# Char-Griller pellet smoker



## outlaw112 (Oct 25, 2013)

Well I picked up my Char-Griller pellet smoker today from lowes.
Opening the box it look very nicely built,went together easy.
Went to do fire it up but as soon as it got to 315 deg you get a error on the read out and everything shuts off.Called Char-Griller and they said it is a bad temp sensor but thay are on backorder and will send one out in about a week.So I will have to wait to try it out.


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## themule69 (Oct 25, 2013)

Congratulations on your new smoker. I hate it that it doesn't work. If it will stay going below 315° I'd have to smoke something. Maybe some pork?

Happy smoken.

David


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## seenred (Oct 26, 2013)

Congrats on the new rig!  Sorry to hear about the snag, but sounds like you'll get the fix sooner or later.  I'm with David, if you can keep it going below 300*, there's no reason you can't smoke some low and slow cooks on it.

Good luck and have fun!

Red


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## jeff pile (Oct 30, 2013)

That does stink.  If it's any help, I bought a Char Griller pellet smoker about a month ago from Lowe's and it's worked flawlessly and I'm extremely happy with it!  Hopefully the heat sensor arrives soon and you'll be on your way to an enjoyable smoke!  Keep us posted!

Jeff


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## xtrema44 (Apr 22, 2014)

I picked one up last Thursday and did some ribs on Saturday and it worked great.. Went to fire it up last night and the fire rod wouldn't get hot? I called today and they said they would send me out another one in about 15 days.. Not really impressed with customer service and telling me they will get around to it.. I am thinking I should just take it back and spend the extra 100 bucks and get the Traeger lil tex...


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## kerbos5 (Apr 23, 2014)

Dang it man I had just talked myself out of the Rec-Tec into giving this thing a try and now your giving me the heebee jeebees, now im wondering if I should just pay the extra money and be done with it...but it more than double the cost.


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## xtrema44 (Apr 23, 2014)

kerbos5 said:


> Dang it man I had just talked myself out of the Rec-Tec into giving this thing a try and now your giving me the heebee jeebees, now im wondering if I should just pay the extra money and be done with it...but it more than double the cost.


I know I went with it because of the size of the cooking area for the money.. I did get a email this morning saying it would be sent but 10-15 days out.. They also said I could take it back to the store and exchange it.. I am going to call the store and see about it..

I checked last night at the other place I was looking at Traeger and they have the junior for 449 but half the size.. They also carry Louisiana Grills but they as much as the Traeger. For the money I still think it's a good deal and maybe I just got a bad one??


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## kerbos5 (Apr 23, 2014)

So i just called lowe's and after hearing a few negatives about defects, I called to see if they offer a protection plan, and they do one for 3 years (59.99) and another 4 years ($99.99)....after talking with lowe's customer service this is for Bumper to Bumper, so there not happy till you are whether its for repairs or replacement.....I don't normally purchase "extra" things, but in this case I might and it still comes out way cheaper than say a Rec-Tec or even GMG, whats the worse that can happen your 2 year in and they give you a new smoker and you start all over again, seems like that might be worth the extra 100 bucks since your still saving about 500 on say a Rec-Tec that has a 6 year warranty. Am I wrong here should I be viewing this a different way? Help me out guys Im trying to justify one way or another for a Rec-Tec  or a char-griller .


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## xtrema44 (Apr 23, 2014)

I would say go for it!!! I wish they offered that where I bought mine... The factory warranty was a easy process I just took a pic of my receipt and serial # and emailed it to them after talking to them.. It comes with a 1 year repair or replace parts and a 5 year body warranty..

Like I said I love the size of it.. I used it last night I just had to manual light the pellets but once it started it worked good...


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## kerbos5 (Apr 23, 2014)

Ya know I think they just updated there website with a protection plan tab explaining there services, because that wasn't there last week, when I was on the website...if it was I never noticed...extreme I bet you could still get it, since they are aware of your issues...just point them to the website, I can't imagine how any lowes location would justify telling a customer no you cant have it when its on there national website. :) But I think my mind is made up, I'm gonna give it a shot and get one in the next few days. Ill keep you posted, because I'm sure there will be many contemplating this exact issue  very soon......with all the nice weather coming our way. :)


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## xtrema44 (Apr 23, 2014)

kerbos5 said:


> Ya know I think they just updated there website with a protection plan tab explaining there services, because that wasn't there last week, when I was on the website...if it was I never noticed...extreme I bet you could still get it, since they are aware of your issues...just point them to the website, I can't imagine how any lowes location would justify telling a customer no you cant have it when its on there national website. :) But I think my mind is made up, I'm gonna give it a shot and get one in the next few days. Ill keep you posted, because I'm sure there will be many contemplating this exact issue  very soon......with all the nice weather coming our way. :)


Thanks Kerbos, They said they were updating there website last week because I tried to register my grill but they didn't have it listed yet.. I didn't get mine at Lowes it was a local store called Bi-Mart we don't have a lowes close.. I think the closest is a hour away.. I think you will be happy with it.. I still think it's a great deal at 399.. and like you said with a plan you can't beat it..

Happy Grilling..


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## kerbos5 (Apr 23, 2014)

xtrema44 said:


> Thanks Kerbos, They said they were updating there website last week because I tried to register my grill but they didn't have it listed yet.. I didn't get mine at Lowes it was a local store called Bi-Mart we don't have a lowes close.. I think the closest is a hour away.. I think you will be happy with it.. I still think it's a great deal at 399.. and like you said with a plan you can't beat it..
> 
> Happy Grilling..


I meant lowes website, I didn't realize this was available elsewhere only because on Lowes website is says "lowes exclusive" and the lady on the phone for Char-griller said the same thing, so I kinda assume you got it there, but yeah $399 is good, its 449 at lowes, and is right at 400 with a 10 percent off coupon.


