# ECB Gasket Question



## mike65 (Jul 7, 2013)

For all you ECB owners out there, what size gasket did you purchase to close up the gap around the lid once it's placed on the smoker body?   Also, is there a thermometer to replace  the same size as the W-I-H that is currently in the lid ?


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## bobank03 (Jul 7, 2013)

Mike65 said:


> For all you ECB owners out there, what size gasket did you purchase to close up the gap around the lid once it's placed on the smoker body? Also, is there a thermometer to replace the same size as the W-I-H that is currently in the lid ?


Hey Mike;

I used a 3/8" round gasket for mine. I bought it at the local Tru-Value HW Store. I don't believe there is a better replacement for that weak indicator that fits the hole. I bought the "Taylor Weekend Warrior Grill /Smoker Thermometer" on Amazon and also the Maverick ET-732 on eBay. The ET-732 has a meat probe and a probe for the IT of the ECB, so you can keep track of the temps remotely and not let them get too far away from you. (up or down)

I did find that the ET-732 is right on the button temperature wise but the Taylor "Thru the lid" is about 15 degrees off. 

I will also recommend that you buy a tube of Hi Temp RTV for glueing the gasket on. The glue that comes with the gasket kit is not any good at all. 

I drilled a hole for the Taylor and mounted it next to the Brinkmann hole filler. I drilled two small holes in the rear of the unit for the Maverick probes to pass through. 

I only have a few burns on my mods, but they seem to be working pretty well.


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## mike65 (Jul 20, 2013)

Bobank,

Appreciate the info on the 3/8 gasket.  I ordered one a week ago and still hasn't arrived.  I did a 8 lb Turkey on the ECB on Friday and when I got done, I was exhausted.  I went though 7-8lbs of Kingsford Charcoal and my soaked wood chunks caught fire 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






.  Hopefully after I install the gasket around the lid, it will cut down on my charcoal usage.  Also looking into adding some dampers.


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## bobank03 (Jul 20, 2013)

Hey Mike, I did the legs mods and I put my charcoal pan on bricks so I can lift the ECB off of the charcoal and put it back on. Helps a lot. 













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There is a qview of my lid with the mods. I couldn't find a black gasket, so I used the white one. I bought a can of black heat paint so I can touch up the gasket, but I haven't done it yet. I figure a couple of sweeps with the spray can would make the gasket look a little better.

In the meantime, you can always roll out some aluminum foil and use it to block up the gap till your gasket arrives. 

The clip hanging on my lid handle is for the thermo probe that goes to the cooking service. Just stuck it there so I don't lose it. 

Hope this helps some.


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## mike65 (Jul 20, 2013)

I mounted my temp gauge through the lid.   Guess I should mount one near the W-I-H that came with the smoker.


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## mike65 (Jul 20, 2013)

With having the damper on the top do you find that help lower or raise temps on the ECB?


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## bobank03 (Jul 20, 2013)

I don't think you need to be too concerned about the placement of the thermo. I do however use that maverick and I have found it to be very accurate and easy to use. 

I only have the one vent for right now. Still playing around with that. I use mine to help keep the temps up. You have to be careful with the smoke and the amount of vent because if you choke it down to far the smoke makes the food a bit acrid. I made a few fatties and some chicken a few weeks ago and the temps fell off on me a bit due to not having quite enough charcoal in the pan and the ashes choking what was there. I then added some more lump and a few pieces of wood to get the temps up and I should have vented it just a little more. It worked and brought the temps up, but it was too much smoke. 

I had a grate in the charcoal pan to help elevate the coals, but quite a few fell through the grate as they burned down... I have just added a second grate at cross angles to the first to help keep the airflow to the charcoal/ lump moving better.


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## bobank03 (Jul 23, 2013)

hey Mike - Did you get your gasket?


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## mike65 (Jul 23, 2013)

bobank03 said:


> hey Mike - Did you get your gasket?


