Offset Butt

[melleram]

Well This weekend I'm doing a small 5 lb butt. I usually use the offset firebox on my Char Griller Smoking Pro to do such a smoke. But I am also doing some brats, hotdogs and other stuff too, and I dont want to go through all that charcoal for one butt.

Does anyone use they're cooking chamber as an indirect grill, I'm pretty sure that it will work and take alot less charcoal to maintain temps. I'm thinking about just use a small pile of coals in the cooking chamber towards the firebox with a waterpan...then when the butt is about done I'll take out the water pan and grill the brats and dogs directly over my coals.

Anyone see a problem with this...I'm thinking that for a small smoke filling that firebox is a waste of alot of fuel and heat.

 

[daddio]

it'll work fine, years ago when i graduated from a bullet smoker to a chargriller ,the first one didn't have a sfb and i cooked plenty of turkeys and butts in it that way. it'll run a little hotter cause the fire and all is right there but it'll do fine.

 

[geek with fire]

It's not that this can't be done, you can certainly use the chargriller as a grill. The problem is, if you cook that shoulder too quickly and at too hig of a temperature, the connective tissue won't break down and it will get tough. Perhaps I just misunderstood the question. If so, sorry.

What I typically do, when wanting to grill and smoke at the same time is to put the smoke item on the far side, and the grill item right next to the firebox opening. The fire entering the smoking chamber will be at grilling temperatures.

 

[the dude abides]

I don't own one of these, but just an observation that may be more of a question. How will the charcoal and ashes react? Will they snuff out the heat since they won't have anywhere to fall?

 

[olewarthog]

You're right that it would be a lot of time & charcoal for 1 5# butt. So why not do 2? Pulled pork freezes well. Or maybe put a fatty, a rack of ribs or some ABT's on with the butt?

Another option would start an hour or 2 earlier & cook the butt (& something else) using the SFB, then pull it off, wrap in foil & store it in a cooler. Then put some lit coals in the cooking chamber to grill the brats, dogs etc while the butt is resting in the cooler. You won't need as many coals in under the grill since you will still be getting some heat from the SFB. When your dogs are ready, the butts will still be smoking hot in the cooler.

 

[jirodriguez]

I was thinking about the same sort of situation the other day myself - I also have the Smokin Pro with FSB. I use the upsidedown charcoal pan as a tuning plate to spread the heat out better (works great!). So my thought was to do a tradtional smoke with the "tuning plate" in place, then when I pull the butt or shoulder to rest for an hour take out the tuning plate, shake up the coals and let the area near the firebox heat up nice and hot. Should be plenty hot for dogs or burgers.

 

[melleram]

The bottom has a grate about 2" high so most of the ashes should fall through. I think it will work fine...In the bbq bible steve reichlen does it on a weber kettle grill and in this setup my meat will be farther from the coals than that.

Here is a bad pic of my idea that i found on the web. except I will had a water pan above my coals to help regulate temps

 

[melleram]

I will not be doing the butt over coals...they will be to the side of the coals (indirect heat) I will then use it as a grill for the rest of the kiddie food.