# Dropping in...



## SonnyE (Dec 13, 2017)

Sonny's my name, Smokin fish is my game.
Howdy. Just another Grandpa with a smoking habit. 
Retired.
I was tired yesterday, and I'm retired today.
I love smoked Salmon. So I try and have some on hand whenever I can.
But I like most anything smoked or Barbecued. Our Grand Daughter (#11 in the stringer) made a special request for her 4th Birthday Party, she wanted Grandpa to make a batch of short ribs for her Birthday party last June. So I guess I have one fan anyway. ;)
I'm hoping to find some tips and tricks here. Even this old dog is willing to learn a new trick.
Thanks for letting me join you!


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## SmokinAl (Dec 14, 2017)

Welcome aboard Sonny!
Glad to have you join the group.
Here is what the search turned up.
http://smokingmeatforums.com/index.php?search/208851/&q=short+ribs&o=relevance&c[node]=133
Al


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## Rings Я Us (Dec 15, 2017)

Greetings sir.
Hope you get a chance to show off a few times.. :cool:

Good luck to ya and happy holidays.


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## SonnyE (Dec 15, 2017)

Thanks Al and Johnny B!
I misspoke there. I bar-b-que pork ribs that the family like. My bad, sorry Al.
For that, I use a gas grill, and slather on my doctored BBQ sauce. And cook it on.
I would like to add a little smoke to them. But most of the family aren't that excited about smoky flavor. :confused:

I've been a smoked fish aficionado since I was a kid. And I like all sorts of smoked fair, even smoked Almonds.
My current "Smoker" is a modified Brinkman Smoke N Grill. I poked a Bradley smoke generator in the side several years ago.
Today I had a brain fart. I wanted to improve the 15" round racks of the Brinkman in hopes of making more of my Salmon make it to the table, and less stuck to the rack. :(
I had some Grill Mats I got quite a while back, but only used one of once. So I dreamed up making strips with a paper cutter, and using some long forgotten basket weaving skills, I interlaced the strips to my racks.
Now I want to get out my last bag of frozen Salmon chunks and smoke up a new batch.... And try out a few of the tricks I've gleaned here so far.
The wife and I gave each other a small chest freezer for Christmas. So we are working on stocking it up a little at a time. First thing I put in it was two bags of frozen plastic Salmon, and some chicken thighs.

Someday... it would be nice to get a proper pellet feed smoker. But I'm gettin by for now. :D


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## SonnyE (Dec 17, 2017)

The modified grill rack worked like a charm. Only a few tiny spots stuck, and it washed up easy.
I'd still like to get one of those mesh things I think.


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## gary s (Dec 18, 2017)

*






 Good morning and welcome to the forum from a cool, foggy and damp day here in East Texas, and the best site on the web. Lots of great people with tons of information on just about everything.*

*Gary*


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## Rings Я Us (Dec 18, 2017)

Man.... Cool set up.. you have an ECB with a cold smoker? Lol looks nice.






I have same kind.


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## SonnyE (Dec 18, 2017)

Rings Я Us said:


> Man.... Cool set up.. you have an ECB with a cold smoker? Lol looks nice.
> 
> I have same kind.



Hi Johnny B!
Ha, Ha, my Brother from another Mother!
Hey I like your gasket! Care to share where I might get something like that for my little R2D2? Would a Lowe's or Home Depot carry that? Looks a bit like gasket material for an industrial application.
I'm seriously thinking about getting some racks I like (square type) and building a wooden box around them.
I may be goin crazy here. I have a pound of ground beef thawing to make some jerky. (Just 1 pound to start)

Are racks for the Masterbuilt ECB available? If they'd measure up for my old Brinkman, I might come to my senses and simply replace my old rusty racks. Do yours fit your Brinkman?
But then, I am like a leaf in the wind... never know where I'll land or when.

My Bradley smoke generator is sorta big for the little bullet, but it works good. I got this many years ago now. (Back when I had a job. LOL) At the time, I figured I kludge it onto my BBQ. But the lonely little Brinkman came to life when it got the generator hung on it. But the price of a box of smoke is getting rediculous for this retired fart.
I'm also torn about using pellets because they are easy to buy around where I live. I can get than at my local Walmart fairly cheap. Of course, if I get set up to run pellets, the price will sky-rocket... Just my dumb luck.
But I have the electric element for mine and can feed in pellets to the pan to make hot smoke.
I've decided electric is best for me, I have solar panels and make excess KW anyway.

Glad to meet somebody who uses a bullet. :D


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## Rings Я Us (Dec 19, 2017)

Hey,
I got my woodstove rope seal at a fireplace shop that sells a bunch of that stuff. Also they sold the RTV high temp sealant to stick it on with.
The el cheapo brinkmann (ECB) was designed with the gap in the lid for exhaust.
People sealed them and installed the dampers on top so smoke rolls around the food better.





I did a bunch of other mods for getting controlled long smokes of 10 + hours.
You can see in the search for ECB Mods.


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## Rings Я Us (Dec 19, 2017)




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## Rings Я Us (Dec 19, 2017)

Started out using a tabletop kettle grill inside but that wasn't good enough for me.


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## Rings Я Us (Dec 19, 2017)

I took and drilled 50 more holes in that tabletop grill and basically turned it into a free standing basket with mega air flow all around.


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## Rings Я Us (Dec 19, 2017)

Now the legs are on the tub and the tub has the vents.. the ECB sits on the tub and is pretty well sealed. I can now fully close off air or keep it wide open to cook up to 400°
The kettle grill can be adjusted up and down for best heat needed also.


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## Rings Я Us (Dec 19, 2017)

ECB now..


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## dr k (Dec 21, 2017)

SonnyE said:


> The modified grill rack worked like a charm. Only a few tiny spots stuck, and it washed up easy.
> I'd still like to get one of those mesh things I think.


I got two perforated stainless steel half circles that are designed to fully cover a 22.5 charcoal grill. The 40" Gen 1 with the heating element in the rigjt rear corner with the sensor above it and the top vent above that needs a mod for even heating. I butt one half circle up against the back wall of the Mes Gen 1 40 on the bottom shelf then put the water pan ontop of it so both are on the bottom rack.  So really I'm only using a portion of the half circle since the water pan sits on the holes in the center of the rack. Now I have so much space below the bottom rack w/o the chip housing so smoke can come in the chip loader hole, mix with hot air and rise without trapping heat below. When preheating, the right side maybe 5*F hotter than the left but are identical thereafter. (I put the water pan up a level for picture taking but both are on the bottom rack for smoking.)





-Kurt


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## gary s (Dec 27, 2017)

*






 Good morning and welcome to the forum from a chilly, damp and dreary day here in East Texas, and the best site on the web. Lots of great people with tons of information on just about everything.

Nice !!*

*Gary*


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