This Brinkman smoker?

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I have the same smoker. It's good to start out with but. You have to modify the fire box so that the fire can breathe and so the ashes fall out the bottom and don't smother the coals. It's also great for Beer Can Chicken. But If you really get into smoking things you will want to upgrade.
 
Like simmons said it will work pretty well with some minor modifications, but for about the same amount of money or less I think you would be better off building an Ugly Drum Smoker. I guess for free though it will do pretty well.
 
I have the electric model (no worries about keeping an eye on the fire or temperature).

I like it. I only smoke up 3-4 times a year, usually a butt or some beer can chicken.

Good little starter, IMHO. if you get it free with points, then all the better.
 
I had one of them for years , the bottom finally rusted out on it and I made the upgrade to a Brinkmann Smoke-n-Pit, I made several mods as described on another forum, even heat, better control, I absolutely love it!
 
FYI, HIGH maintenance until modified, and even then it is not an indirect system. No doubt you can make good BBQ in them, but they are not really indirect (even with a liquid pan in there). To be fair I don't use an egg for the same reason but have tasted great, not good, BBQ from them.
 
Would there be a better option for a starter smoker? I like the option of using this as a charcoal grill too.

Edit: I'll read up on the UDS as well, but living in a picky HOA townhouse community, I'm not sure how well a big ugly drum sitting on my deck will go over. :)
 
Would there be a better option for a starter smoker? I like the option of using this as a charcoal grill too.

Edit: I'll read up on the UDS as well, but living in a picky HOA townhouse community, I'm not sure how well a big ugly drum sitting on my deck will go over. :)

A weber kettle cover fits over it perfectly. I have a real picky HOA and nobody has ever said anything to me about the 3 grills I have on my deck. They all have covers though.
 
A weber kettle cover fits over it perfectly. I have a real picky HOA and nobody has ever said anything to me about the 3 grills I have on my deck. They all have covers though.

+1, my HOA is a PITA but never complained about my covered grills. Also for the smoker, if it will sit on patio you use a lot then cover is practically a must. Flies LOVE smokers and a cover helps a lot in my experience.
 
I just spent 5 hours cleaning one of the electric versions last night to "re-gift" to my brother in law....I upgraded a couple of years ago to an offset Oklahoma Joes. My suggestion would be to inspect the smoker if possible before taking it home. I bought mine from Lowe's & took 3 back before I got one that wasn't damaged.....the metal is a bit thin. It will produce a great end product though. Best of luck!
 
My first smoker was 2 GIGANTIC terra cotta pots, one buried in the ground and the other for a lid. A couple of grates lying around to hold coals and the food and voila!

It looked pretty great too, but was immobile.

My point? Use your imagination. There is a reason you don't see anything that even resembles those brinkmans at a pro bbq circuit.

Not saying you need what the pros use, but if the brinkman design was great, you would see similar models, only bigger at the contest level.......

You don't.
 
My first smoker was 2 GIGANTIC terra cotta pots, one buried in the ground and the other for a lid. A couple of grates lying around to hold coals and the food and voila!

It looked pretty great too, but was immobile.

My point? Use your imagination. There is a reason you don't see anything that even resembles those brinkmans at a pro bbq circuit.

Not saying you need what the pros use, but if the brinkman design was great, you would see similar models, only bigger at the contest level.......

You don't.

You do, just not the brinkman. WSMs are all over comps.
 
So, what is the main difference? Between Brinkman and WSM?

And most pros don't use the upright smoker. My problem with the BGE is that the heat, however far away, is right below the food.

Indirect is waaaaay better.
 
So, what is the main difference? Between Brinkman and WSM?

And most pros don't use the upright smoker. My problem with the BGE is that the heat, however far away, is right below the food.

Indirect is waaaaay better.

That is nothing but your opinion. Some of what are considered to be the best most expensive "pro" smokers are uprights. It doesn't have to be an offset to make good Q.


The concept behind the brinkman and WSM and the same but the WSM is much much better constructed and desgined. It doesn't need any mods and will hold temp for hours without touching it.
 
That is nothing but your opinion. Some of what are considered to be the best most expensive "pro" smokers are uprights. It doesn't have to be an offset to make good Q.


The concept behind the brinkman and WSM and the same but the WSM is much much better constructed and desgined. It doesn't need any mods and will hold temp for hours without touching it.

:mug:

Easy. Sorry for sharing my "opinion" on this entirely fact based thread!;)

I mention the BGE (big green egg) which I believe is still considered pretty top end. I know it's prioce tag, I still wouldn't buy one, because I want the flames and most of the heat offset.

Yes, that is definitely my opinion.
 
You do, just not the brinkman. WSMs are all over comps.

+1 IMHO The Weber Smokey Mountain is the best inexpensive smoker there is. There are tons of them used by competition teams and they win with them. We use a Spicewine Insulated Smoker at competitions but we also bring a WSM (lovingly known as R2D2).
 
How do you like the Spicewine? I have been eyeing them up and would love one.

