Anyone have one of these and can offer any feedback? I'm kinda intrigued... Been thinking about going with a pellet smoker but do love my charcoal. TIA.

https://www.masterbuilt.com/collections/smokers/products/gravity-series-560-digital-charcoal-grill-smoker?gclid=Cj0KCQjw8vqGBhC_ARIsADMSd1DMVnQdrMbdKrc3h2502NRJFNYKiUv-Joke8akac0DraRUyXhAWE1kaAlu_EALw_wcB

My son got one for Father's Day and loves it. It's got me intrigued and my biggest concern seeing his is the durability. It seems a little lightweight and not as sturdy as I like. The quality of the electronics is also something I would want to take a look at. But yeah, like the idea.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Char-Griller-Char-Griller-980-Gravity-Fed-Charcoal-Grill-37-76-in-Black-Barrel-Charcoal-Grill/5001374831?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-sol-_-google-_-pla-_-119-_-grills-_-5001374831-_-0&placeholder=null&ds_rl=1286981&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8vqGBhC_ARIsADMSd1A8p2r_ChUizrVnOXxJ5Wt1ujpWi1npEEZCh29Eeirl6BEsPKed83UaAsEKEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

My uncle has this one and swears by it. He also has a Rec tec pellet grill and he doesn't even use it anymore.

Intrigued by the gravity grills as well. Want something like a pellet grill but don't like the idea of not being to use it if power is out.

Also thought about the dual propane and pellet grills.

Long time stick burner, but I got the masterbuilt around a year and a half ago and love it.

I can run straight wood chunks in the hopper and sit it and forget it for an overnight cook.

You get the ease of use of a pellet grill with the flexibility to run charcoal, wood charcoal, or wood chunks. In my opinion this gives a much better flavor than anything I've ever tasted out of a pellet grill. I still prefer the stick burner, but it's nice when I don't want to babysit the smoker.

Only complaint is I wish it was made of thicker metal, but it seems like most of these style grills/smokers are very thin.

SharkinAg said:

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https://www.lowes.com/pd/Char-Griller-Char-Griller-980-Gravity-Fed-Charcoal-Grill-37-76-in-Black-Barrel-Charcoal-Grill/5001374831?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-sol-_-google-_-pla-_-119-_-grills-_-5001374831-_-0&placeholder=null&ds_rl=1286981&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8vqGBhC_ARIsADMSd1A8p2r_ChUizrVnOXxJ5Wt1ujpWi1npEEZCh29Eeirl6BEsPKed83UaAsEKEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

My uncle has this one and swears by it. He also has a Rec tec pellet grill and he doesn't even use it anymore.

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Looks nice. Do you know if it would work without electricity? I realize the digital controls and fan wouldn't work, but could it still be lit and cook uncontrolled with no electricity?

My son says yes it will cook without the electricity just no electronic control of course and he feels that it is built well enough and will last for sometime.

I like the idea of this a lot better than a pellet. But I like to use lump coal and wonder if the odd random shapes of lump coal would give the gravity feeder problems. And to get smoke I guess you'd just have to layer wood chunks into the coal? The thing that makes pellets so good is it is very good at consistently delivering fuel.

I've had a Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 for almost 6 months now. I love it. The main draw for me was the fact it could reach 700F for a good sear but also stay as low as 150F. I've done 3 briskets, a few pork shoulders, countless racks of ribs, pork belly, tomahawk ribeye, wings, burgers, etc. It's a one stop shop. The 800 series even includes a griddle! As far as the power goes a lot of people will run these when the power is out using a cell phone battery bank or using a 18v drill battery (both need an adapter to run the fan/controller). Even if there is power you can use these set ups and pretty much cook wherever and not be limited to an extension cord/outlet.

I've never run straight wood chunks on my set up. I always layer the wood chunks with lump or briquettes. You do have to keep an eye out with lump. I keep a fire place poker by the cooker and will make sure there are no clogs/bridging by poking the top. I do run wood chucks in the ash tray. The hot embers from the charcoal fall and slowly light the wood chunks.

