Still learning!

john616 · May 1, 2011

I bought a Char-Griller Outlaw about six weeks ago and did several mods to it like charcoal basket for firebox, extend smokestack to grate level, added 1/4 inch steel tuning plate. I now have it cooking fairly even all the way across. Sometime I have trouble getting and holding cooking temp. I took a little tripod and mounted a fan on it to blow air into the damper with much better results. Thursday I cooked 4 pork butts. On the grill at 7:30am, off the grill 16.5 hours later. The weather was beautiful when I started but went downhill from there. It was fairly windy and I got showered on five different times. :doh: Don't trust the weather channel!
I had to use the fan most of the day to keep my temps up. I used a total of 69lbs of Kingsford blue to complete the cook. Is it normal to use this much charcoal?

I am trying to post pron but it won't let me! It says upload failed.

I'ved tried everything I can think of.

Sorry no pron but thanks for looking.
P. S. I think I wish I would have gotten a WSM!

Q-Dat · May 1, 2011

I am almost certain that the ash buildup from the Kingsford is choking your fire. I think small offsets do better with lump. I made the switch and am now using alot less fuel.

Dump a chimney full of unlit lump into your firebox and a chimney full of lit lump on top of it. Then as you see the temps start to drop, add unlit lump a little at a time as needed. The difference in ash production between lump and briquettes is staggering if you ever see it side by side.

Hope this helps.

Captain Dave · May 1, 2011

Sounds like you NEED a UDS!!!!!

Big_Alvin · May 1, 2011

that seems like an awful lot of coal. i've always used lump in my CG offsets. are you peeking under the hood? how many baskets you have? i have a couple so when the first one is spent (around 6 hours) i remove from SFB, empty the hot coals onto the top of fresh basket and put back the fresh basket. minimal if any temp drop in chamber. i have to check to see how much lump (lbs) go into the basket but i'm pretty sure i can get 3 baskets off 22lb bag (again not sure i'll check it out).

john616 · May 1, 2011

Big Alvin,
I don't peek because I use a temp probe to see how things are going. What I've been doing is starting out with two lit chimneys and have to add one lit chimney every 45min to an hour to keep temp at 225-250.

JS-TX · May 1, 2011

I applaud your efforts to improve this cooker. I had the bigger version a couple years ago but just couldn't put up with the constant baby sitting. That is a crazy amount of fuel to use, try lump next time and see how it goes. I see a UDS in your future. With all the $ you are spending on fuel you can probably get a jambo pit..

john616 · May 1, 2011

JS-TX I will try lump next smoke but the constant baby sitting does suck. I do see something different in my future if it doesn't get any better than this. My wife says, but you just got this one!

juslearning · May 1, 2011

I put pecan wood in the firebox along with lump. I have no problem getting the temps up and only use about 25lbs of lump and what would amount to 2 sticks of wood and cook about 10 hours. I don't lift the lid and it holds pretty good. Still have to baby sit it, but I don't mind it.

The UDS is coming. Thats what we use with bkbbq but they are mounted on the trailer.

Boshizzle · May 1, 2011

john616 said:
JS-TX I will try lump next smoke but the constant baby sitting does suck. I do see something different in my future if it doesn't get any better than this. My wife says, but you just got this one!

I gave up on my Chargriller Outlaw a long time ago and built a UDS. It was a good decision. Night and day difference in stability. I have demoted my CG to grilling only. The mods help and some people have good luck with them but I prefer the set it and forget it nature of the UDS.

Big_Alvin · May 1, 2011

John - how big is your charcoal basket? i agree with Qdat that perhaps ash is choking things out. i have a 12x12x6 inch deep basket that i fill about 3/4 full with lump and a few chunks of hickory mixed in. i light about 1/2 chimney of smaller size pieces of lump and when they are good and red hot i dump them on top of the basket and put in the SFB. within 30 minutes or so i'm at temp and good to go for 4-6 hours with no tending. prior to the basket and the mods i had to throw in lump every 45 or so to maintain temps and was using tons of fuel.

