Why is the grill giving off so much smoke? Is that normai?
465077
Yes, that is normal. Also, keep in mind that some wood types produce more smoke than others.
930276
I've used mine twice without a bit of smoke. How did you clean the unit. Spray 409 let it stand a while, spray again and let it stand awhile longer. Then take a wet Mr Clean kitchen sponge over the entire unit inside and out. Wipe dry for a brand new looking unit. I couldn't believe how clean the unit came using the 409/Mr Clean kitchen sponge. Smoke, there might be food touching the unit as it rotates which, I would like, would cause smoke. Make sure that no food touches the heating unit while the food is rotating.
2228473
I've used nothing but canola oil to get the grill seasoned. Get it screaming hot, cover down, anything on the grate from last use will pretty much be ash & easily scraped with the triangular cleaning tool. Use a small hand whisk brush to get rid of the ash. Another spray with canola oil & get'r hot again. IT WILL SMOKE. Nature of the beast. Spray burgers lightly with canola before placing on the smoking hot grate. I use nothing more than 90/10 mix. Too much fat means more flame up. I'll leave 'em on a couple minutes or less, give 'em a quarter turn, same with other side, then finish up with lowered heat until desired done. I do pretty much the same with steaks, chops, & fish. A light spray with the oil before slapping on the grill, prevents sticking & helps keep any seasonings where they should be, on the meat. For chicken, I've added 4 - 1/4" eye bolts to an old grill that raises the meat an 1-1/2" or so to slow grill the meat. I've found a basket type flat grill at Safeway I place on top of the grate when grilling fish, shrimp, veggies and sliced fruit. Again, I'll lightly spray it and the food before grilling. You're always gonna get some Smoke, but after the initial searing, turning the gas down & watching placement of your meat on the grill should keep the smoking manageable. Doug
480794
That must be a defect in your grill. I've not had that problem. It might be cheaper to buy a new one (I got one at BigLots for 28.99) than sending it back.
125601
I have trouble getting the meat temperature to above 170 F. I don't think it is a power issue but a controller issue. Whatever the cause, the smoker is best suited to long time cool smoke. I plan to rebuild the temperature control when I have spare time.
347106
I have one just like yours. Make a schedule to clean your grill at least every other month. Check the burners for blocked holes. Dirt and grease built up will for sure lower the heat output. Buy new burners from Weber website. Its tech support people are great.
1369681
It's a gas smoker. You just adjust the gas from the knob on the front or adjust the vent on the top back side. I can pretty easily maintain 220-245 in mild weather. It's a little harder to keep it that low when it's really hot out though. Also you need to open the door every few hours to restock the wood chunks/chips.
1985709
Dana,Sorry I did not get back to you sooner. We were on vacation. My husband says you may have the grill in upside down. When it is in the wrong direction, juice can gather and cause excessive smoking. Ours does not smoke to excess. Good luck!
935828
Yes, its an ok grill. I think one of the problems is that it loses alot of heat through the top. Wish Char-Broil would put a reflector insert under the hood. I'm not impatient to get my food done, but the longer I leave burgers on the grill below 350 the drier they are. I'm thinking of putting heat reflecting tape on the inside and maybe outside. That may help. of course I may end up poisoning my family
2058880
I would disagree on all the pro smoke comments... What you see pouring out from the sides is mostly steam which might have trace amounts of oil/grease in it. But it's not burnt so it's not smoke. A hood can trap some of the oil residue, but there is so little, it not really worth it unless you need the hood for a light source to see your food. If you do get real smoke from this thing, you must be grilling plastic. I use olive oil on it and I don't have any issues. And we all know that has a low smoke point. You will encounter one problem with heavy/daily use. The steam pouring from the sides will bubble and peal the red coating on the edges of the lid. However it's shouldn't effect operation or safety. I would disagree on all the pro smoke comments... What you see pouring out from the sides is mostly steam which might have trace amounts of oil/grease in it. But it's not burnt so it's not smoke. A hood can trap some of the oil residue, but there is so little, it not really worth it unless you need the hood for a light source to see your food. If you do get real smoke from this thing, you must be grilling plastic. I use olive oil on it and I don't have any issues. And we all know that has a low smoke point. You will encounter one problem with heavy/daily use. The steam pouring from the... » Read More I would disagree on all the pro smoke comments... What you see pouring out from the sides is mostly steam which might have trace amounts of oil/grease in it. But it's not burnt so it's not smoke. A hood can trap some of the oil residue, but there is so little, it not really worth it unless you need the hood for a light source to see your food. If you do get real smoke from this thing, you must be grilling plastic. I use olive oil on it and I don't have any issues. And we all know that has a low smoke point. You will encounter one problem with heavy/daily use. The steam pouring from the sides will bubble and peal the red coating on the edges of the lid. However it's shouldn't effect operation or safety. « Show Less
617354
It says in the instructions that the funky smell has something to do with the "manufacturing process. I can't remember the specifics. They mention, I think, washing the plates before you use them, and letting the grill sit "on" at 350 or so or about 10-20 minutes prior to first use. So if you didn't do that, I'd assume it's normal that there'd be a funky smell. Shouldn't be a long term thing.
