# 1st time smoker - temp problems with my Brinkman Smoke N Grill



## friartuck

Hello,

I'm new to the forum and new to smoking. I've read BBQ forums for a while and just purchased a Brinkman Smoke N Grill. Today I used it for the first time and smoked 2 racks of ribs and 2 chickens. I had some temp control issues that I was hoping to find some help about.

Through most of the smoking time I had a really hard time keeping the temp above 220. I could get the temp up around 215 to 220 and then any time I'd open the lid to turn the ribs or add the chicken the temp would drop to around 150 and I would only get back up to around 195 or so, very slowly. The only way I could get the temp back up to 225 range was to add more charcoal. Through 6 hours of smoking today I used an entire 10 lb bag of oak lump charcoal and a few briquettes I had. This was my first time, but that doesn't seem like it should be normal.

My temp readings came from an Acurite probe I laid through the top rack. I haven't made any of the mods to my ECB. Will the air holes in the charcoal pan really make that much difference as far as helping it stay at temp? I'd like to do a brisket but I'm worried that I'll have to use 30 lbs of charcoal for that :-).

Thanks!


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## adiochiro3

Those mods will make a big difference.  Temp control is all about air flow.  More oxygen = higher temps.  Use a combination of charcoal and chunk wood.  The wood burns hotter and gets temps up in the right range.  I add 4-6 coals and 1-2 lumps of fruit wood for smoke & higher heat about every 30 -40 minutes. Open the smoker as little as possible to keep temps up (avoid the temptation to "check" on progress).  If you're at temp, your cooking.  I believe the motto is "If you're looking you ain't cooking!"


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## figjam

adiochiro3 said:


> Those mods will make a big difference.  Temp control is all about air flow.  More oxygen = higher temps.  Use a combination of charcoal and chunk wood.  The wood burns hotter and gets temps up in the right range.  I add 4-6 coals and 1-2 lumps of fruit wood for smoke & higher heat about every 30 -40 minutes. Open the smoker as little as possible to keep temps up (avoid the temptation to "check" on progress).  If you're at temp, your cooking.  I believe the motto is "If you're looking you ain't cooking!"


Agreed.  Plus, getting the coal off the bottom of the pan will allow the ash a place to fall.  I don't use lump (yet), so there might not be much ash for you but there is tons if you use briquettes.


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## flash

FriarTuck said:


> Hello,
> 
> I'm new to the forum and new to smoking. I've read BBQ forums for a while and just purchased a Brinkman Smoke N Grill. Today I used it for the first time and smoked 2 racks of ribs and 2 chickens. I had some temp control issues that I was hoping to find some help about.
> 
> Through most of the smoking time I had a really hard time keeping the temp above 220. I could get the temp up around 215 to 220 and then any time I'd open the lid to turn the ribs or add the chicken the temp would drop to around 150 and I would only get back up to around 195 or so, very slowly. The only way I could get the temp back up to 225 range was to add more charcoal. Through 6 hours of smoking today I used an entire 10 lb bag of oak lump charcoal and a few briquettes I had. This was my first time, but that doesn't seem like it should be normal.
> 
> My temp readings came from an Acurite probe I laid through the top rack. I haven't made any of the mods to my ECB. Will the air holes in the charcoal pan really make that much difference as far as helping it stay at temp? I'd like to do a brisket but I'm worried that I'll have to use 30 lbs of charcoal for that :-).
> 
> Thanks!


 Well, I would guess maybe 6 hours of smoking time? If so most ECB are gonna start needing more coals around the 4 to 4 1/2 hour mark. Air flow will help with your temps. I have a 35+ year old ECB and did some mods. Removed the legs and elevated the barrel on 3 concrete blocks. This allowed for maximum airflow and I can get away with 1/4 pan of charcoal. Of course I have to add more eventually but can virtually lift the barrel right off the fire pan without opening the lid. Another thing that will get you temps up is to use Playbox Sand instead of water in the water pan. Higher and more consistent temps with sand.














This is with my normal 3/4 pan of briquettes. YEOW!!