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## xtrema44 (Apr 23, 2014)

Oh I was talking about Char Griller web site and they are doing a update on it... That's funny... When I searched it before I bought mine it said lowes exclusive and then I see a ton of places have them for sale including Wal-Mart online.. I had never seen them before until I saw it at the store I got it and then came home and looked them up.. Mine is a model #9040...

I looked it up on Lowes and it's the same one I got..


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## chef willie (Apr 23, 2014)

xtrema44 said:


> Thanks Kerbos, They said they were updating there website last week because I tried to register my grill but they didn't have it listed yet.. I didn't get mine at Lowes it was a local store called Bi-Mart we don't have a lowes close.. I think the closest is a hour away.. I think you will be happy with it.. I still think it's a great deal at 399.. and like you said with a plan you can't beat it..
> 
> 
> Happy Grilling..



Glad to see somebody get one of these from Bi-Mart. I'm in Albany, Or. and have a Bi-Mart in town selling them for 399, 50 bucks less than Lowes as you say. Looks like a fine unit, I go and fondle it about once a week, BUT I've noticed folks having issues with the computer or something else. Interested to see if Bi-Mart lets you bring it back, like a Wal-Mart would. I think it's a 'hit & miss' problem with them. Some guys have no problem at all. IMO it's better built than the GM Daniel Boone for half the price. And Traegers I see in Costco all the time....cheesy looking from China now, small and not a bargain. I'm on the fence about buying one....I want it, but don't want/need the hassles of a bummer one. Rec-Tec looks terrific but twice the price....I was locked onto that until I noticed the Char Griller


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## xtrema44 (Apr 23, 2014)

Chef Willie said:


> xtrema44 said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks Kerbos, They said they were updating there website last week because I tried to register my grill but they didn't have it listed yet.. I didn't get mine at Lowes it was a local store called Bi-Mart we don't have a lowes close.. I think the closest is a hour away.. I think you will be happy with it.. I still think it's a great deal at 399.. and like you said with a plan you can't beat it..
> ...


I joined this forum to find out about them.. I am glad to see another Or guy on here!!! I was about to buy a Traeger Junior until I saw this one.. Everyone around here have Traegers or Louisiana Grills and like you said they are twice as much to get the same size cooking area..We just had a Cascade store open up across the state line in Walla Walla which it is a new chain of Bi-Mart Corp.. They have the GM grills there and your right I looked at them and they look kinda wimpy built.. I just could of just got a bad fire rod and the new one on it's way may cure the issue.. I still think there well built for the money and might make the big names get competitive on prices???


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## chef willie (Apr 23, 2014)

Well, doubt the 'big names' will be dropping prices anytime soon, especially with the season coming on. Farm store here drops the GM prices by a hundred maybe as a 'sale' but that still doesn't interest me. The build feels good on these...Char Griller makes some decent off sets as well. I'm not sure if these are made in the US or in China. The box and manual just has the US plant location on it. I checked on many forums besides here, including the reviews on the Lowes site, and it got real decent reviews from most but a couple guys had issues right out of the box, which would be my luck unfortunately.


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## xtrema44 (Apr 23, 2014)

Yes a local store runs specials where they give you a cover and drop like 50 bucks off the price on the traegers..
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I think mine said made in USA.. All in all I was looking at spending a couple hundred bucks on a bbq so why not throw another 100 bucks or so and get the Char Griller is what I thought.. Bi- Mart also gave a bag of pellets with it which is only 7.99 but still it was something. I read where a few guys had some issues but most were with the temp rod.. It is well built and heavy duty compared to a friends Traeger Junior.. I think it's a great starter grill just upset I had a issue..


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## xtrema44 (Apr 23, 2014)

So I just went out to manual start the grill tonight and turned it on to feed some pellets into the box and the fire rod worked.. So I left it and will see if it will work...


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## kerbos5 (Apr 24, 2014)

Ok guys here is my little adventure...I hope this helps somebody deal with Big Blue L the box chain store when purchasing the Char-Griller pellet smoker. So I went ahead and ordered from Big Blue L online for $449 with 10 percent off coupon, making it $404 and I went ahead and got the 4 year warranty only because there seems to be some minor defects with others, and that is expected since this really is there first run in the pellet world. When I got to the store to pick up they told me all they had was the floor model and was dragging it outside to load. Well being and engineer I asked them "wth" that was, and they looked at me and said it was my smoker, I politely told them no its not.... mine will be in a brand new box that I get to put together, that way I know if everything was packed and not missing. Well apparently since the previous evening when I verified they had 3 they sold the others durring that day...ok fine, but I wasn't taking the floor model....unless.....I told the Rep I would be comfortable taking this smoker off there hands if he took another 15 percent off, and only because I had the bumper-to-bumper warranty....he refused and started to cop and attitude, during the conversation he let it slip he was only a part time worker.....that's when my cup runneth over, and I copped an attitude, asking him what gave him such authority to speak to me in the manor he did and what kind of power he had to tell me the 15 percent was not gonna happen. This is where my negotiations stopped with him, and in not so many less polite words I requested him to get a manager that would speak to me with reason. Long story short I got the grill for $360 plus the 4 year warranty for a total of $448.....dont ever let them force you to take the floor model its your money with out more of a discount! So I got it home did the initial fireing and seasoning all went well...gonna smoke some bacon candy seasoned real nice tomorrow, and then do a pork shoulder this weekend....I will report back with Qview. :)


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## xtrema44 (Apr 24, 2014)

Well done Kerbos!! Well I fired it up again tonight and it worked so I am getting ready to pull off the pork loin I decided to cook..

Well Happy Grilling to you.. You will enjoy it!!!


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## kerbos5 (Apr 24, 2014)

Where is all our Qview?...we got to let these other boys know us cheap skates are serious as well. :)


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## xtrema44 (Apr 24, 2014)

kerbos5 said:


> Where is all our Qview?...we got to let these other boys know us cheap skates are serious as well. :)


Dang it I didn't take a picture. It was good my 4yr old daughter had seconds on it and didn't eat her mac&cheese so it had to be good..lol

I will take a pic next time I just completely spaced it..