I love the way it cooks. With a BBQ Guru and a charcoal basket we can get it to hold temperature for 24 hours on a bag of charcoal. It helps us get a full night sleep at a competition when other teams are up all night feeding their stick burners. We do not use the water pan as I do not believe in steaming the Que. My only gripe is that it weighs 700 lbs. On the plus side it weighs 700 lbs because it is built like a brick chithouse. It may be the last smoker you ever buy.

midispice.jpg
 
I love the way it cooks. With a BBQ Guru and a charcoal basket we can get it to hold temperature for 24 hours on a bag of charcoal. It helps us get a full night sleep at a competition when other teams are up all night feeding their stick burners. We do not use the water pan as I do not believe in steaming the Que. My only gripe is that it weighs 700 lbs. On the plus side it weighs 700 lbs because it is built like a brick chithouse. It may be the last smoker you ever buy.

midispice.jpg

Yeah, I have heard nothing but great things about them. As it is right now I am going to just have an arsenal of UDSs but if I get them money will go with the Spicewine.
 
Smoking a butt this weekend and found that my old kettle was so rusted out it was falling apart so I need a smoker for this weekend. I only smoke occasionally but also grill a bit.

Is this Brinkman Smoke N' Pit Charcoal Grill & Smoker (offset) decent for $190? They also have the upright charcoal and upright electric Brinkmans for $40 and $70 respectively. They claim the upright charcoal can be used as a grill but I don't think I like the idea of using the water bowl to hold the charcoal (seems like poor air flow).
 
Build a UDS. It will be exponentially better. You could build a UDS and still have enough money leftover to brew 15-20 gallons of beer for the same money as that one.
 
In fairness, not all of us want to build an UDS.

I was looking at a grill similar to the one CPA just linked at Wally World wondering if it would be any good. Any opinions.
 
In fairness, not all of us want to build an UDS.

I was looking at a grill similar to the one CPA just linked at Wally World wondering if it would be any good. Any opinions.

I understand that but it really is the best solution for the price range. A WSM is a great product as well but will run 200-300 depending on the size. I have yet to see or hear of anything worth buying for less than that.

Can you produce ok Q from something like what was posted? Yeah, but it will be a ton of work to pull it off. A couple years ago I was dead set on getting an offset chargriller and people on bbq forums tried to convince me to not do it and build a UDS. I ignored them because I was set in my ways and didn't think it would be as good. Finally, I ended up going the UDS route (because lowes stopped carrying the Chargriller) and am extremely thankful that I did.

Are they the absolute best smoker available? Hell no! But there is nothing that can even come close to comparing to them in the $50-175 range.
 
honestly, When I do smoke something, I just use my weber 22.5" kettle grill. Put the coals/wood on one side, and the ribs or whatever I happen to be smoking on the other side of the grill. I put the vent directly across from the coals/wood so the smoke has to move across the food before it exits. Works great. Now on the flip side, you can do a beer can chicken in a weber kettle, just not big enough. But, since im allergic to chicken, I usually only smoke ribs.
 
I forgot about using a weber kettle. It is very doable but it has a very limited capacity and does require a ton of babysitting. Still though ,it is probably a better option than a cheap offset.
 
I forgot about using a weber kettle. It is very doable but it has a very limited capacity and does require a ton of babysitting. Still though ,it is probably a better option than a cheap offset.

I agree. If you dont smoke very often, its a very good option. (with the limited space kept in mind) Plus, when not in use, you have one of the best charcoal grills known to man :mug:
 
I agree. If you dont smoke very often, its a very good option. (with the limited space kept in mind) Plus, when not in use, you have one of the best charcoal grills known to man :mug:

Yup. Main reason I would reccomend the weber over a cheap offset is that once you finally decide to upgrade (which you will) you are still left with an awesome grill instead of just a place to store your bbq tools.

I love my 22.5 OTS. Hell, I want a 2nd one. The damn things will last forever too. The one I have I bought used off CL. The guy said he has had it for probably close to 20 years and it spent the majority of that time sitting outside. The cooking grate was shot and needed to be replaced but other than that it was in almost perfect shape.
 
Thanks for the help, problem is that I need it this weekend and don't have time to search for the stuff for a UDS. Maybe I could just mod/fix the old kettle grill (cheapo $30 one) and get one more piece of meat out of it.

Also, for the BBQ impaired (like me); offset smokers don't look like there is much to them. A 'barrel', the offset fire box, couple of vents, chimney, etc. Just doesn't look like much to screw up. What makes an expensive offset better than a cheap one (other than size and superior materials, neither of which should affect the product made inside).
 
Also, for the BBQ impaired (like me); offset smokers don't look like there is much to them. A 'barrel', the offset fire box, couple of vents, chimney, etc. Just doesn't look like much to screw up. What makes an expensive offset better than a cheap one (other than size and superior materials, neither of which should affect the product made inside).

