# Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Combo vs Char-Griller Texas Trio



## BarkIt

Being very limited on space, needing a new propane grill, and wanting to get into smoking I've set my sights on two products and thought I'd share my findings with you.  One, for any last minute advice/thoughts and two, so others who may be in the market can get a quick comparison.

If you're not familiar, the Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Combo (OKJ) and the Char-Griller Texas Trio (CGTT) combine a propane grill, charcoal grill, and offset smoker all-in-one.  Plus a side burner.  Same size as your typical cheap offset smoker, but split down the middle for charcoal and propane, with the offset heating the charcoal chamber for smoking.  The Texas Trio should not be confused with their Triple Play or other Dual Fuel offerings that have a sometimes optional offset smoker.  This is a new this year, Home Depot exclusive.  The OKJ on the other hand has been around since at least late 2015, and can be found at Lowes, Academy and Tractor Supply.  Both are around $400.

They may not be the best at any, but if you're limited on space like I am it's really the only choice as all three separately would be even bigger.  Smoke Hollow also makes a combo, but seemed cheaper and no display units for me to see. There's also the Pit Boss Memphis Ultimate 4-in-1 at Walmart, but I don't want an electric smoker at this time.

I'll start with some point-for-point comparisons, that is extensive at first sight but not exhaustive as I tried to list what was important to me or minor differences I saw/thought-of. Some of which aren't really important, but trying to break a tie so listed them in my notes.  Some pictures of those comparisons are further below.

Char-Griller Texas Trio.






1. 779 square inch main gas/charcoal grills combined + 610 = 1389 sq in. total. The extra is the firebox and the upper racks in the main chambers.
2. Firebox on right. Warming plate on top.
3. 12k BTU Side burner. 40.8k main burners. 3 burners.
4. Porcelain coated cast iron grates.
5. 14 gauge steel (1.984mm according to google)
6. 75"W x 30"D x 50"H. 230lbs (according to Char-Griller, HD gives slightly diff figures, such as 202lb)
7. Slide out ash drawer on firebox.
8. Powder coat exterior, none inside.
9. Plates and air under both charcoal racks. Charcoal chamber has a rack on a curved plate, which sits on 4 triangle legs so heat kept from barrel.  Firebox has a drawer/plate that sits slightly above bottom of firebox, and then a rack on top of that.
10. Main charcoal rack only couple inches smaller than chamber.
11. Dual chimney over gas side.
12. 4 petal-shaped air damper holes on ash drawer. In order to increase air, would have to slide drawer out some.
13. Brand new this year, no long term reviews.
14. 1 year warranty, 5 year burners.
15. Hooks on side burner for tools.
16. Char-Griller thermometers, may not be easily replaceable with other brands. (will likely go digital anyway)
17. Gas flame shields on hook-like shelf, not as easy to replace with other brands perhaps.
18. Plastic handles on metal arms.
19. Nuts and bolts don't seem as heavy duty, but overall the unit feels solid. Rack for storage underneath not as sturdy.

Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Combo.





1. 750 sq inch main gas/charcoal grills combined + 310 = 1060 total.  The extra is the firebox, with no upper racks in main cooking chambers.
2. Firebox on left. Warming plate on top.
3. 12k BTU Side burner. 36k main burners. 3 burners.
4. Porcelain coated cast iron grates.
5. 2mm steel, 2.5mm doors.
6. 74"W x 31.5"D x 50.6"H. 205lbs. 70" w/o handle by my measurement.
7. Ash door on side of smoker box; level with bottom to clean ashes out during cook.
8. High temp paint exterior and inner doors.
9. Plate under just main charcoal rack, not fire box rack. Charcoal chamber has a rack on a curved plate, which sits directly on barrel with no air in between. Firebox has standard rack, no plate. The plated charcoal rack from the main chamber could fit in firebox if wanted.
10. Main charcoal rack seems several inches smaller than chamber.
11. Dual vents in back of gas side.
12. Approx 1/6 of a circle damper hole. Open door for more air.
13. At least 3-4 years old, long term reviews available.
14. 2 year warranty.
15. Towel/tool bar in front.
16. Thermometers look easily replaceable. (will likely go digital anyway)
17. Flame shields sit on shelf. Likely could use anything that'd fit on shelf.
18. Spring metal handles.
19. Nuts and bolts seem sturdier, as well as the storage rack underneath. Overall, very close comparison in sturdy feel for both. Slight edge to OKJ subjectively.

Pics below of some of those differences.

CGTT nuts and bolts. Not a fair comparison as not from same area, and low quality image.













OKJ nuts and bolts.













 CGTT charcoal rack in main smoke/charcoal chamber. As you can see it spans the entire width just short an inch, and sits on a plate that is lifted with triangle legs.