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## kerbos5 (Apr 25, 2014)

So I see you just joined so Ill cut you some slack this once, but consider this your warning...from now on we don't believe it till we see it. :)


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## xtrema44 (Apr 25, 2014)

kerbos5 said:


> So I see you just joined so Ill cut you some slack this once, but consider this your warning...from now on we don't believe it till we see it. :)


Alright deal!! I look forward to seeing your Qviews..


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## smokinadam (Apr 25, 2014)

I believe building something in mass qualities definitely will have issues on any brand you go with.  There are always lemons.  This grill will be a hit and I'm glad that Lowes finally has a pellet grill. Just need them to get a variety of pellets now instead of the blended chargriller kind.


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## kerbos5 (Apr 25, 2014)

Fortunately I have an Ace closer to me than Big Blue L  with lots of pellets. :) playing with it now while working from home, trying to understand where my temps are going to be, I decided to put the Pork in at 10pm tonight since its 14 pounds uncut!...and let it cook all night.....and day :) I have confidence it wont break.


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## smokinadam (Apr 25, 2014)

Best part of it! Don't need to control the temperature


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## chef willie (Apr 25, 2014)

kerbos5 said:


> Fortunately I have an Ace closer to me than Big Blue L  with lots of pellets. :) playing with it now while working from home, trying to understand where my temps are going to be, I decided to put the Pork in at 10pm tonight since its 14 pounds uncut!...and let it cook all night.....and day :) I have confidence it wont break.



Looking forward to some heavy qview pics of this all night smoke. Some along the way showing any leakage or, better yet, how well it doesn't leak smoke. I'm on the fence with this unit and would really appreciate seeing one in action, so to speak. Pop that door up and let's see some pig at different stages of doneness and your input on how you feel it's working for you. I'm hoping to hear about a very happy ending to your long smoke.....so often we only hear the negatives. Thanks in advance.....Willie


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## kerbos5 (Apr 25, 2014)

You got it chef, gonna rub it down now. :)


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## xtrema44 (Apr 25, 2014)




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## kerbos5 (Apr 27, 2014)

Ok guys, some pics below....here is what I have learned the hard way, not all pellets are created equal...this is my first time on a pellet, I know it not a stick burner and wont have the strong smoke but I was a little taken back how light it was, even though I could smell the smoke and occasionally see thin white puffs. Pellets are not created equal!....I had some traegers laying around and used those in a "hickory" flavor....I put my amzn smoker in with some leftover dust as well, it was good but expected more smokey flavor, well after some research last night turns out traeger hickory really *isn't* 100 percent hickory its laced with hickory oil with only God knows what filler wood. So I did some more research and ordered some "good stuff"....I think. I had about 20 ppl over in the neighborhood for dinner & a Backyard movie on my 120 inch screen, and none of them had any complaints, I guess I'm my own worse critic at this point, but at least I have a baseline to go off of now. Chef W. I didn't get a chance to take a pic of smoke leakage none of the pics turned out and did any justice, but I can tell you its minimal, I will get these other pellets and amzn maze going and experiment some more...still trying to find that one rub I cant live without but havent found it yet, it was Rufus Teagues this round....with all that said I love the convenience I slept like a baby all night got up in the morning filled hopper and let it do its thing for almost 15 hours and let rest for 2, I went thru about 16 pounds of pellets.













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## xtrema44 (Apr 27, 2014)

Looks great!!!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





When I did the pork roast(THAT I DIDN'T TAKE PICS OF) I used a rub that I picked up at a local ranch&home that I get my pellets at.. It was made by Louisiana Grill called Tennesee Apple Butter Chop and the whole family loved it.. A couple buddies stopped by and ate up the rest and loved it..


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## xtrema44 (Apr 27, 2014)

Alright Kerbos, I decided to cook up some chicken legs for the family this afternoon.. I took pics this time..
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	

















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The finished product!!













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## kerbos5 (Apr 28, 2014)

Yeah that looks yummmmy!


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## xtrema44 (Apr 28, 2014)

Thanks.. I had to manually start the grill again last night..


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## chef willie (Apr 28, 2014)

Well, fellas......that all looks pretty damn tasty to me. The bark appears to be very plentiful for the bark sharks and that smoke ring looks to be almost an inch deep. Nice to hear it didn't leak heat/smoke all over the place.......you're making it hard for me to keep the wallet in my pocket with reviews like this. Those lowly chicken legs look transformed into golden deliciousness with some pullback off the bone and the sausages look like they would go down real easy with an ice cold beverage. I've read other posts where they hit it with the 'smoke' setting for about 15-20 minutes at the end to impart a heavier smoke flavor for those that can't have it to smoky....perhaps that info would help out in a future smoke. Yeah, pellets are an issue and there are a few threads on here where guys have given input on the good, bad and uglys of the available pellets. I've read Traegers ingredients on the bag and nowhere did it say the wood was the flavor listed so I assumed it was oiled. Hate to say it but they might be from China as well since the boats coming over with their units anyway why not get a few pallets of pellets thrown on. There is a pellet users group on here now and I'm sure plenty of intel on brands.....Thx for the update......Willie


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## xtrema44 (Apr 28, 2014)

Thanks Chef, I will say mine does poor the smoke out of everywhere when I have to manually start the grill and it get going but for just a little bit.. I do try that at the end just turning it to smoke for about 20 mins.. To me it serves two purposes one it gives it that smoky taste I love and two is I like to cool down a little bit before turning it off..The only down fall I have to say about the grill besides the fire rod issue is that my girlfriend says I am going to make us heavy!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Kerdos, I forgot to ask what number do you like to run on the feed rate??

For pellets I have only used the red devils that came free with it and I bought some from the local Ranch&Home that is there label..IDK who makes it for them.. They have 6 or 8 flavors..


