# Welcome to the ECB Users Group



## bobank03 (Jul 31, 2013)

Hey all. Pineywoods created this group for us ECB owners to ask questions, share pictures, brag...whatever. I would suggest that posts should in some part be related to the ECB. 

I will be posting a pic of the mod I made recently. drilling two small holes to insert the probes into my ECB Smoke N Grill. More on that later.


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## mike65 (Aug 1, 2013)

BBQ Chicken Thighs on the ECB.jpg



__ mike65
__ Jun 2, 2015






Thanks Pineywoods for creating the ECB page.    My latest mod was installing the oven gasket around the lid to seal up any space from the smoker body. The next mod will be installing some dampers.


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## bobank03 (Aug 1, 2013)

Mike hows it coming with the dampers? Did you say someone was making them for you? Any pics yet?


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## mike65 (Aug 1, 2013)

Hey Bob -   Yes I have someone making me some dampers.  Pic is below.













photo.JPG



__ shoneyboy
__ Aug 1, 2013


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## bobank03 (Aug 1, 2013)

Looking good. Just need a bend and some holes. Pretty sweet and you can't beat the price.


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## mike65 (Aug 3, 2013)

Yes, the price is right.


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## raspy87 (Aug 5, 2013)

image.jpg



__ raspy87
__ Aug 5, 2013






Finally got the gasket and top vent on the ecb! Gonna do a chicken tomorrow. Also gonna try minion method too! Any insight as to how to incorporate my brinkman smoke box? I know several people just sprinkle wood chips among coals but I'm afraid of flare ups. Suggestions?


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## mike65 (Aug 5, 2013)

I put some wood chips in tin foil and poked holes on the top.   Usually I place the chips in water, but trying to get away from using water since I need to smoke slow n low with the ECB.


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## raspy87 (Aug 5, 2013)

Mike 

That's what I started off doing but I was going through aluminum foil like a fresh pulled pork put in front of a hungry family reunion. So I purchased the brinkman chip box and typically just toss it right on coals. Works so far but that was on hot coals. I'm thinking just stuff it and lay across hot/cold coals in the minion so as the coals heat up it'll heat the box. I'm gonna go with that tomorrow. I'll take some pictures and start a new thread hear. Plan on firing up around 1p, keep the SMF handy!

Cheers


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## raspy87 (Aug 7, 2013)

Hey y'all. Smoked a bird yesterday came out really good. Thread is over is ecb group. Smoking some burgers tonight decided to try lump charcoal and am having the same problem of to high of a temp. Yesterday's temp was 290 and help rock solid. Today is well over 300* why can I keep the temp low?


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## bobank03 (Aug 7, 2013)

raspy87 said:


> Hey y'all. Smoked a bird yesterday came out really good. Thread is over is ecb group. Smoking some burgers tonight decided to try lump charcoal and am having the same problem of to high of a temp. Yesterday's temp was 290 and help rock solid. Today is well over 300* why can I keep the temp low?


I can't tell from your smoker pic. Do you have a vent in your lid? Did you do the mod to the charcoal pan of drilling holes? Maybe you have too many or too big of holes?


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## bobank03 (Aug 7, 2013)

never mind, didn't see the lid pic earlier... Although my damper looks bigger? it is 4.5 inches wide and has 4 holes that are 3/4 on an inch in diameter. (The damper itself has 1" holes but I couldn't find the 1" hole saw I have so I made do with a 3/4" drill bit. 













bobank  brinkmann smokengrill.jpg



__ bobank03
__ Jul 20, 2013






Maybe you are still holding in too much heat? I think the lump charcoal does burn slightly hotter than regular charcoal. Do you have any more dampers? maybe add another one to the other side, which you may need to keep partially closed.