The OKJ main charcoal rack on the other hand is several inches smaller than the main chamber.  It sits on a plate, but that plate sits fully on the barrel and not lifted at all. Which means less charcoal side to side, slightly lower charcoal, and less heat protection. Not sure how problematic that would be, but if I go with the OKJ I could just buy the CG rack replacement if it ever becomes available separately.














CGTT has a pull out ash drawer with the petal hole damper I mentioned. The drawer is essentially a tray slightly lifted from the bottom on sliders and has a removable rack on top of that. Benefits would likely be more heat protection and easy clean up afterward.  However, I'm not sold on this as I think it'd be problematic to empty while smoking, but that may not be needed often. Plus, it'd get in the way of pulling the drawer open some for more air. My solution would be to have a basket/rack that sits higher off of the drawer.  This way the drawer catches ashes, but can still be pulled out as necessary during cooks without pulling the basket/rack with it.







The OKJ on the other hand has a simple door that's flush with the bottom for easy cleaning or pulling ash during a cook.  Just a simple wire rack, so not as much heat protection. The damper is pretty small, but leaving the door ajar some would be an easy inlet increase.







Both suffer from cheap offset smoker quality though, as each have general faults in their build. Such as doors that aren't perfectly curved and flush, gaps in the strips the doors sit on, gaps between firebox halves, etc.  Plenty of places for smoke/heat to escape from and air to get into. I could add gaskets if I want, but I'll probably start naked and see how it goes from there. Reading reviews and talking to a helpful OKJ owner on here makes me believe that I'll still be able to achieve the desired temps.

The below are not necessarily fair comparisons between the two brands as viewing a number of display models each one is different.  Some with more gaps and flaws than others.  I can only hope I get a better one, and then work with what I've got from there. Gaskets, jb-weld, etc.

First up are some CGTT pics.





















This one may be harder to see, but that is a thin metal strip on the top inside of the barrel. Sort of like a shelf for the outer-skin to sit on.  It's not flush all the way around and begins a gap near the door.  All though the gap between the strip and the roof is pretty large, the resulting air gap isn't as big on the outside.







Now some example gap issues for one of the OKJ display units.













Like the CGTT gap pic above, the OKJ model may have some gaps between the roof and the thin metal strip it sits on.  The arrow is pointing at light entering from the outside.







Here's the left-upper corner of the charcoal chamber. The horizontal strip and vertical strip are stacked on top of each other slightly instead of meeting at the same level, which means heat/smoke escaping right there. As mentioned, other display models weren't as bad and relatively flush.







I won't bore you with endless pictures.  You can see the thermometer and handle differences in the full unit pictures above.  You can also see the double chimney on the CGTT over the gas side. Both have a single chimney on the charcoal/smoke chamber.  The OKJ has vents in the back on the gas side as seen below.  Because the CGTT has higher BTUs it seems to have more ventilation on the gas side.  I've read at amazingribs that's pretty standard with propane grills.  Some have low ventilation, lower BTUs, and as such good heat.  While others have high ventilation, high BTUs, and as such good heat.  It's a combination of marketing and safety.

OKJ gas side ventilation in back.







And one notable difference on the CGTT are the upper racks in the two main chambers.








All in all, they both seem like quality units with similar faults.  They're not 1/4" offset smokers, they're not 6 burner propane grills, and they're not tried and true kettles or easy temp holding eggs. So you're not going to get the best of all worlds.  My concrete pad behind my rental unit is about 8 x 8', so this is about all I'm going to fit with my chairs and table. I want propane for quick daily cooks, and smoke and charcoal for flavor days.  A small propane and a PBC/WSM combo wouldn't be bad, but not ideal.

Their small chambers wouldn't be good for big families, but I'm single with a gf or few friends to cook for on occasion.  The small chambers also mean less fuel to heat and smoke, so good flavor with less wood.

My pros and cons are:
The OKJ has the firebox on the left. If I put the grill where I wanted, the firebox would be about 2.5' away from my screen door.  That may not be bad as the heat shouldn't kick in that direction too much, and I can push it to overhang a little when using it.  Or move it to the other non-preferred side of my pad. Why OKJ did this when every other offset firebox is on the right, I don't know. If it was on the right, I'd probably go with the OKJ and be done. Other negative is no upper racks. Not necessary, but an extra slab of ribs in a small chamber could be useful. I could probably rig something or use rib racks. The charcoal rack is pretty abysmal in comparison to the CGTT, but I hope I can buy the CGTT version separately if it comes to it.

The OKJ has been around longer and so has way more reviews, especially on long term durability.  It's hard to say, but if I subjectively thought one was higher quality it would be the OKJ based on the better looking hardware (handles, bolts, etc.), and durability through years. There's a video on youtube with a 3 year review and it's still up and running with very little maintenance from the filthy looks of it.  Bad reviews complain of rust, but that seems to be common with all of these cheap offsets.  I plan to oil it and cover it.  I also like the firebox door better than the CGTT drawer, though the CGTT offers better protection by lifting their racks off the bottom.

