Brinkman Smoke & Grill
- Thread starter tmfast
- Start date
Wayne Truelove
TVWBB Pro
I have a Char-Griller with the side fire box that is very similar in looks for about the same price at Lowes. Not sure if the Brinkmann has a dedicated forum like the Char-Griller but check out the Barbecuebible site.....you might be surprised at the support for the CG w/SFB.
I spent a lot of time researching (some say inordinate amount of time) different smokers some years ago before buying a WSM…here are some observations for what it is worth…
Main things will be workmanship, design and materials issues. Many complained of poorly fitting parts causing air leaks. At least 3 design considerations…does it have a baffle between the fire and chamber, without one food near the fire will burn. Does the chimney exit at or below food level…without then the heat just rises and goes out the top. What thickness is the metal, many complain that cheaper smokers don’t hold the heat well. That being said, with some fairly simple modifications an inexpensive smoker can be made into a nice one.
See here
Main things will be workmanship, design and materials issues. Many complained of poorly fitting parts causing air leaks. At least 3 design considerations…does it have a baffle between the fire and chamber, without one food near the fire will burn. Does the chimney exit at or below food level…without then the heat just rises and goes out the top. What thickness is the metal, many complain that cheaper smokers don’t hold the heat well. That being said, with some fairly simple modifications an inexpensive smoker can be made into a nice one.
See here
George Curtis
TVWBB Olympian
tmfast, which one are you talking about ?
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by george curtis:
tmfast, which one are you talking about ? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Um the Brinkman Smoke N Grill.
At Home Depot
tmfast, which one are you talking about ? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
At Home Depot
Kyle Fisher
TVWBB Member
At every Home Depot I've where I've passed through the grill section (okay, that's all of them!), these are on display but badly deformed. The lid never seals properly. That may be home depot's fault or the manufacturer.
TM,
I also have the Char-griller with the side fire box. Very similar. I've had the CG longer than the WSM, so I have more experience with it.
The main advantage to the WSM is that it is a whole lot less fuss. I would never dream of doing an overnight cook on the CG w/o getting up every two hours.
The Char-griller (and I assume the Brinkman) can also double as a grill, with a fairly large surface area for cooking. I also can get more meat in the CG than the WSM.
I also like to mop while cooking. I find this easier on the CG than the WSM.
Take all this for all that its worth, which may not be much. As I get more experience on the WSM, I may form different opions of strenghts and weakness vs. the Chargriller.
I also have the Char-griller with the side fire box. Very similar. I've had the CG longer than the WSM, so I have more experience with it.
The main advantage to the WSM is that it is a whole lot less fuss. I would never dream of doing an overnight cook on the CG w/o getting up every two hours.
The Char-griller (and I assume the Brinkman) can also double as a grill, with a fairly large surface area for cooking. I also can get more meat in the CG than the WSM.
I also like to mop while cooking. I find this easier on the CG than the WSM.
Take all this for all that its worth, which may not be much. As I get more experience on the WSM, I may form different opions of strenghts and weakness vs. the Chargriller.
Don't waist your money, look for a used one on Craig's list. The WSM is by far the best little smoker for the money. I found an off-set smoker like the one your looking at for $20.00 at a garage sale. It's fun to smoke on and I primarily use it for salmon but you need to watch them continually, they are definitely not set it and forget it smokers. Good luck.
George Curtis
TVWBB Olympian
i looked and it had their bullets named the same thing thus my confusion. get the cg if ya need something like that but a wsm is way better.
Patrick Sullivan
TVWBB Super Fan
I had a Brinkman Smoke and Grill Electric. I sold it on Craigs List and bought a WSM this summer. The Brinkman was so poorly made and you couldn't control the temperature. If there was any wind at all, the temp ran too low and you couldn't get it any higher. The thermometer didn't show a temp, rather it just shows low, ideal, high. I had trouble getting it into the ideal range. The WSM seems alot easier to control and produces a much better product. I found mine on Craigs List for $150.
j biesinger
TVWBB Platinum Member
Toby is correct, these things are on craig's list all the time.
I tried helping my wife's cousin break in his brinkman, thinking I could apply some of my wsm bbq skills. I quickly realized that it doesn't work at all like a wsm (duh...
). Most of the heat generated by the charcoal radiates off the top of the fire box, and very little makes its way through the cooking tube. I kept adding more charcoal and never got the thing close to a reasonable cooking temp. Also because of the necessity of keeping the fire box very hot, you have much more complete combustion of the smoking wood, and as a result you end up using way more smoke wood for less flavor.
