# Char Griller Pellet Smokers



## jeff pile

I purchased a Char Griller Pellet Smoker from Lowe's last weekend! I wanted to upgrade my Masterbuilt 30" smoker but I couldn't justify dropping $850 on a Traeger.  I stumbled upon this Char Griller by accident and was shocked to see how close in design it is to the Traeger Lil Tex Elite.  I assembled it in around 30 minutes, seasoned it and was smoking 2 racks of baby backs on it that night.  They were AMAZING!  I did do a two hour test run to figure out the temperature fluctuation and also how much smoke to add.  Yes, there is a 0-7 smoke setting that allows zero smoke to a lot of smoke but adding more smoke does make the internal temp of the chamber drop 15-20 degrees but it recovers quickly.  After one smoke I was THRILLED with the results!  I got a very nice pink smoke ring on the ribs and the smoke flavor was spot on.  If you're like me and want a solid pellet smoker without schilling out a lot of dough, this is a PERFECT smoker! 













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__ jeff pile
__ Oct 16, 2013


















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__ jeff pile
__ Oct 16, 2013


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## wizbeer

Congrats, I just ordered me a pellet smoke but I'm still waiting for mine.


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## scootermagoo

Hmmmm, interesting.  I'm gonna check that out.  How much $, may I ask.


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## seenred

Congrats on the new pellet pit, Jeff!  I saw one of those Char Grillers at a Lowes recently...looks like a good grill and a great price!

Red


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## show me smoke

Is lowes selling pellets now to run in those smokers?   I looked at one last week, and never thought to look and see what brand of pellets they had


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## seenred

Show me Smoke said:


> Is lowes selling pellets now to run in those smokers?   I looked at one last week, and never thought to look and see what brand of pellets they had


Good question...actually I don't remember seeing any pellets at my Lowes, but surely they must be stocking pellets if they are selling the pellet smoker.

Red


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## jeff pile

Sorry for the late reply.  It was $499 and is AWESOME!  I've smoked on it 4 straight weekends and have been nothing short of amazed at how well the meat turns out on it.

Jeff


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## jeff pile

I believe Lowe's carries pellets for this in 20lb bags but only one flavor of wood which is a mixture of several.  I haven't tried them yet however.

Jeff


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## seenred

Jeff Pile said:


> I believe Lowe's carries pellets for this in 20lb bags but only one flavor of wood which is a mixture of several.  I haven't tried them yet however.
> 
> Jeff


Do you know what brand, flavor and price?  I'm always looking to try different pellets if I can find them cheap.

Red


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## wxmanmac

Try going to Aces Hardware if  you have one. They usually carry other woods like cherry, apple and mesquite as well as hickory. They come in 20lb bags and cost about $20. They even will special order it as they did for me when they didn't have the cherry and apple on hand.


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## azcactus

SeenRed said:


> Do you know what brand, flavor and price?  I'm always looking to try different pellets if I can find them cheap.
> 
> Red


http://www.lowes.com/pd_269625-1646...llets&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=pellets&facetInfo=


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## jtrainor56

I just did a search on line and they have it in our local Lowe's for $449.00 for in store pickup.


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## mustangrs

I bought mine at Lowe's on 3 Jan and just got it delivered today.  Unfortunately, while I was doing the process of 'seasoning' the grill, it stopped, and now gives me an "Err" code.  That specific code is NOT mentioned in the owner's manual, and I can't find it anywhere else.  I've taken all the pellets out (as much as I could from the auger prtion) figuring maybe the auger got stuck, but NOTHING.

Anyone else have this problem?  If so, what was the fix?


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## weekend smoker

Mustang,

Did you get the CharGriller pellet smoker fixed?  What was wrong with it?

Looking at the pellet smoker as my next purchase.  Was leaning towards the GreenMountain Daniel Boone, but stopped short of buying it when I saw how low cost the ChagGrill was with more space.   Now I am just trying to find what review the grill is getting.

Thanks


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## mustangrs

So, I called the company when it went out.  Seems they had heard of the error code before, but even though it was more commonplace, they didn't have it in their operations manual.  Either way, they thought it was the thermometer and/or heating element, so they were going to send me a new one.  Well, since that problem was happening more often they were actually out of stock on the parts and it was going to take them about 2 weeks to get me one.