1985708
When you first received the grill it should have been "burned in". By this I mean that the grill should have been lit and turned to the highest setting and allowed to burn off the manufacturing residue. A lot of the first time smoking is caused by the burn off manufacturing residue (this is not toxic in any way). As for the the flare ups when you are grilling, the burner should not necessarily be turned to high but rather adjusted for whatever you are grilling. An occasional flare-up is normal. The infra-red design of this grill will cook your food faster with lower heat than an ordinary gas grill. Make sure to empty the grease cup after each use. Hope this helps. When you first received the grill it should have been "burned in". By this I mean that the grill should have been lit and turned to the highest setting and allowed to burn off the manufacturing residue. A lot of the first time smoking is caused by the burn off manufacturing residue (this is not toxic in any way). As for the the flare ups when you are grilling, the burner should not necessarily be turned to high but rather adjusted for whatever you are grilling. An occasional flare-up is normal. The infra-red design of this grill will cook your food faster with lower heat than an... » Read More When you first received the grill it should have been "burned in". By this I mean that the grill should have been lit and turned to the highest setting and allowed to burn off the manufacturing residue. A lot of the first time smoking is caused by the burn off manufacturing residue (this is not toxic in any way). As for the the flare ups when you are grilling, the burner should not necessarily be turned to high but rather adjusted for whatever you are grilling. An occasional flare-up is normal. The infra-red design of this grill will cook your food faster with lower heat than an ordinary gas grill. Make sure to empty the grease cup after each use. Hope this helps. « Show Less
1341992
I don't worry about the build-up inside the smoker since I don't do any fish in it...and if I did, the residue would have to be bad enough to drop onto my cooking foods before I'd clean it. The grates-I usually bring my smoker to a little higher temp than I'll cook at & let the grates get hot, then just clean them off with a grill brush. It's actually pretty low-maint cooking once you get the hang of it.
1978028
Very good grill. It should get to 450 in about 5 minutes with the lid closed. A few things to check:1) are you using small 1lb bottles or large tank? If large tank, make sure you turn the valve on very slowly. 2) Check the burner flame, you might have spiders in the burner that need to be brushed out with a burner brush like this http://www.firecraft.com/product/brushtech-gas-bbq-burner-tube-cleaner/grill-brushes-cleaning3) If need be you can replace the burner or regulator.
1232679
I have found the outside temperature affects it. Try adjusting your vents and place the grill vents towards the prevailing winds.
930275
The smoke could be due to a couple a factors: 1. Do you have excess meat or skin that could perhaps touch the element? 2. Do you cover the bottom tray with foil? The first time I used mine I also had smoke and even a flame, but when I used the foil, the problem was solved. Also, make sure there's no meat particles anywhere in the Ro. Be sure to use clean foil each time. Hope this helps!
810443
Never had any problem I suppose you could get it to smoke if you had a lot of meat at very high temp or a lot of bbq sauced burning on the grill.