to the fire box. At
> the same time, I added some bricks in the bottom of the cooker for heat
> stability. Both of these mods seemed to do what they were intended to do,
> but now I'm back to a 30-35 deg difference between the two thermometers,
> with the one mounted in the lid reading higher. I checked calibration on
> both of them again, and that's not the problem. Any ideas what I did
> wrong that's giving me the big difference in temp between the cooking
> surface and the top of the chamber? Thanks for all comments. Bubba

Does the baffle direct the heat up or down?

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled War on Terror Veterans and
their families:
http://saluteheroes.org/ & http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not forgotten. Thanks ! ! !

> wrote

> Does the baffle direct the heat up or down?




Get down! It's not a tumor!

You've been in Kalifornia too long.


Read it and repeat it to yourself..............


How da **** do you deflect heat downward?!?!?!?



Baffled in Florida,
TFM®

On 17-Sep-2005, "Bubba" > wrote:

> I'm a regular lurker on here, and have enjoyed reading thru the FAQ. My
> smoker is a Chargriller with a side fire box. I'm probably best described as
> a "casual" smoker - don't work at it too hard, but I enjoy tinkering with
> the smoker. When I first got it, I replaced the thermometer with a Tel-Tru
> and use it along with a remote thermometer mounted on the cooking grate.
> These two thermometers calibrate well together, but at first Iwas getting
> about a 40 deg difference in readings while smoking. After flipping the
> charcoal grate in the cooking chamber and extending the chimney down to the
> cooking surface, the two thermometers did a very good job of agreeing with
> each other. Then I got in trouble. I was getting some charring from direct
> heat at the fire box end, so I made a baffle and attached it inside the
> cooking chamber opening to the fire box. At the same time, I added some
> bricks in the bottom of the cooker for heat stability. Both of these mods
> seemed to do what they were intended to do, but now I'm back to a 30-35 deg
> difference between the two thermometers, with the one mounted in the lid
> reading higher. I checked calibration on both of them again, and that's not
> the problem. Any ideas what I did wrong that's giving me the big difference
> in temp between the cooking surface and the top of the chamber? Thanks for
> all comments. Bubba

What them other guys said. I use a NB Silver. Only mod is the smokestack
extension. It's hotter by the firebox. I figured that out early on and quit worrying
about it. Sure, food gets done quicker on that end then the other. Being the
scientist that I am, I take it off earlier or cook larger items like butts there while
doing ribs and such on the other end. I DO NOT MOVE SHIT AROUND to make
it come out even. I don't move stuff around period. I only turn stuff over when I'm
grilling and then only once.
--
The Brick said that (Who ain't really a scientist)

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"Brick" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> What them other guys said. I use a NB Silver. Only mod is the smokestack
> extension. It's hotter by the firebox. I figured that out early on and
> quit worrying
> about it. Sure, food gets done quicker on that end then the other. Being
> the
> scientist that I am, I take it off earlier or cook larger items like butts
> there while
> doing ribs and such on the other end. I DO NOT MOVE SHIT AROUND to make
> it come out even. I don't move stuff around period. I only turn stuff over
> when I'm
> grilling and then only once.
> --
> The Brick said that (Who ain't really a scientist)


-- Damn I love it when folks see the light. Ya done good Brick.
James A. "Big Jim" Whitten

www.lazyq.com

Brick wrote:

> ..... Being the scientist that I am, I take it off earlier
> or cook larger items like butts there while doing ribs and such on
> the other end.

ROTFLOL!!

--
Dave
www.davebbq.com

On 18-Sep-2005, "Dave Bugg" > wrote:

> Brick wrote:
>
> > ..... Being the scientist that I am, I take it off earlier
> > or cook larger items like butts there while doing ribs and such on
> > the other end.
>
> ROTFLOL!!
>
> --
> Dave
> www.davebbq.com

ROTFLMAO Too.

Dave I remember when I first got my offset (NBS).
I fought that M@#$@#%^&*@R to a standstill. Now, after a couple
of years, it's an absolutely a no-brainer. I have no desire to change
to anything else. I still have a little trouble when I want to grill a steak.
I just need a bigger fire, which is do-able. Being a cheap shit, I want
to get by with a few chunks of charcoal, but that just won't produce
the heat needed to seer a steak.

I know that I am preaching to the choir, but maybe somebody will
pickup on the fact that you need a lot of heat to properly cook a
steak.

The food shows on food tv go on and on about stovetop grills.
While some stoves including mine are capable of heating a grill
to steak seering temperatures, they also jeopardize the
integrity of the porcelain stovetop. The food shows don't need
to worry about it. They just get a new stove. We don't have
that option.

The reflected heat from a very hot two burner grill is dangerous
to the stovetop porcelain. I have a Jenn Air and I'm here to tell
you that the porcelain will bubble if you get it too hot.

The Brick said that (so far only my grids are trashed.)

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"TFM®" > wrote:
> > wrote
>
> > Does the baffle direct the heat up or down?
>
> Get down! It's not a tumor!
>
> You've been in Kalifornia too long.
>
> Read it and repeat it to yourself..............
>
> How da **** do you deflect heat downward?!?!?!?
>
> Baffled in Florida,
>
The baffle between the firebox and the smoke chamber should be closed at
the top and open at the bottom. this will initially direct the heat toward
the bottom of the smoke chamber and tend to more nearly equalize the
temperatures at the top and bottom. The fact that the top of the chimney is
higher than all of the enclosed spaces will still provide a good exhaust
draft. But you already knew that and were just trying to embarass me!

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled War on Terror Veterans and
their families:
http://saluteheroes.org/ & http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not forgotten. Thanks ! ! !

Brick wrote:

> ROTFLMAO Too.
>
> Dave I remember when I first got my offset (NBS).
> I fought that M@#$@#%^&*@R to a standstill. Now, after a couple
> of years, it's an absolutely a no-brainer. I have no desire to change
> to anything else. I still have a little trouble when I want to grill a steak.
> I just need a bigger fire, which is do-able. Being a cheap shit, I want
> to get by with a few chunks of charcoal, but that just won't produce
> the heat needed to seer a steak.


Got to agree that the offsets don't need much tending too once you get
used to them. Last cook I had was at my new house and realized I lost
my thermometer. Cooked "blind" (and drunk at that) and made some of
the best ribs ever. Only had to tend the fire about 2-3 times which
really surpised me. But considering I had normally watched temps and
fooled with the thing quite a bit in past attempts this one instance
made me realize it's not rocket science. Then again maybe I just got
lucky.

Jesse