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## mballi3011

First off welcome Frier Tuck to SMF. You'll like it here cause there are alot of really good folks that would just love to help you with anything to do with smoking. Now we like having new folks here to give a new prospective on some of the ways we do things around here. Now if you are really new then I would suggest that you sign up fir the 5-day E-course it free and it will give you the basics on smoking and a few recipes too. Here's a link to it:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/list/127  

  Now the next thing you have to do is run out and get something to smoke. Then just smoke it and if you have any questions just post  them here and we will answer all your questions that you might have. Oh yea there's no stupid questions we were all there in the beginning and we just really like to help others enjoy the fabulous smoked foods that we do. So again

  

Welcome to Your New Addiction


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## friartuck

Thanks for the replies! I'm planning on putting a grate in the bottom of the charcoal pan and drilling some air holes before smoking something else. I'll probably do something quick like a fatty or something just to see how it responds before taking on a brisket or pork shoulder.


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## jklauk

Just got my Brinkmann last night. What are th mods everyone is talikng about. I was kinda surprised not to see an adjustable vent on the lid. Does this need to be added?


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## jimf

I did all the mods and am able to reach very high temps.   I added pictures to the Smoke and Grill review page:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/pr...301-c-smoke-n-grill-charcoal-smoker-and-grill


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## jimf

Mod instructions: http://www.smoking-meat.com/modify-brinkmann-ecb-smoker.html


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## curious3210

Once you put the grates in and drill holes in the ash pan you will be all set.  I used this exact smoker for years with good success after the modification.


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## craigroller

I am very new to smoking and have a smoker with the fire box on the side. I am having the same problem with keeping the temp up. I would like to cook at about 250. Can anyone tell me how to keep the temp at 250 for 6 hours. Explain it to me like I am 6 years old.

Craig


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## jimf

The basic rules of a fire:  The more air a flame gets the hotter the fire; the less air the cooler the fire. 

If you are having trouble getting your smoker hot enough, try opening the vent holes on your fire box OR drill holes in your fire box to add vents.  Also look for cracks and joints where hot air is escaping (an issue if you made this smoker yourself).   Also is your charcoal/wood sitting on the bottom of the fire box?  Air needs to be able to get under the coals/wood so if it is, you need to raise the fire a little to allow for air flow.

If you are having a problem with your smoker being TOO hot, try closing the vent holes in your fire box OR opening the vent at the top of your chimney to allow hot air to escape your smoker.

Jeff, the starter of this website, created a 5 day ecourse.  Sign up (free).  Jeff will email you a document once a day for 5 days.  He goes over how to pick out meat, info on different rubs and marinating techniques, how to pick out a smoker, how to build a fire, and more.  Good info if you are just starting out (like you and myself)

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/list/127/5-day-smoking-basics-ecourse

If you think you still are having a problem, take and post some pictures of your smoker.  Chances are others here have had the same problem and can offer specific advice.  The guys and gals on this site are incredibly knowledgeable and love helping new comers like us (as long as you post pictures.  They like pictures- also known a q-views). 

Best of luck!!!

Jim


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## SmokinAl

Flash said:


> Well, I would guess maybe 6 hours of smoking time? If so most ECB are gonna start needing more coals around the 4 to 4 1/2 hour mark. Air flow will help with your temps. I have a 35+ year old ECB and did some mods. Removed the legs and elevated the barrel on 3 concrete blocks. This allowed for maximum airflow and I can get away with 1/4 pan of charcoal. Of course I have to add more eventually but can virtually lift the barrel right off the fire pan without opening the lid. Another thing that will get you temps up is to use Playbox Sand instead of water in the water pan. Higher and more consistent temps with sand.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is with my normal 3/4 pan of briquettes. YEOW!!


That's an awesome old smoker there Flash! Just goes to show you it doesn't matter what your using if you know how to use it right.


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## flash

SmokinAl said:


> That's an awesome old smoker there Flash! Just goes to show you it doesn't matter what your using if you know how to use it right.


 Well a buddy corrected me on the time frame and that smoker is 31 + years old. Still it does its job and I always kid the Big Green Egg people that I could have bought around 27 to 30 of these smokers for the price of an Egg, but this one has lasted for so long, it wasn't necessary. Instead I took the money saved and bought more meat.


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## masterofmymeat

FriarTuck said:


> Thanks for the replies! I'm planning on putting a grate in the bottom of the charcoal pan and drilling some air holes before smoking something else. I'll probably do something quick like a fatty or something just to see how it responds before taking on a brisket or pork shoulder.




Hey Friar Tuck, welcome. You may want to consider going to Home Depot or Lowes and get an external

temp gauge. They're easy to install and will eliminate you having to open the lid to check temps. I think

they run about $8. Cheers and again, Welcome.


