# Char-Broil Silver Smoker Mods...?



## woody (Jul 27, 2006)

Howdy--

I've been reading about modding the Char-Broil Silver smoker by extending the stack down to the grate, repositioning the thermometer and putting a baffle over the firebox. SO, do any of you folks have a CB SS with these mods? Do they work, are they worth the time?


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## riz9 (Jul 27, 2006)

The mods are definitely worth it.  Even though the silver smoker is pretty big, without the baffle from the firebox you can't use the left side of the grill.  It's to close to the coals for indirect cooking.  Even with the baffle my smoker is hotter of there but it doesn't seem to bad I just cycle the meat from one side to the other right down the line and all my cooking times match amazingly close with what they are supposed to be according to what people say they should be around here.

I'd say that the baffle is most important because it just gives you more smoking surface to load up the smoker.  Next important is probably a tie with lowering the level at which the gauge reads the temperature, it should be meat level.  And that ties with lowering the smoke stack.  Mine is about 3/8th to 1/2 inch from the grate, seems to work nicely.  All of these are extremely cheap to do as well, if you already have the tools.

But the most important tools for smoking is knowledge and practice, so learn as much as you can, and maybe implement these things as you go along.  There is no NEED for any of this, they just help.


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## bigwilly'swickedque (Sep 13, 2006)

I've "solved" the baffle problem in my smoker by just putting a large foil roasting or food warmer pan filled with the liquid of your choice in the bottom of the chamber butted up against the opening.  It reduces the size of the opening to about an inch, the liquid acts as a heat sink and it adds steam to the chamber keeping the meat moist.  It also helps catching the grease as it drips.  I also put an empty pan next to it, effectively covering the bottom to catch the grease as well.  You can find these pans pretty inexpensively at wholesaler clubs lik BJ's, Sam's Club or Costco.


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## andrewjim (Sep 14, 2006)

Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve read of these mods. previously but have not implemented them yet.  I do see about a 40 degree difference between the temperature at meat level and temperature at the hole provided in the lid. 

I have a difficult time keeping the temperature down at 220 degrees with out generating a lot of smoke and creosote.  How do you build and maintain a fire in the fire box?  Do you battle the same problem?

Thanks AJM


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## bigwilly'swickedque (Sep 14, 2006)

Hi Andrew,  I use natural lump charcoal, the minion method and a few chunks of hickory instead of a wood fire.  This has yet to fail me and I haven't experienced a creosote problem.  My suggestion for just using wood is to have a constant fire going in a fire pit (check out SoFLAQuer's 55 gal fire pit!!) and add hot coals to the smoker's firebox as needed.


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## andrewjim (Sep 14, 2006)

Thanks Willie.  I'll try the minion method.  It makes a lot of sense to me.  I expect it would work with either lump charcoal or 100% wood.

I think I've found another reason to spend a day watching the smoker do its thing.   :)


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## bwsmith_2000 (Sep 14, 2006)

I also have a Silver Smoker. Riz9 hit the nail on the head from my perspective. I made the mods and I really like the smoker a lot more since then. As mentioned though, there are alternatives so it's whatever you like that counts.


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## cajun_1 (Sep 16, 2006)

Do the mods...it's worth it..


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## pyrolysis (Nov 15, 2006)

Looks like the silver smoker mods could also work on the Char-Griller Smokin'  Pro.  Anybody try any of these on that unit?  What changes do you get bringing the stack down to the grate height?

Should a new thread be started for char-griller mods...?


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## smokemaster (Dec 20, 2006)

Here are pics of my mods.

I made most of the mods to the SS. I addded a baffle, steel tuning plates, extended the stack, put a gasket between the firebox and the chamber and made a charcoal box.  When I seasoned the smoker I used too much charcoal (20lbs) and burned alot of the paint off the fire box :( .  Oh well it looks aged now.






*The baffle needs reshaping and might need widening*





*Soup can for the stack extension and cork to hold the temp probe*





*No weld charcoal basket*





*Need to put an ash tray or raise the charcoal basket*






*The temp difference is about 50F between the left and right side*





Definitely need to reshape the baffle to direct the heat better.  I'll also make the tuning plates narrower to allow more heat radiate upward. I used 5lbs of unlit charcoal and added a full chimney of lit charcoal.  I'll use less lit charcoal the next time


The ribs came out great. 





*A little charred.  These were closest to the firebox at the beginning *





Hope this helps


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## pyrolysis (Dec 20, 2006)

Thanks for the pic's smokemaster.

Now I'm hungry!!!

pyro


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## palmo10 (Jul 1, 2007)

do you by any chance have pics of your mods, not quite understanding about the baffle, sorry


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## palmo10 (Jul 1, 2007)

does the stack need to be lowered also


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## gypsyseagod (Jul 1, 2007)

great mod pics smokemaster. those same mods work for the brinkman smoke-n-grill & brinkman smoke-n-pit,excetp for the stack drop (if you have the warming rack in you need to go w/ 3" dryer vent flex tubing.


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## smokemaster (Jul 1, 2007)

Here are some more mod pics
As you know the Silver Smoker (SS) cooking chamber is 35" long and 16" wide.

*My baffle is 14" wide 12" long and extends under the first tuning plate 4 1/2".  *






*There is a 1 1/2" gap between the baffle and the front of the chamber and 1/2" on the rear.  *






*Tuning plates 1 & 3 measure 13 3/4" x 10 1/4" and #2 is 13 3/4" x 7".  The tuning plates are 3 3/4" above the bottom of the chamber. There is a 1/2" space between plate 3 and the right wall.*





I have a new charcoal grate.  I was losing too much charcoal through the other grate


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## palmo10 (Jul 2, 2007)

thank you very much very nice a couple of questions though, what is your baffle made of and does it go over the little lip that was inside the cooking grill at the opening or did you cut it of. Are your turning plates ( what are they for) setting where the charcoal grates were ot are they on top,


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## palmo10 (Jul 2, 2007)

thank you very much this is very helpful I was not using them right


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