# What did i get my hands on?



## Evert (Feb 4, 2018)

Hi There,
I have bought myself a smoker from a guy that had one standing around behind a pile of rubbish. I got it for $35,- so whatever it is, the world isnot gonna end if its not great ;)

The thing is i like this smoker, its really heavy and made out of thick steel. Nothing compared to the sheetmetal chinese stuff you can buy here in the Netherlands. Unless you spend a lot of money ofcourse for a real thick steel smoker

So i have been studying this forum quite a lot and i found a lot of information but i could not find anthing about this specific smoker. First i thought i bought a New Brounfels looking at the build itself eventhough the logo says CharbBroil. Studying this site i suddenly realised this thing is not a standard offstsmoker it looks more like a Hybrid type of thing. A mix between a smoker and a regular charcoalgrill.

Anyway like i said i like it and i am going to do some restoration on this in the summer. I have to wait cause i am recovering from a car accident right now.

My biggest question for now is if anyone can tell me the model of this smoker and who has tips on improving it? I havent lit it up yet so i will do that first the way it is right now...lets see how many leaks it has.

Anyway here are a dozen of pictures and i hope someone can enlighten me on what i actually bought???


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## radio (Feb 4, 2018)

Looks like a dandy smoker!  I have never seen one quite like it, but hopefully someone else on here has more info.  Looks like some cleaning and high temp silicone to seal the doors and a heat deflector and tuning plates will have you off and running.  
Hope you recover soon from the accident and cook some great Q with it!


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## gmc2003 (Feb 4, 2018)

Looks like an older Char-broil. You'll want to fire it up with a couple of chunks of wood to see where it leaks(and try to seal up the bad leaks). Also research charcoal baskets. You should be able to put out some good food on it once you learn it's idiosyncrasies. Lots of info on modding smokers like that or similar.

Chris


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## Evert (Feb 6, 2018)

Yes i gave it a little try today and started a small fire just to see how it would behave. Eventhough its is freezing here i did manage to get it steady at around 250 degrees without too much hassling. But i am now determined to finetune this thing! Cause boy o boy am i glad this is not a submarine!!! It is leaking pretty badly allover so i have something to play with in the coming weeks ;). I'll try to upload a small movie so you can see what i mean.....


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## Evert (Feb 6, 2018)

Here's avideo where you can see the leakage via the toplid. That'll be hard to fix as the cover falls over the cooking chamber instead of on top of the chamber.....





and here's a pic


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## HalfSmoked (Feb 6, 2018)

Go on the char broil web sight and you should be able to find info on this smoker. I have seen this smoker in stores before. Good luck with it.

Warren


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## Evert (Feb 9, 2018)

Thanks to a very fast and helpful response from the Char broil Customer Support I found out that my smoker is a Char Broil 03202900 Quickset.
It was selling in the US and Canada in 2006. That means it was indeed imported to Germany/The Netherlands later on.

They also send me the original manual that belongs to it which really helps me in the restoration process.

Thank You very much Char Broil ! 

Once I will really start with my build I will start a new post and keep you updated.


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## SmokinAl (Feb 9, 2018)

Looks like a great project!
Al


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## indaswamp (Feb 9, 2018)

Love threads like this! Welcome to your new hobbie, lots of great people here to help you out!


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## Evert (Apr 12, 2018)

Hi There,
Its been a whil but i haven't just been picking my nose.......

I started my first time ever welding project. Bought myself a second hand welder.....a mask and some gloves and used my common sense.......may not be the most beautiful welds in the world but i am sure they will last a lifetime :)








and presto my firebasket is finsihed and boy did i measure that tight......it just fits in the firebox in one specific move but it fits :)






When i got the hang of it i also made myself a baffleplate(?)