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## masterofmymeat

craigroller said:


> I am very new to smoking and have a smoker with the fire box on the side. I am having the same problem with keeping the temp up. I would like to cook at about 250. Can anyone tell me how to keep the temp at 250 for 6 hours. Explain it to me like I am 6 years old.
> 
> Craig


Hi Craig,

If you haven't already seen this:  http://www.smoking-meat.com/modify-brinkmann-ecb-smoker.html . It's pretty straight

forward. Hope this helps.


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## masterofmymeat

MasterOfMyMeat said:


> Hi Craig,
> 
> If you haven't already seen this:  http://www.smoking-meat.com/modify-brinkmann-ecb-smoker.html . It's pretty straight
> 
> forward. Hope this helps.


ACK!!! Sorry, JimF already put it out there. I am such a goof sometimes


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## pperkins

I had that same bullet for years, and these guys are right, keeping the lid on is huge. I did the mod on mine for a "freestanding" coal pan, so I could just lift the whole unit off the coals and add fuel, without lifting the lid. The minion method worked well for me on this unit (in fact, it's why I looked up the minion method, lol.) Here's my post: http://burninlovebbq.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/the-minion-method-easy-low-and-slow-bbq/

The other biggie for me was making sure that absolutely no wind touched the bullet. I was lucky enough to have a little cubby area on my patio, but do what you gotta do to keep it out of the wind. 

A buddy of mind actually built a shield for his out of 4 pieces of 1/2 inch plywood and old door hinges, that folds flat to store. Ugly as sin, lol, but it does the job!

Good luck, it's a great little smoker!

-Perry

Perry P. Perkins
Author
“La Caja China Cooking”
“La Caja China World”


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## craigroller

Jim, my problem is not enough heat, I would like to cook at 250 for six hours. It may be hard to raise the fire in the fire box,but are you saying closing the stack will make the fire hotter.

Craig


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## chucktownsmoker

I've had my Brinkmann for a about a year and struggled through several smokes to get a good temp.  I finally broke down last week and did a couple of the mods (turned legs around, drilled about 40 holes and set coal pan on some bricks below the smoker) and that did the trick!  Got some decent temps for about 2 hours at a time until I needed to add more fuel.  Smoked a pork butt and it came out great.  Still need to do a couple more things (new thermometer, better grate in coal pan) but the mods took about 10-15 minutes to do - definitely do them and you'll see better results.


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## jimf

craigroller said:


> Jim, my problem is not enough heat, I would like to cook at 250 for six hours. It may be hard to raise the fire in the fire box,but are you saying closing the stack will make the fire hotter.
> 
> Craig


Closing the stack will allow less heat to escape from the smoker.  sounds like you need more air in your fire box.


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## craigroller

Where can I find a list of the mods needed for a side firebox smoker. I am new to smoking and have been unable to get to 250 with a 150 dollar smoker from target. I saw a 849 dollar yoeder smoker, is this what it will take to get to 250. I have tried lump char and big chumks of wood, but nothing works. Help


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## jirodriguez

Go to the Smoker Supplies & Equiptment section of the forum, and click on charcoal smokers, the do a search for either Brinkman mods or Char-griller mods, both are very similar and a lot of the same mods apply.


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## pvillecomp

Craigroller,

Here is a great "roll-up" thread for horizontal side firebox smoker mods. It helped me a ton when getting started.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/75110/horizonal-offset-smoker-mods


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## cab2g

I've had an ECB for maybe 4 years now. And recently I broke down and bought an offset smoker because I thought that it was just a piece of junk that couldn't maintain temps for longer than a couple hours... But now that I joined this forum I see that there may still be some life left in my ECB! Grant it, I have no need for 2 smokers now, but the ECB is just sitting in the basement waiting for a friend in need of a grill/smoker.

The breaking point for me was with a rack of ribs I tried to smoke this spring. I keep the water pan full and smoked them for about 16 hours and used a full 23lb bag of Kingsford's competition briquettes. But in the end the ribs never bent when i picked them up and they ended up with a dry outer crust because I'm sure I just turned them into jerky. I didn't have a temp gauge, but the darn thing would go from "HOT" to the bottom of "IDEAL" within an hour... I'd continue to let it smoke until it reached upper "WARM" and then I'd take everything out and dump the coals. It was a huge pain, but even the mod to move the legs to the outside and place the charcoal pan on paver bricks would've solved that annoyance!


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## craigroller

Thanks, will using a fan to get more air help.