Hey Bob,

No, the gasket has not arrived yet.  I plan on doing a Pork Butt on Friday, hopefully it will arrive before then.


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## bobank03 (Jul 23, 2013)

If that gasket doesn't arrive in time, I would foil the gap and leave a little open so you have some venting, otherwise it will get too hot. Take some pics and do a posting on how the butt does.


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## mike65 (Jul 23, 2013)

Thanks Bob and will do on the pics.


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## mike65 (Jul 24, 2013)

bobank03 said:


> hey Mike - Did you get your gasket?


Bob,

The gasket arrived this afternoon.  Question, Do I place the gasket on the lid 1st and caulk on the top of the gasket?


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## bobank03 (Jul 24, 2013)

I looked at how the lid sat and test fitted the gasket and trimmed it to fit. Then I used a marker and made marks on the lid where the RTV would go (approx) so I would put it on straight. Then I ran the bead of RTV and put the gasket into the RTV and against the lid then I test fitted it to be sure it was sitting pretty well against the lid and outside of the smoker. I then ran a bead of RTV around the top of the gasket right where the lid and the gasket meet to be sure I had a good seal. The hardest part was not touching it for 24 hours so it was good and dry.


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## mike65 (Jul 24, 2013)

bobank03 said:


> I looked at how the lid sat and test fitted the gasket and trimmed it to fit. Then I used a marker and made marks on the lid where the RTV would go (approx) so I would put it on straight. Then I ran the bead of RTV and put the gasket into the RTV and against the lid then I test fitted it to be sure it was sitting pretty well against the lid and outside of the smoker. I then ran a bead of RTV around the top of the gasket right where the lid and the gasket meet to be sure I had a good seal. The hardest part was not touching it for 24 hours so it was good and dry.


Well I got it on @ 9pm.  Will let it sit until 9pm tomorrow and will be putting on the pork @ 6am on Friday.   Kinda wish I got a wider gasket, but the 3/8 will do. 

Appreciate all the help.


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## mike65 (Jul 24, 2013)

Just was wondering if I don't have any dampers on the ECB, will it get to hot with the pork since I'm using the gasket now?


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## mike65 (Jul 25, 2013)

Got the 6lb Pork Butt in the fridge with Apple wood rub.  Going to get up @ 5am and make sure the pork is ready to go on @ 6am.


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## jrbab (Jul 25, 2013)

I bought a 1/2" gasket for mine - just put it on this past Monday and the trial is tomorrow. For controlling

the airflow, I found a website that a guy had done showing a ton of easy mods on. I bought some

vents from Weber and put 3 on the bottom and 1 on the lid. Still had air issues because of the lack

of lid seal - now that I've added the gasket, I'll see if that is an improvement tomorrow. Still need to add

a more accurate thermometer but that is hopefully the last mod I need.

Will try to post what I find when I get a chance. My gasket came from ebay for <$12 (1/2" x 7', no glue).

Bought a tube of high-temp RTV at AutoZone for another $6 or so. Worked great but the 'leave it alone

for 24 hrs' thing was hard....patience isn't my strongest virtue!

Good luck - I'm hoping this makes my temp management a lot better!

jb


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## bobank03 (Jul 26, 2013)

Mike65 said:


> Just was wondering if I don't have any dampers on the ECB, will it get to hot with the pork since I'm using the gasket now?


Hey Mike and jrbab;

I think the gasket will be fine, yeah Mike a vent in the lid is needed as otherwise where is the smoke, etc going to go? If you don't vent it somehow the Q will get acrid from the smoke, not to mention the fire won't be able to breath. 

You are going to have to allow it to vent somehow, either by cocking the lid a bit so it doesn't sit on all the way around or I don't suppose you know anyone in the neighborhood that has an old weber grill you can steal the damper of off? 

If you go to Amazon and type in weber damper you will see the options. The vent is also shown in this pic of my lid. View media item 241962
I would just use a 10d nail or something to prop the lid just a bit to let it breath.

