Suggestions fro Hondo Junior Smoker mods?

[cayenne]

Hi All!

Been a LONG time since I've been online. I've kinda been on the run since Katrina blew me out of New Orleans. I lived on the top floor of a house on Canal Blvd....downstairs was washed out by 7 ft of water, but, my stuff upstairs (including bandera smoker) was ok. I didn't get looted...so, all my stuff has been in storage for almost 2 years now as I've been living with friends, hotels, apts....and now just outside NOLA. I hope to buy a house in Nov. back in NOLA proper.

That being said...my beloved smoker is stranded in storage and I cannot get to it. I've been jonesing bad to bbq....and I've no access this 4th to a friends smoker. I was messing around Academy Sports..and saw this little New Braunfels Hondo Junior. The fact that it was only like $80....and it would fit in my miata to bring home..I got it.

From what I've read out there...there are serious temp. control problems with this thing. Is anyone familiar with this little unit? Are there any mods that someone with no tools to speak of (everything is in storage)...to do to maybe mess with the venting...or other tricks I could use to keep smoke chamber in the low to mid 200's? I like to do all wood if possible...start with charcoal and go with hickory. I figured mesquite would just burn too hot for the thing.

I'm thinking of making my old bbq sauce recipe (based on the old shack bbq joint in Little Rock, AR back in the 70's)....and doing some ribs....maybe some jalapeno poppers.

Anyway, gonna assemble it tomorrow (Tues. the 3rd)....and fire it up on Wed. Anything ya'll can suggest while assembling it to help with temp control? What about when cooking on it?

Been a long time away....good to start reading up on posts again....

Thanks in advance!!

Cayenne

[Norcoredneck]

Won't the same mods work that you use for Hondo, just sized proportionally?

[cayenne]

Won't the same mods work that you use for Hondo, just sized proportionally?

Is there a link to Hondo mods you know of I could check out?

[AlabamaGrillBillies]

This wouldn't be the sauce you were talking 'bout woud it? The guys at work love it.


SHACK Barbeque Sauce
Wet Stuff:
Mix: 3 - 24 ounce plastic bottles of ketchup

Fill these with hot water,
rinse and dump ALL into bowl.
some prefer Grapette® instead of water.

Pour in plain vinegar.
recipe recommends just less than a quart

Put "wet stuff' in LARGE pan, heat on "high"
should be about to boil when add 'dry stuff'.
Dry Stuff:
1 - 4 ounce can of chili powder
1 - 4 ounce can of black pepper
1 - 4 ounce can of garlic salt (not powder)
1/2 - cup sugar (more or less - to taste)
1 - small Tabasco (1oz to 4oz - to taste)
1 - small yellow mustard (apple size jar)
Stir well
Add dry mix to pan on stove
mix well while bringing to boil
immediately drop heat to 'simmer' = 30 min.
(stir fairly often to avoid sticking)

[cayenne]

This wouldn't be the sauce you were talking 'bout woud it? The guys at work love it.


SHACK Barbeque Sauce
Wet Stuff:
Mix: 3 - 24 ounce plastic bottles of ketchup

Fill these with hot water,
rinse and dump ALL into bowl.
some prefer Grapette® instead of water.

Pour in plain vinegar.
recipe recommends just less than a quart

Put "wet stuff' in LARGE pan, heat on "high"
should be about to boil when add 'dry stuff'.
Dry Stuff:
1 - 4 ounce can of chili powder
1 - 4 ounce can of black pepper
1 - 4 ounce can of garlic salt (not powder)
1/2 - cup sugar (more or less - to taste)
1 - small Tabasco (1oz to 4oz - to taste)
1 - small yellow mustard (apple size jar)
Stir well
Add dry mix to pan on stove
mix well while bringing to boil
immediately drop heat to 'simmer' = 30 min.
(stir fairly often to avoid sticking)


Yep, that does indeed look like the stuff!!!
I love it...good spice, salty....is very liquid, but, dries on the meat to seal it.
And it eats the paint off of wood!!

I was just out of college years back at my parent's place. I'd just put together a gas grill for them, that had the 'redwood' shelves on each side of the grill.

I was grilling some chicken, using the shack sauce...and I was a bit sloppy due to many gin and tonics while cooking.

I got up the next morning, to hose off the grill...and where I rinsed off where I'd spilled the sauce...it was plain wood....the stain/paint on the wood slats had been dissolved.

Now THAT is a good sauce.

:-)

cayenne

ps. Where did you find it? I'm still working from an old copy my Mom found in the LR paper decades ago. I've since modified it to direct cups/oz measurements for making large batches....