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## markb2012

New to Forum and 1st time Brinkmann Smoke N Grill user. I just smoked/grilled two beercan chickens yesterday. After 3 hrs of smoking on the top grill, I removed the water pan (above charcoal pan) and put chickens on medium level grill. The smoker temp shot up to over 450 degrees in 15 min. The chickens went from 145 degrees up to 180 degrees and crisped up the skin in 30-40 min after removing water pan. I hope that helps..


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## craigroller

Where can I get some expanded steel  to make the grate and a fire box, see picture


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## craigroller

Where can I get the expand metal to make a grate and fire box and what gage should it be. See picture


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## tmmikko

Hi, Go to  yotube, look up videos on your brinkman smoker. A lot of great mods. I totally tricked mine out.

The best mods. I put in weber vents in, got them on line. I have 2 extra if you need them.

I use a wood stove rope liner around the top to fill in the gap , it seals well. I have also used aluminum foil

I drilled holes in the wood pan and put a grate in the bottem to get better air flow, A must ! 

I also drilled holes in the top and side to slide in my temp guage so I dont need to open the top.

I made handles out of u bolts to put on the 2 grilling grates

I put aluminum foil over the water bowl, less mess to deal with.

last but not least I mounted the legs on the out side, I set my wood pan a some 1 inch paving block

when I add wood I just lift the smoker right off and add wood and set it back back over the fire.

Good luck , Tom from Maine


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## everythingsmoke

Got mine at lowe's...they have two different gauges and I just got the heavier of the two...cost is $20


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## donovan nelson

I'm new to this forum and new to smoking but am reading diligently to determine what changes I need to make.  I plan to make the mods to my Brinkman ECB that have been described.  I want thoughts on what I did in my second smoke attempt.  I tried to smoke a small brisket using hickory wood chunks.  I used water in the water pan and added wood chunks through the smoking process.  After a few hours I was out of wood and the brisket was no close to being finished.  I am eager to make the mods and see what results I get with these but I am curious about whether I should use charcoal, exclusively, or mix with wood chunks.  I'm a newbie so please explain it to me as if I'm completely clueless.  Thank you.


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## raastros2

i have the ECB too with all the mods...i went from not being able to keep it at 220 to having a hard time keeping it at 230 haha....takes some playing it with to keep it at 225


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## raastros2

hey donovan another thing....rule of thumb is to multiply the number of pounds of brisket ya got by 1.5 and thats how many hours it will be close to ready.....180-205 internal temp is fine


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## donovan nelson

Thank you, Raastros.  I had heard of the 1.5 hours per pound and I should have been able to get a good brisket finished in 3.5 hours.  I know the temperature is the problem.  Is using straight wood chunks as my fuel source a good idea or should I use charcoal and keep adding charcoal to the fire as needed?  This is my biggest problem at this point.  Thanks again!


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## raastros2

i have always just kept using charcoal....lighting it in the charcoal chimney frst is prob the easiest way ...after you turn your legs inside out and get you some bricks to put your charcoal pan on first


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## donovan nelson

I used the charcoal chimney to light my charcoal when I smoked sausages and it worked great.  I found myself adding charcoal through the smoking process because it went quickly but I believe the mods will help in that process.  Don't be afraid to offer other thoughts.  :)


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## craigroller

What is a good brand of lump?


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## schmitzmoke

I go to www.mcnichols.com  for all types of expanded metal.  

They have it all in every imaginable type. They have stainless, aluminum or carbon steel. Plus they will cut to size and ship by freight or UPS depending on the size. You purchase a full sheet, they cut it to size and send all the extra drops to you. I use the left over pieces for all different things. I also purchased 304 stainless steel backsplash materials from them for my outdoor kitchen. It looks and performs great!


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## craigroller

Schmitzmoke, I am a retired truck driver who delivered to mcnichols, I called them and they told me 426.00 dollars for a full sheet. How much did you pay for a sheet and what gage.


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## legacyofbob

tmmikko said:


> Hi, Go to  yotube, look up videos on your brinkman smoker. A lot of great mods. I totally tricked mine out.
> 
> The best mods. I put in weber vents in, got them on line. I have 2 extra if you need them.
> 
> I use a wood stove rope liner around the top to fill in the gap , it seals well. I have also used aluminum foil
> 
> I drilled holes in the wood pan and put a grate in the bottem to get better air flow, A must !
> 
> I also drilled holes in the top and side to slide in my temp guage so I dont need to open the top.
> 
> I made handles out of u bolts to put on the 2 grilling grates
> 
> I put aluminum foil over the water bowl, less mess to deal with.
> 
> last but not least I mounted the legs on the out side, I set my wood pan a some 1 inch paving block
> 
> when I add wood I just lift the smoker right off and add wood and set it back back over the fire.
> 
> Good luck , Tom from Maine


Where can you find the Weber/whoever vents online for purchase?


