Brinkmann Electric gourmet

[axpilot]

I was just given one and have a stupid question. there is just a element in the bottom and no smoke box. where do I put the wood to creat the smoke?

 

[fire it up]

Place your wood in between the front front parts of the element, make sure the wood doesn't touch the element and it will smolder fine but if it touches or falls over during cooking then you will have to readjust it.
That was my first smoker, I still use it but have it converted over to work with propane now.

 

[thunderdome]

my co-worker runs one of these.

He can't get the thing to go higher than 220. Any mods you guys know of?

 

[fire it up]

Make sure he has the element sitting on top of the lava rocks and not under them, also filling the water pan with sand as opposed to water will get the temps up much higher.
For the sand in the water pan just pick up a bag of play sand from your local hardware store, it is cleaned and safe to use, fill the pan 1/2-3/4 full and lay a piece of foil over top of it to help with the clean up or you will have to scrape smoky sand off each time.
Those few simple tricks should help.

 

[axpilot]

what about putting a cast iron skillet on the element

 

[fire it up]

Never lay anything on your element, that will cause it to go bad.

 

[enterprise]

what does the sand do and do you still need water?

 

[fire it up]

The sand will hold in heat and help get a higher temp while smoking.
If you use the sand you will want to add a foil pan with water on the lower grate, still need some moisture to smoke with.

 

[enterprise]

Thanks F.I.U. I have two pork butts to smoke this weekend on an ECB(electric) and am trying to prepare for 20-30* temps. This may help with the lower outside temps. Working on a wind block/cover for it as well in order to hit the 140* in 4 hours rule.

Idea: Could you fill the original water pan 1/2 way with sand and set another bowl for water on top of it? Not necessarily on the next grate.

Thanks again.

 

[triplebq]

Any pics of your conversion ? I own several of these and I might want to change one to propane down at the lake ( no electric ) . They work so well it's hard to beat them for value and the cost of your smoke . By the time you buy wood for a stick burner or charcoal for a charcoal burner and the meat you drop some change each cook . Ohhh yeah I am so cheap ..

 

[chisoxjim]

actually I found charcoal to be cheaper than propane

tank of propane refill @ $19 got me about 35 hours of smoke = $.54/hour + cost of wood chunks

17.6 lbs of lump charcoal @ $8 gets the WSM about 20 hours of smoke = $.40/hour + cost of wood chunks

 

[brae]

I love to smoke. Now I am getting nearly older than dirt. I sold an off set New Braun's as it was just too heavy for me to use any more. Bought a Weber Smokey Mountain and actually that worked well; however, to get to the smoker I have to traverse a set of 13 steps through a twisting door. I usually end up on my back at the end of the smoke with all the running up and down. So I gave up last year and would just sit here and drool. LOL It never, I mean NEVER occurred to me to use an electric smoker! So about a week ago I started researching. This would solve the problem for my old knees. But which one. The Masterbuilt is on sale right now for 194.00 with free shipping. That's about where I need to hang financially if I want to afford the meat too..LOL, Anyway, any hints about which electric smoker is the best for the money? I have read Cajun Injector, Masterbuilt, bradley, and numerous others. Any help would be very greatly appreciated!!! I am starving. Thanks

 

[fire it up]

I'll get a few pics and post them up for you.

 

[triplebq]

My ref was to a Brinkman Electric Smoker not a propane smoker .

 

[deltadude]

My electric MES, is about 11 cent an hour, and I can run that sucker thousands of hours without running out of fuel, provided I keep paying the utility bill.

 

[chisoxjim]

electric is inexpensive & easy to run(power outages must suck though),

the bigest drawback, is electic smoked meat(other than on a Traeger) does not taste like meat smoked using charcoal or wood as the fuel source .