So, I called Lowe's (where I bought it and who put it together) and they delivered a new one the next day and took that one away.

This one has been working great and the meats are awesome...I have yet to overcook anything and they all have great taste/flavor.  I went to a local store here and found some Mesquite pellets, but I don't think I'm as happy with that flavor...gonna try Apple next.

By the way, my father-in-law went to Lowe's last week in DFW to get the Chargriller and they said they aren't selling itanymore because they had too many returns.

So, that could be good or bad, but it is cheaper than Traeger, but maybe there's a reason they cost so much (you get what you pay for).

Good luck and thanks for checking in.


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## jwg299

I see Brinkman has a pellet grill now. I guess it's the hot thing.


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## smokinadam

The pellets are a mixture. Not sure the flavor they will give as its a mixture.  I like knowing the flavor of wood using. Price is great and reviews are good except a few novice users or lemons. Glad Lowes fixed you up when chargriller couldn't help because backordered.


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## kerbos5

So whats the verdict on this smoker, I was very close to picking up the phone and getting a Rec-Tec, but then I was at lowes and noticed this, and for half the price, surely the rec-tec doesn't make the food taste like double the price.....so naturally I came to my fellow smokingmeat forum friends. :)...I figured if anybody knows surely they would. :)


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## smokinadam

For the money so far it taste no different than the traeger we got at the cottage.  Nice thing is there's a place on it that allows you to adjust the amount of smoke you can use.  Not sure the small traeger has that feature.  For the price it's hard to beat it!


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## smo-ken

Hey Jeff.  Just bought the Char-Griller Pellet Grill and trying to figure out the right settings for slow smoking at low temp with a lot of smoke.  I've noticed that the temps vary widely when adjusting from smoke mode to cook mode.  What "P" setting did you use?  Any help would be appreciated.  Can't wait to start smoking!!!


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## smokinadam

SMOK - KEN on another board (not sure how to add it to link up here) xtrema just smoked sturgeon at 120° and held it there for 5 hours.  He said he used the smoke setting (should be lowest temp) and used p-7.  Hope this helps.


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## tim nutt

trager is nice,but not built  like when they first started building them.i personally checked out the chargriller at lowes,and for the money you are getting a wood pellet in my view just  as good as trager for half the price with the same amount of cookie space as the trager,and honestly better construction with digital control thermostat.im seriously thinking of getting one.i have read many reviews and for the most part they were very positive.for about 550 buckoroos you got a nice wood pellet grill.enjoy your smokin .


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## bamajeff

I just bought the Chargriller. Lowes has a 10% discount if you buy online. Just google Lowes online coupon 10%. I bought the grill, cover, free assembly for about $470 tax and all. Got 3 racks of baby backs on it right now. Will let you know how they turn out.


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## pillpusher

Does anyone know if the pellet saver hopper insert sold for the Traeger fits the hopper on the Char-Griller?

http://shop.pelletgrillaccessories.com/product.sc?productId=173&categoryId=8


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## bamajeff

I've been very pleased with the Chargriller thus far. I've done ribs twice, whole chickens, pizza, peach cobbler. Everything has been excellent. Pleased with the fit and finish of my unit. I may look to add a gasket seal around the door just to save a little on pellet consumption. I've got 3 buddies who have traegers and the fit/finish with my chargriller is comparable. The controller is an Ortech(same as Traeger). I can't see paying almost double for the same amount grilling space. 

We'll see how it fares in longevity wise, but right now, I'm very happy with the grill.


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## weekend smoker

Received my Chargrill pellet smoker as a father's day present.  It is definitely easier to use than the MasterBuilt bullet smoker I have been using for the last 12 years.

Noticed that the fan on the Chargrill runs constantly.  This does keep the pellets burning efficiently but it does not producer as much smoke as when the pellets smolder with no forced air.   Is the fan suppose to run the entire time?


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## angela

Did you try unplug it and replug it after a couple mins? I did it with mine and the ERR code was gone.


