- Jun 17, 2008
- 20
- 10
Ok, so first off, I have a Char Griller Smokin Pro, with firebox, no mods. Yes I did remove the football shaped piece of metal from the smokebox. My problem is I'm having a hard time getting the temp to 225. First smoke I did ribs, and had no major problems. The heat did run out a bit too early (I was expecting every hour, turned into every 45 minutes), but I managed that without much problem. Second smoke it only got above 200 once.
What I did differently....first smoke was 2 slabs of babybacks and 4 ears of corn. Second was a couple fatties, a couple chicken breasts, and 6 snicker apples. The first time the apple cider in the water pan boiled off and ran out completely (I only started with a half bottle), so the second time around I used water and kept it full. Air temp was pretty much the same both times, if not hotter the second time around.
I'm using lump charcoal, Royal Oak brand, started in a chimney starter. Hickory chunks for smoke (not sure if that matters at all). And I am using the factory temp gauge...so I suppose it's possible that it's not accurate.
Any ideas? I'll be smoking again this weekend, so I won't have time for any mods. Plus I use this for grilling too so I don't want to completely change it around. I am thinking about extending the chimney down to grate level in the near future, as well as sealing up any leaks. Can't spend a ton of money either... all this food and fuel aint cheap ya know. lol
What I did differently....first smoke was 2 slabs of babybacks and 4 ears of corn. Second was a couple fatties, a couple chicken breasts, and 6 snicker apples. The first time the apple cider in the water pan boiled off and ran out completely (I only started with a half bottle), so the second time around I used water and kept it full. Air temp was pretty much the same both times, if not hotter the second time around.
I'm using lump charcoal, Royal Oak brand, started in a chimney starter. Hickory chunks for smoke (not sure if that matters at all). And I am using the factory temp gauge...so I suppose it's possible that it's not accurate.
Any ideas? I'll be smoking again this weekend, so I won't have time for any mods. Plus I use this for grilling too so I don't want to completely change it around. I am thinking about extending the chimney down to grate level in the near future, as well as sealing up any leaks. Can't spend a ton of money either... all this food and fuel aint cheap ya know. lol