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## raspy87 (Aug 7, 2013)

I did the fire pan mod 8 1/4" holes on both sides per Jeff's mods. The top damper is only about 2.5" across with 3 half inch holes. Don't know how I feel about the lump the lumps flared up!  This was a second practice run for Saturdays big Q. Think I'm gonna go back to briquettes but less than last nights smoke which was steady at around 290.


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## flash (Aug 10, 2013)

Mine is actually retired now, but it was my starter smoker. Over 35 years old I figure. Still think I can offer some help and opinions though.













ECB.jpg



__ flash
__ Sep 2, 2012


















BrikmanTemp006.jpg



__ flash
__ Aug 21, 2012


















ECB 190.JPG



__ flash
__ Oct 16, 2012






Tried to find it a home, but couldn't get any takers.


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## bobank03 (Aug 10, 2013)

Hey Flash, I have seen a lot of your posts. Consider yourself an honorary lifetime member of the ECB Group! (Open membership and welcome to any and all) We welcome your future input!


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## flash (Aug 10, 2013)

I cut my teeth on that old smoker. Back when I started seemed the only food I saw smoked was Turkey and that was it. Did the mods. Love the cinder block setup. It really jacked up the temps.


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## bobank03 (Aug 10, 2013)

yeah, the concrete blocks are a great mod and easy to do. I will admit that old ECB of yours inspired me to do some of the mods to mine to make it better.


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## flash (Aug 10, 2013)

LOL, I'd had kept it but the wife wanted a gas stove in the cook area, so something had to go.


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## raspy87 (Aug 10, 2013)

Flash what did you end up doing with it? If it still around I'm sure i could find a nice home for that relic!!!


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## flash (Aug 11, 2013)

Well as you can see from the 1st pic, it was hauled off to the dump. A sad ending for it for sure, but doubt you would have wanted to drive down to FL from RI.  Maybe during winter time??


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## raspy87 (Aug 11, 2013)

Have a brand new camper and a young family more than willing to take a ride! Unlike most Rhode Islanders a 3-5 hour trip is a day trip. A FLA trip is a 7 day vacation! Too bad! :-(


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## bobank03 (Aug 11, 2013)

What have you got for a camper? Always wanted one, never had the room to keep it.


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## mike65 (Aug 11, 2013)

We have a Hybrid Camper.  Sleeps 8-10.


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## raspy87 (Aug 12, 2013)

Hybrid here too love it!


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## mike65 (Sep 15, 2013)

Look what I found for the charcoal pan.  

Was over at GFS today after church and found this here screen and it fits perfect. This will improve the charcoal issues I have been having.













image.jpg



__ mike65
__ Sep 15, 2013


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## bobank03 (Oct 8, 2013)

Mike,

Have you tried out the screen yet? Whats GFS?


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## mike65 (Oct 27, 2013)

bobank03 said:


> Mike,
> 
> Have you tried out the screen yet? Whats GFS?


GFS = Gordon Food Service.  The screen worked well for only 1 use.  I have purchased a grill grate to go in the pan now. I did a 6.8lb pork butt yesterday and still having low temp issues in the ECB.  I had to finish the pork in the oven.


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## bobank03 (Oct 31, 2013)

Nothing wrong with finishing up in the oven...


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## magslam (Nov 20, 2013)

Mike65 said:


> I put some wood chips in tin foil and poked holes on the top.   Usually I place the chips in water, but trying to get away from using water since I need to smoke slow n low with the ECB.


That works good: soaked chips foiled is almost "certified" smoking,


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## magslam (Dec 1, 2013)

Mike65 said:


> Look what I found for the charcoal pan.
> 
> Was over at GFS today after church and found this here screen and it fits perfect. This will improve the charcoal issues I have been having.
> 
> ...


Is it galvanized? Stay away from galvanized as much as possible.


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## smokin bark (Oct 17, 2014)

Re-discovered my ECB today. Thought I had pitched it last year.  Had to clean her up and purchase some supplies. Just thought I would bring the thread back to life since my ECB is back from the dead.