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## kerbos5 (Apr 28, 2014)

Chef W. I got this thing really smoking for ya, I lit my amzn at both ends, and got the smoke setting going, wanted to get more season in the smoker, gonna make some pig candy and use whats left in the hopper before my hickory & perfect mix cookinpellets get here. you can see there is a little leakage on bottom of lid but remember I got this thing really going most of the smoke was out the stack, I thought about seeing if there was some fireproof fiberglass "tape" to make the lid just a tad more sealed but not sure that even exists for something like this, Gonna do some research I'm sure there is something.













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## xtrema44 (Apr 28, 2014)

Kerbos I have a friend who owns a stove shop and I will ask them if he has anything or can get something..


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## chef willie (Apr 28, 2014)

kerbos5 said:


> Chef W. I got this thing really smoking for ya, I lit my amzn at both ends, and got the smoke setting going, wanted to get more season in the smoker, gonna make some pig candy and use whats left in the hopper before my hickory & perfect mix cookinpellets get here. you can see there is a little leakage on bottom of lid but remember I got this thing really going most of the smoke was out the stack, I thought about seeing if there was some fireproof fiberglass "tape" to make the lid just a tad more sealed but not sure that even exists for something like this, Gonna do some research I'm sure there is something.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oh yeah.....smoking up a storm. Well, like you said you're pumping more than usual. As the temp goes up the smoke backs off anyways. I had serious leakage with an old propane upright I was using and made a door gasket out of fiberglass rope available at stove shops and farm & ranch outlets. Easy to glue on and sealed pretty good. Thanks for the action pics.....believe my mind is about made up with this. For the price it looks/performs pretty good as I see it.....Willie


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## kerbos5 (Apr 28, 2014)

Chef W. is this kinda what you used, I think this would do the trick nicely i think, but not sure Im in a big hurry to do that since its not usually smoking so much, but my OCD might kick in....Im sure I can find something like the below even cheaper. :)


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## chef willie (Apr 29, 2014)

kerbos5 said:


> Chef W. is this kinda what you used, I think this would do the trick nicely i think, but not sure Im in a big hurry to do that since its not usually smoking so much, but my OCD might kick in....Im sure I can find something like the below even cheaper. :)



That's it exactly BUT, I gotta tell ya, I would not/did not pay $25 for it, being a basic retired cheapskate. The farm & ranch store called Coastal Farms here, had it for about 10 bucks and they are on the high end usually over everybody else. Plus, that black glue didn't hold worth a s*** and I had to go to Home Depot and got some high temp glue used for HVAC that worked better. I've been told Lowes and Home Depot usually have this stuff available but I never found it, being told it was seasonal and stored away in Spring to be brought back out in Fall. Made sense but I was able to find it elsewhere. I've heard of/seen some guys just use some tinfoil on the lid to retain some heat/smoke in bad spots. Another cheap fix that works. Truth is, I was more concerned with heat loss using the propane unit than smoke loss. I'm kinda liking those plumes of smoke coming out to tantalize the neighbors, not to mention the smell of wood & food. YUM. So, I would more than likely live with some smoke loss and not screw with a basically decent set-up. Keep us posted with the adventures....Willie


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## xtrema44 (Apr 29, 2014)

Hey Guys, My friend who owns the stove shop said he wouldn't worry about it even the traegers he sells do that at start up too.. As for if I had to do it he had the same thing that you posted Kerbos .. So I am going to just run it like it is and if I do anything I may try what you said Chef with the tin foil..


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## xtrema44 (Apr 29, 2014)

Kerbos you have to try a pizza on the grill!!! We have a take&bake place here and last night I picked one up and did it on the grill.. It was awesome.. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Chef I am running into that issue now where when I fire up the grill the neighbors come out to visit..


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## kerbos5 (May 1, 2014)

Soooo funny thing happened yesterday Extreme.......my wife came home with stuff to make pizza, asked here what was for dinner and she replied she was gonna make pizza from scratch and pop in the oven, so naturally being a good husband, I offered to help....by offering to throw on pellet/grill.....she obliged....as luck would have it, I also got my new wood pellets from cookinpellets right as I was firing up the Char-Griller, and I must say that they are 1000x better than the traeger crap, smoked good and the pizza turned out great at 350, to my surprise it actually smoked much better at these high temps had to turn the smoke setting down. I took a picture so Chef could see it at High temps with decent pellets as well.  After using this and testing first hand the convenience with the warranty you can get at lowes, I just could never justify the money for a Rec-Tec at this point to anyone, the only benefit it has is a bigger hopper which isn't a major concern for most. The food that comes out of a Rec-Tec or similar product just wont taste that much better, and if it did, it wouldn't be double the price better. IMHO













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## chef willie (May 1, 2014)

Sheese.....you're killin' me here wit those pics. Good thing I have to work this weekend or I'd be sorely tempted to loosen up the wallet string. You even got a Paella pan going there with pizza? Now, me thinks smoked Paella in that unit might be superb. I went to Bi-Mart where they are 399 and saw they sold out of initial inventory so somebody's buying these things up. I asked and more were due in, possibly this coming week, so I'll stand by and wait and see......many thanks for the updates...looks like you are thoroughly enjoying it.....Willie (neighbors must love you by now)


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## kerbos5 (May 1, 2014)

I just want to provide as much information as possible on this product for other people on the fence, just because there wasn't much to go on when I finally decided....I will continue to update this post if/when good or bad things happen to the unit. And yes all the neighbors like to hang out, also helps when you have a backyard theater for the kids, and you also make wine as a hobby :)... Cheers!


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## xtrema44 (May 1, 2014)

That is funny Kerbos, I am going to try cookies next I think..So where did you order your new pellets from?  I received the new fire rod today.. I noticed on this one the wire has heat shield on it oppose to the one that came on it..I hope this cures the problem..

Chef I will say buy it for the price it is unbeatable!!!!!!