I welded in some L shape profiles to support the baffle plate and the tuning plates that i had cut by a very helpfull small constructioncompany













as you can see i have more than enough tuningplaes to play with


and than........







i took it apart completely. I am going to replace al the nuts and bolts by stainless steel ones. Then i will sand it completely and then i will wait for the ordered heat resistant Rust-Oleum paint to arrive..........i cant wait for the end result......and i am more and more realising that i have not cooked one single piece of meat in this smoker...so i just hope its gonna be worth it :)


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## radio (Apr 12, 2018)

great progress!  You should turn out some great Q in that beast!  Don't forget you will likely need to seal it up a bit with some high temp silicone to keep the lid from leaking


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## HalfSmoked (Apr 15, 2018)

ejdb looking good waiting to see the finish and some smoke rolling and of course some food.

Warren


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## Evert (May 23, 2018)

The next step after my last posting was....Sanding....which i did....with an angle grinder and a sanding disc installed.....
Unfortunately that's where it went wrong....i was making pretty good progress until i cut right trhough my protective kevlar gloves. I cut my hand...fainted...smacked on the ground with my face and.....woke up in Hospital not knowing what had happened.....Face black and blue and a severe concusion.....that kept me quiet
Pffewwww.....im glad that now after a couple of weeks i'm back on my feet again and back at the restoration proces 
I ended the last paintjob yesterday. I used Rust-O-Leum to paint it and i must say that i am very happy with the result so far!

Here are some pictures of the painted individual parts and maybe i start the re-assembly tonight......


























The rust-o-leum looks really shiny when applied but it dries in a really nice matte Black


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## Evert (May 23, 2018)

The next step after my last posting was....Sanding....which i did....with an angle grinder and a sanding disc installed.....
Unfortunately that's where it went wrong....i was making pretty good progress until i cut right trhough my protective kevlar gloves. I cut my hand...fainted...smacked on the ground with my face and.....woke up in Hospital not knowing what had happened.....Face black and blue and a severe concusion.....that kept me quiet
Pffewwww.....im glad that now after a couple of weeks i'm back on my feet again and back at the restoration proces 
I ended the last paintjob yesterday. I used Rust-O-Leum to paint it and i must say that i am very happy with the result so far!

Here are some pictures of the painted individual parts and maybe i start the re-assembly tonight......
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The rust-o-leum looks really shiny when applied but it dries in a really nice matte Black


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## HalfSmoked (May 23, 2018)

You have come a long way still waiting to see the smoke.  :D

Warren


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## RiversideSm0ker (May 23, 2018)

It looks like you are almost there. Keep up the good work.

George


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## Geebs (May 23, 2018)

That thing tunred out awesome! Cant wait to see it fired up. Glad your ok after your little incident.


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## chopsaw (May 23, 2018)

Looks good for sure . Keep it up , and I'm guessing by the quality of the fab work you've done , you handled a grinder a time or two . So,,,, be careful .


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## Smoke23 (May 23, 2018)

That’s really looking good!
Can’t wait to see it when you finish it.
Also glad you’re up and about after the mishap.


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## radio (May 24, 2018)

The accident sucks, but glad you are back at it and ready to get the beast reassembled!   Cant wait to see the first cook you do on it!
Don't forget to do a "burn in" with a good hot fire to get rid of the paint fumes and season the cooker.


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## HalfSmoked (May 25, 2018)

ejbd Sorry some how I missed the posting on your accident hope all is well.

Warren


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## Evert (May 25, 2018)

Thank you all....im fine!

And here's the endresult of the rebuild....just need to add one more thermometer....ordered 2 but only received one. And i am going to paint the new wheels all black....
This weekend i hooe to get the sealant so i can seal and then season....and then.....finally....i might also check out our local butcher for some fresh ribs.....cant wait hahaha


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## Evert (May 25, 2018)

Pretty good improvement compared to hoemi bought it....almost to pretty to get dirty....


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## WaterRat (May 25, 2018)

Nice restoration job! Looks (probably better than) brand new! One thing, don't trust those thermometers, they're notoriously inaccurate, get a digital oven thermometer with a probe you can leave inside the smoker or in the meat, a cheap one under $20 will get you by and there there are also some made for smokers that have both a smoker temp probe and a meat probe in one unit. Happy smoking!