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## womburgernommie

Without reading the entire thread (sorry don't have time for a few more days), until you actually get a real temp gauge in your smoker, you literally have no idea what temp your really at.

ECB Gauges are absolutely notorious for being anywhere from 10-100 degrees off. IE if you were at 200, you could have been anywhere from 210-300f easily.

I really wouldn't do any of the mods until you get a gauge. The one thing I don't like to see, which I do, is everyone recommending mods that should be done after you actually have an idea of what temp you really are cooking at. IE, no point in sealing it up, getting latches, pans, grates etc until you have a general idea of where it really performs at.

You might be surprised just by installing a legit gauge at where it's really at. The gauge was my very first mod, and I went from there on my smoker. Just take baby steps, or you will be spending more money on things that aren't needed if it turns out your actually burning too hot to begin with.

Anyways just my 2 cents. =] Always take opinions as a grain of salt though. Most of us have learned from trial and error anyways =]

For some examples :

The expensive... BUT IMO penny for penny... the best around, unless you really want to shell out some dough. Best thing yet... this gauge will last near a lifetime, and you can change from q to q with ease. Just hope you have a big enough drill bit to mount it =]


The cheaper alternative... for the times when you really don't know if this ordeal is truly for you. Or, if you require 2 gauges, one for the heating portion and one for the cooking portion, this really makes sense.


I prefer to stay away from those digital gimmicky things, unless it's for checking meat temp. Many of us don't care if it's raining or sleeting, or snowing, or a warm -10/20f outside. Digital gauges just won't cut it if you want to q in such temps or weather environments (even if they claim to be waterproof... because after all, how many people run a 300$ digi gauge to check smoker temp and not primarily meat temp =] )


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## schmitzmoke

Craigroller,,,

I don't remember the total cost for just the expanded, it was reasonable. Don't get the "Heavy Duty" stuff because it would be to hard to bend. I have enough left over to replace the basket if needed. I bought lots of different materials all cut to size for other projects that I was working on. I was lucky enough to pick the material up at their Tampa warehouse to save big the shipping. They have warehouses all accross the US.

If they cut items down to certain size's they can then ship it UPS instead of freight. Good luck!


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## craigroller

Thanks


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## pastorgadget

LegacyOfBob said:


> Where can you find the Weber/whoever vents online for purchase?


I also want to know where to get the vents. Been looking but no luck?


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## tony 292

Seen and used the tips you gave, what a better way to use my smoker. Love the taking the legs off. That it much much ez'er and works sooooooo much better in every way. Thanks friend. Did a 2nd Boston butt, now where near the time or trouble.

                                                                                        Levi/TP


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## farmall1342

I have Brinkman Smoke and Grill just like that. What worked best for me was Cabelas sells an electric conversion for it. Keeps my smoker at 230 consistantly no matter what. I also removed the legs completely because the wyoming wind kept cooling it down


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## mike65

Chuck,

When you place the lid on your ECB, is there a gap between the drum and lid ?   I have found out with my ECB I lose ALOT of heat there. I did a 8.3 lb Pork Butt and took 11.5 hours in the smoker using 8 lbs of charcoal and had to finish the Pork Butt in the oven since the ECB would not come up to temp.


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## mike65

I have thought about using this propane griddle along with the charcoal pan to keep the temp at a constant 220-230 degrees.  What do you think will happen if this is used ?













42211_CIstove.jpg



__ mike65
__ Jun 2, 2013


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## mike65

I have a ECB also. What grate are you using in the charcoal pan ?


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## flash

Mike65 said:


> I have thought about using this propane griddle along with the charcoal pan to keep the temp at a constant 220-230 degrees.  What do you think will happen if this is used ?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 42211_CIstove.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> __ mike65
> __ Jun 2, 2013


That is how I converted my Great Outdoor Smokey Mountain Charcoal smoker to Propane. Working great.


