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The fire is in the charcoal cooking chamber and the food is in the charcoal cooking chamber. Follow these steps for cooking
with charcoal and direct heat in the charcoal cooking chamber.
1. For best results use a metal charcoal starter and fill the starter with about 2 lbs. of charcoal and light the charcoal.
2. After 30 minutes dump the charcoal onto the charcoal tray grid, which should be at the lowest adjustment position.
3. Adjust the firebox and smoker chamber dampers and the smoke stack cap to 1/4-1/3 open.
4. Immediately and carefully place another 2 lbs. of charcoal on top of the burning coals in the cooking chamber. Keep the
lids open until the flames have burned down. Closing the lids before the flames have burned down can cause damage to
the grill and painted surfaces.
NOTE: If the gas burners are in operation at the same time, only add 1 lb of charcoal
to existing burning coals.
5. Once the temperature reaches your desired level food can be placed on the cooking grids.
TIPS:
The adjustable charcoal tray in the smoker chamber allows the charcoal tray to be moved to within a few inches of the cooking
grid allowing you to sear your meat and lock in the juices. Searing takes only a few minutes on each side. Don’t allow the
meat or food to burn. After searing, move the charcoal tray back to the bottom position and cook the food to your personal
preference.
For smaller cookouts, the firebox can be used instead of the larger smoker chamber for cooking with charcoal and direct heat.
Follow the same steps above for cooking in the main smoker chamber.
Operating Instructions
TO COOK USING CHARCOAL AND DIRECT HEAT
TO COOK USING SMOKE AND INDIRECT HEAT
The fire is in the firebox and the food is cooked or smoked in the smoker/cooking chamber. The smoke and the indirect heat
pass through the opening between the firebox and smoker/cooking chamber. Follow the steps below for smoking and/or
cooking . Note that the indirect cooking or smoking process will take longer than traditional barbecuing. At 225-250°F it will
take approximately 30 minutes per pound of meat.
1. Fully open smoke stack and damper on firebox door.
2. Place 2 pounds of charcoal on firebox wood rack. Light charcoal and allow it to burn until coals are glowing. Add your
desired flavoring wood (hickory, mesquite, pecan, apple, alder, etc.) to the charcoal.
3. For indirect cooking we recommend 225-250°F. For smoking, the desired temperature may be lower. The heat and smoke
can be regulated by adding more charcoal/wood and by opening or closing the damper/smoke stack.
4. Once the desired temperature is achieved, place the food in the cooking chamber. Continue to monitor the temperature
as the food smokes/cooks. For the best heat and smoke flow, open the smoke stack and close the firebox damper.
Keep the charcoal damper on the front of the grill closed when smoking/indirect cooking. At 225-250°F, it will take
approximately 30 minutes per pound to cook the food. Time will vary depending on the temperature at which food is
smoked/cooked. The level of desired doneness will also affect the cooking time.
5. For best results, try to maintain a constant temperature inside the cooking chamber by adding charcoal and wood as
necessary and adjusting the damper openings. Check the internal food temperature periodically by inserting a meat
thermometer into the food. Use caution when checking the food temperature to avoid injury.
6. Once the food has reached the desired temperature, remove from cooking chamber and let stand 30 minutes.
7. We recommend using wood chunks or logs that are not larger than 10” long and 2” diameter. The wood is for flavoring
only, not for heat output. Do not overload the rack with wood. You can add wood periodically when it burns low.