With the CGTT the sore spots are mostly the ash drawer, some superficial cheapness look to the plastic handles, and unknown quality.  The steel is damn comparable so likely really close there, it's just a tough sell to be a guinea pig when you've got more long term reviews on the OKJ.  The firebox on the right is better for my preference, but the ash drawer not so much.  As mentioned, having a rack/basket above the drawer could perhaps fix that negative rather easily.  The upper racks are a nice addition, and the charcoal rack is far superior in my eye.

Upper racks can be rigged, ash drawer can be gotten around, charcoal rack can be bought... may come down to partially subjective quality/looks (OKJ) vs. firebox on right (CGTT).

If anyone has experience with either of these units, or thoughts on my pros/cons, possible solutions or experience with overcoming similar features, I'd love to hear them.

Thank you for your patience and hope this was helpful to any shoppers in a similar situation.


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## SmokinAl

That is quite a detailed review!
Thanks for taking the time to write it up!
I'm not familiar with either unit, but I'm sure there are a lot of guys on here who are.
Al


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## dcecil

Although I’m not in the market for a cooker right now I sure can appreciate your efforts In Your search.  Very nice write up.


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## DeviousMrMatt

I bought the OKJ Longhorn Triple back in March and I have been really happy with it and the build quality of my unit. I did the high temp sealant while assembling the grill and have added high heat felt around the opening of the charcoal lid and the firebox lid and ash door. It has really helped IMO. One word of warning, because of the smaller size, mine heats up fast and stays hot for awhile so keep that in mind if you want low temps. Use less wood or charcoal


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## BarkIt

Thanks SmokinAl and Dcecil, hope it helps someone.

Thanks for the input DeviousMrMatt!  The felt for the fire/smoke chamber was one of the mods I was considering, but may see how it does at first.  Even if temps workout ok I may do it just not to bother (or tempt) neighbors with too much smoke. I presume you used Lavalock Nomex gasket? How's it holding up?  The other mod I was definitely going to do was a makeshift baffle just to direct some of the intense heat immediately coming out of the firebox.  Block it and spread it some.

How much charcoal and wood have you been using to maintain around 225-250?  Ever try a basket with snake or minion method to go a good while without tending the fire, or are you constantly on it? Do you measure with digital probes, and if so how have you routed them into the chamber?


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## DeviousMrMatt

I bought the red colored high temp sealant at lowes. Can't remember the name. The felt I bought off of Amazon. Both have held up great, the felt especially, it has formed to the imperfections of the lid to create a good seal.

For lower temps of 225 to 250 I have learned to start with half a chimney of charcoal and add a good hunk of wood every once in awhile and adding charcoal briquettes a few at a time as required. The wood i buy is the ones that comes in the bags that you can almost buy anywhere. I use digital probes in the cooking chamber. 

After using the grill and knowing it's nuances I have learned when to add coal and mess with dampers a lot less and dont seem to be babysitting it so often like I did when I first started using it. I also learned not to be too concerned with swings in temps also as long as they arent too extreme. (I learned that from this site) I am new to smoking and this was my first smoker I ever bought


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## SonnyE

I feel sorry for your wife or girlfriend...
But I'd probably like the review.
After-all, I have been called a Dirty Old Man.


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## RiversideSm0ker

You really dug into the nuts and bolts on these units. Very impressive review. I don't have one of these combo units but I do own a OKJ Highland offset smoker. The one thing that I guess I would be concerned with for such a small smoking chamber would be a very limited amount of cooking space. Some kind of baffle plate might be a necessity for this thing to be able to use the full cooking space in your smoker half. I tend to use the 2/3 of cooking surface farthest away from the firebox. I use the other 1/3 only when I am cooking something like chicken or sausage that handle the higher heat without issue. Sounds like Matt has some good info on the OKJ model. They both look good. The extra cooking rack space could be very handy for the Char Grill model. I can't complain about my own OKJ so I will give my blessing to the brand from first hand experience but will leave this to guys like Matt to give you more hands on advice. I believe that one of the newer forum members has this OKJ model as well. He posted about some pretty nice looking ribs the other day. Have fun with whatever you choose to buy. 

George


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## BarkIt

DeviousMrMatt said:


> I bought the red colored high temp sealant at lowes. Can't remember the name. The felt I bought off of Amazon. Both have held up great, the felt especially, it has formed to the imperfections of the lid to create a good seal.
> 
> For lower temps of 225 to 250 I have learned to start with half a chimney of charcoal and add a good hunk of wood every once in awhile and adding charcoal briquettes a few at a time as required. The wood i buy is the ones that comes in the bags that you can almost buy anywhere. I use digital probes in the cooking chamber.
> 
> After using the grill and knowing it's nuances I have learned when to add coal and mess with dampers a lot less and dont seem to be babysitting it so often like I did when I first started using it. I also learned not to be too concerned with swings in temps also as long as they arent too extreme. (I learned that from this site) I am new to smoking and this was my first smoker I ever bought



I know of the red stuff you're talking about. If the firebox halves leak that bad I may get it, but don't want to gunk it up until I've got it all together and good to go.  Returns department might not look kindly on the red caulking.