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## farmer 3691

i never thought of the sand, im gonna try it,


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## flash

farmer 3691 said:


> i never thought of the sand, im gonna try it,


Sand is great a very helpful in colder weather. You will see higher and more constant temps with playbox sand. Remember the foil over the top so it doesn't get grease spatters. You can dampen it then for another use or two.


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## soonerfan1

Newbie here. I received a brinkman smoke n grill a couple weeks ago, got online started finding all these mods to make to it for it to smoke right, so that's what I started to do. I did all the mods that were shown, holes in the lid with a damper, holes in bottom of coal pan with damper and a small grate to keep the coals off bottom, added legs to my coal pan to raise it off the ground, put legs on the outside, and added a couple thermometers with actual numbers on it. Took me about 1 hour and $25 to do all the things I wanted to right now with the help of my stepdad. So this morning sep.1 2013 I decided before I was going to smoke any meat I would do a test run and season it at the same time, "so glad I did this" I loaded up my charcoal pan the minion method, started about 1/2 load in my weber chimney starter waited till they started ashing over, poured the lit coals into the pan spread it around a little bit put body over coals put water in pan put lid on and within a few minutes my bottom temp jumped up to 425' with my top temp over 350', so I closed all vents and it still wouldn't go down. so what I did is take body off the coal pan and dumped 2/3 of the coal back into my weber chimney starter, to where I only had enough coals to cover the bottm of the pan, put body back on with lid and now it's running 225-235 for over 3 hours top and bottom temps. My conclusion is this for my brinkman, might not work with others: only put enough lit coals in pan til temp gets where you want it top and bottom if your using both grates to cook on this won't take long,"bottom temp will run a little higher than top" add coals a few at a time for a consistence temp. It's been 3 hours running at 225-235 with the fire being stoked once to get some of the ash out of the bottom and a few briquettes added with all vents closed. Very impressed with this little cheapo smoker so far.


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## bobank03

SoonerFan1 said:


> Newbie here. I received a brinkman smoke n grill a couple weeks ago, got online started finding all these mods to make to it for it to smoke right, so that's what I started to do. I did all the mods that were shown, holes in the lid with a damper, holes in bottom of coal pan with damper and a small grate to keep the coals off bottom, added legs to my coal pan to raise it off the ground, put legs on the outside, and added a couple thermometers with actual numbers on it. Took me about 1 hour and $25 to do all the things I wanted to right now with the help of my stepdad. So this morning sep.1 2013 I decided before I was going to smoke any meat I would do a test run and season it at the same time, "so glad I did this" I loaded up my charcoal pan the minion method, started about 1/2 load in my weber chimney starter waited till they started ashing over, poured the lit coals into the pan spread it around a little bit put body over coals put water in pan put lid on and within a few minutes my bottom temp jumped up to 425' with my top temp over 350', so I closed all vents and it still wouldn't go down. so what I did is take body off the coal pan and dumped 2/3 of the coal back into my weber chimney starter, to where I only had enough coals to cover the bottm of the pan, put body back on with lid and now it's running 225-235 for over 3 hours top and bottom temps. My conclusion is this for my brinkman, might not work with others: only put enough lit coals in pan til temp gets where you want it top and bottom if your using both grates to cook on this won't take long,"bottom temp will run a little higher than top" add coals a few at a time for a consistence temp. It's been 3 hours running at 225-235 with the fire being stoked once to get some of the ash out of the bottom and a few briquettes added with all vents closed. Very impressed with this little cheapo smoker so far.


Sounds like solid advice, nothing makes it get too hot faster than too much in the charcoal pan. You can always add more during the cook if you need them. Sent you a PM.


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## chadthedrummer7

I'm new to the forum. Thank you all so much for the info. I already attempted smoking yesterday before I read any of this, and yeah- 220 is about as high as I could get. Great information! Thank you all. My question is does anyone have a good place to get the bottom grate? I can get everything else but didn't read anyone post something on where or the actual round dimension size I need. Your reply will be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Smoke it up!:grilling_smilie:


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## whiskeyboyz

1st it will use more charcoal to get the temp up. I have an offset just like this . Use lump charcoal, it burns hotter and produces less ash. Once your ribs are placed bone side down, no need to turn them. let them cook for an hour and a half with your temp at 275-300 without raising the lid - "If your Lookin, you ain't cookin" We spritz our down with a mixture of bourbon and apple juice. let go another hour and a half. - Spritz down and double wrap in foil. place back on grill for another hour. unwrap and test  if you pick the rack up in the middle and they break aprt, they are done. REMEMBER: on that smoker place your ribs far to the right end of the smoke chamber - fat end toward the fire box.  When done, check out www.kickassbbqsouth.com and sign up for a class. I also sell heat baffles for offsets which help control the temp between the left and right side of the smoke chamber.


