Expert: John Langenfelder - 3/23/2009

Question
Hi John.  When i purchased my home 7 years ago the kitchen came with a built in gas grill and rotisserie.  It is fairly large and I have grilled steaks and rotisseried chickens and even thanksgiving turkey to good effect.  The question I have is that beneath the steel doors to the grill, there is a smaller steel door approx. 19" wide x 17" high  with a circular pattern of approx 3/8" holes in a 7" diameter.  I have theorized that this door is to burn smoking wood.  It is encased within the same brick walls and sits ~3' below the grill.  Have you ever heard of such a device built into a home?  Do you know where I might find repair or replacement parts if they become necessary or where I can get the system tuned up?  It works wonderfully as a grill but I would love to try the smoking aspect.  The system cam complete with a vegetable basket, a rotisserie meat basket in which I have prepared wonderful sirloin, and very sharp meat hooks.  I would love to get the full use of this device, but it looks to have been built with the house in 1956.  Any thoughts or help is appreciated.  

Thank you,
Ed

Answer
Ed,

Sorry I'm not going to be much help here for parts.  I would try and see if you can find a manufacturing plate on it and google it to find some information.  I would agree that is for wood.  I assume that this grill has an exhaust fan with it to remove the smoke?

It sounds great though.  Good luck with it.