Thanks, I'll start with a half chimney and the chunks you use are probably exactly what I was going to buy as I see them at the big stores too.  How do you route your digital probes into the chamber?  Just through the door and let the felt keep the seal, through the chimney or what?



SonnyE said:


> I feel sorry for your wife or girlfriend...
> But I'd probably like the review.
> After-all, I have been called a Dirty Old Man.



Don't be, she'll get more smoked meats now.  I keep my never ending analysis to myself for the most part.



RiversideSm0ker said:


> You really dug into the nuts and bolts on these units. Very impressive review. I don't have one of these combo units but I do own a OKJ Highland offset smoker. The one thing that I guess I would be concerned with for such a small smoking chamber would be a very limited amount of cooking space. Some kind of baffle plate might be a necessity for this thing to be able to use the full cooking space in your smoker half. I tend to use the 2/3 of cooking surface farthest away from the firebox. I use the other 1/3 only when I am cooking something like chicken or sausage that handle the higher heat without issue. Sounds like Matt has some good info on the OKJ model. They both look good. The extra cooking rack space could be very handy for the Char Grill model. I can't complain about my own OKJ so I will give my blessing to the brand from first hand experience but will leave this to guys like Matt to give you more hands on advice. I believe that one of the newer forum members has this OKJ model as well. He posted about some pretty nice looking ribs the other day. Have fun with whatever you choose to buy.
> 
> George



Thank you for the input. Seems to be a lot of OKJ love out there, but I think I was drawn to them earlier and didn't really consider anything Char-Griller until I saw this one.  So could be a bit of uninformed bias.

The cooking space is definitely smaller, but can still fit a full brisket, or a turkey, number of ribs, chickens, butts, etc. I'd mostly be cooking for 1-2, very rarely 4-5. Rib rack or upper racks should take care of that, not to mention the second chamber for propane smoking or non-smoked items.

A baffle is on my definite mod list, likely a basket, and leaning towards some gasket after all.  A owner of the same unit suggested the same and does well with just a grate wrapped in foil.  Knowing how well this thing builds, holds and spreads heat was a concern as well, so I'm glad there are others out there that confirm it's capable.  Even the propane side has been confirmed to hold a nice low 200s temp, and the propane side getting real hot has been shown too.

I've found numerous users of the OKJ Combo on here, but only a few recently active.  Then Matt called it the Longhorn Triple and found even more.  Seems it may have had a different name at some point, the OKJ Longhorn Black Triple Function or some such combination.  If you see any, please lead 'em to here!


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## DeviousMrMatt

BarkIt said:


> How do you route your digital probes into the chamber?  Just through the door and let the felt keep the seal, through the chimney or what?



I have a ThermoPro TP-20. I route the wires between the lid and grill top. Been working great. The probe wires are real thin


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## RiversideSm0ker

Same as Matt for the probe wires. They do fine just going through the door for me. If you wanted to get all fancy you could install a probe port but I haven't found a need myself. I do have the gasket around the CC door and I'm sure that it both seals and cushions the pressure on the wires. 

George


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## BarkIt

Thank you both!  If keep it naked there will probably be a gap somewhere for the wire anyway. :)  And if I seal it then it probably won't matter.


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## SonnyE

BarkIt said:


> Thank you both!  If keep it naked there will probably be a gap somewhere for the wire anyway. :)  And if I seal it then it probably won't matter.



It's a smoker, not a pressure tank. Doesn't matter if it leaks a bit.
To often things get over thunked. A probe lead coming under an edge isn't going to matter.
Anytime you open it while it's working it will be hot and smokey inside.
When in doubt, add copious amount of Beer.....


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## BarkIt

Good point, but overthinking is what I do best. Instructions unclear, now I'm drunk.


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## wbf610

I have the OKJ.  It’s a good combo unit that can do it all, but isn’t the best at anything.  I quit trying long smokes on it, as it eats coal quickly. 

Mods I did to help it out:
1.  Red seal between the fire box and smoke chamber, and top/bottom of the firebox.  Do this as you are putting it together, it’s much easier than taking it back apart.

2. Nomex tape on the lids of both.  Still need to seal up the fire box dampener door, it lets a lot of air in, to the point that the actual dampener is closed fully, and it still runs hot.

3.  Dryer vent in the exhust pipe to bring heat and smoke down to grate level.  This is a must.

4. Bought and use a weber veggie basket as a coal basket.  3/4 full of coal, and a 1/4 chimney of lit will get you about 5 hours of heat.

5.  After starting my coal, i put half of the cooking grate in  the fire box, on the right side, and put a pan of water over the coals.  It helps regulate temps, and seems to even heat out in the cook chamber. 

