# New Braunfels Smoker?



## daddyzaring

I was wondering if anyone one here own or could tell me anything about the new braunfels smokers?  I found one on the craigslist for $25.  The ad doesn't say much just, "New Braunfels wood or charcoal smoker made of heavy gage steel, still good."  I am assuming though since it is supposed to be heavy gaged steel that it is possibly an older one (before Charbroil took over).
The only one I have ever seen is the one in the picture below.  Are there any other types, and would it be worth $25?  I hoping to go look at it this coming Thursday.


I am not sure if it is this one or not, yet.


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## mossymo

$25 is a steal if it is not rusted out, I would try and look at it as soon as possible. I would love to find one and I wouldn't hesitate for a $125.


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## fourthwind

That would definately be worth it for the pictured item, but likely for that price it's for one of their mini offset smokers.  The little offsets are pretty tough to get long smokes out of, and to keep a constant temp.  I got one for free from a guy, and I will say that it will teach you a lot about fire control.  Good practice for when you get a bigger smoker!


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## adiochiro3

could be one of several types.  i picked up one last year for the same price that was an older vertical smoker -- nice heavy gauge, great construction.  smokes like a dream.  grab it if its not already gone.


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## daddyzaring

Are the mini ones made out of heavy gage steel?


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## beer-b-q

I have three New Braunfels smokers, one is a Bandera like the one you have pictured, one is a horizontal Hondo SFB, and the other one is a Vertical with a water pan like a ECB but is about 5' tall and made of 1/4" steel.  All of them are made very heavily and worth more than $25.00 so if you can find one for that I would suggest getting it and you will be happy with it.  JMHO


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## daddyzaring

Well we get paid Thursday, and I am going to go look at it then.  I am wanting to find a decent sized vertical smoker, so hopefully it's one of those.


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## daddyzaring

Well heading out tomorrow afternoon to give it a look, wish me luck.
For $25 I am thinking as long as it isn't all rusted up, I will probably get it even if it isn't what I want.  I figure I can clean, and fix it up real good and resell it.


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## eaglewing

*If you don't get it I WILL!!!*

So you better get it... they are basically a mild classic/collectors item.

Once MODDED correctly and they are also your best smoking friend!!


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## daddyzaring

I'm really hoping it is the vertical type.  Anyway it goes, I won't miss the $25 dollars too long, I have a short memory. lol (CRS Sufferer)


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## daddyzaring

Well it isn't the one I was hoping.  It's actually a barrel type smoker/grill with out the side firebox. m It is the older type made of steel and not sheet metal though.  I am waiting for the pictures to finish uploading to Photobucket right now.  
I figure I can clean it up real good, replace the grills, and charcoal rack, and through a new paint job on it, and resell it for a decent profit to use toward what I really want.  It does have alot of surface rust, but I have a bunch of wire brushes for my drill I should be able to clean it up real good with.  If anyone has any ideas or input, I welcome it.















Well there it is, I am shocked all my pictures came out so clear. lol


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## eaglewing

*WELL, then it wasn't what he said it was???

You can buy a firebox from Home Depot that you can bolt onto that and it should work great

Bolt it onto the STACK side and put a plate in there to make it a REVERSE FLOW

*


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## daddyzaring

New Braunfels didn't make any smokers like this?
I don't want to put too much $$ in this since I am going to resell it.


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## dick foster

If you want to knock off a lot of rust, get yourself to a Harbor Freight or do it online and get yourself a cheap 4 1/2" angle grinder. 
Then equip it with a heavy duty steel wire cup brush and some flap wheel sanding disks and go to town on it. That rust will be gone and you'll have it looking all booful in no time at all. It will beat the heck out of trying to do any amount of rust removal with an electric drill, that much I can guarantee. 

The angle grinders I'm talking about are cheap at about $20 each. At that price you can just use them up and throw them away. I keep a couple of them around. Usually one setup for removing rust or finishing with a cub brush or flap wheel and the other with either a grinding wheel or cutoff wheel depening what I'm up too.