[AlabamaGrillBillies]

I found it on the internet about a year ago by accident really. I was just wasting time googling random BBQ stuff and this is what I found. I personally don't like it, but I've made money selling it at work so hey what do I know? Here is the link:
http://www.ibdjohn.com/shack/

I might make it again soon with the grapette instead of water.

[cayenne]

Won't the same mods work that you use for Hondo, just sized proportionally?

I found this .pdf file as one way a guy mod'ed his full sized Hondo smoker...does this look like the way to go?

I'm borrowing a drill from a friend of mine tonight...and guess I'll by some metal of some kind and tin snips at Home Depot. Can anyone recommend any specific materials that are easy to handle for someone with very limited (none) tools on hand?

Here's the link I found:

http://www.bbqinstitute.com/SmokerModifications.pdf


Anyone know of other links to mods for this smoker to help keep temps good?

cayenne

[BBQchef33]

If your talking about the American Gourmet Smoker, u need to use a very small fire and put it against the door side of the firebox as far from the opening to the pit as possible. the only hondo mod that is needed would be trhe baffle.. the chimney extension doesnt apply becase the stack comes out the side on the AGS.

Try to fashion a baffle out of HD foil (4x folded over) and attach it to the grate by folding it thru the first 2 bars on the firebox side and crimping it in, then run it at an angle along the bottom for the length of the chamber probing it up so its about halfway bettwen bottom of chamber and the grates. I used some metal sauce cups to prop it up, but even a few rocks would do it or something like that.

[cayenne]

If your talking about the American Gourmet Smoker, u need to use a very small fire and put it against the door side of the firebox as far from the opening to the pit as possible. the only hondo mod that is needed would be trhe baffle.. the chimney extension doesnt apply becase the stack comes out the side on the AGS.

Try to fashion a baffle out of HD foil (4x folded over) and attach it to the grate by folding it thru the first 2 bars on the firebox side and crimping it in, then run it at an angle along the bottom for the length of the chamber probing it up so its about halfway bettwen bottom of chamber and the grates. I used some metal sauce cups to prop it up, but even a few rocks would do it or something like that.

This is from New Braunsfield (sp?)...but, indeed the chimney comes in on the side...was thinking of trying to extend it in, and angle it down if possible.

You know, now that I think about it...I think I used HD foil on my Bandera.....and it is still on there all this time...worked great for a baffle. Ok..I'll give this a shot.

I still may swing by Home Depot on the way home...see if anything jumps out at me there to use.

I'm not expecting much out of this little thing...but, I gotta have some "Q" tomorrow....

C

[BBQchef33]

Its either the American Gourment Smoker or the silver smoker. Its one of these?

http://www.charbroil.com/consumerwebhome/offsetsmokers.aspx

Silver smoker uses the same mods as the hondo.. get the document from out files section with all the mods I have done to it. The AGS is a tiny booger which is more of what u described. Can handle 2-3 racks of babybacks, or a pork butt(1 safely, 2 if your real careful).

Be prepared to babysit. to avoid the insane hotspot, u need a small fire, which means feeding it often.


i know your a stick burner and used to the bandera, but being the AGS is tiny, i would use lump or kingsford with a few chunks occasionally. Life flames may make u spike to high.

[beerguy]

be careful with the amount of BLACK PEPPER in that original Shack BBQ sauce, it has got to be wrong. I made that about 2 years ago and it ws unusable. Good luck with your new smoker.

[cayenne]

Its either the American Gourment Smoker or the silver smoker. Its one of these?

http://www.charbroil.com/consumerwebhome/offsetsmokers.aspx

Silver smoker uses the same mods as the hondo.. get the document from out files section with all the mods I have done to it. The AGS is a tiny booger which is more of what u described. Can handle 2-3 racks of babybacks, or a pork butt(1 safely, 2 if your real careful).

Be prepared to babysit. to avoid the insane hotspot, u need a small fire, which means feeding it often.


i know your a stick burner and used to the bandera, but being the AGS is tiny, i would use lump or kingsford with a few chunks occasionally. Life flames may make u spike to high.


this is the one I got:
http://www.academy.com/index.php?page=content&target=products/outdoors/grills/smokers&start=0&selectedSKU=0263-02219-2801

At $79...I figured it would be good for an 'emergency' bbq for the 4th.

Darn...I bought a BIG bag of hickory wood....maybe I need to pick up a hatchett at Home Depot too...to cut it? Whew...I dunno, I usually have drinks while 'smoking'.....and I'm not too keen on swinging a big cutting device around while doing that.
:-)

Ok...I'll make sure and watch it. Yup...I'm a stick burner with the old Bandera....well, hopefully after this hurricane season, I'll be ready to buy a house...and get that sucker outta storage!!

Thanks for the advice!! I'll go search the files area!!

C