Char Griller Grand Champ XD vs Char Griller Gravity 980
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- Опубликовано: 22 июл 2024
- Since I had my first gravity smoker I've gotten comments like "Why not just get a real smoker?" or "Why not just get an offset smoker?". The truth is that I was unsure... and you might be too. So today I have my Char-Griller Gravity 980 and its going head to head with my Char-Griller Grand Champ XD Offset Smoker. See how these two stack up against each other.
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I talk about a lot of things in the video about my Char Griller Gravity 980 and my Char Griller Grand Champ Offset smoker, and the truth is that I love them both. I love the set it and forget it on the Gravity 980, and I love the true smokiness that I get from my Char Griller Offset Smoker.
Gasket used: amzn.to/3uqWIK4
This video is covers a bunch of features of each smoker, compares them, and breaks it down into detail.
I have done previous comparison videos like my pellet grill vs charcoal gravity smoker and it got a great response from people, so hey why not compare apples to apples here with the Char Griller Charcoal Smokers?
So whether you're in the market for a gravity smoker like the Char Griller Gravity Fed 980 or the Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1050.... or you're in the market for an offset smoker for beginners like the Char Griller Grand Champ XD, this video is for you. I talk PID controllers, weight, temperatures, ease of use, lighting, cooking, cooking space, etc...
Like this video, you can find it all here at Andersons Smoke Show. From Backyard bbq, to assembly videos, or technical overviews. If you like this video, or this type of content then be sure to subscribe to Andersons SmokeShow! I'll see you here next time!
Looking for a better way to light your charcoal? Check out the GrillBlazer: grillblazer.com/?ref=oJRvbEGC...
Don't forget about the Thermoworks Thermometer:
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char griller xd grand champ chargriller gravity
#GravitySmoker #OffsetSmoker #CharGriller 
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Great video of explaining both pros and cons of each bbq pits. Really enjoyed the info.
Finally!!! Been looking forward to this comparison.
Glad I could assist!
Excellent Review. All the the reasons you gave is why I bought the Grand Champion.
But all the reasons you gave is why my friends bought Pellet Grills.
This is what I’ve been waiting for . Thanks brotha man .
Me too, these two specifically.
Glad that I was able to help then!
Thanks for watching Nate!
Great video man I love how detailed you get
I appreciate that!
I love every video you make but the equipment ones it's where you shine no doubt!
Thanks for watching!
Thank you, very informative! Being the hero and showing your family a labor of love for them is priceless. But more than that is the quality of food at the end of the day. I would forgo the heroism if there was a set and forget smoker that was superior to the moving sport of a charcoal/stick burner that you have to tend to. So far, it looks like the gravity charcoal grill is close but no cookie. I would imagine, it wasn’t directly addressed here, that the offset has more of an induction heat verses a more direct heat of the gravity fed? Which woukd explain the more smokier tast from the offset.
Just bought this and have only grilled. Researching how to smoke with it as my main experience is with the egg style smokers WSM and Akorn using the Kirby fire method. Your comment about no pass-through for thermometer cables had me thinking. I was pretty sure I was going to drill a hole or two on the chimney side (cooler) for some silicone weber thermometer grommets because I loved them on my WSM. Then I thought about the fact that I like to grill on this, and that they would get too hot. Then I thought about some different ways I could protect them on the inside with fiberglass gaskets. Finally, I realized that when I’m smoking, I will eventually want to pull the drawer out with the meat on it to inspect, move, spray with ACV, etc. I think pinching cables under the door, maybe, with a thicker gasket, is best for me.
This was a really, really well done video...extremely helpful. Subbing...
Great review! I have been using a Pit Boss Austin XL for about five years which has treated me well, but really want an offset so I can do some competitions.
Thanks!
Great video. Very informative
Great presentation.......again! Thanks!
Thanks for watching Don!
I don't own a gravity fed grill, but your review is top notch. I am always afraid of burning the house down here in AZ!
Yeah I’m afraid of that too. Especially because I have a muscle car in the garage…. I’m always afraid that some how the grill isn’t 100% out.
@@AndersonsSmokeShow Me too, that's why I keep my masterbuilt 800 covered outside. I'm afraid of burning my house and kill my family.
Another terrific video. Thank you! Can you add fuel (charcoal) to the gravity fed grill if you're running low/run out during a cook?
Yup! I’ve had to add on long cooks
I like both of those. But I don't own either. I have a Oklahoma Joe's longhorn. I do wish that the smoker side was bigger in length. It's a tight fit with a brisket, turkey, ham, beef ribs. I have thought on multiple times to modify the gas side to have more room but I also use the gas side for veggies like peppers, squash etc.