I also learned another couple of good tips today.

If you use water in the water pan, foil the pan and fill it with boiling water OR

fill it with play sand and cover it with aluminum foil to keep it clean OR

get a brick or piece of granite (cobble stone) or similar to use as a heat sink. Foil the pan and foil the brick and put it in the pan. They will help you get up to temp faster and maintain it longer. 

Consider using the minion method for your fire. What are you using for fuel? Lump or Briquets? 

Good luck tomorrow. I will be around so keep us posted on how things are going. I'm also doing a couple fatties and some chicken thighs. The fatties are a chicken cordon bleu, a coney island fatty and a JD hot sausage, mexican cheese and jalapenos. I am not starting mine till the afternoon.


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## mike65 (Jul 26, 2013)

Good Morning













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5:00am













Waiting for Kingsford Blue to get hot.jpg



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5:45am













Kingsford Blue finally getting hot 6am.jpg



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 9:00am













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11:30am













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First time using the oven gasket mod for the ECB.

What a HUGE difference.













First time using the oven gasket Mod. What a HUGE



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2:00pm













Fat Cap covered the whole side of Pork.  It has sh



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9:00pm

Completed 6lb Pork Butt













Completed Pork 9pm.jpg



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I think the next smoke I do, I will be using something other than Kingsford Blue. It's a good product, however there is to much ash and I think it takes to long for it to get hot.

Enjoy the pics.


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## bobank03 (Jul 27, 2013)

Great looking butt, Mike. Great pics. I love the pic of the alarm clock! I am going to do another thread over in fatties for my cook today. 

If you go to the charcoal section they make recommendations for lump charcoal. I bought some cowboy lump but it really isn't all that good. I'm looking around for some better lump now. here is the lump charcoal http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/products/category/charcoal

great job on the temps too. 

I am also going to post some more pics of some of the mods that I made to my ecb today.

Nothing new to the forum, but just my take on them. Specifically the charcoal pan and what happens if you don't get the charcoal up a bit and how the charcoal drowns in its ash. 

Meant to tell you that if you get some smoke around your gasket still you can mark the side of the grill with a marker and run a bead of rtv in that area on the lip of the wall of the smoker to seal it up a little tighter. 

Gotta run and start building fatties!


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## bobank03 (Jul 28, 2013)

A couple of changes I made recently. I was reading this forum entry http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/145781/water-and-sand  and decided to try using something other than water in my drip pan. I used a cobble stone and it really helped keep the temps more even.

I was able to stay around 250 no problem during my burn. I did add a few more pieces of lump at about the 3 hour mark when the temps started to slip. 

I had drilled the holes in my charcoal pan some time back, but the coals were still drowning in their ash as there was no place for the ash to go. I bought two of the weber 7439 grates from Amazon and turned them at angles to each other to give the ash someplace to go. The grates are replacement grates for the Weber Smokey Joe grill and are 10.5 inches wide. 

 













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## jrbab (Jul 29, 2013)

Well, did my trial Friday afternoon. The new gasket was a big improvement - doesn't seal perfectly

but it is way better than w/o it. Previous runs using the Minion method had my temps continually

creeping up. This time, I did the snake method....huge difference. I'm guessing both the gasket

and the snake method contributed to the improved temp control. Sure was nice getting the temp

to where I wanted it and then seeing it stay there for the 2 hours I needed it.... So, the gasket

was well worth it - will be trying it out on a longer smoke this weekend - hopefully on some ribs.

The smoke that gets by the lid is more what I'd consider leakage than what I see exit the top vent.

Part of that is a bit of a messy join where the ends of the seal come together. I'll try cleaning that

up this week when I get a chance.