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## Evert (May 25, 2018)

Ok thanks for that tip....i figured something like that but I think it does look nice.... so b yes I may add a digital one while cooking. 

One other thing and that's sealing! I see pros and cons for all options  using silicone or using felt or fiber tape.....

I just can't.find a definate answer.....

What do you guys say about this with my particular smoker? Silicone or tape. Now that it is still clean and "brandnew" I want to seal it before seasoning it.

Your.input is very much appreciated !


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## chopsaw (May 25, 2018)

That looks fantastic . Great job .


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## radio (May 26, 2018)

ejdb said:


> Ok thanks for that tip....i figured something like that but I think it does look nice.... so b yes I may add a digital one while cooking.
> 
> One other thing and that's sealing! I see pros and cons for all options  using silicone or using felt or fiber tape.....
> 
> ...




Great job on the restoration!
I vote for Silicone as it squishes down and forms a great gasket.  I bought some fiber rope to seal my OK Joes, but it was not "squishable" enough so that when I closed the lid, the rope along the back side held the lid open just enough it didn't allow the lid to close tightly at the front.  I ripped it off and went with Silicone


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## JckDanls 07 (May 26, 2018)

what a great job of restoration... I wish I would have seen this before you painted the firebox... let me suggest you do this so you can repaint after fixing...  on the door with the intake vent you might want to add a 1" flat bar around the inside of the door jamb... this will give you an area to put your sealant on... You may have to add some kind of filler to hold it away from the door about an 1/8" to leave room for sealer... I'm sure there has to be a pretty good size gap all the way around the door... If you have already done this and It can't be seen in the pictures..  disregard... but it does look great though...


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## jbellard (May 26, 2018)

RTV silicon sealant is the way to go in my opinion. It will mold to your smokers edge and make a good seal. Just be sure to get enough on there and use plastic wrap to put between the door when you close it to let it dry


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## Evert (May 30, 2018)

I did apply glasfiber tape but I am going to remove that again. I see way to many fibers coming from it and I don't want them to end up in my food. So now I ordered a tube  of red HT silicone to make a nice seal.  I did not choose that as a first option because i really dont like the colour of it on my Nice and shiny black smoker ;) Other than that I hope I can create a proper seal as the construction of the FoodChamber lid does not leave a lot of room to apply the silicone. 

Then another question:  the Firefox door with the air intake has a 1-2mm gap all around that door. Some of you suggested to apply something to the inside of the firebox to create a sort of flange on which I can then apply a gasket as well. My question is: is it going to make a real difference in controlling temp when I make that mod? I mean I did one testburn now  and when I close the air intake for more than 3/4 the wood will stop burning. Ofcourse the coals keep smoldering.  Or should I just stay away from burning sticks and stick to charcoal only and will I then benefit from closing the gap around the side door?  I mean I can weld in some strips of metal  (I'd have to do some repainting then) but if it's of no real use I can spend my time and money on other things too ;)

I hope you can still follow all my questions and I'm looking forward to hear from you. 

Btw I tried recording the "maiden burn" but I have to do some editing first Before I'll post it ;)


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## radio (May 30, 2018)

The red silicone will blacken soon enough on it's own, or after it cures give it a shot of the black high temp paint.
As long as you can manage the heat without sealing the firebox door, you are ok with a gap.  It just makes it a bit trickier to adjust the damper, especially in breezy weather.  It will take several cooks to learn where the smoker wants to run with the least amount of fuss in fire management, but as a rule, most stick burners like to run hotter than electric or gas smokers.  This is not as huge of a deal as it seems.  Mine like to run at about 280° give or take a few degrees and the food comes out just fine. I'm an impatient feller anyway, so the hour or two shaved off a brisket cook suits me just fine and I can't tell any difference in flavor or texture from one that was cooked at 225°
If you burn charcoal only, you are missing some of the great wood smoke flavor.
Can't wait to see some food in that beast!