6.  Use the half moon coal grate as another cook rack under the grate in the cook chamber.  Buy cheap elevated cooling racks and use over the regular grates in the cook chamber for even more cooking area.  I’ve been able to fit 6-7 racks of ribs in at one time.

Other comments:

Propane side heats up fast and will do well at searing meat.  All three burners on low will run at about 350.  All three on high will hit over 500 in a minute or two. 

The side burner is good for lighting the charcoal chimney.

This thing is heavy, and appears to be better built than than char griller.  I’ve never used the charg., but have seen one, and it appears to be a cheaper built unit.  I believe chargriller owns OkJ now.

For long smokes, I bought a WSM 18.5.  If you are going to wrap long cook meats, you could put them on the smoker for the first few hours, then wrap and finish in the oven.  Cause once you wrap, it’s not getting any more smoke.

Message me if you want any more info, or have any further questions.


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## BarkIt

Great response with interesting points! I especially like #6, very creative. Do you lift the cooling racks with something, never seen any with tall legs? Got a link?

Anyway, I'm packing up for a short vacay so I will come back to this comment for more, just wanted to give a quick thank you!


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## wbf610

BarkIt said:


> Great response with interesting points! I especially like #6, very creative. Do you lift the cooling racks with something, never seen any with tall legs? Got a link?
> 
> Anyway, I'm packing up for a short vacay so I will come back to this comment for more, just wanted to give a quick thank you!


The cooling racks sit up 3-4” on their own collapsible legs.  Just enough to have ribs under.  I’m doing some ribs tomorrow, I’ll grab a pic or two.


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## tddeangelo

I just assembled my OKJ Longhorn combo. Gonna be spraying it down with Pam soon and seasoning this afternoon. 

Can't speak to the use of it, but I can tell you that if you're super detail oriented, the instructions will make your brain hurt. The actual assembly is not bad and the engineering of it, I think, is well done. 

Whoever wrote the instructions needs his butt kicked till his nose bleeds. 

Once I figured that out, the assembly went pretty well. I'd guess I had about 2 hours in it total, and the only part I needed a second set of hands to accomplish was hanging the firebox on the side. 

Just be prepared for the instructions to be...interesting.... with the OKJ. But they're manageable.


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## wbf610

Pics as promised.  Smoker box set up for ribs, I’ll get 5-6 hours of heat out of it, which is enough for baby backs.

The rack I use to get more area.  I have 2 and can fit both on the main grate if needed.  I put the meat on the regular grate, add those on top, and add more meat, normally just for ribs.

Let me know if you have any other questions, or figure out any other useful mods.


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## RiversideSm0ker

WBF, do you recall where you picked up those warmer racks? It looks like an interesting option to add some cooking surface for those of us without a top rack. 

George


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## BarkIt

wbf610 said:


> I have the OKJ.  It’s a good combo unit that can do it all, but isn’t the best at anything.  I quit trying long smokes on it, as it eats coal quickly.
> 
> Mods I did to help it out:
> 1.  Red seal between the fire box and smoke chamber, and top/bottom of the firebox.  Do this as you are putting it together, it’s much easier than taking it back apart.
> 
> 2. Nomex tape on the lids of both.  Still need to seal up the fire box dampener door, it lets a lot of air in, to the point that the actual dampener is closed fully, and it still runs hot.
> 
> 3.  Dryer vent in the exhust pipe to bring heat and smoke down to grate level.  This is a must.
> 
> 4. Bought and use a weber veggie basket as a coal basket.  3/4 full of coal, and a 1/4 chimney of lit will get you about 5 hours of heat.
> 
> 5.  After starting my coal, i put half of the cooking grate in  the fire box, on the right side, and put a pan of water over the coals.  It helps regulate temps, and seems to even heat out in the cook chamber.
> 
> 6.  Use the half moon coal grate as another cook rack under the grate in the cook chamber.  Buy cheap elevated cooling racks and use over the regular grates in the cook chamber for even more cooking area.  I’ve been able to fit 6-7 racks of ribs in at one time.
> 
> Other comments:
> 
> Propane side heats up fast and will do well at searing meat.  All three burners on low will run at about 350.  All three on high will hit over 500 in a minute or two.
> 
> The side burner is good for lighting the charcoal chimney.
> 
> This thing is heavy, and appears to be better built than than char griller.  I’ve never used the charg., but have seen one, and it appears to be a cheaper built unit.  I believe chargriller owns OkJ now.
> 
> For long smokes, I bought a WSM 18.5.  If you are going to wrap long cook meats, you could put them on the smoker for the first few hours, then wrap and finish in the oven.  Cause once you wrap, it’s not getting any more smoke.
> 
> Message me if you want any more info, or have any further questions.





wbf610 said:


> Pics as promised.  Smoker box set up for ribs, I’ll get 5-6 hours of heat out of it, which is enough for baby backs.
> 
> The rack I use to get more area.  I have 2 and can fit both on the main grate if needed.  I put the meat on the regular grate, add those on top, and add more meat, normally just for ribs.
> 
> Let me know if you have any other questions, or figure out any other useful mods.
> 
> View attachment 368456
> View attachment 368457
> View attachment 368458
> View attachment 368459



Once again, thank you for great response and the additional followup with pics!