I do use the water pan with water and foil it. Cleanup is a snap. Also put a couple of handles

made from wire coat hangers on the lower cooking rack. Saw that mod somewhere - big help when

pulling that rack out! Nice and easy to just lift it in and out when loaded. Last mod I need to do

is put in a decent thermometer. Thanks to all those that contributed their thoughts and ideas

they sure help out a lot!

jb


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## bobank03 (Jul 29, 2013)

I made the switch from water to a granite cobble and I was able to keep my temps nice and even for over three hours.

I could have gone longer but I didn't put a lot of lump charcoal on because I was only cooking fatties. 

I did go back with the rtv and put some under the gasket where I am still getting some small puffs of heat/smoke leakage and the rtv helped where I didn't get the gasket 100 percent where I needed it. 

jrbab how about some pics of what you did. I like the handles idea for the lower rack, never saw that mod. A pic of that or a link to the mod (if it is on this forum) would be great. 

Here is what my cobble/ water pan looks like. Others use sand or bricks and other materials that hold heat. 













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It's a bit heavy though. I am going to look around for a smaller one.

I read in one of the forums, that water boils at 212 and will never get much hotter than that so if you are trying to stay at 250-260 or whatever then the water keeps bringing the temps down. Not real difference in moisture content except in my chicken thighs, but I left them on the smokee a bit too long.


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## jrbab (Jul 30, 2013)

Will put up a couple pics this weekend of the (messy) gasket and the handles on the lower cooking

rack....been too busy so far this week to get to it. The gasket job looks real messy since the RTV

I got was a bright red....don't really care since I'm not entering the smoker in a beauty contest and

I figure it will all end up black from smoke eventually anyway!

Bobank03, I think I'll use your suggestion to add a little more RTV to help finish sealing a bit where I

detect leaks...I have a nice silver Sharpie that will be perfect for the job...can't use it on much else!

Plan is to smoke some chicken halves this Saturday so the marking up will happen then, along with

the pics. The handles are a great (plus free) mod....even with gloves, it is a pain to grab those racks.

I may add some short ones to the top rack also just to make life a little easier. To do both racks would

be a total of 3 wire coat hangers, so it is hardly a big deal. I also like your stone in the water pan idea.

May try that for hotter cooks - so far, I've tried keeping everything lower so I've used water. No complaints,

as everything has been tasty and moist so far. Will get some ribs first chance I get and try those. That

will probably be my real acid test for the smoker w/ all the mods...that will be a long-term burn vs. the

2 hrs needed for the chicken....

Thanks for all of the ideas. Will get some pics up first chance I get.

John


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## bobank03 (Jul 30, 2013)

I was gonna use the red too, but I just couldn't do it, lol. If it starts to bother you buy some high heat paint and touch it up a little and no one will ever know. 

Gotta take some pics, but if you don't post some pretty soon, I'm gonna pull out one of these 








  or maybe even 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





But that would be harsh. Looking forward to the pics. 

And, I am looking for a smaller chunk 'o granite as that one was a little too heavy. It worked fine, but I think one about half that size will work just as well. 

next easy to do is to come up with a small table or cart or something I can put next to the smoker... I have some ideas and I challenge you guys to make an uglier "smoker cart" (for lack of a better term) than mine. 

Of course it will be something to get me by, but the wheels are spinning to make something nice over the winter. Have you seen hambone1950's vertical smoker cart? It is in another post. Very nice. http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/142148/cart-for-my-wsm


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## jrbab (Jul 30, 2013)

Give me until Sunday evening! : )  I'll try to take my pics Saturday during my next smoke.... work is nuts and things

at home have been rushed once I get in.... doubtful I'll post pics Saturday night but I will Sunday when I get a chance

to sit down and relax.

Don't care about the red RTV - like I said, it's not entering a beauty contest.... just want good food off it. Last smoke

(pre-gasket) was chicken halves and they got raves from everyone. I made 1 for everyone at the table plus 1 spare,

figuring there would be enough in leftovers for lunch for me and the Mrs... hah! There was zippo left..... used the

Cornell marinade overnight and then basted during the smoke (w/ cherry wood chunks). The stuff was definitely the

best I've ever made. My dad, never one for going overboard w/ compliments, even said it was terrific and he was amazed

how the smoke flavor went through the whole bird.... wish there was some left to send home with him but it all got

wiped out....