The main issues with this grill are the safety switches. There are multiple reports of failures. I've had two myself. There are 3 switches, one on the main door, the top hopper lid, and the ash bid door. I have bypassed all three. All you do is twist the wires together and everything has worked flawlessly ever since. You do have to be cautious with grease fires. If you smoke a pork belly, shoulder, or brisket and don't clean, the next time you try to fire up a 500F+ cook you are going to have a helluva fire. The Masterbuilt Gravity Series has a very active Facebook page with other tips/tricks and useful information. Luckily I was researching the grill heavily and was expecting the switch failures. If I didn't know that I probably would've sent it back.

Interested in hearing more from anyone with expect on these...

I have been zeroed in on a Rec Tec but have just a bit of doubt about how that will serve for "every day grilling".

This seems like it would cover they pretty well along with the other benefits of a pellet grill.

How does it hold temp? Main complaint about the last pellet grill I tried recently was it wasn't really near the targeted temp most of the time, but it was an "older model" traeger too.

Very intrigued by this.

I've had no issues holding temp. A full hopper of charcoal and wood chunks will last me at least 10 hours if not more..I normally keep another digital probe to monitor temps and it's usually with in 10 degrees of what the Masterbuilt controller says. It holds pretty steady too

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/old-country-bbq-pits-insulated-gravity-fed-charcoal-smoker

I've been interested in this one, as it will be thicker material.

What is the valve/outlet for on the right side? I wish it had a video on how it worked... probably search youtube for one.

I think I'm gonna try an Auto Temp Control fan on my WSM before I go this route. Like the ones from Thermoworks or something similar. It makes some damn good bbq and I like the small footprint it takes up on the patio... I'd just like to be a little lazier

Worth a shot for $2-300 vs these charcoal fed pits.

I bought the char-grill version because it was heaver and seemed better built.

So far I love it and I agree it is better flavor than my Traeger but not as good as my stick burner. I will say it will get to 700 in a hurry, it is my go to for searing things.

Thanks! Found his videos just now as well. Looks good but doesn't have a sear method.

RFD said:

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I bought the char-grill version because it was heaver and seemed better built.

So far I love it and I agree it is better flavor than my Traeger but not as good as my stick burner. I will say it will get to 700 in a hurry, it is my go to for searing things.

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Comparison between the Chargrill and Masterbuilt.

Spoiler: He picks the Chargrill based on construction quality and functionality. I think he gave the Masterbuilt a point for the chamber shape/size but just personal preference. "Both cook the same".

Following...

jpb1999 said:

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SharkinAg said:

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https://www.lowes.com/pd/Char-Griller-Char-Griller-980-Gravity-Fed-Charcoal-Grill-37-76-in-Black-Barrel-Charcoal-Grill/5001374831?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-sol-_-google-_-pla-_-119-_-grills-_-5001374831-_-0&placeholder=null&ds_rl=1286981&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8vqGBhC_ARIsADMSd1A8p2r_ChUizrVnOXxJ5Wt1ujpWi1npEEZCh29Eeirl6BEsPKed83UaAsEKEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

My uncle has this one and swears by it. He also has a Rec tec pellet grill and he doesn't even use it anymore.

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Looks nice. Do you know if it would work without electricity? I realize the digital controls and fan wouldn't work, but could it still be lit and cook uncontrolled with no electricity?

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It's a 12v dc system so you can actually run it off those cell phone charging packs if needed.

I have 3 cooks on my Char-griller so far and it gives a better taste than my old green mountain pellet grill.

Best grill I've ever owned

Glad this thread came along. I've been saving up some Lowes gift cards and was going to get a Pit Boss, but I didn't realize that CharGriller made one of these (and that Lowes carried them), so looks like I'm going to go this direction instead.

For those of you smoking with these, do you wait about an hour for the temp to equalize before putting the meat on? I understand that apparently there can be quite a bit of temp oscillations for the first bit.

If I'm smoking meat, I typically wait for the wood chunks in the ash bin to light and then start looking for the light blue smoke. Typically it's 30-45 min after starting the fire. If I'm grilling I don't wait at all.

For a high end version check out Assassin Smokers in Macon, Georgia.

So are you going with straight charcoal first to get the temps up before you get to your first layer of wood chunks? Also, I've seen estimates that the burn rate is about 1 lb/hr, does that jive with your experiences?