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## Bearcarver (May 30, 2018)

That is an Outstanding job, ejdb!!!:)
Glad to see you're back in action & doing Beautiful work!
Can't wait to see what you produce in that Brand New looking Beast!!
Like.

Bear


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## JckDanls 07 (May 30, 2018)

no need to seal the door if your desired temps are obtainable ...  The biggest reason to seal is if you close the intake vent all the way and temps keep rising...  But your stating that's not the case...  so then for now I wouldn't worry about it unless the temps are not sustainable ...


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## Evert (Jun 2, 2018)

Hi Guys! 
I have been playing around with some testburns. Started with a chimney of hot coals and added some wood chuncks to see if i can get temp and amount of smoke under control. It is quite tricky i must admit. To keep the wood burning slowly without producing a lot of smoke is hard....i cant seem to get it there yet. ....either to many flames and temp or too much smoke because of the smoldering. Should i idealy have hardly any smoke or is a steady amount of light smoke fine? I can only get that when the wood is completely burned down to coals......matter of practice makes perfect I guess......

The next testrun I will go for coals only to see if that's easier to control. I do realise my smoker is not a high end superthick steel smoker but more a Cheap Offset Smoker (COS). However mine is made of much thicker steel than most affordable entry level smokers that are available overhere. It's about 2.5mm thick.

Anyway.....i did find out how to pretty much even out the temp in the CookingChamber by playing with the number of heatplates i use and i have found out that this is my ideal setup:









This way there is about 8 degrees (Celsius difference which is pretty good i think. One heatplate more or less gives me a much more uneven temp.

But let's get down to real business....as I know a couple of you guys have been urging me to finally put some meat on that thing  ;) so I guess I should stop trying to waste more time to get everything perfect but just head for my local butcher and start cooking!!!

So i promiss you that my next picture will include meat ......stay tuned ;)


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## Evert (Jun 2, 2018)

The local butcher didnt have fresh ribs available so i picked up a pre rubbed one from the local supermarket....not great quality but good enough for testing.... especially since I promised myself not to look in the cooking chamber for the next 5 hours or so and just focus on the firemanagement...... which is getting better every hour! I've had it stable at 300 f for  the last 2 hours .... trying to get it down now


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## Evert (Jun 2, 2018)

And after 5 untouched hours it came out like this:










Way to dark in my opinion.... however underneath the dark crust the meat looked really good. ... fell of the bone just like that. But way to salty.... the Smokey touch was nice. ... so all in all....i think this is promising .....


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## Evert (Jun 2, 2018)

and I ended this day of playing with my oven with. ......Pizza! Mán that came out beautiful.... the taste was sooooo good....i used my basic never fail dough recipe and did my 2 boys eat like they hadn't been eating for the last 2 weeks ;)

Garlic bread:






And plain margarita Pizza:


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## Bearcarver (Jun 2, 2018)

The Pizza & the Ribs look pretty darn good from here!!:)
Nice Job!
Like.

Bear


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## chopsaw (Jun 2, 2018)

I agree , every thing looks good .  I'd like to own that smoker .


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## radio (Jun 2, 2018)

glad you got to cook some food on it and learn how it like to run.  The ribs and pizza look mighty tasty!


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## Evert (Jun 3, 2018)

The pizzas were great! But really? You guys think the ribs looked good? Maybe we Europeans just have a different taste ;). I tight they were too dark and dry on the outsude. I would like the ribs to be more softer on the outside . Now I could  rip the "crust" off like a piece of paper......the meat underneath wasn't bad

Anyway. .. like I said I did not touch the ribs for 5 hours at all.

I guess I have to go search for thé best ribs/rub recipe and give that a try .... any suggestions are welcome


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## HalfSmoked (Jun 3, 2018)

Alright man that all looks good from my yard. The rewards for all your work.