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## kerbos5 (May 1, 2014)

Got them off amazon at:


 

I have some baby backs to try this Saturday.


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## xtrema44 (May 1, 2014)

Thank You Sir... Wow are you sure we are not related?? I have a rack of baby backs that I was planning on doing Saturday..We are going to a buddies house for the supercross race and I was planning on make the ribs..


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## kerbos5 (May 5, 2014)

Chef W hold on to your money and anybody else reading this considering!!.....I have an interesting story developing over a mishap with this grill over the weekend, I will share my experience once it has been concluded and given the companies involved a chance to make right.


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## xtrema44 (May 5, 2014)

OH NO!!!!!!!! What is going on???


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## kerbos5 (May 5, 2014)

Ok this is gonna be a bit of a story so here goes.......my Char-Griller Pellet Smoker #9020 Exploded!!!!.....the end.

Thats the short version below is a video of what it did on a little bit larger scale.



Yesterday 5/5/2014 I was smoking some ribs and after about 3.5 hours the temp dropped to 100 degrees and appeared to shut down on its own, I unplugged the unit and turned the knob to off figuring all it needed was a reset there were no error codes. Once I turned back on I put it on 225, walked inside for a few minutes.... my Brother in Law noticed it smoking ALOT, we went out to investigate, at this point I knew something was wrong and knelt down to turn off the unit, this is when it just exploded, I felt tremendous amount of heat on my head...fortunately I was not looking up or it would have been my face that was burnt not just my hair singed, my brother in law that was about 2 feet away right in front of it had both legs singed, as you can imagine my brother in law and I were stunned. I have attached pictures of both of us, and some of the grill when I opened up to investigate further, to me it looks like there was a malfunction with the PID, and the auger was feeding to many pellets, probably because it wasn't reading the temperature inside the smoker correctly it was always 10-15 degrees off and occasionally 20 degrees off hotter than the current setting, since it was so new this was something I was watching carefully, as I was contemplating calling in a service ticket to have it looked at since I purchased the Lowes extra warranty with it. My twins were outside about 10 feet away with there mother when this did what it did!!!!

I emailed the company and this is the Corporate F&^& You I got:

"Thank you for your email. This is the first time that I have seen anything like this and I’m grateful everyone is ok. I’m not sure at this point what would have caused it to do that, but I can tell you the best way to get you a refund or a replacement is to take it back to the place that your purchased the grill. Did you purchase you grill from lowes? If you did you can let them know that we have authorized the return of the grill. The only thing that we as the manufacturer would do is send replacement parts, but I’m not sure what you would need at the is point and I think it would be fastest and easiest for you to get a return or refund. Since you did not purchase the grill from us directly you would have to go through the retailer."

"Thank you for your email and I hope the information above helps. If you have any other questions please feel free to contact myself."

Bottom Line....Char-Griller did not give a damn about the consumer and wanted nothing to do with me is essential what they said..... fortunately Lowes is taking the whole thing back, I asked if they would come get it but they said no, which kinda pissed me off but whatever, I will be taking back for a full refund and CAN NOT recommend to anyone.....I think the pictures speak for themselves....... I don't trust this grill, and wont be "setting and forgetting" when I have 1.5 year old twins the running around the backyard, as I was planning on having this for at least 4 years. Just be aware that this can happen to anybody.

Its back to the ole drawing board, time to find another pellet smoker, at this point I really am about to order a Rec-Tec, I talked to there guys, and he immediately explained to me what might have caused this explosion, and he said that that has never happened with there grills and doubt it would because of how heavy the steel is on the door.













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## jeepdiver (May 5, 2014)

Did you op3n the doors when you relit the grill.  My FEC specifically mentions opening the doors when lighting due to the risk of explosive gasses building up


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## kerbos5 (May 5, 2014)

I did because I was going to take the ribs out of the smoker to the oven, and changed my mind....however I didn't see anything in the user manual on this subject, which I thought interesting.


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## xtrema44 (May 5, 2014)

WOW!!!!!! I had mine over fill the pot like that when the fire rod went out.. I heard the pellets hitting the bottom so I shut it off and opened it up.. Sorry that happened to you and glad your family is fine.. I will have to keep my eye on that.. I stopped by the place I bought mine and they did have any left.. I asked a kid working and he had no idea about what grill I was talking about and said the person in charge of that area was at lunch if I wanted to wait.. I said I would come back.. Thanks for the heads up Kerbos..


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## jeepdiver (May 5, 2014)

It's not just the pot overflowing, the build up of gas from the smoldering pellets can ignite when the pot catches fire, even with  a normal load in the pot.  I've seen more than a few instances of this online.  In general it's best to always keep the doors open until the pot catches fire.  It has to be the right combination of smoke, ash, 02 and flame to make it happen, but better safe than sorry.

Also glad to hear everyone was alright, sorry forgot to say that above.


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## chef willie (May 5, 2014)

HOLY CRAP.....digesting all this info BUT glad no serious injury was incurred by anybody.....Willie


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## seenred (May 5, 2014)

Wow!!  Thankful to hear everyone is OK!  

Red


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## coachk (May 8, 2014)

I am getting a smoker and I have been eyeing this smoker for a week.  I am completely new to smoking, but not to eating smoked food.  I have two friends that are bragging on their smokers; one has a Bradley the other a Traeger Tex.  Originally I eliminated the Traeger smokers because of price, but then I saw this similiar pellet smoker.  Following this thread has been a roller coaster.  It's great..it has some issues..back to great...it almost killed me!  As kerbos was saying, there isn't much info out there about the Char griller, but I am leaning that way.

Any more updates or info?  Would also like to hear from someone that has owned this model for a while.

Also curious as to how this would compare to the Bradley.

