ECB Temperature

[brettp]

So, the plan is to get a turkey going early Saturday morning for dinner Saturday night. Last night I got the ECB going to "season" it per Brinkmann's recommendation. I noticed that the temp gauge (which doesn't have numbers, just Warm, Ideal, and Hot) came up pretty fast but stayed in the very low end of Ideal. I'm going to use the boiling water method to at least find out where 212* is. My concern is the temp was so low last night. After about 2 hours the temp started dropping. I used a full chimney starter full of natural lump charcoal.
So, the questions are:
Will simply adding more coals in the beginning bring the temp up enough?
Will I have to add more charcoal every two hours?
Can I add unlit coals to the pan when I need to add more?

 

[larry maddock]

im glad to meet you..

i use electric myself...

someone will be along shortly -to help you...

 

[peculiarmike]

Welcome Brett!
Fill that fire pan full and mound it up. I prefer an electric charcoal starter.
Adding charcoal later can be a challenge. Lit or unlit, your choice, unlit can generate bad flavor sometimes. Try to maintain internal smoker temp. of 225-240, the ECB does pretty well without much fuss. Temp. determines if you add or not. Use a digital meat thermometer and cook to temperature, see DeejayDebi's Time And Temperature Chart posted here.
There are some mods you can accomplish to your ECB to make it easier to use and work better. Go here to check them out -

http://www.randyq.addr.com/ecb/ecbmods.html

Follow the thread to the end to get all the good info. I attached 2 pics. One shows my thermometer in the hole I drilled in the top of the lid, the other shows a hole I drilled in the side of the lid for a probe and cable for a digital meat thermometer to pass through. Buy one (Wal*Mart) and use it to cook to temperature on larger things like turkeys, butts, etc.

Good luck!

 

[deejaydebi]

Brett -

I got a wire basket made I fill with charcoal. I think it was supposed to be for frying or something - I found it at the dollar store. It's about 3/4 the size of the bottom.. Get a handful a coals all gray and hot and push them to the side - put the basket in and then the hot coals on top. I keep my wood to the sides and it burn nice and slow.

When it burns down to just a few hot coals I change baskets, put the new basket in and dump the few hot coals on top.

For about $4 I can do a complete refill in a few minutes and the basket lets more air curculate around the coals.

 

[brettp]

Great suggestions that I will definitely follow. Great ideas for mods, Mike. Looks like I'm going to be a go for saturday. Wish me luck

 

[domn8_ion]

I didn't check that thread yet, but I would either replace the thermometer on your ECB or just add a new one.

 

[deejaydebi]

The therometer on the ECB can be adjusted by the little nut on the back but it's not the greatest without numbers. Just for an easy eyeball I set mine so the low edge of the green is 212 degrees which as it happens on mine put the high end of the green at 250 degrees. I always use multiple themometers including the one through the top, but I leave the ECB one in because I am able to spot the colors easily from a distance. Just check it every once in awhile wen you check the others you will be using.

 

[brettp]

Excellent advice. Thanks, Deb. I've got an 11 pound turkey brining right now (my first brine ever.) and I'm going to fire it up at 6AM tomorrow morning. I hope it goes well as the maiden voyage is going to be dinner for a few people.

 

[deejaydebi]

Don't forget to rinse it!

Hope I wasm't to late

 

[brettp]

Not too late. I rinsed it very well. Been on for 9.5 hours right now. Time to go check.

 

[camocook]

Hey Brett, I recently got a brinkman gourmet charcoal smoker as a gift and the first thing I said was I NEED NUMBERS. after a little shopping around I couldn't find a thermometer to fit the hole. So I went and bought the same one that fits our weber genesis. busted out the front of the existing one,drilled a hole just big enough to fit the new thermometer,and there you go.