Looking forward to trying the same cook with a controlled temp - last time, it was up and down as I had to fight it

mainly from going too high....

Will keep you posted...I promise.

jb


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## mike65 (Jul 30, 2013)

Hello Jb,

I installed an oven gasket on my ECB and wow, what a HUGE difference in constant temps.  

View media item 243040












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## jrbab (Jul 31, 2013)

Mike,

Glad to hear it - expecting the same thing from mine. Had 2 variables going at once but I'm sure the

temp control is primarily due to the gasket. That gap on the ECB is huge.... Will report on my smoke

this weekend. Great little smoker for the money, including the mods. I figured it would get me into it

so I could see how much I like it before I would drop $ on a WSM....may not need to now, which was

my initial hope...

jb


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## bobank03 (Jul 31, 2013)

Well boys, I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I am a tinker-er. I think I enjoy tweaking these little beasts as much as i like making good food. 

I like it so much I asked Pineywoods to create an ECB Users Group. 

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

Give us ECB owners a place to hang out. He also created a group for NY, PA and New England.


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## ron eb (Aug 4, 2013)

I have a brinkmann charcoal smoker and I have been reading your thread. Mine has no dampers but I just got my hands on 2 4 inch ones an d thinking of putting one on the lid along with a new temp gauge and one on the bottom. The gasket sounds like a great idea to. Is the idea here to almost choke the charcoal pan to just keep it going to maintain temp?


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## mike65 (Aug 4, 2013)

Hi Ron.  If you are speaking of the gasket, it's used to keep to heat in.  I and other ECB owners have a gap once the lid is on.  So the gasket is used to cover the gap to maintain a steady temp.  I don't use a lot of charcoal now that I have the gasket. on.  Once my dampers arrive, I'll be putting those on the lid.  The dampers are used to regulate the heat.  What all mods have you done to your ECB?


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## mike65 (Aug 4, 2013)

There is a group page for ECB owners.  http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/groups/show/37/ecb-owners-group


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## ron eb (Aug 4, 2013)

I used it straight out of te box and struggled with temp for a few smokes but got a little easier but not enough. The only things I have done so far is put in a real temp gauge and put a grill grate in the bottom to raise the coals off the bottom. I'm looking to fill that gap in the lid. I also have a couple of dampers to put on the bottom and top to regulate air flow. I want to get two more. I came cross these at a local que product store from the discount bin. There is a que bash in my area next weekend so I'm looking to do some r and d on some real que. hoping to make the rest of my mods in the next week or so. We ECB got to stick together. I have good results so far but I think it can get better.


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## jrbab (Aug 5, 2013)

Ok , as promised, here are the pics of the messy gasket and the coat hanger handles for the lower rack....













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The handles are pretty big but they make it easy to fit my grilling gloves into....













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A bit of a closer view - I just wrapped the end of the hanger around the perimeter of the rack but

after the first lateral wire on the grid. That keeps it from trying to slide the ends of the hanger together

if the rack started to tilt and the food shifted....so far, it works well and will take a lot of weight....that

coat hanger wire is tough stuff. If you are unsure, add an extra wrap or 2. I tried to do 2 wraps. Seems

plenty to me....YMMV.













IMAG0041a.jpg



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__ Aug 5, 2013






A look inside - you can see the handles come up to the top rack supports. If they hit them,

rotate the lower rack a bit or just stretch the handles wider and it will pull the top down a bit.

Have some salt potatoes (new potatoes for the non-NY-staters) in the water pan to ride along

with the chicken that was the main course....













IMAG0042a.jpg



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Messy gasket job - red RTV, which was all I could find around here....No biggie -

I am sure it will end up black eventually.... As long as the food turns out good, I

don't care...













