New Braunfels Smoker?

[daddyzaring]

I was wondering if anyone one here own or could tell me anything about the new braunfels smokers? I found one on the craigslist for $25. The ad doesn't say much just, "New Braunfels wood or charcoal smoker made of heavy gage steel, still good." I am assuming though since it is supposed to be heavy gaged steel that it is possibly an older one (before Charbroil took over).
The only one I have ever seen is the one in the picture below. Are there any other types, and would it be worth $25? I hoping to go look at it this coming Thursday.


I am not sure if it is this one or not, yet.

 

[mossymo]

$25 is a steal if it is not rusted out, I would try and look at it as soon as possible. I would love to find one and I wouldn't hesitate for a $125.

 

[fourthwind]

That would definately be worth it for the pictured item, but likely for that price it's for one of their mini offset smokers. The little offsets are pretty tough to get long smokes out of, and to keep a constant temp. I got one for free from a guy, and I will say that it will teach you a lot about fire control. Good practice for when you get a bigger smoker!

 

[adiochiro3]

could be one of several types. i picked up one last year for the same price that was an older vertical smoker -- nice heavy gauge, great construction. smokes like a dream. grab it if its not already gone.

 

[daddyzaring]

Are the mini ones made out of heavy gage steel?

 

[beer-b-q]

I have three New Braunfels smokers, one is a Bandera like the one you have pictured, one is a horizontal Hondo SFB, and the other one is a Vertical with a water pan like a ECB but is about 5' tall and made of 1/4" steel. All of them are made very heavily and worth more than $25.00 so if you can find one for that I would suggest getting it and you will be happy with it. JMHO

 

[daddyzaring]

Well we get paid Thursday, and I am going to go look at it then. I am wanting to find a decent sized vertical smoker, so hopefully it's one of those.

 

[daddyzaring]

Well heading out tomorrow afternoon to give it a look, wish me luck.
For $25 I am thinking as long as it isn't all rusted up, I will probably get it even if it isn't what I want. I figure I can clean, and fix it up real good and resell it.

 

[eaglewing]

If you don't get it I WILL!!!

So you better get it... they are basically a mild classic/collectors item.

Once MODDED correctly and they are also your best smoking friend!!

 

[daddyzaring]

I'm really hoping it is the vertical type. Anyway it goes, I won't miss the $25 dollars too long, I have a short memory. lol (CRS Sufferer)

 

[daddyzaring]

Well it isn't the one I was hoping. It's actually a barrel type smoker/grill with out the side firebox. m It is the older type made of steel and not sheet metal though. I am waiting for the pictures to finish uploading to Photobucket right now.
I figure I can clean it up real good, replace the grills, and charcoal rack, and through a new paint job on it, and resell it for a decent profit to use toward what I really want. It does have alot of surface rust, but I have a bunch of wire brushes for my drill I should be able to clean it up real good with. If anyone has any ideas or input, I welcome it.















Well there it is, I am shocked all my pictures came out so clear. lol

 

[eaglewing]

WELL, then it wasn't what he said it was???

You can buy a firebox from Home Depot that you can bolt onto that and it should work great

Bolt it onto the STACK side and put a plate in there to make it a REVERSE FLOW

 

[daddyzaring]

New Braunfels didn't make any smokers like this?
I don't want to put too much $$ in this since I am going to resell it.

 

[dick foster]

If you want to knock off a lot of rust, get yourself to a Harbor Freight or do it online and get yourself a cheap 4 1/2" angle grinder.
Then equip it with a heavy duty steel wire cup brush and some flap wheel sanding disks and go to town on it. That rust will be gone and you'll have it looking all booful in no time at all. It will beat the heck out of trying to do any amount of rust removal with an electric drill, that much I can guarantee.

The angle grinders I'm talking about are cheap at about $20 each. At that price you can just use them up and throw them away. I keep a couple of them around. Usually one setup for removing rust or finishing with a cub brush or flap wheel and the other with either a grinding wheel or cutoff wheel depening what I'm up too.

You can get all the abrasives and brushes for it at the same place.

Don't spend a lot of money for a Milwaukie or something nice unless you do a lot of metal work for a living. The cheap chinese made Chicago Electric etc. will work just fine for what most people need and they last a lot longer than you would think they would for the price.

Be sure to wear some eye protection and a pair of leather gloves is a good idea too.

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/...ubCategoryName=

 

[d-que]

Awesome, Foster, I laughed when I read your post because I JUST did what you described, literally, a 4 1/2 grinder with wheels from Harbor Freight. I have this same smoker, except with an offset firebox from Braunsfels. It was all busted and rusted up from being left outside in the rain. I had a welder buddy build me a new firebox and I went to work on the smoking chamber with that grinder. Replaced the wood rack and handles and coated with polyurethane. Mounted angle iron inside the firebox to hold a wood/charcoal rack. Bought a cheap grilling basket from Lowe's to hold my lump in and the whole thing kicks ass. I will post pics of the before and after products. I found it interesting that this New Braunsfels looked exactly like mine, but without an offset firebox. These photos seem almost like I'm looking at a mutant of the original and makes me wonder if someone might have done some work on this unit in the past to remove the firebox and reuse the firebox door, fitting it into the side of the smoking chamber. You'll see what I mean when you see my pics. This variation is very interesting to me.

 

[soafung]

it's a new braunfels. they made/make smokers and grills. some people are ignorant of the fact that there is a difference in a grill and a bbq/smoker.

 

[d-que]

Here are my "before" pics.....

 

[d-que]

Of course it's a NB, I spent a week getting to know every single inch and curve of mine while refinishing it. Evidently I was ignorant of your asserted fact that NB made a grill which looked so much like it's brother, the smoker. I am not however, ignorant of the difference between a smoker and a grill. There are many barrel style smokers, many in fact, which lack any distinctive offset firebox. I may still be branded "Newbie" here and realize you have achieved the esteemed "Mopper" status due only to post count, but let me assure you, I have smoked more meat than you can shake an entire oak tree at......

 

[d-que]

After pics............

 

[daddyzaring]

Calm down, I don't believe he was referring to you, more like the guy I bought it from, maybe.
I personally wasn't sure if there was an exact difference, myself I would have considered it a grill too. I just don't know alot about NB, and thought maybe they considered it a smoker, alot of of companies do.