Temp a bit better not good enough...

[ddave]

Don't use the top vent to "hold in heat". It is there to let the smoke out. You do not want to get into the habit of smoking with the exhaust restricted or worse, closed. Trust me on this.

I am speaking from experience.

You need to learn how to manage the fire and correct the airflow problem at the intake. If you are getting good airflow at the intake and your fuel is not getting choled with ash, you will have no problems keeping temps up -- as long as the wind is not blowing. Even a slight breese can cause problems for these thin-walled smokers. You may want to consider building a wind break.



Probably a little bigger than you need but you get the idea.

Keep working at it, you'll get it.

Dave

 

[bigsteve]

You have to experiment with the minion method. First time I tried it, I filled the pan with unlit coals. Then I threw about 65 lit coals on top of them. It got so hot, the Brinkman thermometer went past "hot" and was pointing straight down

It was some time before I could put the ribs on. Mrs. Big_Steve was quite annoyed that dinner wasn't until 9:00!

Let us know how it goes.

 

[rons]

Yesterday unfortunately, once things were going I had to keep the vent closed or the chicken would still be cooking today lol I'll fix the pan up.

Also, we had no wind yesterday I run the smoker on my deck close to the house, so I think I was ok on the wind thing. That's quite the wind break you have! Mine looks just like a house... lol



Thanks, I will!

Dang, you really over-fired then. LOL poor Mrs. Big_Steve, we didn't eat till 7:30 last night so my wife was a bit hungry too!

 

[ddave]

That will work too.

But I'll bet my windbreak is easier to move when the wind changes direction than your house is.

But, your smoker is probably easier to move than my windbreak.

Dave

 

[azrocker]

Someone suggested a hot water heater pan to go under a Brinkman. I used a Brinkman in Arizona and I would start with lump then put chunks of wood on. Had fairlly good results. Not knowing any better I sometimes soaked the wood to get smoke. My friend liked it so

much that when I burnt it out he went to yard sales and found me another. I ended up stacking them and making a double of it and yes by stupid luck it worked.

 

[rons]

If I lived in Kansas, my wind break would move too lol 'theres no place like home .... ' lol

So you don't soak the wood chunks but leave them dry??

A double tall brinkman? freaky

 

[bigsteve]

I have enough with my single high.

 

[rons]

I'll try chunks and see also next time.

I need a 1/2 high at the rate I'm going lol

 

[bigsteve]

What are ya waitin fer? Drill the hole and throw something on!

 

[rons]

I'd like to, but..

out of coals, out of wood, out of meat, cold windy and rainy today. I'm shot down 5 ways lol

 

[bigsteve]

Now Ron, you have to get your priorities straight if you want to call yourself a "Q-er."

Hey, FYI..........

I'm doing a Chucky right now. I started out with about 2/3 of a pan of charcoal 30 of which were lit. It burned solid at 210-225 for 3 hours. I just added in about 1/3 pan more coal. It looks like this is going to be a 6 hour smoke. I started with an 18 pound bag of Royal oak. From that bag, I did a 4 hour smoke, a 2 hr smoke, and it looks like todays' 6 hr smoke >MAY< finish it off. And I still find I'm using too much charcoal. I over shoot the cook time. The smoker is still hot a couple of hours later. I'm not rubbing it in. Trying to let you know what to expect once your cooker can breath, and you get used to fueling it.

 

[rons]

LOL, ya got me, I'm lazy today too!

Cool, I'm looking forward to get things dialed in like that!
Wow 6 hours for a chuck, that's how long my little flat boneless skinless chicken breasts took. Well even longer really as they were still only 145 F so had to finish them in the 'gulp' microwave.

 

[billbo]

He said the "M" word!

 

[bigsteve]

*TWEET* FOUL!!!!!!

 

[ddave]

Maybe this will help ease the pain . . .

http://www.bbqsearch.com/game/index.html

Dave

 

[billbo]

I only pick on ya cause I know your pain brother. I have been fighting and fiddling with my ECB for 12 years now.

I must say once I figured it out it has provided some very good meals! Plus it was a gift and I had never used one before. Once I found this site it became a lot easier I'll tell ya that! Now that I have it figured out (sorta) I want a new one. Go figure.

 

[rons]

LOL on the M word, too funny

I won't also say my pork roast last weekend was finished in the oven then............

that game is cool man! The friggen dog ate my ribs before I could put em on the smoker LOL dang it!

LOL all in good fun man!

So you think I might actually get this right one day? Kewl man!

 

[bigsteve]

LOL I got the meat out of the fridge, found the rubs, but couldn't put any rub on the meat. So I went outside to start the fire. I got the wood and starters loaded up. I found the matches, but dragging them to the firebox didn't make the matches do anything. I got frustrated, and went back to the meat, and it was gone.

That was enough for me.

 

[billbo]

I have an ECB, I have done that trust me. I had one family party everybody got drunk waiting for my Turkey. Of course I got drunk too which compounded the problem. The oven saved that day!



LOL all in good fun man!

So you think I might actually get this right one day? Kewl man![/quote]

Yeah you will. My advise is to start earlier than you think you need to, that way when it's done, you'll be on time. After a few tries you'll get to know the smoker and what it will and won't do.

Don't give up, it tastes to frickin good!!

 

[bigsteve]

Amen to that.