If I have an empty hopper, I pour in charcoal about 1/4th of the way up. Then throw in a a few wood chunks. Rinse/Repeat until full. Then I throw in a decent amount of wood chunks in the ash bin. After I start the fire I really just wait for the real thick dirty smoke to calm down and then throw on the meat. Yes, I'd say that's a very good estimate. Some charcoal burns faster than others. I've had great success with B&B Briquettes and Char Logs. Lump does pretty good as well.

TAMU77CLAY said:

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For a high end version check out Assassin Smokers in Macon, Georgia.

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Wow, I would def call their prices high end. Looks a lot like the one posted above from Academy for less than 1/2 the cost.

Cant seem to find alternate solutions for power supply to these grills? I guess if anything, a small portable power supply would handle the power needs for a longer cook (when house plug power is not available)

Yes, I've heard a battery bank will run these smokers for a long time. You just have to buy an adapter that will go from USB 5V to 12V. The other options I've seen are people that run them off portable drill batteries. Not quite sure what adapters are needed for that application.

Pulled the trigger on a Char-griller 980, should be in by the end of the week. Looking forward to seeing how this works out!

Maximus_Meridius said:

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Pulled the trigger on a Char-griller 980, should be in by the end of the week. Looking forward to seeing how this works out!

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Seriously considering doing the same this week.

spud1910 said:

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Maximus_Meridius said:

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Pulled the trigger on a Char-griller 980, should be in by the end of the week. Looking forward to seeing how this works out!

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Seriously considering doing the same this week.

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Looking forward to seeing your report.

Have had to seriously resist somewhat of an impulse buy on this one. Let us know how she does.

Got my Char-Griller 980 last night. I'm not going to go into the utter disaster of dealing with my local Lowe's, because I'm fairly certain none of you live up here. Let's just say that it's going to be a long time before I do a "ship to store" order again.

So, first impressions: this thing is freakin' heavy. Which means moving it around is a real chore. But, the quality appears to be there. The barrel itself is not terribly thick, but it does appear that they used a double layer construction (using the air gap as a kind of insulation). Overall, it is a really sharp looking grill, and I really like the blue lid. The only thing that I will complain about with the design is the wheels. Whoever made the decisions here really screwed the pooch. On the left side of the grill, you have two lockable castors, and on the right, you have two larger wheels riding on an axle. I hate all of them. The castors are ok, but honestly they need to be one size bigger. And I want to take a golf club to the knucklehead that thought the wheels on an axle was ok. Moving this thing around was already going to be a bit difficult due to the weight, but the wheels make it just awful. In general that's normally not a big concern...but when the store put the thing together (against your wishes) and you have to get it out of the back of the truck at night...I really hate the wheels.

So, today I got to burn it in and do some burgers. First off, if you're like me and you always used newspaper under a charcoal chimney...that's not gonna cut it. At the bottom of the big firebox, there's a grate that the charcoal rests on, and built into that grate on the underside is a little "pocket grate" where you stick your lighter medium. You cannot stuff enough newspaper in there to get the coals going. I tried. I failed. The manual states that if you don't have those little firestarter blocks (guess what Amazon's delivering Monday?), to take a paper towel, twist it into a rod shape, and use that. I added some petroleum jelly for good measure and that did the trick. You're supposed to give it about 3-5 minutes before closing the firebox doors and powering on, which I did. I set the temperature for 350, and away we went. And we hit it fast. Like, less than 10 minutes and we were there. There was a little oscillation of temp, but less than 10 degrees either way. And it held it there really well for the next hour or two before I put the burgers on. Burgers are pretty straightforward and simple, but this was almost comically easy. Really good burgers, too.

The only thing I would comment on with the cooking part is that you do seem to leak smoke around the lid. Doesn't matter so much for burgers, but for smoking it might. I think I'm going to look into putting a gasket or something on the lid to try and contain that a little bit. But man I'm in love already.

Some other details just for reference:
Ambient temp: 90 F
Humidity: 60%
Slight breeze
Royal Oak briquettes

There's a pork butt in the freezer that's probably getting smoked sometime in the very near future.