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## bobank03

Chadthedrummer7 said:


> I'm new to the forum. Thank you all so much for the info. I already attempted smoking yesterday before I read any of this, and yeah- 220 is about as high as I could get. Great information! Thank you all. My question is does anyone have a good place to get the bottom grate? I can get everything else but didn't read anyone post something on where or the actual round dimension size I need. Your reply will be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Smoke it up!


I got mine on Amazon.com it was a "Weber 7439 Replacement Charcoal Grate" I bought two of them and turned them cross-ways to each other so that the gaps would be smaller. The actual size of the grates are 10.5 inches across so anything close to that should work fine. 

I believe I have seen these grates in the local true Value as well as Home Depot and Lowes. Hope that helps? 

(PS Add your location to your profile so we know where you are from)


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## chadthedrummer7

Thank you bobank03! Just got all my mods from Amazon:




DONE! Thanks JimF for all the mod ideas.


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## leovg

Turns out that the first year of the smoke n grill it did have holes in the charcoal pan. A few morons used it on their decks, started them on fire (1 actually burned their house down) then sued Brinkmann. Brinkmann's solution was to eliminate the holes in the pan. Their lawyers noted that if the consumer drilled holes in the pan they assumed the liability for hot materials falling out of them.


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## bobank03

Chadthedrummer7 said:


> Thank you bobank03! Just got all my mods from Amazon:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> DONE! Thanks JimF for all the mod ideas.


No problem, We have an ECB group and everyone loves helping out folks to figure out their ECB's. All are welcome! Stop by and join the group

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/groups/show/37/ecb-owners-group


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## tidefan

Is the grate supposed to rest almost on the bottom of the pan?  I can't find a size that seems to fit just right.  The smaller one sits almost on the floor on the pan and would that allow enough space for the ash to accumulate?  Thanks.


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## bohica82

adiochiro3 said:


> Those mods will make a big difference.  Temp control is all about air flow.  More oxygen = higher temps.  Use a combination of charcoal and chunk wood.  The wood burns hotter and gets temps up in the right range.  I add 4-6 coals and 1-2 lumps of fruit wood for smoke & higher heat about every 30 -40 minutes. Open the smoker as little as possible to keep temps up (avoid the temptation to "check" on progress).  If you're at temp, your cooking.  I believe the motto is "If you're looking you ain't cooking!"


I'




I'm a new smoker and I keep hearing about mods what mods are there for grills I just have a brinkman smoker/ grill


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## whiskeyboyz

Raising the charcoal grid will help. I have one of these Smoke and Pits, I love it. Using a couple of bricks under the charcoal grid works fine. using 100% lump charcoal burns hotter and produces less ash build up, also, along with some smoking wood. check out my baffle at www.kickassbbqsouth.com. with my baffle I can maintain an even temp across the smoke chamber. I can hold a 300 degree temp throughout on my smoke& pit which is perfect for Ribs.

And the guy above here is right. as you go along, you will learn just how long at whatever temp you are smoking at, when it is time to look.For ribs, I put them on, bone down, and look at 1 hour. the meat should be pulling away from the bones. I use this brief moment to spritz the ribs with a 50/50 mixture of Simply Apple Apple juice and bourbon. after another 2 hours, I double wrap them in aluminum foil and cook another hour. fall off the bone kick ass bbq.

Smoke ON!!!!


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## bekellog81

Everyone is right some simple mods to my ecb made a huge difference.  I simply attached the legs on the outside, drilled holes in the charcoal pan, built a stand  to hold it up, added a grate in the bottom and built a simple "damper" on the bottom of the charcoal pan to control air to my drilled holes, and let me tell you that made a heck of a difference!!!  I may dig it out this weekend and take  some pics


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## terryd

Just picked up a ECB Sunday off the yard sale page.  Paid $20 and came with the cover.  Guy said he only used it once and I'd believe him.  Going to try give it a try this evening smoking some hamburgers for supper.  Guess I'll be drilling a few holes in the charcoal pan this evening and possibly swapping the legs around so I can lift the can off the charcoal pan.