There’s always room to upgrade lol. Take it from a guy that had 13 grills and smokers lol
I love my grand champ cooks even every time so far. Ribs, pork butt, and turkey. Next it’s chuck roast then beef ribs triticale and prime rib roast.
Well done. Well done.... Great example of what you will have to do....
Thanks!
@@AndersonsSmokeShow still trying to decide on the best gravity smoker. Master or chargriller.?? Can't decide....
Great video
I have cooked thousands of pounds of barbecue on large stick burners and the heat varies a lot from the top rack to the bottom rack and from one end to the other
Excellent video. Love the talk about; Heat, Sun, Humidity and Wind. I'm in the Southwestern Arizona Sanoran Desert. Sun, Wind & Heat can be my friend, or my enemy. I just bought a Char-Griller Grand Champ 8250. I do love it, but it's all practice. My problem is finding a wood splits supplier. Yuma, Havasu or Blythe if anyone knows of a recommendation.
Nice Job! Thanks 😁👍👍
Thanks!
Great video! I have been using a char griller offset smoker and can tell you it is a task to manage that temp all day but damn does the meat taste good. I am eventually going to buy a pellet smoker as time is money and I end up missing more football using offset.
Thanks for watching!
Very detailed information
I really wish they would make one where there is a removable gravity box that can be switched to a firebox, or move the controls to the other side and put a firebox in the other end so we can have the best of both worlds
That would be cool!
I definitely want an offset being I already have a pit boss 850 pro. I’m trying to decide between the grand champ and pecos. Any suggestions would welcomed
Great video. It will help me decide on my purchase…..
Awesome! Glad it helped
I only use charcoal to start my Grand Champ XD Series Smoker. Afterwards, I use wood. You get the best smoke flavor from straight wood. You can also drill holes in either side or both and add prob grommets to put your temp probes through.
Yeah I didn’t want to drill any holes in mine… but I think In the future they should include probe ports.
Where exactly did you drill the holes and do you lose a lot of smoke & heat? Do you have a video of how you exactly did this?
@@blkmpride I drilled between the 2 grates and in between the stack and the front door. I don't lose any heat or smoke because I used temp probe grommets that fit into the 1 inch hole that I drilled. I'm making a video right now and I will show the position of the probe grommet and tell you how I did it.
@@boomerbbq4444 Thanks! I'm looking forward to seeing that video! I just bought a Grand Champion XD from Home Depot, so I'm interested in this mod. I'm honestly not looking forward to drilling holes in my new smoker, but don't want to pinch my probe cords either.
@@blkmpride As long as you take your time, you'll do just fine.
I added a bottom to the Grand Champs charcoal basket and lined the firebox with fire brick. I light the basket outside the cooker with weed burner and then place it on the fire brick liner. Add a small split and she’s up and going. I added a 24 stack extension and flipped the large ash pan as a tuning baffle. May end up adding holes to the ash pan to get more even chamber temps. I have a piece of expanded metal that I use on top of the charcoal basket to grill or sear steaks, burgers and so on for the wife and I.
For The Gasket, What Material Did You Use???
How many briskets can you fit on the 980?
I sent mod for the XD to place access thru the end to put temp cables the rough I got the plastic inserts to install them can run from two to four cable temp probs thro7gh
Does lump charcoal last longer than regular charcoal? For the longest i have been using a regular charcoal grill setup for indirect cooking and i mix in lump charcoal with regular charcoal.
I rarely use lump but have watched a lot of videos comparing the two types of charcoal. Most say lump burns hotter and faster than briquettes. Malcom Reed and the Swine Life guy had this discussion on their “Out the Smoke” channel. I think the swine life guy preferred briquettes for low and slow and lump for faster cooks and Malcom liked lump more overall.
At the end of the day i think it comes down to personal preference and how good you are at managing your fire since one burns hotter than the other 😀
Great video thanks
Glad you enjoyed it
I have been combing through all your vids and others on the Char Griller 980. Been smoking a year and have had a Pitboss grill and smoker (too small), and old Weber gas grill (Pellet grill won’t seat) and I own a Reqteq 700 Bull and Oklahoma Joes Bronco drum smoker.
Reason I am interested in the Char Griller 980 (CH980) is you get the flavor, electronics and wide temp range with what seems faster to heat up. My flippin Reqteq that was $1400 takes FOREVER to warm up without the auger mod and it won’t seat or get great flavor like the drum smoker. Electronics and holding a temp, along with quality can’t be beat.
My Bronco drum smoker was a game changer of flavor but there is a lot of fine tuning and need for consistency in fuel.
So… methinks I may buy a CH980 try it out and sell both other ones. My other option was to start on the Bronco and finish on the Reqteq, but that process and 2 smokers takes time, etc.