Those simple things make a HUGE difference. It all comes down to heat management. The cheap ones are made of real thin metal that doesn't seal at all. The thicker the steel the better they are insulated and the less the temp will fluctuate. Without them sealing very well it is almost impossible to control temps very well over an extended period of time without constantly watching over them like a hawk. The will also use drastically more fuel as well. Plus the overall design of them is not very good. There is actually quite a bit more engineering that goes into making a pit than most people think. The smokestack height and how far into the cooking chamber matter. As does the size and shape of the cooking chamber, along with the design of how and where the smoke enters the chamber. The cheap ones will have some extreme temp variations (75-100 degrees is not unusual) across the cooking grate.


If you are needing something for this weekend I would recommended getting the 22.5" weber kettle and using the minion method (I can explain better if you want) and indirect. You will be able to fit a couple rack of ribs or a brisket or butt on there like that. Then you can take your time and read more about pits and decide what you want for the future. If you decide to get a dedicated smoker or just decide that bbq isn't really for you then you only spent $90 (I think thats how much the OTS is) and still have a kick ass charcoal grill that you can use for 20 years.


Bottom line is that if you go with a cheap offset I can just about guarantee you will regret it.
 
Thanks for the help, problem is that I need it this weekend and don't have time to search for the stuff for a UDS. Maybe I could just mod/fix the old kettle grill (cheapo $30 one) and get one more piece of meat out of it.

Also, for the BBQ impaired (like me); offset smokers don't look like there is much to them. A 'barrel', the offset fire box, couple of vents, chimney, etc. Just doesn't look like much to screw up. What makes an expensive offset better than a cheap one (other than size and superior materials, neither of which should affect the product made inside).

It does come down to material thickness and design. The big guys are made of 1/4" steel minimum with 3/8" to 1/2" steel fireboxes. My lang 84 stick burner also is designed as a reverse flow smoker. The smoke stack is right next to the fire box because the heat and smoke travel from the firebox through a channel in the bottom of the smoker to the front of the smoker then flowing across the cooking area then to the smoke stack at the back of the smoker. This allows you to get constant temperature across the cooker without using tuning plates.
 
I had no idea those big smokers were so thick, they must weigh a ton. I'll prob regret it but I bought an inexpensive offset similar to the Brinkman from Lowes, just finished assembling it. Didn't see these posts until after I bought it. I'll try to measure the temp variation across the grate when I burn it in. It'll be a decent grill in any case and besides...it's Florida, this thing will be rusted out soon enough that I can upgrade.
 
I had no idea those big smokers were so thick, they must weigh a ton. I'll prob regret it but I bought an inexpensive offset similar to the Brinkman from Lowes, just finished assembling it. Didn't see these posts until after I bought it. I'll try to measure the temp variation across the grate when I burn it in. It'll be a decent grill in any case and besides...it's Florida, this thing will be rusted out soon enough that I can upgrade.

Well since you already bought it there are a few mods that can be done to make it semi-decent. I know know about that one in particular but most of them in that price range are all the same but different names. Google it and you will find 4 mods that will make things much easier for you. If you can't find anything for the brinkman look for mods for the chargriller. I am sure they are pretty much they same.

Some of the things needing done are new thermos because the ones that are in it are a complete waste. Extend the exhaust down to grate level with some ducting from HD. Make a fire basket out of expanded steel to go in the fire box and also turn over the charcoal plate and use that as a heat deflector/quasi tuning plate.

Good luck!




PS- When you decide to build a UDS let me know and I will hook you up with a kit :D :D :D :mug:
 
Thanks dataz. It is the Chargriller. Those friggin 'chinese' punchouts are anything but! I ended up drilling the holes, the football shaped punchouts came out. I was going to use several meat thermos, I could tell that pos that came with it wouldn't be very reliable. Good idea on flipping the charcoal plate.
 
Yeah, I have heard horror stories about the "punch outs"


I would highly reccomend extending the exhaust down. The seems to be the mod that helps the most. Should only run you less than $5 at HD.
 
You can make good Q on about anything. All you need is a heat source, wood for smoke and a good understanding of the cooker. Some require constant attending and some you just plug in and walk away. To each their own! Here's what I cook on. Both modified to fit my needs. Cheers!!!

Brinkman SMOKE'N GRILL
DSCN1773.jpg


Loaded with a couple Turkeys
DSCN1868.jpg


Char-Griller PRO
DCAO0008.jpg


Loaded with Butts
DSCN1795.jpg
 
hamiltont,
That Chargriller Pro is the exact one I got but mine only had the middle thermo and no latch for the fire box door (and only 2 wheels but I'm OK with that). Is getting a good (enough) seal on that firebox door going to be a problem?

dataz,
Could I just roll up some heavy duty foil to extend the chimney? And what's the purpose of that mod? Maybe if I understood the problem we're trying to fix it might help.
 
Guess: Is the problem that the firebox end is way hotter than the chimney end (at the grate)? Is that what extending the chimney and flipping the charcoal plate are trying to fix?
 
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