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__ Aug 5, 2013






The worst of the messy gasket - the join. Holds smoke well though.

Results? This thing held the temps dead on for the 2 hours I did the smoke.

Previously, it kept ramping up. No thermometer yet but that will happen soon.

Using the built-in junky one, temps settled to the I in 'IDEAL' in the center of

the dial. Only adjusted it once and that was to let a little more air in at the

bottom, as it was settling just above 'WARM' initially. The gasket & vent

mods caused a total transformation of this thing.... I would now trust it to be

left alone to hold temps for probably up to 3 hrs w/o checking. I pulled the

upper portion away from the charcoal section and I'd be willing to bet I had a

good 2 hours left on the charcoal in it. I used the snake method for the burn.

Chicken came out moist and tasty - marinated it in Cornell sauce overnight

and basted it a couple times during the smoke. All in all, great results from

this smoker. It will more than do the job for the foreseeable future, at least

for my needs. I'm not feeding more than 8-10 people at any given time, so

the beastie is plenty big enough....

Hope this helps...

jb


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## ron eb (Aug 5, 2013)

JRBAB

Is that the minion snake method you are speaking of. Can I get some details on that?

I have the same brinkmann and just started my mods.


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## jrbab (Aug 5, 2013)

Yeah - I stole this pic from another site but this is what it looked kinda like (apologies to the original poster):


 

My differences? Well, I'm using an ECB, not a UDS (or WSM - not sure what that is). I also, don't have a firebrick

in the center of mine - I just leave a gap....and I use my water pan, foiled, w/ water. My briquets weren't stacked as neatly as these either, although they were probably in about the same density. I put the wood chunks mixed in with the charcoal also, not resting on it like the pic shows. However, the pic really shows how it works so good job to the original guy that took it. I lit about 12-15 coals and dumped them on the right-most chunk of wood, so the fire burned in a counter-clockwise direction.

I do have a pair of criss-crossed charcoal grates in the base that are elevated about 1-2 inches above the base of the original charcoal pan. That helps a lot with air flow.

Hope this helps - if you have any other questions, let me know. I'm no pro at this by any stretch but the mods really make life a TON easier.... Good luck! The mods will be well worth your time.

jb


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## ron eb (Aug 5, 2013)

Thats cool. I have been trying different variations on that. This looks like the way to go. I ordered a 3 pack of dampers on line today and they already shipped out.

Getting gasket tomorrow and its time to get busy. BBQ Bash may be a wash this weekend so I may have to start my own.

Thanks, I will post pix


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## jrbab (Aug 5, 2013)

Ron,

Good luck with your mods. Mine made a huge difference for not a lot of cash - about $20 for the 2 charcoal grates, $12 for 2 sets of 3 vents from Weber and about $15 for the gasket & RTV. I have 2 vents left over (I put 3 on the bottom, 1 on top) that I can use on my Weber kettle if I ever need them. If I did it over again, I might only put 2 vents on the bottom but the nice thing is I can always leave one of the 3 fully closed if I want. Still need to add a decent thermometer and that should be it. Sure beats $300 for a WSM - they NEVER turn up on CL around here. The couple I've seen have been stupid expensive - to the point that I'd just buy a new one for a little more money and be done with it. Since

you are handy, these are all simple mods that are straightforward to do. I might add a set of brackets and one more cooking rack for times when I want to add extra food (or just get the food up from the water pan more when on the lower rack). That is optional and may be a winter job if I get bored....
 

I think the ECB, even (especially?) with mods, is a great way to get started. If I want to go crazy with this stuff, I'll have a good feeling for what is involved before dropping big money on a smoker. I think what I have now will suit my needs for a long time - I have no plans to ever do huge or competition cooks... just stuff for myself, family and some friends on occasion.

Let me know how you make out with your mods.

John (jb)


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## bobank03 (Aug 20, 2013)

Hey John,

I'm glad you referenced this post in the other post. I was thinking, I never saw your mods and there they are in this post. I missed them somehow.

