Let's Talk BBQ
Outdoor Cooking Equipment => Grills & Smokers => Charcoal Smokers => Topic started by: 70monte on June 17, 2016, 03:00:48 PM
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After reading Smoke's excellent review on this grill/smoker, I was very interested in it. Last week while on Craigs list, I saw this grill advertised for about half off of the regular price. After some debating and trying to justify buying it, I went and looked at it today. It was in excellent shape and I just could not pass up on the price.
It was located at a retail store that was no longer going to be carrying this line and was discounting them to get rid of them. They had this Open Range, a Patio Jr. and the Marshall. I paid $549.50+ tax for $593 total. It was manufactured in 06/04/14 so it is two years old but it is a generation 3 and is still brand new. They were all advertised for 50% off.
For anyone in the Joplin, MO area who might be interested, the grills are at the Flames for Home and Hearth store. The Marshall is on sale for $1,149.50+tax and the Patio Jr is $399.50+tax. The Open Range and the Patio Jr. had been kept inside but the Marshall looks like it has been kept outside under the overhang of the store front. The grates were a little rusty looking on it but the grill still looked good. Both of the remaining grills are new but I'm not sure how old they are since I didn't look at the paperwork. They are probably around the same age as the one I bought.
Here are some pictures of mine.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/waynetd/003_zpscib8taab.jpg) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/waynetd/media/003_zpscib8taab.jpg.html)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/waynetd/004_zpsqxbogrtr.jpg) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/waynetd/media/004_zpsqxbogrtr.jpg.html)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/waynetd/005_zpsabscw6ms.jpg) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/waynetd/media/005_zpsabscw6ms.jpg.html)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/waynetd/006_zpskm3rvfx8.jpg) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/waynetd/media/006_zpskm3rvfx8.jpg.html)
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That is a great deal!
Congrats.
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Sweet deal!! Look forward to seeing your 1st few cooks, and hearing your thoughts.
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Nice grill and a killer price
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Thanks guys. I really didn't need another grill/smoker but I just couldn't pass it up for this price plus I've been very impressed with all of the reviews and youtube videos that have been made of it. I'm going out of town on Monday for all week so it may be a little while until i cook on it. I will probably try and season it today or tomorrow though.
Wayne
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That is a great score!!
Your Open Range looks like a Gen 2 version. The Gen 3 has the sides of all the expanded metal covered in a protective ridge. Be careful when handling your cooking grates. I had a Gen 1 slice me open bad.
All in all, you made out like a bandit. Did you get the instruction manual with it? If not here you go:
http://thegood-one.com/content/uploads/2014/06/The-Good-One-Operating-Manual.pdf
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That is a great score!!
Your Open Range looks like a Gen 2 version. The Gen 3 has the sides of all the expanded metal covered in a protective ridge. Be careful when handling your cooking grates. I had a Gen 1 slice me open bad.
All in all, you made out like a bandit. Did you get the instruction manual with it? If not here you go:
http://thegood-one.com/content/uploads/2014/06/The-Good-One-Operating-Manual.pdf
It did come with all of the manuals and warranty card. The reason I said I thought it was a generation 3 was because I read in a few different places that the gen 3 versions came out in around Oct. 2013 and this one was built after that.
I have seen some recent videos where they are now making the charcoal grate where the expanded metal justs drops into a frame so that just the expanded metal has to be replaced and not the entire grate and ash catcher. I believe they are still calling this newest setup a third generation.
Anyway, I still like it no matter what generation it is.
Wayne
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I just got done watching some youtube video's from the past few months and none of the grills shown have the protective ridge on the sides of the grates, only on the front and back just like the one I just bought. One was a demo video that Chris Marks did.
Wayne
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The charcoal grate/ash catcher combo is new for Gen 3...and the protective pc on the ends of all expanded metal cooking grates are Gen 3. The Goodwin family would leave them unfinished. Even when Ace of Hearts was distributing the Good One we wanted the grates to have the sharp edges covered. Now that a different mfg is making them, Chris got his way and got the grates covered............
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Gen 1 had the slide out ash tray that would pull out from the left side...major air trap. It got changed to the front pull out ash pan and that helped out a bit. The new design is way better.
Do not be alarmed if your Open Range burns from left to right or right to left. It is a phenomenon that has frustrated many a Good One owner. The temp still stays rock solid and that is what it is all about.
Careful with too much wood as well. The smoking chamber top is designed to circulate the heat and smoke and you will find that 2-3 fist sized chunks of wood will get you where you want to be. Chris really likes the use of cherry and hickory, it is a great combo....give it a try.