You can get all the abrasives and brushes for it at the same place. 

Don't spend a lot of money for a Milwaukie or something nice unless you do a lot of metal work for a living. The cheap chinese made Chicago Electric etc. will work just fine for what most people need and they last a lot longer than you would think they would for the price.

Be sure to wear some eye protection and a pair of leather gloves is a good idea too. 

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/...ubCategoryName=


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## d-que

Awesome, Foster, I laughed when I read your post because I JUST did what you described, literally, a 4 1/2 grinder with wheels from Harbor Freight.  I have this same smoker, except with an offset firebox from Braunsfels.  It was all busted and rusted up from being left outside in the rain.  I had a welder buddy build me a new firebox and I went to work on the smoking chamber with that grinder.  Replaced the wood rack and handles and coated with polyurethane.  Mounted angle iron inside the firebox to hold a wood/charcoal rack.  Bought a cheap grilling basket from Lowe's to hold my lump in and the whole thing kicks ass.  I will post pics of the before and after products.  I found it interesting that this New Braunsfels looked exactly like mine, but without an offset firebox.  These photos seem almost like I'm looking at a mutant of the original and makes me wonder if someone might have done some work on this unit in the past to remove the firebox and reuse the firebox door, fitting it into the side of the smoking chamber.  You'll see what I mean when you see my pics.  This variation is very interesting to me.


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## soafung

it's a new braunfels.  they made/make smokers and grills.  some people are ignorant of the fact that there is a difference in a grill and a bbq/smoker.


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## d-que

Here are my "before" pics.....


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## d-que

Of course it's a NB, I spent a week getting to know every single inch and curve of mine while refinishing it.  Evidently I was *ignorant* of your asserted fact that NB made a grill which looked so much like it's brother, the smoker.  I am not however, *ignorant* of the difference between a smoker and a grill.  There are many barrel style smokers, many in fact, which lack any distinctive offset firebox.  I may still be branded "Newbie" here and realize you have achieved the esteemed "Mopper" status due only to post count, but let me assure you, I have smoked more meat than you can shake an entire oak tree at......


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## d-que

After pics............


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## daddyzaring

Calm down, I don't believe he was referring to you, more like the guy I bought it from, maybe.
I personally wasn't sure if there was an exact difference, myself I would have considered it a grill too.  I just don't know alot about NB, and thought maybe they considered it a smoker, alot of of companies do.


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## daddyzaring

Which side is the firebox. LOL
Cleaned up, and all repaired, what should this grill be worth?


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## d-que

SoaFung........We can certainly agree on your avatar..........love it.


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## d-que

OK, OK, I'll admit the FB is a little on the large side for a smoker this size.........18" x 18", but I have a master plan.  I am going to build a larger offset from rolled steel and attach this FB to it.  I will then mount both the new smoker and this old smoke chamber, converted for gas grilling to my trailer.  It's all part of the plan daddy.  I just gotta have me a working smoker between now and when I get my big one done.  BTW, this one runs great, holds temps and only requires tending about half the time it use to with the smaller box.


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## daddyzaring

Well I am planning on reselling this one.  I am hoping to find a good sized vertical smoker.  I like the space of the vertical ones.


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## d-que

Is this a good size?


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## daddyzaring

Needs at least one more rack, and  some rods to hang meat from, but that would be about the right size for the way I like to cook.


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## soafung

D-Que, i was not implying that you were the ignorant party.  the person selling the grill as a smoker is the ignorant one.  btw, what you did to you NB is EXACTLY what i have planed for mine.  that sure turned out awesome.  i wanna size the fire box big enough to eventually upgrade the smoke chamber.  doing a custom build for the back yard piecemeal style.  firebox first, then a new frame with a better wood storage area and the shelves on the frame.

sorry to offend you.

daddyzaring, get rid of the rust, repaint and sell that thing.  i would price it at your original purchase price ($60) + double (maybe triple) the refurb costs.  it would be a fair price and you would still make some cheese.