Does the Ch980 really heat up fast and sear? It seems like it from vids. Flavor? Is it there with the electronics? Only issues I’ve heard is more need to fill the hopper on long smokes and some folks issues with quality.
Would love to get down to one that does it all!
If you got this far ANDERSON’S SMOKE SHOW, would love to hear for you or see how the CH980 does almost all Simone needs vs. other setups!
Thanks!
So I’d say this Char-Griller would fill that void for you! Either this or the Masterbuilt Gravity Series 800. They heat up fast, and give a more bold charcoal flavor. My only concern with the sear is that a dirty grill will catch fire every time lol
@@AndersonsSmokeShow thank you sir! And that is a really good point! I think the Char Griller is on my list. Appreciate the vids and honesty.
I feel like the gravity is like a pellet grill, it can be that one grill that does all of your cooking. The offset yes you can cook everything on it. in reality you will still have either a smaller grill like a Weber 22" Or a gas grill for those week days where you want 2 chicken breast cooked and that's it.
Yeah, it’s all about what you cook and your life style. The gravity smokers do a great job at being an all around good grill
have a blind taste cookoff between the 2 scheduled? I've got an Oklahoma Joe offset but i'm interested in the gravity feed just for the convenience just wonder how the flavors compare
I have the gravity smoker but not the one he has and I do smoke and rotisserie on it and I think it's better and a lot more easier to work with in the winter.
Well done.
Thanks!
I added probe ports to both sides of my XD as seen on CJ’s BBQ
I saw that video as well. I thought about doing it, just never got around to it
How are you getting consistent good smoke with the 980? I try to run 2 layers of 3 chunks and it seems to only want to run dirty smoke.
I was having the same problem for the first few cooks. That is until I read a blog post on the Char-Griller website: only use 1 or 2 chunks in the hopper. Put chunks of wood in the ash pan for more smoke. It’s run clean every time I do this. To protect the fan flap, I bought a roll of metal mesh and placed some in front of it... that should protect the fan from stray pieces of hot charcoal.
Great review. One thing. With a $12 cord from amazon, you can run your 980 off of a portable charger and it lasts for hours.
I have a Lion Energy portable power unit that’ll run it for a day. I use it on my portable pellet grills
If your probe wires are long enough you can put them down the chimney on the offset
I feel like that would be a pain lol
I just bought a recteq 1250 and I still want the 980.
Those are sweet! My boss has one. But you do get a different experience with the charcoal for sure. I would advise that if you are looking for the charcoal experience, then try the Royal oak 100% charcoal pellets. They are legit
@@AndersonsSmokeShow do you like having both?
I have two recteqs and a few ceramics and love them but the flavor out of an offset is different. I like the flexibility of fuel types. Surprisingly I actually use them all.
@@AndersonsSmokeShowjack Daniels smoking pellets are awesome as well. Made from the charred whiskey barrels.
GRAND CHAMP BABY! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS GRILL!
How do you become a grill tester
Another well done video buddy 👍. Can you use wood in the 980? I do like the offset, however with my 560 MB I’ve been able to run to town and back with no worries. Not sure if I would do that on the offset, but for the Price comparison it probably wouldn’t hurt to have an offset
Well done brother on another great video 🔥🔥👍✌️
You won’t be running to the store with an offset. Best I have gotten is 45-55 mins before temps dropped too much and that was with B&B Hickory. Usually it’s 25-35 minutes before throwing on another stick (250 degs)
Yes you can add wood chunks directly in the hopper. I bought one and love it
Yea you can add wood directly to the hopper but they advise that you keep it like 10-15% wood vs charcoal. Yeah like Conrad said, you don’t get that flexibility with an offset.
Now if the grandchamp was available
Another great video, I ended up picking up a 980 after watching your reviews. Absolutely love it so far! Have you experimented at all with setting the 980 to it's lowest setting and then placing whatever cold smoked food you are looking for at the far end where the temps are typically lower? Cold smoking isn't a priority for me but I'd be interested in knowing if it's worth even trying, especially when it comes to cheese.
Thanks for the support, and I am glad that you are enjoying the 980. In terms of cold smoking, I dont think that there is a way to get the temperatures low enough. I have seen people smoke over a pan filled with Ice, but its not exactly what's needed.
For cold smoking place the food on the far left and place a lit smoker tube full of pellets or chips on the far right, then run the fan without lighting the charcoal.
