Newbie ??

[ladyruger]

A dear friend gave us a Brinkmann Gormet Electric Smoker, and I am dying to use it!

I "made" a smoker that I have used for the past 5 years out of an old Gas Grill . (Took all the guts and stuff off and out, and use Charcoal)  I'll have to post some pics later.

My question is, it says to put LavaRock in the Fire Pan where the heating element is, can I go to a Garden Center and get some LavaRock, or does it need to be 'made' for use in a Grill?  Does the LavaRock help maintain Temperature?

Have never used a Electric Smoker, so not sure just what I'm doing, but I have read the "Instructions" a dozen times, and am now going thru the Forums for other ideas.....

Thanks for your help!

 

 

[bobank03]

I imagine they help hold the heat in? You could probably use some foil wrapped bricks or pavers or whatever. I wouldn't think they would be all that critical?

The Brinkmann ECB that I have has a water pan in it that I sometime wrap up a cobble and put in it to help hold the temps. 

2013-07-27 12.10.21.jpg

• bobank03
• Jul 28, 2013

2013-07-27 12.06.08.jpg

• bobank03
• Jul 28, 2013

 

[ladyruger]

Thanks for the replys! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get back, but been crazy around here! Haven't been able to get the pics I took to load to the Forum, I'll figure it out eventually. But here is the model we have, it is the electric model.
[h1]Brinkmann 810-7080-4 Gourmet Electric Smoker and Grill, Red[/h1]

+ add a photo

Still haven't had a chance to use it yet, but got LOTS of things to smoke when I do!

If anybody has one of these, any advice as to things I can do to make it better? I've been reading the posts on the group, and you guys have some really great ideas, just not sure if they would work with the electric model. I do want to put a thermometer in it. Should I put it on the side? or the top of the lid? or the side of the lid? (Like right above where the name plate is in the pic?

Also have a question that I don't know if anyone can answer, but I'll ask anyway... If the element were to go out, could you put a single burner hotplate in the pan? (Just wondering as I saw a show on Food Network years ago where Alton Brown made a smoker out of an old school locker and used a single burner hot plate.)

From what I can gather from the qwners manual, it does need the Lava Rocks to help with heat retention/distribution. So, I guess I'll see if I can order some on Amazon.

Thanks for all your help!

 

[bobank03]

Welcome back, you can pretty much do anything you want with them and they will work fine. I don't have that one, but I see a few locally here on craigslist. I would definitely at a minimum add a thermometer on the lid, just above the grate so you know what the temp is at the cooking surface. Some add two on at each level. I use a probe thermometer (Maverick ET-732) and an external on my lid, which I have to replace it is junk. 25-30 degrees off. Not reliable at all. I do recommend you consider a thermometer that you can adjust if the temps are off. that way, you don't have  to throw it away, like I have to do with mine.

The one to get looks like a River Country Adjustable Thermometer if you search that you will find it. Or remove the brand name and insert Grill or BBQ or something like that if you want to see what is out there. 

I would also recommend the stove gasket to seal the lid and a vent in the lid to get the smoke up around the food and not leaving at the lid.

You can use anything for a heat sink. Hunk of granite or a paver wrapped in foil. Rocks... I personally wouldn't buy the lava rocks... my 2 cents