Thanks


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## smokinadam (May 8, 2014)

CoachK said:


> I am getting a smoker and I have been eyeing this smoker for a week.  I am completely new to smoking, but not to eating smoked food.  I have two friends that are bragging on their smokers; one has a Bradley the other a Traeger Tex.  Originally I eliminated the Traeger smokers because of price, but then I saw this similiar pellet smoker.  Following this thread has been a roller coaster.  It's great..it has some issues..back to great...it almost killed me!  As kerbos was saying, there isn't much info out there about the Char griller, but I am leaning that way.
> 
> Any more updates or info?  Would also like to hear from someone that has owned this model for a while.
> 
> ...


My dad and mom use this about 3 times a week sometimes less but they haven't had any issues with it yet. They've had it about a month. They have been out for a year so someone should have reviews that have owned it that long. My parents also use a traeger at the cottage and have so far been very similar. Biggest thing is to read how to use. Open the lid when you get it started. Price is almost unbeatable.


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## chef willie (May 8, 2014)

Yeah, still leaning towards one myself. Local store is out of stock so they are moving off the floor. The Model I've seen is the 4040....I believe the exploder was a 4020. I'm in agreement with the above post about opening the lid till it gets going. Reminds me of the exploding factory stories somewhat recently in the news. Dust etc from whatever they are manufacturing stays in the air due to weak air circulation and a spark sends the place up.


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## chef willie (May 8, 2014)

oops...that's a Model 9020 that exploded.....9040 is the latest one I saw


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## kerbos5 (May 8, 2014)

Well coach, I was on the fence on whether to by quality over something cheaper...for me with having 1.5 year old twins that I know in the upcoming years will be running around the backyard while the smoker is turned on, it was as no brainier for me, at the time of purchase I was unfamiliar with the blow back issue......I was trying to channel my inner cheapskate even though I believe you get what you pay for....for a less durable solution and some risk this might be a good unit but for me and my situation it is not, and I cant recommend it due to the safety concerns.....so I folded on Monday, and ordered a Rec-Tec....I put the money I had from the refund, and financed for free for 6 months the rest, why not use other peoples money for a bit if its free. :) I figured with the 6 year full coverage on parts and the integrated algorithms that the Rec-Tec does with its PID,  that I would have a much lower chance of another blow up....consider it risk mitigation on my part. Ill report in another thread on Rec-Tec, but its pretty much been covered. I will compare a few cooking sessions against the chargriller and post here any nuances between them for other peoples consideration.


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## kerbos5 (May 8, 2014)

Chef Willie said:


> oops...that's a Model 9020 that exploded.....9040 is the latest one I saw


With my lengthy talks with chargriller, they said there is no difference between them one is exclusive for Lowes.


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## jeepdiver (May 8, 2014)

The explosion can happen on any pellet grill if you dont open it when lighting the grill, rather a cold start or on a relight


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## kerbos5 (May 9, 2014)

JeepDiver said:


> The explosion can happen on any pellet grill if you dont open it when lighting the grill, rather a cold start or on a relight


Your right jeep, but high probability for Pellet smokers that don't have advanced algorithms that combine controlling heat, and auger distribution...for example the Chargriller has a heat control, and then a separate switch for setting the augur's pellet distribution, that has a set timing for each setting no mater the temp or if the pellets are even burning (example on for 60 seconds, off for 140 seconds), the PID just controls the speed and of fan and heat produced (and in my experience not very well), with nothing to stop the pit from overflowing like a mountain as in the pictures I posted.


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## frog1369 (May 9, 2014)

kerbos5 said:


> Well coach, I was on the fence on whether to by quality over something cheaper...for me with having 1.5 year old twins that I know in the upcoming years will be running around the backyard while the smoker is turned on, it was as no brainier for me, at the time of purchase I was unfamiliar with the blow back issue......I was trying to channel my inner cheapskate even though I believe you get what you pay for....for a less durable solution and some risk this might be a good unit but for me and my situation it is not, and I cant recommend it due to the safety concerns.....so I folded on Monday, and ordered a Rec-Tec....I put the money I had from the refund, and financed for free for 6 months the rest, why not use other peoples money for a bit if its free. :) I figured with the 6 year full coverage on parts and the integrated algorithms that the Rec-Tec does with its PID,  that I would have a much lower chance of another blow up....consider it risk mitigation on my part. Ill report in another thread on Rec-Tec, but its pretty much been covered. I will compare a few cooking sessions against the chargriller and post here any nuances between them for other peoples consideration.


There is almost always good advice in the old adage "you get what you pay for".  Now, that's not to say just because you buy a $3,500 Memphis that your food will taste better, but when you're talking quality, longevity, etc., it does make a difference.  My grandmother always told me "it's cheaper to go first class" and I have found if you buy a better product the first time and take good care of it, in the end it can actually save you money.  Just talk to the guys that own the stuff like Weber, Memphis, Yoder, etc.  You don't see a lot of 20-25 year old Brinkmann's hanging around.  Not that there is anything wrong with them but people need to make a conscious choice to pay now or pay over time.  Just my $.02, everyone has a different approach.


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## chef willie (May 9, 2014)

kerbos5 said:


> With my lengthy talks with chargriller, they said there is no difference between them one is exclusive for Lowes.



Thanks...good to know there is no difference


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## coachk (May 10, 2014)

Thanks for all the advice.  I understand that you usually get what you pay for, but I think sometimes you pay for a brand.  Comparing the Lil Tex to the Chargriller, what is it that you are getting that warrents spending an extra $400?  Both probably made in China.  Looking at both in person the quality "looks" and "feels" similar.  I have three small ones, so the explosion is concerning but the video Kerbos posted was a traeger...

Guess what I am really wondering is whether there is something specific to the Char griller I need to be concerned about.  Frankly, I am not sure a pellet smoker is better than electric.  If you can't tell I am extremely indecisive here.  Wife is getting impatient and told me its time to *^&^# or get off the pot already.