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## d-que

I apologize, I have a hair trigger at times.  Disregard the shaking of the oak tree please


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## daddyzaring

Really that low?  I've seen alot of newer, cheap, thin ones like this go for a whole lot more.  I am planning on at least stripping it down to the bare steel, painting it, new wood on rack and handle, and probably expanded metal grates, and charcoal basket.  I found two whole 48"x96" SS expanded metal sheets for $70, I might get and use.


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## soafung

well if it costs you 70 bucks to refurb that guy sell her for $200


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## d-que

$ 60 Purchase Price
$ 70 SS Grates
$ 10 Misc Parts/Bolts
$ 15/hr labor @ minimum 6 hr labor
_______________________

$ 230.00

Or wait until after Jan 2013 when conservatives run both the White House and both Houses of Congress and you may get more for it on the recession's long awaited upswing.


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## daddyzaring

I like you numbers better, though I am not sure where you all got the purchase price?  I only gave $25, and I sure as heck ain't going to use two whole sheets of SS on this either. lol
I was thinking somewhere in the $200-$300 range, but I was hoping for more opinions.


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## tom37

Hi everyone, I havent posted here in a while. Sorry for that, I spend a great deal of time reading and searching. Thanks for the great site. 

I try to refrain my self from offering input unless I am pretty darn confident in what I say. So here goes....

As posted above, YES the Harbor Freight grinder is the way to go for sure. But Please don't waste your money on the blue grinders, they smoke, and its not the good kind of smoke. Here is the link for the one that is the best by a long shot. Watch the item number if you buy in store or order online. This one is 91223 not 91222. The 222 number grinder won't last. Nor will the blue one. Yes they are throw away but when on sale the 91223 is only 15 bucks. I probally abuse my cheep grinders and have several at this time, just so I dont have to take the time to switch up grinding wheels. BTW I am a heavy use home hobby welder. 
http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-d...der-91223.html


Here is a link to by far the very best wheel at removing rust and paint. If you really hammer down on it, it will grind the steel so watch the pressure. Home Depot is a little high on price but Harbor Freight I think was about 5 bucks in store last saterday when I picked up two.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...THDStoreFinder


I am not in any way connected to either of these products or companys, I only wish to help others to save money and there time.

Daddyzaring, did you find SS expanded at a salvage or is that new price somewhere. Last I checked #9 4x8 mild steel was running near 50 bucks a sheet.


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## daddyzaring

There's an ad on craigslist, I haven't actually bought it yet, just know where I can get a hold of it.


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## smokinwife

Bought one for my husband 10 years ago. It's a keeper, and so is he now that he's smokin (sorry, bad pun). It is our 2nd nb smoker and I wouldn't trade it for any other. Recently refurbished it (dismantled, rust removed/sanded and repainted) and it's better than anything else I could find. Nothing can match it for the price.....


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## tbahl

these are great smokers Ive had mine for 8 to ten years geat smoking .


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## ctuck

the one you have pictured is the BEST......we've had one for years and have used it so much that it's time for a new one so if anyone know where I can purchase one like the on in the picture, please please please let me know.  My husband absolutely loves it and can't seem to fine one that even comes close.


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## fgaii

I have been using a 16" NB with a left side firebox for about 8 years.  A friend that was moving to Prescott, AZ traded me an Ugly Stick fishing pole for it.  It's a good unit with thick gauge steel.  Have been smoking albacore and salmon this past fall.  I use a few briquets for core temperature, then dry apple wood chunks on top.  I get ~ 175-200 deg. F for about 10-15 minutes at a time.  Over a five hour smoke, it's a bit of babysitting.  But the flavor!  Used mesquite logs to BBQ fresh cornish game hens and ducks at ~ 275 deg. F, but may have been too hot.  Hankering for a 20" Horizon with the vertical stack for smoking, as I think the grill is too close to the fire.


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## bobby wms

this is like the smoker i got does anyone know where to get a cover for it


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