I tried helping my wife's cousin break in his brinkman, thinking I could apply some of my wsm bbq skills. I quickly realized that it doesn't work at all like a wsm (duh...
I smoked on an ECB (El Cheapo Brinkman) for the better part of a decade. Made some ****ed fine 'Q. I'd say that I earned my reputation for briskets on an ECB, believe it or not. I also constantly modified the bejesus out of it. I had 2 of 'em, in fact, and would spray paint cows or chicken stencils on the sides after successful "missions"! It really was that much of an ordeal; I truly earned those combat medals...
Overnight burns were essentially overnight campouts, spray bottle in hand, nursing the beast (and a 6-pack). It's a labor-intensive wild ride--and your results WILL vary.
I'm a decade older and wiser now. The 22.5 WSM is perfection. Plug and play, really. I now concentrate more on meat prep, sleep better (!), but have to find other excuses to down a 6-pack alone on the back deck in the middle of the night while swatting mosquitoes...
Your call, brother. Experience is a fine teacher!
(Still have the ECB's collecting dust as trophy reminders of days gone by--a few friends have actually asked if they can have them!)
Overnight burns were essentially overnight campouts, spray bottle in hand, nursing the beast (and a 6-pack). It's a labor-intensive wild ride--and your results WILL vary.
I'm a decade older and wiser now. The 22.5 WSM is perfection. Plug and play, really. I now concentrate more on meat prep, sleep better (!), but have to find other excuses to down a 6-pack alone on the back deck in the middle of the night while swatting mosquitoes...
Your call, brother. Experience is a fine teacher!
(Still have the ECB's collecting dust as trophy reminders of days gone by--a few friends have actually asked if they can have them!)
Derek Yoder
TVWBB Fan
I had a Brinkman S&G for two years and would agree with ToddF. I made a lot of good Q, but it was so freakin labor intensive that it was nuts. I had to adjust vents, re-add feul, move meat, etc every 30-45 mins. I really liked the offset design, but I can't afford the good offests (1/4" steel) so I reluctantly went with the WSM, and boy I'm really glad that I did! It is so easy to keep the temps under control that I almost feel like I'm cheating somehow!
Phil Perrin
TVWBB Hall of Fame
My boss just got a Brinkman S&G through work(the same way I got my WSM). He wanted to know if there were any secrets to q-ing. I laughed and told him to get a WSM! Then told him that some people on the forum use the Brinkman,so to check out this site. Hope he likes it. I know he likes my q!
I'm another owner of a CG Smokin' Pro, that is the Char Griller with the SFB.
Got it as a gift a few years ago, and it is a versatile unit. Have had a heckuva time getting/keeping the temps I wanted using the sfb. Finally found on the mfg website that they recommended live fire. Fortunately I've had a supply of cherry wood - but these temps really roast the firebox and trash the paint. Started oiling the sfb to protect against rust. It's not a bad unit for the price, but after 3 years of a fair amount of use it's showing it's age.
Seen enough pics of WSM's at competitions. And spoke with a bbq'er doing a demo of a 22.5 WSM at a local bbq store - that left me impressed with the design (much more efficient than horizontal) and the build quality. Unless you are cooking for a LARGE amount of people one of the WSM's will most likely handle it.
Living in the US you will have a shot at getting a used WSM thru CL or otherwise. Up here they're as rare as hen's teeth. I'm planning to upgrade the Chargriller to a WSM in the early Spring.
Got it as a gift a few years ago, and it is a versatile unit. Have had a heckuva time getting/keeping the temps I wanted using the sfb. Finally found on the mfg website that they recommended live fire. Fortunately I've had a supply of cherry wood - but these temps really roast the firebox and trash the paint. Started oiling the sfb to protect against rust. It's not a bad unit for the price, but after 3 years of a fair amount of use it's showing it's age.
Seen enough pics of WSM's at competitions. And spoke with a bbq'er doing a demo of a 22.5 WSM at a local bbq store - that left me impressed with the design (much more efficient than horizontal) and the build quality. Unless you are cooking for a LARGE amount of people one of the WSM's will most likely handle it.
Living in the US you will have a shot at getting a used WSM thru CL or otherwise. Up here they're as rare as hen's teeth. I'm planning to upgrade the Chargriller to a WSM in the early Spring.