Char-griller 980 Gravity Fed Grill/Smoker

[Grimas 671]

Looks like a cheaper alternative of the Karau inverse smoker...  C-60 Pit | KBQ  (at 1/3 the cost)

[Passive Aggressive Coach 87]

5 hours ago, Grimas said:

Looks like a cheaper alternative of the Karau inverse smoker...  C-60 Pit | KBQ  (at 1/3 the cost)

It's great. Kids wanted steaks tonight. Got some cheap ass choice strips tonight. Seasoned em up. Rubbed with wagyu beef tallow for the season to stick. Smoked on 275 until 120. Took off. Pumped up temp to 650 and reversed seared. Pretty damn good for cheap steaks. This thing can smoke great with wood chunks/briquettes and then grill at high Temps for searing. 

 

[Passive Aggressive Coach 87]

Half a Boston pork butt on. Hickory smoked 260. Pulled pork this afternoon gents. Go Cowboys! Today is going to make up for yesterday. 

[Passive Aggressive Coach 87]

Fam says best pulled pork yet. Although, they don't want to disappoint Dad. Pretty damn good. Came out pretty as hell and tasted amazing.  Probably needed a couple more spritzes.

Edited October 31, 2021 by Passive Aggressive Coach

[Schuman 0]

Is your temp controller thst accurate in cold weather too? I havnt used mine in anything over about 45 F but the temp controll a d the actual temp readings from the probe that came with grill and z separate temp unit both show actual temp about 30 to 40 F lower than set

[fluff 87]

First time I have seen this thread or this smoker...Gave up on my offset 2 years ago, now have 2 kids and just hated getting up at 5am to have something decent ready by dinner time.  I have been considering the pellet grills but just haven't gotten really excited about any of them.  This thing looks like it might be the ticket.

[irishtexan 11522]

1 hour ago, Schuman said:

Is your temp controller thst accurate in cold weather too? I havnt used mine in anything over about 45 F but the temp controll a d the actual temp readings from the probe that came with grill and z separate temp unit both show actual temp about 30 to 40 F lower than set

I don't think you're going to get an answer from him...

[Schuman 0]

I figured it was a few months old, wasn't sure if he was active or anything anymore. Was worth a shot

[dcbc 14525]

8 hours ago, Schuman said:

I figured it was a few months old, wasn't sure if he was active or anything anymore. Was worth a shot

The first iteration of OP was banned.  His second iteration (spaces in the username) tends mostly to gobble up neg rep in CR or complain about neg rep elsewhere.  That iteration became highly offended by other posters' lack of unanimous praise for his "tri-tip brisket" in another thread and vowed to take his toys and go home.  So not a lot of food posts anymore.

Edited March 30, 2022 by dcbc

[baboso 6057]

Internet, serious business.

[Gene Parmesan 4016]

16 hours ago, Schuman said:

Is your temp controller thst accurate in cold weather too? I havnt used mine in anything over about 45 F but the temp controll a d the actual temp readings from the probe that came with grill and z separate temp unit both show actual temp about 30 to 40 F lower than set

I haven't noticed the temp being inaccurate, but I also haven't hooked up a secondary probe much for ambient temp.  I don't think mine is that off because I've cooked things where the controller being that off I would have noticed.  I do think there is some offset technology in the primary temp controller to prevent it from thinking it's dropped a ton once the door is opened.  That may be what you are experiencing.  You open it up and all that heat inside is gone, but it doesn't register on the main temp controller so it doesn't overheat the charcoal to try to catch up.  So in that case an separate ambient temp would likely be a lot lower than the main, but I think they even out once the chamber gets back up to temp.

 

[Schuman 0]

3 hours ago, Gene Parmesan said:

I haven't noticed the temp being inaccurate, but I also haven't hooked up a secondary probe much for ambient temp.  I don't think mine is that off because I've cooked things where the controller being that off I would have noticed.  I do think there is some offset technology in the primary temp controller to prevent it from thinking it's dropped a ton once the door is opened.  That may be what you are experiencing.  You open it up and all that heat inside is gone, but it doesn't register on the main temp controller so it doesn't overheat the charcoal to try to catch up.  So in that case an separate ambient temp would likely be a lot lower than the main, but I think they even out once the chamber gets back up to temp.

 

I did about a 12hr cook yesterday and it was way off for probably 7hrs, it wad an extremely windy day and only about 40F outside so that may have factored in. Once the rain clears I'm going to run it with nothing it in except some temp probes and grate thermometers to see if it was maybe a fluke, I may have one with some faulty software or something. I don't believe it was opening the door as it was off before and after door opened and I wasn't opening often untill the end but it's always a possibility

[Gene Parmesan 4016]

4 minutes ago, Schuman said:

I did about a 12hr cook yesterday and it was way off for probably 7hrs, it wad an extremely windy day and only about 40F outside so that may have factored in. Once the rain clears I'm going to run it with nothing it in except some temp probes and grate thermometers to see if it was maybe a fluke, I may have one with some faulty software or something. I don't believe it was opening the door as it was off before and after door opened and I wasn't opening often untill the end but it's always a possibility

I could see wind being an issue because I think these things leak a lot stock.  I sealed mine up with felt gaskets as much as I could.

[Schuman 0]

52 minutes ago, Gene Parmesan said:

I could see wind being an issue because I think these things leak a lot stock.  I sealed mine up with felt gaskets as much as I could.

Yes. I sealed the lid with gasket, and the top of charcoal hopper with gasket and high temp sealant but the air could easily blow in the good size air vent

[Sam Lin 3562]

Can you check and calibrate that thermometer probe in boiling water?

[Schuman 0]

15 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

Can you check and calibrate that thermometer probe in boiling water?

The secondary one I used I have checked with the ice water but not boiling and it was within 2 degrees (no way to calibrate that I know of) but the stock thermostat one runs off an algorithm to estimate the temp in the center of the grill so I can't do much with it

[Slacks 6870]

I bought one of these recently. Love it. 

I have to get more patient with letting the fire get hot and smoke clean, but it works great. 

Ease of a pellet smoker, flavor of an offset with wood and coal... And can get temp up high enough to sear (which I haven't done yet.) 

[Thetexashammer 1062]

On 10/19/2021 at 10:36 PM, Baboontyme said:

Seems like a JV version of The Groker.

That's actually what I wanted to build. Seems obvious in retrospect. /hangsheadinshame

Edited December 17, 2023 by Thetexashammer