Dude, Love your shows, but until NOW, I didn't know that you had "eyes",,,,,,, thanks for taking off those SUNGLASSES! Yes, I've got a couple of CharGrillers, one as a grill, and one as JUST: my dedicated SMOKER!,,, I've got gasket material and a aluminum smoke hose, from the ground level..... don't have the fire box....... but I've also had made for me at work, some cut to order : Baffles........ and it's done it's duty! When you've spoken of "COLD" Smoking....WOW: I've never thought about that, but yes, I can do that on my "DEDICATED" CharGriller smoker, because the "BAFFLES" make the temps, way LOWER than without them,,,,,,,but I've never even thought of /nor considered that! > Thanks!
Hahahahahaha man I wear sunglasses all the time, but when I film it’s usually really bright out and I don’t want to be out there squinting on camera lol. Yeah I plan on cold smoking some cheese here soon. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do.
Yes, but you can modify the offset by putting a grommet on the side for your probes, and add some tell true thermometers on the lid of the offset front and back and that will help you monitor the temperature too. Here's a guy that did it to his Char-Griller offset: ruclips.net/video/2P_g4sGhCwE/видео.html
Yeah I’ve seen some mods videos. CJs Que did it as well. Just not sure if I’m ready to mod.
Thank you for a very good comparison between the 2 grills. I do not have a garage so the 980 would have to be able to stand up to the elements and the occasional downpour.
If you aren't sure if an offset is right for you, do you recommend getting a cheap starter offset and seeing if you are up for it or do the cheap offsets harder to maintain and would not give you a good starting point?
I was really torn between both. The only reason I may go with the grand champ is because if the direct grilling with the coals right under. I may not be smoking briskets as often just yet. Ultra beginner here.
Dont ruin that smoker using it as a charcoal grill youll thank me later
Oh no Joshua! Explain please. Did you season the grill & all?
My opinion on these light weight gravity grills is that they will burn out and or rust through in just a couple of three years. I use my grills everyday no way it would last long. I own the Grand Champ, with proper care this thing will out last me.
I wonder if those lids are interchangeable
I don’t believe so
@@AndersonsSmokeShow I think they might be saw on a post someone with the gray lid on the 980
Price update Grand Champ $549 and 980 $749
I really wanted the 980 but with the price increase I think I’ll have to go with the Grand Champ. That’s okay though I’ve always wanted an offset and it’s good to know how to cook on one.
I like them both honestly. The grand champ requires a little babysitting though… but that’s the case for all offsets.
@@AndersonsSmokeShow hey thanks for the response man! My current setup is a kettle w/ the sns. I really like the idea of the set it and forgetitness of the 980 and the fact that it runs off of charcoal and wood chunks. As a bbq enthusiast I see an offset in my future and just about every bbq’er I follow never fails to mention that the best meat comes off their offset. I’m honestly very torn between the two. I don’t mind tending to the fire but I’m not sure if I want to be dealing with it every 45 minutes or so. I feel like the 980 is a bit of the best of both worlds due to it running on charcoal/ chunks and it doesn’t have to be tended to too much. It’s just my wife and so space wise either of the two will be more than enough space. I appreciate any feedback man. Happy smoking!
Where did you price the Grand Champ at
@@cynthiafranks8009 Home Depot and Lowes. I’m out in California and that’s what they’re going for out here.
@6:11 Did anyone see the squirrel??
🤣
Masterbuilt 1050 is still the champ 🔥
I haven’t had the chance to use the 800 or 1050 but I can tell that they are definitely better than the 560.
Good video. I’d love to see a blind taste test with both types. Hell, throw in the pellet grill too.
I have the 980 and love it. I started smoking on a Char-Griller offset and loved the taste, but the fire management was cumbersome and time consuming. It’s hard to know what a 250 degree fire looks like vs a 300 degree fire. After a while, I got used to it. But this 980 is great as far as ease of use goes.
The only thing I don’t like is that I taste too much charcoal. I’m used to using a small bed of charcoal to light the wood splits in my offset. After a while, the wood embers are what’s lighting the next split. It’s basically 90% wood on the offset. The 980 on the other hand, while smokey and delicious, the food doesn’t taste exactly the same. I’m really not sure how to reproduce the offset taste without all of the work, but I think the 980 comes closest.
Yeah I would agree that it’s typically a charcoal heavy flavor. I’ll have to do a blind taste test on this. Maybe I’ll bring in some tasters for it too
I used my offset for 15 years before the fire box burned out on it. I loved it and made some really great bbq on it. I currently have a pellet smoker now and while I’ve tweaked my recipes enough to come close to my offset, I’ll never truly have that same smokiness and bark.
Time to get another offset. 😁
I’m convinced backyard offsets are over rated, same user bias as pellet heads, it just doesn’t produce a good smoke flavor compared to many other options that use way less fuel and way less babysitting. Do yourself a favor get a 22” wsm or a UDS.
Stick burber all day
Hate cleaning the blower fed grills
Dump ash and im done
Great video
Thanks!