Smoke, control temp w/o vents or a chimney?

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mrsurly

Newbie
Original poster
Mar 3, 2015
15
13
So I gained a free nice grill....which is all it seems to be is a grill. It's heavy duty, has a nice charcoal rack that can be lowered and raised etc. BUT it doesn't have vents or a chimney stack for controlling any sort of temperature. I am doing a dry run right now before I attempt a couple chops tonight and a shoulder this Sunday. I have no problem getting the thing up to temp and beyond, but I cannot maintain a constant 225-250.

I am trying the indirect method but hthe grill itself is remaining stable at just short of 300, even with a water pan underneath. I can open the front part of the charcoal area as a sort of vent, but that's about it. I guess I could open the ash catcher though I'm not too sure how that would help.

Perhaps I am using too much heat, not enough meat?

Any ideas?
 
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So the only way to adjust the temp with that grill is by raising and lowering the grate and cracking open the ash drawer? No air inlet damper control? You might need to make some mods and seal it up a bit to get lower temps. Just a guess. Neat grill though. I could see myself doing some serious pizza in that baby.
 
Okay so after an hour or so my grill finally maintained temp, I think I was being too aggressive with the amt of charcoal to begin with. Box temp shy of 300 but grill temp (indirect between 225-250) is solid. Now my question is this. I am using chunks and when I throw some new ones on, if the bottom box is open slightly it flares up but produces little smoke. If it is closed and I throw a few chunks on it smolders but smokes. What is more desirable? 
 
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Okay so after an hour or so my grill finally maintained temp, I think I was being too aggressive with the amt of charcoal to begin with. Box temp shy of 300 but grill temp (indirect between 225-250) is solid. Now my question is this. I am using chunks and when I throw some new ones on, if the bottom box is open slightly it flares up but produces little smoke. If it is closed and I throw a few chunks on it smolders but smokes. What is more desirable? 
You want the wood to smolder and slowly give off smoke. You are looking for TBS or thin blue smoke. That set up looks like it could work well if you added a chimney on the opposite side from the charcoal. That would great an air draw that would move the smoke across the food.
 
 
You want the wood to smolder and slowly give off smoke. You are looking for TBS or thin blue smoke. That set up looks like it could work well if you added a chimney on the opposite side from the charcoal. That would great an air draw that would move the smoke across the food.
Thanks! I am going to install one hopefully sometime soon, just don't have the time right now. Tonight is going to be a trial run on a couple thick cut chops from Costco. It'll be interesting to see how they turn out. Either way, just tending the fire for a couple hours this morning on a test run was nice and relaxing, something I know I'm going to look forward to every week or so. 

I guess one semi-fortunate thing about the grill is that it does have 2 holes in the lid on the sides because this grill has the capability of a drop in rotisserie, so that might help get that air draw to move the smoke around?
 
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