1.  I've read many put the red seal on while assembling and I'm sure that's easier, just not sure I want to do it at all yet, let alone before I make sure I don't have a defective unit. Returns probably wouldn't like it. I'll try naked and if it causes problems try foil to see if it solves it.  If so, move to something more permanent.

2.  Nomex/felt I'm leaning towards.

4.  Veggie basket, interesting.  I may have one of those laying around as I wanted to get a basket for long burns with less tending.  Was just going to build one out of expanded metal, but if I can find my old basket that's an idea. Mine may not have enough holes and clog with ash though.

6. Do you rotate the meats when you have the half-moon rack at the bottom, regular rack and then raised racks?  Seems like the rack at the bottom of the chamber would get a lot more direct heat.  The cooling racks are a great idea and I may pick them up if I find I cook higher capacity more often.  Since the length is shorter than the chamber, I imagine you put a rack of ribs in between the legs. Only fit one under or can two squeeze between the legs?

My other upper rack solution idea (if it came to it) would be to just put a couple bolts in each side of the chamber and set a generic rack on it. More work, more destruction, but could be good if wanting the extra room under it for something bigger like a butt/brisket.  These are minimal concerns for me now as the capacity should be fine as is for now.  More so I was just trying to find solutions for the pros/cons of each model so I didn't buy my way into a corner.

I found racks similar to yours, stainless steel so are safe and high heat.  You mention having two, do you stack them or side by side?  The ones I found, Surpahs 304 Grade Stainless Steel 3-Tier Stackable Cooling Rack Set.  If one needs a smaller rack so the rest of the chamber remains available perhaps the GrillPro 14625 Universal Chrome Warming Rack would work. 19.25" wide, not sure on the chamber's exact measurements.

I was planning on use the side burner for starting charcoal; many say the same thing so another bonus of these units. I agree that the Char-Griller seems a little cheaper built.  Mostly because of the nuts/bolts and plastic handles. Both of which could be replaced if you wanted to spend some time finding hardware replacements.  The rest is pretty close, but still give an edge to OKJ.  OKJ is owned by Char-Broil, not Char-Griller.

If the offset proved to be too time consuming, a WSM or PBC is a possible later option especially for long cooks.  And as you said, the oven maintains perfect temp if wrapping and done with smoke.  The propane side should be able to as well once dialed in.  I'm also considering replacing long cooks with two step cooks using sous vide.  Start with sous vide to get the tenderness, then smoke for 3+ hours for flavor/bark.


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## BarkIt

RiversideSm0ker said:


> WBF, do you recall where you picked up those warmer racks? It looks like an interesting option to add some cooking surface for those of us without a top rack.
> 
> George



I don't know which WBF uses exactly, but I found Surpahs 304 Grade Stainless Steel 3-Tier Stackable Cooling Rack Set that should do the trick.  WBF may actually may be using the Wilton Excelle ones on second look.  There's also the smaller GrillPro 14625 Universal Chrome Warming Rack depending on your needs.


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## BarkIt

tddeangelo said:


> I just assembled my OKJ Longhorn combo. Gonna be spraying it down with Pam soon and seasoning this afternoon.
> 
> Can't speak to the use of it, but I can tell you that if you're super detail oriented, the instructions will make your brain hurt. The actual assembly is not bad and the engineering of it, I think, is well done.
> 
> Whoever wrote the instructions needs his butt kicked till his nose bleeds.
> 
> Once I figured that out, the assembly went pretty well. I'd guess I had about 2 hours in it total, and the only part I needed a second set of hands to accomplish was hanging the firebox on the side.
> 
> Just be prepared for the instructions to be...interesting.... with the OKJ. But they're manageable.



Awesome, good luck with your cooks tddeangelo, let us know how it all turns out.

I'm not looking forward to assembly and now even less so after your comments. :)  I'll get by, with frustration.

Regarding the seasoning, do they comment much on that in the instructions.  Long ago in my search I saw someone first break a grill in by burning away the existing industrial oils.  Seeing the units in the stores I can tell they're oiled up some.  Is it a two step seasoning?  The first to get rid of their oils and temper the paint, and then a second seasoning to add your own rust-proofing/food-oils.  Or do you just do both steps at once?  Seems like the Pam wouldn't just cover their oils and not season the metal directly.  Overthinking again?


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## tddeangelo

There's oil on the metal, but I wouldn't say it's totally coated. I just sprayed mine, seasoned it, wiped off the excess.