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## terryd

Apparently mine is somewhat different.  My coal pan has slots in it and the cooking part already lifts off, leaving the coal pan on the ground.













2016-08-30 17.31.11.jpg



__ terryd
__ Aug 30, 2016


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## bobank03

Hey TerryD!

Looks like you are off to a good start, maybe a little too much smoke, it really should be little more than a wisp of smoke and looks like it is all escaping from around the lid. The pan looks solid. I recognize that ECB but I don't recall the name of it. Better than the standard Brinkman ECB.


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## terryd

Thanks for the tip!  It appears to be the Brinkmann Gourmet.  I tried the minion method and temps stayed right at 225-250, even through a moderate downpour.  It is that smokey because one of my apple chunks was lighting off.  There isn't any way at all to control the air flow so I'm not sure how to cut the fire box temperature down any.  It had the water pan at a rolling boil and I assume that is what was controlling the temperature.  

Burgers turned out great and I'm looking forward to getting some more use out of this thing.  Maybe some ribs and pork loin in a few weeks.  Wife is in school and we're taking a boiler down for a month at work so having good already cooked for a couple days is nice.


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## zekester

well I don't know if  its a vertical had same problem raised the coal pan up put another set air holes on other side of base air inlet also raised up water pan to next level were a grate would be my brinkman just doesn't like lump charcoal went back to kingsford use a lot less start with half chiemmeny with a little in coal pan goes about 3-4 hrs tryed to rasie  smoke stack only thing I got top damper was almost cloesed  temp stayed 250-275  mine is called trail master special edition the name say's it all I to am frist timer its fun to try and figure out ...Zeke


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## Rings Я Us

FriarTuck said:


> Hello,
> 
> I'm new to the forum and new to smoking. I've read BBQ forums for a while and just purchased a Brinkman Smoke N Grill. Today I used it for the first time and smoked 2 racks of ribs and 2 chickens. I had some temp control issues that I was hoping to find some help about.
> 
> Through most of the smoking time I had a really hard time keeping the temp above 220. I could get the temp up around 215 to 220 and then any time I'd open the lid to turn the ribs or add the chicken the temp would drop to around 150 and I would only get back up to around 195 or so, very slowly. The only way I could get the temp back up to 225 range was to add more charcoal. Through 6 hours of smoking today I used an entire 10 lb bag of oak lump charcoal and a few briquettes I had. This was my first time, but that doesn't seem like it should be normal.
> 
> My temp readings came from an Acurite probe I laid through the top rack. I haven't made any of the mods to my ECB. Will the air holes in the charcoal pan really make that much difference as far as helping it stay at temp? I'd like to do a brisket but I'm worried that I'll have to use 30 lbs of charcoal for that :-).
> 
> Thanks!











Wish I was here back then. I missed out on all the ECB mods fun.


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## Rings Я Us

It's like the mullet, "I'm bringing it back"! Lol


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## surflizard

I had the brinkman smoker for 2 years and preformed many Mods on it and the best thing I ever did was to switch to the Weber Smokey mountain ! I know it isn't cheap, but the lack of frustration with the Brinkman will do your heart good ! 

I riveted sheet metal around the bottom, I cobbled a sliding air vent in it and basically it made me work harder and spend more money on fuel then it was worth !

Please don't take this personal, the best thing about me and my Brinkman smoker was my friend at the transfer station letting me drive over it with the back hoe before putting it in the metal dumpster ! 

Brinkman used to put out some nice equipment years ago, but that has all changed ! 

JMHO

Surf


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## Rings Я Us

Haha that's funny..  [emoji]127866[/emoji]


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## smoker21

Rings R Us said:


> It's like the mullet, "I'm bringing it back"! Lol



Now that's funny there. [emoji]128514[/emoji] 

JD


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## zeketers

_update raised coal pan with 2 inch bolts fits right in air holes in pan what change now if I want high heat its there ran a test run heated to 500 in no time runs steady at 250 with just half  chimney of coal then put in wood chunks   like night/day had my doubts but with the help of this forum its working out this weekend looks like country style rib's and cut up chicken  also did turkey breast w/bone  even the boss (wife) wanted see how it was done ......thanks for all the help and ( jeff phillips) recipe work great can't wait to try his rub...zeke_


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## Rings Я Us

:sausage:  

[emoji]128077[/emoji][emoji]127866[/emoji]


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## zeketers

_hey there had one of  those it was great after you figure it out it is great little smoker try a turkey or just breast .... zeke_


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