In fact, Firecraft carries the chunks us Cowboy Dealers would sell with the Good Ones through Ace of Hearts BBQ:
http://www.firecraft.com/category/wood-chips-wood-chunks?f[0]=sm_field_brand%3Ataxonomy_term%3A357
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Thanks for the tips. I'm going to season it tomorrow. My charcoal grate and ash catcher are all one piece like it shows for the Gen 3 grills and pulls out from the top of the firebox. I even went to The Good One website and all of their current pictures for this grill show it just like mine is so I'm pretty sure mine is a Gen 3. I also went to Firecraft's website and all of their pictures show the grates with only the top and bottom having the protective piece of metal on it.
Just out of curiosity, could you give me a link to where you see the grates with the protective pieces on all four sides of the grates because I can't seem to find any. Thanks.
Wayne
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Smoke,
I do have a few more questions.
1. Is the grill that you review that you used to own a 3rd generation because if it is, mine is exactly the same.
2. To season this grill for the hour recommended, how much charcoal would you recommend using? I'm assuming it should all be lit?
3. On The Good One's website, they have two different part #'s for the stainless steel shelves depending if you use it on the smoking side with the lid reversed or the firebox side. In your review it seemed like the shelf you had would work on both sides. Is that correct? Do you know what part # your shelf was? Thanks.
Wayne
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Thanks for the tips. I'm going to season it tomorrow. My charcoal grate and ash catcher are all one piece like it shows for the Gen 3 grills and pulls out from the top of the firebox. I even went to The Good One website and all of their current pictures for this grill show it just like mine is so I'm pretty sure mine is a Gen 3. I also went to Firecraft's website and all of their pictures show the grates with only the top and bottom having the protective piece of metal on it.
Just out of curiosity, could you give me a link to where you see the grates with the protective pieces on all four sides of the grates because I can't seem to find any. Thanks.
Wayne
My bad Wayne, the protective pcs are just on the short ends where the handles are........you got yourself a Gen 3 cowboy! :)
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Smoke,
I do have a few more questions.
1. Is the grill that you review that you used to own a 3rd generation because if it is, mine is exactly the same.
2. To season this grill for the hour recommended, how much charcoal would you recommend using? I'm assuming it should all be lit?
3. On The Good One's website, they have two different part #'s for the stainless steel shelves depending if you use it on the smoking side with the lid reversed or the firebox side. In your review it seemed like the shelf you had would work on both sides. Is that correct? Do you know what part # your shelf was? Thanks.
Wayne
Howdy Wayne.
1. I did have the Gen 3 and I miss it very much....
2. The Gen 1 and Gen 2 versions burnt from the bottom up. The Gen 3 burns from the top down. If you use briquettes or lump this method is how I did mine. I like to season my Good Ones around 250 degrees and with a bunch of smoke for a good while. I like to use Weber chimney starters. In my old drum smoking days I discovered that a starter full of briquettes is roughly five lbs. Put two chimney starters of unlit in the charcoal tray. I would use the smaller chimney starter by Weber (easier to fill the fire box of the Open Range) full with lit coals poured right over the top of the unlit coals.
Have your two fire-box spinners pretty wide open and your damper fully open. Have your smoker box closed and have your top spinner open about 1/4 inch no more..probably around 4 spins. You leave this alone the entire cook. All controls are done with the damper and the firebox spinners. Wait about 10 minutes and close your firebox lid and watch your heat gauge in the smoker lid. That gauge is a tel-tru so you got a good thermo. When your gauge gets just under 200 degrees, set your damper handle to 11 o'clock and take your two firebox spinners and shut em down and then spin em out 4-6 turns. That should get you to around 250 after the Open Range settles in to these adjustments. Now keep in mind these settings were used when I was at 5000 ft in elevation. Your damper should always be at 11 o clock and your smoking lid spinner should be just slightly open. You might have to tweak the two firebox spinners a bit. Once you get the temp you want, count your spins on your spinners and you will have your Open Range fool-proof for cooks to come. I like to add 2-3 chunks of wood once my Range would settle into my desired temp settings.
3. The shelf I had was for the fire-box. You will need the other one for the fire-box. Keep in mind the shelf for the fire-box is only needed if you flip the smoker lid around to face the other side. Another Gen 3 improvement. :)
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Keep mine short, Congrats on the new grill regardless what series it is I'm sure it will be great!
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Smoke,
Thanks for the additional tips.
Tomcrete1,
Thank you. It is a Gen 3. I can't wait to try it out.
Wayne
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That's one heck of a deal you bag there and I will be waiting for cooks coming off it.
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It just might be Karma that I got this one. What are the odds that a few days after reading the review on this grill/smoker here, I find one fairly local to me that is new and 50% off. I knew that if I didn't buy it, I would be kicking myself for it.
I kind of wish I had the money to buy the Marshall they had since we sometimes cook for a large group of people but I just couldn't swing that much at the moment.