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## foxy3ls

MustangRS said:


> I bought mine at Lowe's on 3 Jan and just got it delivered today.  Unfortunately, while I was doing the process of 'seasoning' the grill, it stopped, and now gives me an "Err" code.  That specific code is NOT mentioned in the owner's manual, and I can't find it anywhere else.  I've taken all the pellets out (as much as I could from the auger prtion) figuring maybe the auger got stuck, but NOTHING.
> 
> Anyone else have this problem?  If so, what was the fix?
> 
> We are having the same issue we got an error code (50) & called Char grill they sent us a part (motherboard & display panel) but it's still not working >:(


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## foxy3ls

We have the same ISSue got error 50 on the display, they sent us a motherboard-front display combo but it still doesn't work


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## jeff pile

My apologies for getting back to you so late. To answer your question, I usually keep my "P" setting on 4, it keeps the chamber temperature the most consistent IMHO.  Anything higher and the temps drops too much and takes too long to recover but it does spit out more smoke.  Cooling at 4 doesn't put off enough smoke if you ask me but I have fixed that issue by using a smoking tube I bought.  It will smoke for almost 6 hours and adds enough to get the flavor profile I want.  Let me know how you're doing with the smoker!

http://www.amazenproducts.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=AMNTS


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## chef willie

Own a CG pellet pusher myself about almost a year now and find it pretty cool to use with good chow produced. I pretty much leave the smoke at 4, sometimes going for just smoke near the end for a boost of smoky taste. Also got mine at Lowes and was concerned about the 'tronics of it all so popped for the extended Lowes warranty that kicks in after the mfg warranty expires. I'm fortunate to not have had any problems outta the box as some seem to complain of. I agree...for the price and size it's a better deal IMO than Traegers. I just passed by the Traeger folks at Costco hawking units and pellets...and their prices are outta sight now. Their pellets are 'flavored' with oil, I understand, and are mostly all alder. 12 bucks a bag vs 8.88 a bag for 'lil devils which are pretty decent to use. All in all.....if you can find one at Lowes (sometimes stock flies) it's a good deal for the $$......Willie


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## smokinadam

Chef Willie said:


> Own a CG pellet pusher myself about almost a year now and find it pretty cool to use with good chow produced. I pretty much leave the smoke at 4, sometimes going for just smoke near the end for a boost of smoky taste. Also got mine at Lowes and was concerned about the 'tronics of it all so popped for the extended Lowes warranty that kicks in after the mfg warranty expires. I'm fortunate to not have had any problems outta the box as some seem to complain of. I agree...for the price and size it's a better deal IMO than Traegers. I just passed by the Traeger folks at Costco hawking units and pellets...and their prices are outta sight now. Their pellets are 'flavored' with oil, I understand, and are mostly all alder. 12 bucks a bag vs 8.88 a bag for 'lil devils which are pretty decent to use. All in all.....if you can find one at Lowes (sometimes stock flies) it's a good deal for the $$......Willie


  very good post Willie!  I agree with the p setting and dropping to smoke at end. I do the exact same. My pops has one also and he has had issues with it going out on him but he runs a higher p setting than me and I think that may cause it to with wind.  

If you do go to Lowe's and they don't have it in the store they can most likely get it for you as long as their distribution center handles the product. I have not used the char griller pellets as I'm not a fan of the ""mix""  

My pellet preference is lumberjacks. 

Happy smokin' Pelletheads!


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## jerry don

Academy has the pellets


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## jerry don

what idiot designed the adjusment switch with a plastic shaft? Can't find the part number for this control


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## tim nutt

i like the little devil pellets,there only 6 bucks at all winco grocery stores here in california,and they are 20lb bags.have no oil added and are 100 percent hardwood pellets.give them a try you will like them.good for beef and pork both.i bought the traeger texas,yes they are a little high priced,but when something goes out i know i can get a replacement part without any problem.i will never go back too charcoal or gas again.peelet grills are the only way too go,and are awesome for slow and slow cooking.baby back ribs are most and tender.enjoy your charbriller you will be hooked for life.


