# Ashes blowing into my chamber and on the meat! chargriller smokin pro



## meltyface (Oct 13, 2011)

I have a chargriller smokin pro with a offset firebox, and I recently installed a BBQ Guru just above the inlet air vent for the firebox.  The setup works pretty good except now when the ashes fall down into the tray they also get blown all over my smoker and meat.  Does anyone know how I can fix this, short of welding a dampener (I don't have access to tools for metal work).


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## alexhortdog95 (Oct 14, 2011)

Pics Please?


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## meltyface (Oct 15, 2011)

Below is how my smoker is set up at the moment:

This is my ash tray.  At the top right you can see the inlet for the BBQ guru fan.  It is as high as possible and in the best place to avoid most of the falling ash, but I'm still getting a substantial amount of ash blown into my cooking chamber.
	

		
			
		

		
	








This picture shows that the inlet rests directly below the grate for my coals/wood.







This is the cavety between my firebox and cooking chamber.  As you can see there is some ash resting on the bottom.







I've tried putting a piece of foil just above the entrance to the chamber but it reduces the smoke on this side and doesn't prevent the ashes to much.  You can see there is a lot of ash resting on top of this foil as well.







This shows a top view of the area most of the ash is being blown through and on the food.


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## alexhortdog95 (Oct 15, 2011)

Do you happen to have a charcoal basket?  I've found that keeps a lot of the ash inside.

Also, what brand of lump do you use?  Some ash more than others.

Finally, you really should consider getting a baffle to go above the opening to your firebox.  Not only would it most likely deflect the ashes, but it would also even out the temps in your cooking chamber.

I don't have a BBQ guru at this time, but with the mods I've made to the smoker, it's helped me out greatly!


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## rockin ribs (Oct 20, 2011)

I will also be buying a BBQ Guru for my offset smoker..

from what i have seen on youtube and read in other forums you might should try drilling a hole at the other end of your fire box this was it blows the ashes away from your meat and chamber.

i can see where this might help you. i myself would not have the fan blowing towards my meat just for that fact.

Hopes this helps.


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## meltyface (Oct 20, 2011)

ROCKIN RIBS said:


> I will also be buying a BBQ Guru for my offset smoker..
> 
> from what i have seen on youtube and read in other forums you might should try drilling a hole at the other end of your fire box this was it blows the ashes away from your meat and chamber.
> 
> ...


Yeah if I get another smoker or firebox I'm definetly going to rethink the placement of that damn fan.  I didn't do any research about placement of that fan because I didn't think it would cause an issue...and I was wrong.  I think I'm just going to build a makeshift dampener out of an aluminum pan for the meantime until I can get something fabricated....

RockinRibs, where did you see the post about the hole in the opposite side.  I'm just afraid if I do that I'll lose to much heat and smoke?


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## jirodriguez (Oct 21, 2011)

Meltyface said:


> Yeah if I get another smoker or firebox I'm definetly going to rethink the placement of that damn fan.  I didn't do any research about placement of that fan because I didn't think it would cause an issue...and I was wrong.  I think I'm just going to build a makeshift dampener out of an aluminum pan for the meantime until I can get something fabricated....
> 
> RockinRibs, where did you see the post about the hole in the opposite side.  I'm just afraid if I do that I'll lose to much heat and smoke?


Use some sheet metal and a couple of self tapping metal screws to close up the hole you drilled and move it around to the other side of the box. You should be able to pick up a thin small piece of metal fairly cheap.


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## rockin ribs (Oct 24, 2011)

I had seen it on youtube.... where your smoking chamber is and your fire box drops just below it drill right there under your smoking chamber into your fire box this way the fan blows towards the oppisit way of where your food is. this should be ok... look up guru on you tube and there is a guy that made two videos and he was still learning about his new toy...lol but he has got it to work now in his favor and loves it.. you will see he has a small offset smoker and he is cooking with cherry wood. Oh and its COLD out side so he will be warming his wood on his firebox..


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## alelover (Oct 24, 2011)

You should push the baffle all the way against the wall and eliminate the big gap. I would also raise up the charcoal grate about 3 inches too. When the ashes fall down they will block the airflow and the guru will be blowing them all over the place because the air has to go somewhere.

Like this.


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## alexhortdog95 (Nov 5, 2011)

This is my baffle (when it was brand new).  I just used the two screws where you would usually put the rotissarie:







Since then, I've angled it down a bit more, and bent the tip back a little.  That's where I keep my water pan (just an inexpensive stainless steel loaf pan).


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