The Weber CGA

[HankB]

This is more stuff I scored at the June meet.



That's the NIB CGA (code H) I got from G. It didn't have handles but I had gotten a crapload from Brian so I was covered. I'm also working on some changes under the hood, so to speak.



I'm a huge fan of cast iron and also picked up a pair of ManGrates at the meetup. I was perving Craycort grates for the CGA on Amazon ($40 + $9 S&H) and thinking there has to be a less expensive alternative. (I'm thrifty, not cheap!  ) The ManGrates come pretty close to filling CGA. I fashioned some supports for them from some metal I had left over (from making legs for my mini-WSM.) The new grate is just a little higher than the OE grate.



There are two concerns I have about this mod. The ManGrates are 1-1/4" tall and weigh a lot. That means less space for charcoal and more need for charcoal to heat the CI. In an attempt to provide more space for charcoal, I dropped the charcoal grate about 3/4". It gets me a lttle over 2" of space for charcoal between the CI grate and the charcoal grate with nearly an inch of space for airflow under the charcoal grate.



But... That places the grate below the bottom vents. This is similar to the configuration on the SJG and I have heard that has resulted in difficulty achieving high heat. Time will tell when I get around to firing it up. I need to figure out what I want to cook for the first trial. The other thing I'm not crazy about is the spacing on these grates. For all of their mass, the bars are spaced fairly widely. I really prefer something with bars more closely spaced.

[pbe gummi bear]

Hank, nice mods and pics! The only thing I like using my CGA for is racks of lamb. I fire up some briquettes on one side to sear it, then i let it smoke at lower heat indirect. The shape of the CGA is perfect for it. You can mess with the vents too by only opening one top vent or making the side vents slanted to lower the heat. Be careful messing with the vents while its hot though. Their design causes them to jam and its easy to burn yourself. Good luck!

[Casey]

Nice Hank, how much were the mangrates?

[HankB]

Nice Hank, how much were the mangrates?

Nothing, thanks to Brian's generosity. (Another score from the meetup.)

[Craig]

Very nice!

[G]

Great set-up Hank.  The mangrates look like a perfect match.