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## smokinadam

Jerry Don said:


> what idiot designed the adjusment switch with a plastic shaft? Can't find the part number for this control


 I agree. I'll get you the number for it. I believe it's all one unit though but I'll have it for ya in a few minutes.


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## cgarcia67

Just got this smoker trying to get it to smoke or at least produce visible smoke. I'm using the char griller pellets. Could that be the reason it won't smoke as I was expecting? I mean I was expecting a pellet grill to at least produce visible smoke.


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## avins

I am considering a char griller pellet grill. Is this a grill as well as a smoker. I need something that will smoke ribs as well as grill hamburgers and hot dogs. Is that possible with this product?


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## mrclean28

I just saw this one at HEB PLus in Belton Texas half teh price of the Traeger and now have an option to a pellet grill. Saw teh Lil Tx in our PX it was not stable at all, so this through doubts in my purchase. I fell I am going with Char Grill one as of now.


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## avins

I am looking to purchase this pellet grill. I have always had a smoker and a separate grill. Is it possible to grill burgers/hot dogs on this as well?


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## mrclean28

I would say yes for as soon as this guy buys my BrownEgg I am getting it.


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## smokinadam

Yup. Even cooks pizzas


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## yahoot

If you still have your masterbuilt, you might want to try an a-maz-en 5x8 ( http://www.amazenproducts.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=AMNPS5X8 - not recommending you buy it there, only giving it as a reference). I got a couple at a trade show a couple of years ago - definitely put out more/better smoke than the masterbuilt's own tray. Todd (owner of amazen) said the 5x8 was designed specifically for the masterbuilt - and it fits perfectly.

I use my pellet smoker most of the time, but we use the old masterbuilt and the 5x8 quite a bit too (keep it at my daughter's house). Sure uses a lot fewer pellets too. Also a great solution for cold smoking fish, cheese, etc.

Nice to have alternatives.


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## yahoot

Avins said:


> I am looking to purchase this pellet grill. I have always had a smoker and a separate grill. Is it possible to grill burgers/hot dogs on this as well?


You can, but you may not be thrilled with the result.

Pellet smokers generally work on indirect heat and work best "low and slow". There is an inverse relationship between smoke and heat in pellet smokers. The hotter they run, the cleaner they burn and the less smoke you will get.

So, you can crank up many pellet smokers hot enough to cook burgers/dogs or even pizza - but they won't get much smoke flavor. Also keep in mind that you will have to burn a LOT of pellets in a hurry to get those high temps, so it is not very economical.

Some pellet grills have a "searing" feature/accessory (like this one for a Louisiana Smoker http://www.louisiana-grills.com/sho...-TG300-&-TG300ss/p/48464914/category=17769002 ) that can help make a smoker cook more like a direct grill, but it still won't be like a classic BBQ grill. 

That said, you can slow smoke hot dogs (wonderful flavor) on the pellet smoker, and my kids beg for slow smoked stuffed burgers from the pellet grill - however, if you are looking for "traditional" grilled burgers and dogs, it can be done, but not well (IMHO).

So, personally, I still keep my trusty 15 (?) year old gas grill (the first charbroil stainless - when they offered a real lifetime warranty that they have grown to regret) that I use to burn up burgers and dogs, and we have several pellet smokers (and several other smokers too!).


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## mrclean28

I will maintain my Masterbuilt but really plan on the pellet grill.


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## trav2305

I recently purchased one at lowes a month ago and have  realized that it wasn't producing a lot of smoke so I called customer service and they said that it's not really a smoker more of a convection oven  so I am going to try other smoking products to help get more smoke just beware before you buy


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## jrsterling

So this thread hasn't received much attention in a while.  Let me share my thoughts. 

As soon as I got it setup it kept tripping breakers.  Chargiller customer support rapidly sent me a new hotrod and temp gauge.  Let me tell you that was not easy to change out but I got it.  No issues on the smoker working since the fix.

I have had my CG pellet smoker for about a year.  Honestly I still cant form an opinion.  Mainly because I have doubt the entire time I'm smoking due to the fact that there is very little visible blue smoke.  That being said one of the first times it did well and had a nice smoke ring on a boston butt.  The worst smoke was a turkey last month.  I switched and used applewood pellets(might have been the problem).  The turkey had very little smoke and looked like your mother in laws baked boring bird.  The smoker cooked it to temp with no problem and it tasted great with a slight smokiness.  I injected it and seasoned it well which contributed to the taste. 