Warren


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## Bearcarver (Jun 3, 2018)

ejdb said:


> The pizzas were great! But really? You guys think the ribs looked good? Maybe we Europeans just have a different taste ;). I tight they were too dark and dry on the outsude. I would like the ribs to be more softer on the outside . Now I could  rip the "crust" off like a piece of paper......the meat underneath wasn't bad
> 
> Anyway. .. like I said I did not touch the ribs for 5 hours at all.
> 
> I guess I have to go search for thé best ribs/rub recipe and give that a try .... any suggestions are welcome




I thought it was a little dark, but dark isn't necessarily bad, as long as it isn't too dry.
And you can't always tell Dry from a picture.
The Ribs & the Pizza look Great from here.

Bear


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## HalfSmoked (Jun 4, 2018)

ejdb thanks for the like it is greatly appreciated.

Warren


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## Evert (Jun 14, 2018)

Second attempt: long story short: looked a lot better! but dry as a bone

Bought two slabs of complete ribs in Germany. Had one slab cut in two and left one slab as it was. As i didn't know what was preferable at that time. I do know now. When they cut it you end up with one slab of spareribs and a slab of rib ends.

This is how it looked:







after i cleaned it a bit and removed the membrane i rubbed them with Magic Dust.

I fired up the smoker with one chimney of hot briqs and i had 1 chimney of unlit briq in the firebox already
	

		
			
		

		
	







It took me quite a while before i had a stable fire going so i will take that into account for the next time as it took me about an hour and a half







In the beginning it looked like i had a very equal temp on both sides of the CC but after an hour or two i had about 40 degrees difference. I had a waterpan installed on the hot side but that didnt make a big difference in the end







At least i was able to control temp much better then the previous cook. I didnt have it shooting towards the 400 degree mark. I actually had problems keeping it "warm enough" as i really had difficulties getting it at 250 {which wasnt even necesary i found out later). 

Anyway after a while i had it stable and it was a beautiful day so i was really enjoying myself!






After the first three hours i was ready to wrap them in foil. I thought they looked really good so far. But i was very surprised to see the bottom of the left slab burned! Eventhough i had waterpans installed on the hot side. How could this have happened? Taking that into consideration i will probably never be able to cook 5 or 6 ribs at the same time if the hot side is just too hot

Anyway, this is how they looked after three hours prior to wrapping:






Got the feeling already that they did look a bit dry....and i did spray them every 40 minutes.

left them in foil with appeljuice for one hour. Then i applied homemade bbq sauce and cooked them for 40 more minutes.

Unfortunately no picture of the final product as something went wrong with my phone :( 

Overall: They looked great but were extremely dry. But when i looked past the dryeness....the taste was really good so if i can get them to be tender and juicy the next time i am sure they will be great.

I think they were a bit thin and  thats why they turned out dry.
Next time i will use a target temp of no higher then 200 degrees with these ribs.

Anyhow i had great fun! And as i always say you can read all you want but you learn best by doing.

I'll keep you guys posted of my next try :)


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## chopsaw (Jun 14, 2018)

Get  urself  some rib racks if you want to do a bunch of ribs .
Maybe sugars in the rub turned dark ? 

When I had my cheap offset  I made a chimney out of 8 inch spiral duct . Held 10 pounds of charcoal . Needed that much to get it up to temp at the start.  .


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## Evert (Jun 14, 2018)

chopsaw said:


> Get  urself  some rib racks if you want to do a bunch of ribs .
> Maybe sugars in the rub turned dark ?
> 
> When I had my cheap offset  I made a chimney out of 8 inch spiral duct . Held 10 pounds of charcoal . Needed that much to get it up to temp at the start.  .



Rib racks? OK i will try to find out what they are called overhere and then translate that into German as that is where i buy my (Dutch) porkmeat.
The sugar? yeah that could be. 10 pounds to get it started? wow thats a lot. i guess my smoker is a bit smaller.

Thanks for the tips


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