I am using a white gasket on mine, and it is almost black now so no worries on how it looks. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder! Darn ECB's look like cheap garbage cans you see for sale at flea markets! I wouldn't trade mine for anything.

I see the snake method you are referring to. I sort of did something like that this weekend. I have started using a foiled tin can to hold my wood chips so they don't flare up and I put the charcoal around the can so it burns in half circle which lasts about 3 hours or a near full circle which is good for 5 - 5 1/2 hours. I think it is a good solid method that works well in the ECB. I had planned to take a picture, but I didn't. I will remember to do that next time.


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## jrbab (Aug 20, 2013)

Glad to be of help. i think the snake method is the best for me. It just makes sense. The regular

minion method seems like it would just get hotter and hotter as the fire spreads, which means

more tending to the vents.... the snake seems like it would die off on the end as it progressed

on the head...

The only time I've noticed my wood chunks really flare up much is when open the top and a lot

of air hits.... chips definitely flare up a lot more (I've used both). I got bags of hickory, pecan, cherry

& mesquite chunks at Home Depot for under $8 each. Want to try apple & peach also. I've found the

cherry is most pleasing and the pecan runs second - depends on what you are cooking. The

cherry gives a nicer smoke ring, especially to chicken. The mesquite and hickory are good on beef.

Of course, that's my tastes...

I think I get about the same burn time as you do for the 1/2 and full circles.... those ECB's

with mods are nifty devices. So far, everyone has really liked everything that has come off it.

Still need to do a nice set of ribs but my free time has been killed lately. I figure that Labor Day

weekend has some real promise, finally! Have to take my youngest back to her college (last year

- yeah!!!!) this weekend or I'd do them then. Can't wait to try them....

John


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## bobank03 (Aug 20, 2013)

I bought three bags of chips, mesquite, pecan and apple and the apple is by far my favorite. This weekend, probably Sunday I am gonna do up a rack of ribs. Gonna swing by the butcher Friday to see what he has, although if he has a small butt or one I can cut in half, I might do a PP. 

I did the back to college thing already. Mine are both graduated and gainfully employed. And of course we are all broke, paying off the school loans. 

I still want to do those handles on the lower grate. I have to hunt around, all I see is plastic coat hangers.

Also, boiling the taters in the water pan is a great idea too. No space wasted!


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## jrbab (Aug 20, 2013)

Glad to hear your kids are doing well - that is a huge help. I have 3 - 1 working FT, the oldest finally finishing up

this fall w/ her degree after a few yrs of realizing that her way wasn't quite working and the youngest starting her

senior yr. What a disgusting racket college has become.... kids AND parents end up financially crippled when it

is over (unless you are rich or on welfare)....sorry for the political commentary if anyone is offended.

Let me know how the PP turns out - that is next on my list after ribs. I know it will get wiped out once I

make some. If nothing else, it will get consumed by co-workers....

Yeah - plastic hangers won't work too well! : ) You should be able to find wire ones fairly easily - a garage

sale, Goodwill, wherever....  You'll need some heavy duty tools to work them, though. A pair of lineman's

pliers is very helpful trying to wrap the end around the grates. It is a huge help having handles on that lower

grate, so it is well worth the effort.

Surprisingly, the taters picked up a ton of smoke flavor even though they were entirely covered by boiling

water the entire time of the cook! I was shocked by how much smoke flavor they had. I've seen others

do taters, carrots, onions, you name it, in their water pans.Works well -just don't expect them to taste

like they do off the stove. Worth doing though, especially if you are camping...less pots & pans to deal

with. Plus, you get those drippings from the meat into the mix... Will have to try some corn on the cob

next time...might be good (of course, it might be awful but what the heck - gotta try it!). I think I'd leave

stuff that absorbs the smoke on just long enough to get cooked to keep the smoke flavoring down to a

minimum. I would think corn would be done in 15 minutes or so....