Wayne
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The Heritage has the same size firebox as the Open Range but with a bigger smoking chamber.........I just cant like those double stainless doors :(
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I'm so jealous :o
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I got the smoker seasoned today. Now I need to figure out what I'm going to cook on it first. Probably ribs or chicken. It won't be for over a week though since I'm going out of town all of next week.
I did sell two of my weber Kettles and one WSM on CL to help offset a little bit of the cost and to free up some room so my fiancee can't complain too much.
Wayne
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How did the smoker perform during the seasoning? What temp did it hold at and did you count the number of spins on the intakes and outakes for next time??
A handy tip is to line the fire-box with HD foil and then set your ash grate assembly on it..........makes clean up much easier ;)
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I decided to season it with high temps because I was curious how hot the smoke box area would get so I had all of the vents open about 7 turns with the damper all of the way open and it got up to about 340 and held there.
I used some Royal Oak lump that I've had in the shed for a few years that probably wasn't that good since the bag had been opened before and I needed to get rid of it and thought this was a perfect chance to do it. With fresh charcoal the temps might have gotten hotter since it never got to 350 which the Good One instructions say to season it at.
I filled my large weber chimney with the lump and got that started and put a small weber chimney of unlit down first and poured the lit over the top of it. I might not have started with enough lump to get any higher temps.
I have read all of yours and some other people's methods and watched some youtube videos on where to put the spinners and damper to get this thing to hold at around 250 that I'm pretty confident I won't have any issues there.
I do plan on lining the firebox and the smoker box with HD tinfoil when I do cook on it. I will just poke a hole in the smoker box tinfoil so that the grease can still go into the bucket.
I also found out that the Weber cover that I have for my Genesis 1000 grill fits the Good One almost perfectly. Since this cover is cheaper than the Good One cover, I will probably just buy the Weber cover instead.
Wayne
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One thing about the cover. The Good One cover is seamless on top. Mine would have a foot of snow on it for days and it would stay dry underneath.
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All of my grills and smokers are kept under our two large carports that are built one in front of the other so they are never exposed to direct rain or sun. I may pick up the Good One cover at some point but I will probably get one of the SS tables before a cover.
Wayne
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Good call. If it is under cover, get those ss shelves 8)
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I finally cooked something on my new Open Range. It was only burgers and thin boneless pork chops but they turned out good.
I used a lit full large Weber chimney of Kingsford briquettes spread out on the charcoal grate. I initially had the spinners opened 4 turns and the damper at 11:00 while the chimney was getting started and then put the spinners to 1 1/2 turns and left the damper where it was.
I cooked everything for about 8 minutes a side and they turned out good. Now I just need to smoke something.
Wayne
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One thing about the cover. The Good One cover is seamless on top. Mine would have a foot of snow on it for days and it would stay dry underneath.
I ended up buying a Good One cover for mine but I must have gotten an older one because mine does have seams on the top and in some places, you can see light through it. I guess the only good thing was that the local store that had it took $30 off their listed price so I only paid $106 with tax.
Mine does not have the pockets for the handles and top spinner like the picture that is on the Firecraft website and mine is shorter than what it looks like on the Firecraft site. Mine seems to made out of a heavy duty vinyl and has grommets around the bottom of it. For the price, I'm not that impressed. The cover does say Open Range on it so I'm pretty sure it's for my smoker.
I put the Weber cover over the top of the Good One cover so it has better protection. The weber cover is old and does have a few small holes in it.
Wayne
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Yesterday I took a trip to a Good One dealer about an hour away from me to see what they had. I mainly went there to get some of the Good One lump charcoal as no one around here locally has it and I wanted to try it. I did end up buying three bags of it to try out.
They did have the SS firebox side shelf for the Open Range which I ended up buying. They also had an older rib rack that was supposedly made for the Good One smokers. I don't see it offered on Good One's website so maybe it was something they used to carry but discontinued. The guy gave me a small discount since they had had it awhile so I bought it as well. It holds five racks of ribs and sits on the lower grate of the smoker box with the top grate removed. I will have to take some pictures of it to post. They also had a half rack that was made for these smokers but I didn't buy it since it was pretty expensive for what it was. I probably could have gotten him to take some money off of it since it looked like it had been sitting for awhile as well.
So it ended up being an expensive trip but I think it will be worth it.
Wayne
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The rib racks and they had a chicken sitter were Gen 1 and Gen 2. Glad you got the ss shelve.
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That must explain why it is no longer show on their website. Here are a couple of pictures of it. I had to buff it out a little bit since it had a light coat of rust from sitting so long. I then sprayed it with vegetable oil to hopefully prevent it from rusting again until I can cook with it.
I'm glad I got the shelf to, it's very nice and well built.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/waynetd/002_zpsyzkyugrc.jpg) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/waynetd/media/002_zpsyzkyugrc.jpg.html)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/waynetd/001_zpsrz4mevni.jpg) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/waynetd/media/001_zpsrz4mevni.jpg.html)