I have a Chargriller Pro and had this ECB just sitting around and I thought it would work great for

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checkmarc

Fire Starter
Original poster
Jul 11, 2014
36
10
I saw the mod using the Smokey Joe as the fire box and picked on up on Craiglist for 5 bucks!!!  I haven't done the gasket or the temperature gauges yet but I did like the idea of using the grate for the water bowl as additional smoking area.  I'm going to use 1/4 bolt for the water bowl supports and the new grill support but what's the minimum distance from the top rack?  Since I have the of smoker/grill the biggest this would ever see is a pork roast.  I like the idea of the second shelf for things like chicken, tasso and bacon.

Thanks!!!
 
That second grate is there exactly for that purpose.  The water pan does directly under that grate, not above it... not sure if that's what you had in mind.  The ECB already has supports for the water pan, so I'm a little confused.  Can you post a pic or two of your setup?
 
I didn't know that!  I got it as a very used gift.  Doesn't that grate get a lot hotter?

Thanks
 
I honestly don't know how the temp of the lower grate compares to the upper one.  I'm pretty sure it gets less smoke, though.  And more steam, of course.  I rarely cook anything on the lower grate because access is much more difficult.
 
I don't see how it wouldn't be hotter also.  With big roasts that wouldn't be to much of a problem you just rotate them.  But it would for the stuff I'd be using it for.  I was thinking of putting a mount for the grate using 1/4" screws about 4" below the top one. 

I just thought of a recipe that I saw Justin Wilson do.  It was a beef roast and a pork roast.  You cut slit into the non-fat side and put a clove of garlic, green onion and a cayenne pepper.  You cut those off flush with the roast.  The water tray was filled with wine, onion, garlic cloves, liquid smoke, mint, parsley, Peychaud's bitters, Worcestershire sauce and water.  The beef roast goes on top fat side up then the pork roast fat side up.  Smoke them till done make a roux and add the mixture from the water tray.  I think I'll have to try this!
 

http://www.cookingindex.com/recipes/72195/smoked-beef-roast-and-pork-roast.htm
 
It might be hotter.  My experience, though, has been that my dome temps in the ECB, about 3-4" above the grate are higher than grate-level temps.  One way to find out, I guess.  The problem I have with the lower grate is simply access.  I have to remove the upper grate (and anything on it) to get to the lower one.

I'm still confused about why you would need to add screws.  If the ECB was correctly assembled, the mounting brackets are already there, right?  Maybe the previous owner didn't install them, or removed them?  But if that were the case, where do you put the water pan?

As for using the the water pan, I like to use beef drippings, but not pork drippings so much.  Personal preference, I suppose.
 
That's why I'm adding the screws about four inches down from the top ones so I keep the support that holds the water pan UNDER the grate.  This way I have the best of both worlds.  Also since it's mostly tasso, bacon and small stuff like that they'll cook more evenly from grate to grate being closer.  At least I would think.  I love gravy and I love  pork so it doesn't matter to me.
 
 
That's why I'm adding the screws about four inches down from the top ones so I keep the support that holds the water pan UNDER the grate.
I may be missing something here.  The water pan is designed to go under the lower grate.  You put the water pan on the mounting brackets, then rest the grate on top of that.  Have you been putting the water pan on top of it?


Or are you just talking about raising the lower grate a bit?  Either way, I'm sure it'll work fine. 
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I raised the lower grate so it's 4" below the top one.  I have to modify the brackets to the top grate and shorten the screws that I put in for the location of the new lower grate to make it easier to get the water pan and the lower grate out easier.  With the mods and no gasket around the top other than aluminum foil using lump charcoal the temperatures holding around 300.  I think I'm going to have to add a collar to keep the smoke from coming out of the bottom but that should be easy.
 
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