Good luck - keep me posted how you make out.

John

BTW - I see you live in Mass. - you a Sox fan? I've been one since '66.... not easy when you live in

central NYS! Lived in Holbrook, Mass for a few yrs when I was little (left after 1st grade) but still love the

Boston/NE area. Just beautiful and I have found the people to be very friendly. Where are you located?


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## bobank03 (Aug 21, 2013)

Hey John,

I am NorthWest of Boston. I have a PO Box at Nuttings Lake,so I use that on all my stuff, but the name of the town is Billerica just South of Lowell. half hour South of Nashua NH off of Route 3. That should give you some perspective. 

Love the Sox, though I am more of a Pat's fan. And I actually grew up on the West side of Cincinnati, along with the "Big Red Machine" of the 1970's. Heck my sister went to High School with Pete Rose (and no we won't go there either). 

Well, unfortunately I am neither on welfare or rich. I am middle of the middle class and that equates to eternally broke, but as long as I get to do the stupid little things this life has to offer (and yes, tooling around with my smoker and of course smoking "stuff") I will be happy.

I have cooked taters and corn on the grill before and they have come out well, so adding some smoke to 'em can't be a bad thing. I'm sure I have some wire coat hangers around the house somewhere, but the first closet I checked in the hallway only had the plastic ones. 

I'm still trying to decide on my next smoke. I may just do ribs and PP at the same time and just get it over with. My last ribs came out decent, though in hindsight I should have cooked them just another 45 minutes or so and they would have been perfect. 

The good news about all the student loans and everything is that at the rate I am going I will be paying them back with social security...I hope. 

PS your profile doesn't show your location in it when you post. I think if you click on your name in the upper right of this page and then scroll down and click on "Edit Community Profile" the first entry is your location.


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## jrbab (Aug 22, 2013)

Oh man, Cinci! A best friend of mine is also a life-long Sox fan - he used to have a

Pete Rose glove when he was a kid. He loved it because he loved spitting on his

name in the glove.... needless to say, neither of us are Reds fans.... Not a Pats fan,

been a life-long Bills fan, as they are fairly close (<2hrs) but I am a Bruins fan. Funny,

I never minded the Pats in the old days, but once they started winning (or should I

say dominating), I started really disliking them....I figure they will return to the normalcy

of NFL up & down years the day Brady retires.

I will be glad when this year is finished for my daughter....this has been such an

interminable stretch that I can't stand it. Biggest problem for kids now is being able to

find a job that 1) pays enough so they can pay their bills and 2) won't get outsourced

overseas. The govt needs to get their act together and let Americans fill jobs here

before issuing visas to outsiders for them. This whole country is being managed

into the ground by the uncaring that figure they already have theirs....what a mess...

the founding fathers are rolling in their graves at the complete lack of common sense

by career politicians.

You'll like the veggies in the water pan if you like them cooked on the grill. No fuss,

no cleanup! I always line the water pan with foil anyway, so that helps. You'll get all

those meat drippings in the pan also - you could almost make a soup in there! I used

salt potatoes, which are very common here this time of year. They are small so they

cook easily. If you use larger ones, just cut them up a bit (unless it is a long smoke).

Mine cooked fine in the 2 hrs it took to do the chicken. If you use a dry water pan/

brick setup, you could probably just bake the potatoes in there (but I haven't tried that

yet).

I know what you mean about paying the loans into SS.... I think I read somewhere that

there is a 20 yr repayment cap on them - you pay what you can but after 20 yrs, the

balance gets forgiven by law. Of course, I'm sure Congress will change that to hose

us over again...

I live in Waterloo, NY, which is smack between Syracuse & Rochester....I actually

work in Rochester. I'll adjust my profile asap. I'm in the Finger Lakes, right between

Seneca and Cayuga Lake. Beautiful area, taxes are obscene for what we get back

for them. Welcome to NYS! This area is basically farming and wineries....


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