Here is my big issue and if I can get some answers might solve my problems.  The unknown pandoras box of the temp and P settings.  Here is what I have learned so far.

The Smoke setting I basically for cold smoking.  On P7 it will hang around 120 on a normal outside temp day.  This has the best   Which obviously will not smoke ribs, BB or brisket.  If you lower the P setting it will increase the temp but diminish a lot of the visible smoke.  I am going to test the cold smoke theory by doing my bacon soon.

180 - On a higher smoke P setting it struggles to get to 180.  Again depending on the outside temp.  If you increase the P setting it will hold temp and even go above which fine.

There should be setting here in between 180 & 225.

225 - This should be ideal but it in is the cook mode at this point and not a smoke mode.  The computers sends in pellets to hold temp and pauses to create smoke.  In my opinion the pause time is not long enough to create a substantial amount of smoke.  I get that it is tough for a computer setting to have to figure how much smoke I like.

In regards to burgers, steaks etc.  You have to accept the fact that this turns into an oven above 225.  There is no smoke once it gets hot.  The auger is working steady to maintain a hot temp.  This grill will not hot sear.  It will create grill marks and a slight sear.  You will have to cook burgers and steaks longer.  It does put out some good food you just have to learn how to grill on it.  Especially a higher fat content burger.   

Overall I like it but it is a struggle to figure out.  Please share your thoughts and experiences and we can all get there together.

JRS


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## mrclean28

I set the little timer on the top and seems I get enough smoke coming out more often. When I bought it I did nto play witht he littel pellet timer now I am set I know this doesn't help to much


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## tkdf03

I just purchased this grill and I'm currently smoking ribs. 
I'm still not all caught up with how to work the temp and all that. Any advise would help. I've looked at videos and other forums but using different pellet smokers. Any help is would be great to get a better understanding on this bad boy.


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## tkdf03

Haha


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## whitefish

I purchased a Green Mountain Daniel Boone pellet grill recently. $549 at a local dealer. Assembly was a piece of cake. Love it. Temperature control from 150 to 500 in 5 degree increments.  Good smoke from 150 to 275. Above that it's an oven or grill. Customer service has been excellent so far.  I agree, why pay double
for a Traeger? Or the same for a small portable Rec Tec?


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## mrclean28

Whitefish said:


> I purchased a Green Mountain Daniel Boone pellet grill recently. $549 at a local dealer. Assembly was a piece of cake. Love it. Temperature control from 150 to 500 in 5 degree increments. Good smoke from 150 to 275. Above that it's an oven or grill. Customer service has been excellent so far. I agree, why pay double
> for a Traeger? Or the same for a small portable Rec Tec?


Cool any photos yet in action?


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## jmcconnll

Jeff Pile said:


> I believe Lowe's carries pellets for this in 20lb bags but only one flavor of wood which is a mixture of several.  I haven't tried them yet however.
> 
> Jeff



Walmart carried them in apple, hickory, and compation flavors


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## jmcconnll

SeenRed said:


> Do you know what brand, flavor and price?  I'm always looking to try different pellets if I can find them cheap.
> 
> Red


Check walmart they have 3 flavors.


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## smokin indiana

I've been using mine for around 4 years now and I absolutely love mine. IMO it's the best chicken and rib cooker around. Cold smoke that chicken for about an hour or so then kick up that heat to about 450 and you'll have some tasty chicken with crispy skin in no time, you can also finish them on the grill. 

To all you guys and gals that can't get enough smoke, you got to buy a smoke tube. The best place I've found to put it is on the right side about an inch or two from the thermometer. It may take a little bit of effort to keep it going but once it does it goes for quite awhile. I got the 6 and 12-inch tube and love them both. I use a brass tube about 1/4"x 3 foot long and I just kick that lid open and use the brass tube to stoke that fire in the smoke tube, you may have to do that a couple of times but it'll get going with a little patience. If anybody has a better location please let me know. 