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## tddeangelo

Just FYI- Lowes Has the OKJ Combo on sale for $369.99 for a few days now. I got mine right before the sale and asked about a credit. They said yes...so maybe that's something to help in your decision? :)


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## BarkIt

Perfect timing, thanks! Been busy so I was going to buy it this weekend.  I have decided on the OKJ, so this works out well. Only unfixable con in comparison is the left side firebox and that can still be worked around.

Oddly, I was checking out the OKJ manual last night and they have illustrations of it with three chimney stacks like the CGTT.  I haven't seen any actual pics of a unit like that so I'm not sure if that ever made it to production. Could be an older manual with an older, but very similar model.


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## tddeangelo

Yeah, the current one has one stack. I'm pretty certain of that, lol.


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## wbf610

RiversideSm0ker said:


> WBF, do you recall where you picked up those warmer racks? It looks like an interesting option to add some cooking surface for those of us without a top rack.
> 
> George



I had them laying around the house, and just started using them.  I agree that if you are going to routinely cook for lots of people, get the stainless, or mod to fit another rack.  I use these for just ribs, and when I do cheese.


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## BarkIt

I picked it up today. Have a party tonight and tomorrow, and will hopefully include some time to build this huge box of metal. 

Also picked up some Fireblack/lavalock felt. It says to degrease first so it can stick, would Dawn dish soap do the job? Followed up by some rubbing alcohol.

Yeah, I knew it didn't currently come with three stacks. Not sure it was ever even made, as I haven't seen any pics online.


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## tddeangelo

wbf610 said:


> I had them laying around the house, and just started using them.  I agree that if you are going to routinely cook for lots of people, get the stainless, or mod to fit another rack.  I use these for just ribs, and when I do cheese.



It would seem that they'd probably work well also for smokes for things like snack sticks, bologna, etc?


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## tddeangelo

BarkIt said:


> I picked it up today. Have a party tonight and tomorrow, and will hopefully include some time to build this huge box of metal.
> 
> Also picked up some Fireblack/lavalock felt. It says to degrease first so it can stick, would Dawn dish soap do the job? Followed up by some rubbing alcohol.
> 
> Yeah, I knew it didn't currently come with three stacks. Not sure it was ever even made, as I haven't seen any pics online.



The good news is that it's really just putting the bigger parts together. The main propane grill has the burners installed, the handles are installed on the lids (except for the firebox), etc. Not a lot of small work or difficult assembly. The only place I needed another set of hands in the whole process was when I attached the firebox to the cook chamber. I'm sure I could have jury-rigged something so I could have accomplished it solo, but my wife was home and I just held the firebox in place and she inserted two bolts and threaded on the nuts and then it wasn't going to go anywhere and I could do the other 6 that hold it on, plus then wrench-tighten. 

There isn't a TON of preservative on the metal. I'd think a rag or paper towel with a good dose of rubbing alcohol would probably get clean the areas you want to degrease.


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## tddeangelo

Just some added info for you...

I seasoned my Combo and cooked burgers on it over charcoal last weekend. I started the burgers on the gas side, then after a hit of heat on both sides, I finished them over charcoal. They came out great, but I didn't get to run the firebox at all to season it. 

Today, I lit a chimney of Cowboy lump and when it was glowing to nearly the top, dumped it in the firebox. Then opened the damper door completely and the stack damper wide open. Cook chamber ran up to 350 like that. It probably would have gone higher, but I started with closing the damper door on the firebox, then working the damper itself closed a little a time, giving 15 min between any change to see the change in temps. I wanted to give it a half hour between changes, but just didn't have THAT much time. Took several changes, but was able to work it down to between 225 and 250 and hold it there for about 45 min. I would have needed to then work on replenishing fuel to manage temps, but the good news was that I got into a temp range I was looking for (wanted between 200 and 250 this first time out, I wasn't cooking anything), and it held there for a time. Had to go for family stuff and had to close it up and let it die at that point. 

I need to get some splits of hickory and burn some wood and see what I can do with this, but the good news was lump charcoal in the firebox seemed to run well for me. 

And yes, any/all openings leaked smoke at first. The damper door on the firebox has a mile of space around it to let air in, too. But I was able to work my temps into the range I wanted. The only question I have on temps is getting them down to 180-200, where I'd start snack sticks or bologna on my MES. I'm guessing it's just a matter of less fuel, but that'll mean more need to tend/feed fuel, since I'm guessing it'll burn through a smaller quantity of fuel relatively faster, so going hours between feeding the firebox may not be realistic. 

I can definitely see where a BBQ Guru would be a good investment on this.


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## BarkIt

Thanks again for all the comments tddeangelo!

As you said, it wasn't that hard to build.  I used a chair and a couple pillows to hold up the firebox while getting bolts started, but that was the only difficult part to do alone.  Even though easy, I should have just had Lowes do it after all.  I wanted to make sure proper care was taken based on some loose parts I saw regularly on display units, but some of those were pre-built anyway (towel rack, OKJ badges) or probably just played with too much at the store.  It would have been easier to just go through the instructions and tighten up anything. I did sheer a bolt on the firebox handle so some hardware could be better and I could be a little less zealous.