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## david sinanan (May 25, 2015)

Hey All,

Pretty new all around. To my ECB (a gift from a friend), to smoking in general, and to SMF.

After reading around, I did a couple mods that are suggested. I found the $20 Masterbuilt charcoal tabletop grill from Home Depot as well (as some folks here), picked up a temperature gauge.

Thought I'd mention about the inexpensive Masterbuilt grill. It comes with 3 dampers with it. So I installed the one on the charcoal pan as per spec, and the lid one in the top. There's a 3rd in the box that I'll hang on to for now.

Only thing I'm having trouble with is the lid gasket. The lid is 129 cm around, and all the Wood Stove gasket kits I'm seeing are under 1 m of the fiberglass rope. Do we know where I can get a deal on some fiberglass gasket material, or another suitable product to seal that lid up some?

I'm thinking that once I've got the gasket seal, I should be in decent business. Although, with the new charcoal pan I've already seen a decent improvement in burn quality.













Smoker.jpg



__ david sinanan
__ May 25, 2015






Note: The plates are from my Old Car. I just grew up in Ontario, so I figured I'd keep them around now that I'm in Nova Scotia.

Now...I just gotta figure out what I'm going to put in the smoker next!


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## smokin bark (May 25, 2015)

Welcome. Not sure of the size rope I used but it was an oven door seal. Found it at ACE in their clearance bin.  It seals well and seems to be holding up.


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## jumbalay35 (Jun 8, 2015)

Hey guys still new to smoking here. And I too have the ECB that I bought last year from Bass Pros shops here in T.O Canada.

I am tired of having to fight my temp being either too high or too low so I am thinking about converting it to an electric smoker.

I bought a replacement element that I plan on attaching to the coal pan with some nuts and bolts. And from what I have read the element will keep a steady heat of around 200-225 which is ideal.

My question is has anyone else done this and if so how were the results? Would I still need to add water to the water pan or I have also read about people using lava rocks for the electric smokers. Could I use that instead of the water.Or what about sand?

Would I need to add a vent to the top or side for more air flow? if I am using electric then I dont see the need for it vent as the heat is coming from the element and not the coals right?

Open to any and all suggestion and recommendations and tips of course :)


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## bmaddox (Jun 8, 2015)

Jumbalay35 said:


> Hey guys still new to smoking here. And I too have the ECB that I bought last year from Bass Pros shops here in T.O Canada.
> 
> I am tired of having to fight my temp being either too high or too low so I am thinking about converting it to an electric smoker.
> 
> ...


I hope you haven't invested much money in this endeavor and I hope you don't take this personally but that is a waste of your time and money. For $70 you can get an electric ECB or for $150 you can get an electric Masterbuilt. Both of which will perform better than a converted charcoal smoker. You will spend a lot of time and effort trying to reinvent the wheel to get the smoker to work right. 

If you are set on continuing with this process then you could set the element on the bottom of the smoker and then mount a cast iron pan an inch or so above that to hold the wood. You don't need a vent as the lid on an ECB leaks a lot (unless you have sealed the lid then you need a vent)


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## jumbalay35 (Jun 8, 2015)

Thanks for the tips Bmadoxx but I only paid 30 bucks for the element and the prices here Canada well at least Bass Pro are higher. The electric ECB here is about $99 and the Masterbuilt is approx 199 cad. Trust me if I could afford either I would love to get one of those. I am pretty tight on funds at the moment (wedding season has hit lol). I was gonna try with the electric element for fathers day to see how it worked, and if it works, great if not I can always switch it back to coal until I get a newer one.


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## magslam (Jun 9, 2015)

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Reflecti...ith-Staple-Tab-ST16025/100012574?N=5yc1vZbedf

I have read about people using the above blanket to help control the ECB temps. Weber has a small WSM 14.5 inches that is good for not too long cooks; if > 6-7 hrs seems their 18.5 is better.