The P setting, I've also found it's best on 4, I've never had a problem with it on that setting. Sometimes higher P settings can cause it to stall because it's feeding more pellets than it can burn and the pot gets overloaded. Never tried the smoke setting on P7 only on P4, I would get around 160 but will have to try that soon cause 120 sounds better for smoking salmon. I like to cold smoke steaks among other things then finish them on the grill

Anywho that's my 2¢ Have a wonderful day everybody and keep smoking.


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## norwestie

I found a used Char-Griller that didn't work. I bought a new igniter and temp control from Amazon and a new Ortec controller on eBay. It works as well as my old (US built) Traeger, GMG Daniel Boone and smoked nearly as well as my (lost to a house fire) MAK. I even found a cover for it on eBay that was designed for a Traeger Pro 34. It just goes on with the label facing backwards, since CG is sorta a mirror image of the Traeger. Not bad for a total of about $225!


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## Zhaas1983

norwestie said:


> I found a used Char-Griller that didn't work. I bought a new igniter and temp control from Amazon and a new Ortec controller on eBay. It works as well as my old (US built) Traeger, GMG Daniel Boone and smoked nearly as well as my (lost to a house fire) MAK. I even found a cover for it on eBay that was designed for a Traeger Pro 34. It just goes on with the label facing backwards, since CG is sorta a mirror image of the Traeger. Not bad for a total of about $225!


What did you do with the old controller? What was wrong with it? Mine burnt up it's first igniter after my 4th year, and the control board ended up shorting a triac and powering the new igniter constantly. I tried a Traeger controller, without the P setting, as it's a direct fit, and it was aweful. Couldn't keep it below 225-260° on smoke and any setting up to 250°, and without the P adjustment there was nothing I could do. Sent that back, order a $1 triac, soldered it on to the original board, and I'm back in business. Only overshoots by 10°, and goes under by 5° of the setting. Smoke setting I can get anywhere from 150°-180° by adjusting p. I did order an ortech as well as I would like the shutdown cycle, but we will see how it works. Is yours keeping consistent temps?


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## norwestie

I tossed the old controller. There was quite a bit of crud behind the LED display and I figured for $70 I'd get a better controller. It has worked very well but I'm not using the smoker anymore. I just bought a new Camp Chef PG24 DLX, so the old girl is on craigslist.


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## Zhaas1983

norwestie said:


> I tossed the old controller. There was quite a bit of crud behind the LED display and I figured for $70 I'd get a better controller. It has worked very well but I'm not using the smoker anymore. I just bought a new Camp Chef PG24 DLX, so the old girl is on craigslist.


I have been really happy with mine, couldn't imagine changing to a different brand anytime soon. I hope to get at least 4 more years out of it. I have been looking at a couple that have some different options, but I'm really happy with what this one is. Not super fancy, but easy to operate and cook on.


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## mrclean28

jeff pile said:


> I purchased a Char Griller Pellet Smoker from Lowe's last weekend! I wanted to upgrade my Masterbuilt 30" smoker but I couldn't justify dropping $850 on a Traeger.  I stumbled upon this Char Griller by accident and was shocked to see how close in design it is to the Traeger Lil Tex Elite.  I assembled it in around 30 minutes, seasoned it and was smoking 2 racks of baby backs on it that night.  They were AMAZING!  I did do a two hour test run to figure out the temperature fluctuation and also how much smoke to add.  Yes, there is a 0-7 smoke setting that allows zero smoke to a lot of smoke but adding more smoke does make the internal temp of the chamber drop 15-20 degrees but it recovers quickly.  After one smoke I was THRILLED with the results!  I got a very nice pink smoke ring on the ribs and the smoke flavor was spot on.  If you're like me and want a solid pellet smoker without schilling out a lot of dough, this is a PERFECT smoker!
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You will love it it has taken me a few to get it right as maintaining temps What I do is set the smoke on 6 then after a few hours I keep it at 0. Good luck and happy smoking. One note I too view the Traeger and was not happy with how unstable it was plus a smaller cooking area. You made a excellent choice Happy Fathers Day


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