What Smoker Is This? (BBQ newbie)


 
JJackson

JJackson

TVWBB Member
I have never smoked anything before, other than poor attempts with chips on my Genesis. So I saw a good opportunity to learn when I saw this bullet smoker on CL for a few bucks. It came with a few bags of KBB and chunks.

Can anyone help me identify this? And maybe some tips? I'm not sure it will work well. It's open on the bottom. The charcoal bowl and water bowl both sit on little arms.

Also, the water bowl is rusty. Will it still be usable?

Thanks, guys!


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I'd say it is still usable. Be a nice starter set to see if you like to smoke and cook low and slow before getting a more expensive cooker. Cook on it a few times and see what you think.

I'd foil the water pan and run it with no water. Full load of KBB unlit with some chunks of wood and 12 lit on top of the unlit dial in the temp. to 250 wait for the white smoke to disapate and put your meat of choice on.

Have fun
 
Dustin Flavell said:
JJackson, Are my eyes missing it or is there no vent in the lid?
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You are correct. No vents anywhere.

The lid doesn't fit perfectly tight, so I can see a tiny bit of light all the way around the lid. I assume that's how the smoke escapes.

I have no idea what that means for temp control. Maybe controlling, other than water and amount of fuel, won't be possible...?

Good thing it was cheap. And came with chunks and KBB.
 
TonyUK said:
I noticed that too Dustin. Would like to see underneath it also.
I've looked on the web and it appears that there is no vent on the top. (Looks like a Brinkmann Gourmet, as Dustin D. mentioned). There are pics of it with drilled holes mod on the web.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=104545
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Thanks, Tony.

Under the charcoal bowl that sits on those little nubs, it's all open. With the lid off and bowls out, it's just a big tube.

I wish it looked like the one on BBQ-B. That one looks closed on the bottom, like an upside down lid. He was able to add a damper on the bottom. Mine just sits on 3 feet.

Maybe I just need to commandeer my dad's kettle and use that instead...
 
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JJ.

I think you have the model that doesn't have a bottom section. Just the charcoal bowl with a hole in it. Is that right?
 
JJ.
Without any vents, I'm having a hard time understanding how to control the temps.
Maybe someone here, who has owned one, can explain how it works for controlling temps without any mods.
 
TonyUK said:
JJ.
Without any vents, I'm having a hard time understanding how to control the temps.
Maybe someone here, who has owned one, can explain how it works for controlling temps without any mods.
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You really can't control the temps. I had a similar version of that thing and the idea behind it ( according to the "directions") was that with a full water bowl and the limited air in/ out, it was supposed to keep the temp "in the smoking zone" automatically. I did a couple of test burns in mine, one with briquettes and one with lump. Both failed miserably. Temp would spike as the water started to boil, and boil off fast as mine only held like 2 cups of water, and then fall as the fuel was consumed. As long as your "smoking zone" was 95 - 380 degrees, then yeah, it sort of worked.

I could have fiddled with it a some more, but didn't want to waste the time.
 
the ECB (EL Cheapo Brinkman) can be a decent smoker with a few inexpensive mods. There is a ton of information out there just search ECB Smoker. The lid is supposed to be out of round. The idea being you can adjust the size of the gap by turning the lid to make the gap wider or smaller. Obviously this doesn't work too well. The first recommended mods are to switch the feet around so they bolt on the out side of the body. This allows you to put the charcoal pan on a raised platform (bricks or whatever) and then just set the smoker over it. Then when its time to refuel you can just pick up the smoker move it over, load fuel and set the smoker back on top. keeps the temps stable inside the smoker. Look it up, it works great. 2nd mod is to seal up the gap in the lid and drill a vent into the lid. these mods will make the smoker usable. I had ECB until I built my mini then sold this to a friend who still uses it. Good luck!
 
It looks just like the Brinkman I started out with in 1983.
It smoked chickens, turkeys, and country style ribs really well.
I never had success with brisket.
It does not need any vents, the lid fits very loose.
If you have Academy Sports near you or Home Depot you can get parts for it pretty cheap.
If the water pan is rusted it probably leaks too.
If you read up on the hot-n-fast cooking method that is probably going to be the best way to try to cook on it.
Good luck.
 
Thanks, guys. I'm not expecting it to work super well. I have a 22" kettle as backup.

I plan on switching the legs around and setting the charcoal bowl on blocks and drilling holes in the side of the bowl for air.

I am worried about the coals smothering in their ash. They need to sit on some kind of grate. No one sells the Smokey Joe grates, at least not in B&M stores. Maybe I can cut some chicken wire...?
 
Charles H. said:
It smoked chickens, turkeys, and country style ribs... I never had success with brisket.
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I think some stuffed jalapeños, followed by a few racks of BB ribs (in half, on a rack) will be my first attempt at smoking.

Does it just not keep heat long enough for brisket?
 
Hopefully this will help any other new ECB/Smoke-n-Grill owners:

The charcoal pan is basically unusable. It's just a bowl, with no holes for air, and the ashes quickly smother anything out.

I bought a charcoal grate for a Smokey Joe (Weber part # 7439), 4 2" carriage bolts, and some washers. I made legs for the grate so now it stands off the bowl enough for ash buildup (just setting it in the bowl was fine, but it was only about 1/2" off the bottom). I also drilled 8 holes around the side, just above where the grate sits.


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JJackson said:
Does it just not keep heat long enough for brisket?
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Mine cooked hot and since Al Gore had not invented the internet yet I never could figure out exactly how to successfully cook a brisket.
Now I know to throw it in there and not worry about the cooking temperature, just monitor the bark and when it looks right wrap the brisket.
Then start probing for tenderness and pull it when it probes tender.
I think my old Brinkman would run 10-12 hours on a heaping bowl of Kingsford blue bag.
I cooked lots of turkeys and country style ribs and everyone tore into it like a pack of starving Texans.
 
As previously mentioned it looks like a Brinkman or Brinkman like smoker. It was my first smoker now it's my fish smoker. What puzzles me is where to put the charcoal? Mine has two pieces on the bottom. One that holds the charcoal and upon which the body sits and fits in another with the legs. Why th the bottom wide open where do you put the charcoal? If you just put it on the ground all you have is a red chimney.
 
John Neuser said:
As previously mentioned it looks like a Brinkman or Brinkman like smoker. It was my first smoker now it's my fish smoker. What puzzles me is where to put the charcoal? Mine has two pieces on the bottom. One that holds the charcoal and upon which the body sits and fits in another with the legs. Why th the bottom wide open where do you put the charcoal? If you just put it on the ground all you have is a red chimney.
Click to expand...


This body sits on the 3 legs. With its lid off, it's just a tube/chimney, yes. The charcoal bowl sits on the arms at the bottom of the tube. The water bowl on the legs above that. And 2 grates above that.
 
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