Big_Alvin · May 1, 2011

hey boshizzle - i did just pick up a couple of 55 gallon steel drums to build a UDS to add to the two CG's. i have heard good things about them so i'm going to give it a shot.

harley76 · May 1, 2011

John, 69lbs of charcoal is way to much, even in bad weather I get about 3-4 hours on one basket keeping temp at 225/250. try using the minion method on your next cook, start out with an almost full basket of unlit w/wood chunks mixed in, then add about 12-15 lit pieces to the basket on opposite side as the vent, open vent to full until you reach 225-250 then close vent down to about 1/2 inch. This should get you at least 4 hours on one basket. Q-Dat is right about the ash build up, always dump your ash before starting a new basket.

I have tried both lump and regular charcoal in my offset, I prefer lump for cooking at higher temps than 225/250 as it does burn hotter, but for low and slow regular kingsford works fine for me and in most cases is less expensive.

Hot Sauce Hoss · May 1, 2011

re: 69lbs

John, you are a warrior for that effort. switch over to royal oak lump
charcoal or at the least stubbs reg. charcoal during your learing curve. I
just posted my amazing results using wicked good lump charcoal for the
first time yesterday and will NEVER look back. All the ash from the reg.
kingsford blue is more than likely choking you out. I had this battle
with my two wsm's till i started using charcoal with less fillers. Good luck.

Hot Sauce Hoss

john616 · May 2, 2011

Thanks to all for the advice! First thing I am going to try is lump charcoal. Just bought 4 bags of royal oak and will try the minion method. I have noticed when I look in the basket the charcoal is dark (not glowing) and is only glowing near the damper where the fan is blowing in. My basket is 12x12x6 made from 3/4in expanded steel. I keep the ash pan empty so if it is an ash problem it would have to be the ash in the basket.

However it does seem the lit charcoal I add to the basket is going out which made me think I had an air flow problem hence the fan.
This is confusing!!!!

john616 · May 2, 2011

Now with PRON!

Figured out the pron issue. Had to reduce file size.

Q-Dat · May 2, 2011

Looks like you have the actual cooking part down! Nice lookin pork!

Alot of folks seem to like their Chargrillers once they get the kinks worked out. I think the lump will go a long way to helping your fuel consumption.

SmokinAussie · May 2, 2011

A few issues I see John. I've got a system similar to yours in size, but with the firebox on the other side. Almost all advice up here is correct as far as I can see, but the pics help.

1. Yes, you need to use lump and sticks of hardwood, just like suggested. I only ever used (what we call "Heat Beads" here) once. I could not maintain temp.
2. Your basket must not be allowing ash to fall through properly, thereby choking the clean burn.
3. This forces you to use a fan to keep the temps up, and that chews through your collosal usage of fuel.

So, use lump, get a better basket and ditch the fan. Should work!

Nice work on the butts!

Cheers!

Bill

john616 · May 2, 2011

SmokinAussie,
I ran out and took some pics of my basket. I used the charcoal grate that came with it and put expanded metal sides on it. What could I do to improve on this design?
Thanks for your help!

john616 · May 3, 2011

Can anyone tell me if they can see a problem with my charcoal basket.
Thanks

Q-Dat · May 3, 2011

Brother I can't see a problem with that basket. That grate should allow ash to fall through. The problem is with the amount of space underneath your basket. It is most likely filling up and then it starts backing up into your burning coals.

I really think that switching to lump will solve your problem. If you have never used lump before you will be totally amazed at how little ash is produced compared to briquettes.

Still learning!

Is lookin for wood to cook with.

Babbling Farker

is one Smokin' Farker

Full Fledged Farker

Is lookin for wood to cook with.

is One Chatty Farker

Is lookin for wood to cook with.

is one Smokin' Farker

somebody shut me the fark up.

Full Fledged Farker

Full Fledged Farker

Got Wood.

Knows what a fatty is.

Is lookin for wood to cook with.

Is lookin for wood to cook with.

Attachments

Babbling Farker

somebody shut me the fark up.

Is lookin for wood to cook with.

Attachments

Is lookin for wood to cook with.

Babbling Farker

Similar threads