I took a day to give it a 6 hour seasoning, adding some wood near the end to smoke it up. Starting in the low 200s for a few hours and then ramping up to mid to high 200s with some 300+ the last half.  Started low as I've seen many have had problems with peeling paint on their OKJ's, and since curing the paint is part of the season I wanted a gentle start.  The manual is very vague saying "small fire," "two hours at least," "then begin increasing temperature."  It's your product, give numbers!  The OKJ website says 275-300 (not product specific), but with the firebox being hotter than the chamber I started lower for safety.  No peeling paint yet, so we'll see.

It also mentions nothing of seasoning the propane side, but I don't see why it wouldn't.  The point of seasoning as I see is to 1. Cure the paint.  2. Melt/burn away manufacturing oils/solvents/etc.  3. Add rust resistance with vegetable oil.  4. Give it flavor (questionable).  At least 3 of those relate to the propane side as well, so I let one burner run on low at a time for a few hours, switching burners every 15-30 mins.

First impressions, it's a good kit.  Side burner is great for starting chimneys. Propane is real hot, real quick. Firebox works easier than I was led to believe by those that try to push people away from cheap offsets. 1/2 chimney of Royal Oak Ridge briqs gets 220-250 easily and it stays there for 30-50 mins without much adjustment.

I think my hesitation for the Char-Griller ash drawer was wrong though.  Can't say without using it, but I think it'd be a nice feature to be able to fully pull it out while cooking (made possible if using a basket that sits off and above the drawer.  With the OKJ there's really nothing I can do but push the ashes around to keep air underneath and wait for complete cool down to pull them out when done.  I've been using the charcoal chambers grate (metal plate underneath) for the firebox to give extra heat protection.  And putting foil under that to keep ashes off the metal to make easy cleaning and less corrosion.  I likely need some extra tools like an ash can and something to pull ashes out during cooks. Any suggestions?

I built a charcoal basket out of 24 x 24" expanded metal, exactly as seen in this video.


It was easy with some tin snips as the metal is thin enough.  Eventually I'll try using it for extended hands-free fire maintenance such as minion or snake method, but so far just use it as an easy way to keep coals off the wall or shake ash off.  If I raise this basket up some, I may not care as much about ashes building up underneath either.

Also bought a Classic Accessories cover as they have good reviews and seems heavier duty than most store bought covers.  It's not specific to the unit of course, but that one seems to disintegrate in a year from what I hear.  I might need to reinforce the spot under the chimney bolt as that will push through eventually I'm sure.  Maybe a patch, spray on some FlexSeal type reinforcement on the inside, cover chimney with plastic bottle or a half tennis ball, etc.

I added the Fireblack felt to the charcoal chamber door. Easy job with just a little rubbing alcohol to degrease beforehand.  So far so good.  You can tell where the door would leak without it as it doesn't press and indent in some areas as much, but after several days more began to indent.  I didn't notice much leaking on the smoke chamber or firebox (no seal), as most gets pulled right out the chimney.  There's some, but nothing to worry about.  Opening the propane side while smoking the other side even pulls smoke into that chamber.  Some through grease hole between the two chambers and others through the seams in the wall that splits the two chambers.

Next up is a dual-probe wireless thermometer.  I want something with high and low temp alarms, and I don't think Thermopro has the low temp alarm. I have an old single-probe wireless meat thermometer which I used for chamber temps for the first half of my cook and then changed it to an IT meat probe.  Will also need an ash can, some kind of ash pulling tool, some rubber gloves for less hand-washing, and heat gloves to take meat off the rack.  Plan to set up some kind of cheap baffle system as well, but no need until I have a dual thermometer to study heat differentials in the chamber.  For first cook I just put the rack close to the chamber entrance and put a loaf pan with water in it.  Blocks direct heat, adds some moisture.

What do you guys keep outside on racks under the grill?  Seems like wood and charcoal risk getting wet, so not sure what to even use it for other than some basic tools I don't mind in the elements.

I suppose I shouldn't add everything to just this one thread, so I'll have to start a Qview.  For now, below is my first cook for a quick teaser.  I sous vide cooked a 4-5lb pork butt at 167 for about 21+ hours, ice bathed it and into the fridge for a day, then a 4 hour smoke at 215-250.  All in all I couldn't have asked for more on my first smoke.  Tender, plenty of smoke flavor, you can see it took a nice smoke ring, and delicious bark.  Way better than the "professional" pulled pork I had the day before.  Mixed with some of the juice from sous vide bag, it makes for easy and moist reheating in the microwave too.  I went sous vide so I could make my first cook a short cook and the pork butt was on sale for $5.50 so cheaper than ribs.


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