Good luck!!


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## gary s (Jun 9, 2015)

Cool !


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## jumbalay35 (Jun 9, 2015)

Hey guys, so I think I have everything that I need for my charcoal to electric conversion of my ECB (Brinkmann Smoke N Grill). I have the element ready and will attach that to the top portion of my charcoal pan, Will run the cord underneath the lip of the smoker(if I don't decide to run it through the smoker). I will add a pie pan to the top of the element with m y wood chunks/chips. Now my question is this. I was planning on using either rocks or sand in the water pan but was gonna leave the element open and not surround it with the lava rocks. Is this a good idea or do I need to surround the element with the rocks?

I plan on doing a couple of racks for fathers day and was going to do the mods possibly this weekend. so what are your thoughts? Is the sand/rocks ok just in the water pan or do I need to add them to surround the element at the bottom.

Also any other suggestions or tips I need for my conversion

Thanks guys


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## bmaddox (Jun 9, 2015)

Jumbalay35 said:


> Hey guys, so I think I have everything that I need for my charcoal to electric conversion of my ECB (Brinkmann Smoke N Grill). I have the element ready and will attach that to the top portion of my charcoal pan, Will run the cord underneath the lip of the smoker(if I don't decide to run it through the smoker). I will add a pie pan to the top of the element with m y wood chunks/chips. Now my question is this. I was planning on using either rocks or sand in the water pan but was gonna leave the element open and not surround it with the lava rocks. Is this a good idea or do I need to surround the element with the rocks?
> 
> I plan on doing a couple of racks for fathers day and was going to do the mods possibly this weekend. so what are your thoughts? Is the sand/rocks ok just in the water pan or do I need to add them to surround the element at the bottom.
> 
> ...


I think the lava rocks around the element in the E-ECB are really more of a separation between the element and the wood. If you are building a separate wood tray they shouldn't be required. Play sand would be a good bet in the water pan but I actually use the water in my E-ECB. I preheat it on the stove to aid in the initial warm up of the smoker since it can take a while on its own.

What size element did you buy? The factory one is 1500 watts and is a little under powered considering all the air leakage the unit has.


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## jumbalay35 (Jun 9, 2015)

3198sMjKSrL._SL160_.jpg



__ jumbalay35
__ Jun 9, 2015






This is the one I git I do believe it is the 1500 w. I am hoping with the the mods IO have done (the basic ones and with the lid sealed pretty good along with the sand the heat should be where I need and want it to be..Only time will tell I guess lol


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## bmaddox (Jun 9, 2015)

Using the stock element is going to make it hard to control. The element is always on so if you seal it up too well it could run hot. I haven't used my ECB in a while because of that which is why I am currently building a PID controller so I can actually set the temp.


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## jumbalay35 (Jun 9, 2015)

bmaddox said:


> Using the stock element is going to make it hard to control. The element is always on so if you seal it up too well it could run hot. I haven't used my ECB in a while because of that which is why I am currently building a PID controller so I can actually set the temp.


that's a good point perhaps I will just leave the top lid unsealed and use it for more airflow.

Still new to the smoking game but what is a PID?  I assume that it is like a temp control valve or something along those lines.

Thanks for the tips dude I appreciate it :)


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## bmaddox (Jun 10, 2015)

A PID is a programmable temperature controller that uses a temp probe to turn a device on and off. For smoking the are used to either turn an electric element on and off or turn a pit fan on and off.

I am building one with parts I bought online and it will cost me about $60 when it is done (but man is it a headache). There are companies that sell them already built but they are $150-$250.


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## gary s (Jun 10, 2015)

That's more than the smoker cost

Gary


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## legzyd (Jun 16, 2015)

Gary, I use a raspberry pi controller on my ECB attached to a computer fan. It wasn't to difficult to assemble, I set temps from my computer or phone and let it be. 

You can use it on more than one smoker as well. 

Totally worth it!


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