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## frog1369 (May 10, 2014)

CoachK said:


> Thanks for all the advice.  I understand that you usually get what you pay for, but I think sometimes you pay for a brand.  Comparing the Lil Tex to the Chargriller, what is it that you are getting that warrents spending an extra $400?  Both probably made in China.  Looking at both in person the quality "looks" and "feels" similar.  I have three small ones, so the explosion is concerning but the video Kerbos posted was a traeger...
> 
> Guess what I am really wondering is whether there is something specific to the Char griller I need to be concerned about.  Frankly, I am not sure a pellet smoker is better than electric.  If you can't tell I am extremely indecisive here.  Wife is getting impatient and told me its time to *^&^# or get off the pot already.


You're right, sometimes there is a cost for a brand but many times that's because the brand stands behind the product or puts some more quality in.  It all comes down to personal choice, the major differences, and things to look for, are gauge of steel, quality of steel, controller, customer service, etc.  Especially the steel, all stainless is not equal, that's for sure.  When I was looking, I usually found differences to justify cost on everything I looked at.  Once I found what I thought was the best at my price limit I chose from those few.  I have learned the hard way that $400 usually meant I was sacrificing more than a brand logo.


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## jeepdiver (May 10, 2014)

I cant yell you what the 400 bucks gets you having never used either of those grills.  I can tell you the possibility of explosion has nothing to do with price or the controller.   A $5000 MAC ot Memphis has jusy as much chance of explosion on ignition if you dont open the grill.  It is physics not price that causes that.

I can tell you my FEC pg500 is much better than an electric.  I can hit 900 degrees at my grate.  Anything I cook has great wood flavor, smokey for low and slow or just wood fired taste on hot and fast.  If you are just using it for a smoker then yeah electric is probably as good but electric wont give you the grilling ability of even the cheapet pellet grills.


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## xtrema44 (May 11, 2014)

Chef Willie said:


> oops...that's a Model 9020 that exploded.....9040 is the latest one I saw


Mine is the 9040 Chef...

Since I have replaced the fire rod I haven't had a issue since.. IMO to each there own on what is best for them and there price range.. I have friends and family who have Traegers  and Louisiana grills and the food all taste the same to me as the food I cook on my Char Griller.. I can say for the price and the size of area for cooking you are looking at 2-3 time the money.. Plus you get a digital temp and feed control..

Kerbos, Congrats on the new grill looking forward to seeing some pics when you get it and start cooking again...


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## jbssmokedmeats (May 11, 2014)

I purchased one of these Friday doing the initial smoke today don't have my maverick it's at my moms. But I noticed set at 225 and p setting on p5 the smoker is dipping to 210 before reigniting and building up to 270 before leveling for 5-10 min and dropping again is this a controller issue or normal????


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## smokinadam (May 11, 2014)

I would play with the smoke settings.  I'd try 6 or 7 on it and should hold the temp better but not sure. Haven't noticed that but next smoke I'll look and watch to give review.


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## coachk (May 13, 2014)

So after much deliberation I am purchasing the Char griller.  Went into Lowes yesterday and looked at the unit and then went immediately to look at the Traeger lil Tex Elite.  The main difference I noticed is the lid on the lil tex is a little thicker, but not much.  The rest of the steel was comparable with the barrel and stack.  I liked the wagon wheel on the Char griller.  Very noticible is the size difference between the two.  Its really closer in size to the Texas than the lil Tex.

My worry of course is the mechanical components that havent been around too long, vs the Traeger which has a longer track record.  I plan on getting the Lowes warranty and figure that if something does break or explode, I won't lose my entire investment.  Sure I would love the Treager Texas, but its just not in the budget.  Hopefully I pick it up in the next few days and get to smokin!


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## chef willie (May 13, 2014)

CoachK said:


> So after much deliberation I am purchasing the Char griller.  Went into Lowes yesterday and looked at the unit and then went immediately to look at the Traeger lil Tex Elite.  The main difference I noticed is the lid on the lil tex is a little thicker, but not much.  The rest of the steel was comparable with the barrel and stack.  I liked the wagon wheel on the Char griller.  Very noticible is the size difference between the two.  Its really closer in size to the Texas than the lil Tex.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Okkkkkk.....please post initial feelings after setting up and breaking in, with pics of course. I'm waiting to pull the trigger myself on a local store buy with no additional warranty offered or a trip to Lowes (about 45 miles away) to get one. Lowes is 50 bucks more, go figure.....Willie


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## xtrema44 (May 13, 2014)

Chef Willie I haven't had any issues since the fire rod.. Sunday I had thawed some sturgeon out so I decided to put it in my smoke brine overnight.. I fired up the grill at 1 pm and set it to smoke and set the P setting to 7.. It held 120 for 5 hrs without a issue.. I turned it up and cooked a couple of steaks and finished off the sturgeon.. It turned out great.. Here are some pics.













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## smokinadam (May 14, 2014)

That looks like some pretty darn good looking smoked fish! The P - LEVEL is the amount of smoke it will put out correct xtrema?  I don't believe people read enough on this grill before using it to know how everything works on it.


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## xtrema44 (May 14, 2014)

Thank you smokinadam.. Yes that is correct the P setting what is decides how much smoke by regulating the feed rate of the pellets.. Number 7 for example is 18 seconds on and 150 seconds off..  It will also help with temp control..


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## smokinadam (May 14, 2014)

xtrema44 said:


> Thank you smokinadam.. Yes that is correct the P setting what is decides how much smoke by regulating the feed rate of the pellets.. Number 7 for example is 18 seconds on and 150 seconds off..  It will also help with temp control..


What brand pellets you running


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## xtrema44 (May 14, 2014)

I have ran only one type which is Lil Devil.. When I bought the grill they gave me a free bag of them.. So while I was there I bought 3 more and am finally on my last bag.. There is a local couple of ranch and home stores that have Traeger,Louisiana, and some that they have made for them with there own label on them.. I am not sure what I am going to try next.. Everything I cooked/smoked with the Lil Devil has turned out good and everyone has love the taste.. The Lil devil's I didn't realize until I went to places that had more then one kind of pellets were about 3-4 bucks cheaper a bag..


