First smoker

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samculper

Newbie
Original poster
Dec 28, 2015
9
11
Swansea, Ma
Hi everyone I'm from Massachusetts and have ordered my first smoker with some Amazon gift cards I received for Christmas. It should be here on Wednesday. And after I season it I plan on doing my first cook on Saturday a brisket and maybe some grilled chicken to go with it. The smoker I bought is the Char-Broil 430 mainly for the price point. I have read mixed but mostly positive reviews so I hope it does well. If anyone has any tips or advice I'd love to hear it.
 
Welcome to the board! I'm running a similar offset.  They are versatile and fun to play with, but they require attention. Have fun with it!
 
Yeah the biggest issue I've read is that it leaks and temperature control can be difficult but manageable.
 
texas.gif
  Good morning and welcome to the forum, from a cold and dreary day in East Texas, and the best site on the web. Lots of great people with tons of information on just about  everything.

Gary
 
about charbroil 430: i made a 9 x 10 inch 2 sided charcoal basket that helped keep the fire a little higher and with better airflow. i use a pair of tongs to take out ash through the intake damper which gives me longer smokes. i also made a divider for the firebox. i now start fire on one side, and leave the other half empty. when temps go down i add unlit fuel and add 2-3 coals from the first half. when temp go down again i repeat the process. this allows me to always have a small hot fire and manage temps more efficiently. i call it the re-minion method. this system and the small fire would allow you to use only wood chunks as fuel if you wanted. i tried it and it worked great. i know that small smoker are a lot of work, but i found out that you can save a lot in fuel, especially if you dont cook for many people.
 
A couple of the biggest issues that I hear with this model are the poor sealing around the lid and firebox and the temperature control. Both of these are connected and there are some simple steps you can take to help improve it. Firstly use some stove tape or high temperature gasket maker to improve the seals around the smoker lid and firebox.
i made a 9 x 10 inch 2 sided charcoal basket that helped keep the fire a little higher and with better airflow. 
Raising the fire and containing it in a mesh fire box will also help provide a more manageable fire that will be easier to control and last longer. Some mods I have seen have also extended the flue down slightly inside the smoke chamber.
 
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