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## chef willie (May 14, 2014)

Thx for the update X.....glad to hear it all turned out well....all looks good from here. I saw those LilDevil pellets at Bi-Mart...on sale for 6.99 a bag. I was a little miffed as I just paid 14 for a bag of Bag Mountain Washington Apple pellets for my AMNS conversion. Oh well.....Willie


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## xtrema44 (May 14, 2014)

Thanks Willie... I was just at our Bi Mart and I didn't see the pellets dang it... Ours is still out of the grills I asked the lady and she said they have ordered them but haven't came in yet.. That's a good price on the pellets.. I have paid 7.99 and have seen them for 8.99.. I know the ranch and home store up the road sell the crap out of them.. I was in there the other day and they have sold out once again.. The guy said they are there top seller over everything else they sell for pellets..


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## smo-ken (May 22, 2014)

Hey guys. A lot of great comments on this post. I'm really looking for some tips on temp and P settings. I usually try to keep the temp at 225-240 and want as much smoke as I can get. Any suggestions and recommendations on settings?


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## gtechman (Sep 29, 2014)

I have used mine about 5 times. Doesn't get as much smoke as my MES30 did.

Considering putting a damper on the smoke stack output to slow down some of the smoke exhaust. Anyone think that would be a bad move?


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## smokinadam (Sep 29, 2014)

Gtechman said:


> I have used mine about 5 times. Doesn't get as much smoke as my MES30 did.
> 
> Considering putting a damper on the smoke stack output to slow down some of the smoke exhaust. Anyone think that would be a bad move?


 What p setting do you have it on?


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## gtechman (Sep 30, 2014)

Been cooking at 225 with P2 setting. Smoke is come and go with the temp but seems to be enough. It just seems that it's letting too much out at a time so was considering damping it. I know very little though so may be way off base.


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## nated (Aug 4, 2015)

After a fuse blew in my controller I contacted Chargriller customer support because the first time I started it back up I was hitting 300 degrees with the controller set at 225 P2. The support agent told me to set the P setting at P7 and temp to 225 for 10 minutes and it should stabilize and it did. She said for low and slow cooking at 225-250 they recommend P7 setting and for higher temps a lower P setting. What I don't understand is in the manual it recommends a setting of P2 for 225 degrees which I've been using since I purchased this grill. Even if I grill a burger or a steak I've been leaving my P setting at P2. At P7 I did notice there wasn't a 10 degree temp swing like when set at P2 so theres that to take into consideration I guess. Now I wait on a new hot rod to be delivered so manual starts for me until next week.


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## smokinadam (Aug 4, 2015)

NateD said:


> After a fuse blew in my controller I contacted Chargriller customer support because the first time I started it back up I was hitting 300 degrees with the controller set at 225 P2. The support agent told me to set the P setting at P7 and temp to 225 for 10 minutes and it should stabilize and it did. She said for low and slow cooking at 225-250 they recommend P7 setting and for higher temps a lower P setting. What I don't understand is in the manual it recommends a setting of P2 for 225 degrees which I've been using since I purchased this grill. Even if I grill a burger or a steak I've been leaving my P setting at P2. At P7 I did notice there wasn't a 10 degree temp swing like when set at P2 so theres that to take into consideration I guess. Now I wait on a new hot rod to be delivered so manual starts for me until next week.


good informstion Nate! Thanks for sharing. Mine had a good grease fire inside it. It ran out of pellets and I shut off and turned back on which I think over filled with pellets and when they started it wasn't pretty. Going to check it out tomorrow and see how it is.


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## nated (Aug 6, 2015)

smokinadam said:


> good informstion Nate! Thanks for sharing. Mine had a good grease fire inside it. It ran out of pellets and I shut off and turned back on which I think over filled with pellets and when they started it wasn't pretty. Going to check it out tomorrow and see how it is.


How did you smoker look after your grease fire? I've only run out of pellets once but I ended up checking the firepot before I relit mine hopefully your is ok. I received my new fire rod today was actually surprised it came so quick I was quoted 5-7 business days and it came in 2. Installing it was fairly straightforward but one of  the screws holding the firepot in was stubborn so that slowed down the install. I heard you should clean your firepot after every cook because the ash is corrosive to the fire rod and shortens it's lifespan so I guess I'll do that and see how long this one lasts.


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## smokefishdrink (Apr 11, 2016)

Hi anyone know what the hopper holds like a full 20 pd bag or how long it will smoke when full? I do mean the char griller 9020


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## smokinadam (Apr 11, 2016)

SmokeFishDrink said:


> Hi anyone know what the hopper holds like a full 20 pd bag or how long it will smoke when full? I do mean the char griller 9020


it should hold a 20lb bag about. I would say it depends on temp and p setting. I can do about 12 hours at 225 and p4.


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## smokefishdrink (Apr 12, 2016)

Thx for a reply bud, think I may get one this weekend and start her up


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## smokinadam (Apr 12, 2016)

SmokeFishDrink said:


> Thx for a reply bud, think I may get one this weekend and start her up


only problem I had was my fire rod went out on nine after a year and half. Kind of a pain in the ass but we have a Traeger that it happened to as well so any grill will have it happen. I definitely used mine alot so wasn't surprised.


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## smokefishdrink (Apr 12, 2016)

Yes I heard that about smokers fire rods a guy I work with has a Traeger and so he went to can tire and picked up a gas torch to start it instead of paying for the fire rod


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## smokinadam (Apr 13, 2016)

SmokeFishDrink said:


> Yes I heard that about smokers fire rods a guy I work with has a Traeger and so he went to can tire and picked up a gas torch to start it instead of paying for the fire rod


he must of disconnected it then. Mine kept popping my gfci...


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## smokefishdrink (Apr 13, 2016)

Yes i think he took it out to get a new one and then just left it out.Hes been using torch for 6 yrs


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