Brinkman grills??

BIGBrandon2785 said:

Im looking for a pit,I had already had a Brinkman stand up barrel type smoker,and hated it...........But I just got a Brinkman offset type smoker.I was just wondering if any of you have a review bout Brinkman pits??

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Im confused, you said you are looking for a pit but just recently bought a Brinkman offset. Are you still looking for a pit because you are unhappy with the Brinkman or are you not looking for a pit because you just bought a Brinkman?

BIGBrandon2785 said:

Im looking for a pit,I had already had a Brinkman stand up barrel type smoker,and hated it...........But I just got a Brinkman offset type smoker.I was just wondering if any of you have a review bout Brinkman pits??

Click to expand...

If you Google Brinkman SMP mods you will find a plethora of tips on stabilizing the temp in this smoker. Most of which are on this forum I think. I used one for roughly 15 years before I gave it away and started using my vertical smoker. Here are a few pics of mods I implemented:

Using a grill wok as a charcoal basket


A wet baffle to deflect heat down


Simple dry baffle to deflect heat using one of the charcoal grates and foil


The science behind the baffle


About how much the bottom intake was open to keep the temp between 220 and 250 with the chimney wide open


The downside to the Brinkman smokers is the thickness of the metal. On a cold day I could go through a bag of lump in no time. Some people use hi temp jackets around the cooking chamber during the cold months to maintain temp.

Its all about experimenting. Every smoker is unique and it takes time figuring out how to master the temp and duration of the coals.

I'm sure the more seasoned posters may have additional advice on the Brinkmans.

I have the Brinkman Cimmeron, it has 1/4"thick steel so it keeps the temps better.



Cousinconley has some good tips. I had a friend weld up an expanded metal charcoal grate, the one that comes with it sits to low with no place for the ash to go and stops the air flow.

I use an old bread loaf pan for a wet baffle, and my intake is usually in the same position and holds steady at 240 - 250.

fweck said:

I have the Brinkman Cimmeron, it has 1/4"thick steel so it keeps the temps better.

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That Cimmeron looks nice!

Here is my brinkmann.



I have very little issues with fire control or it being a fuel hog. I think some folks just don't understand how to do fire management.

Cooking at 250 a chimney load of charcoal (K-blue) will last me a solid 2 hours.
Cooking at 225 with a load of the same charcoal I can get almost 3 hours.
Cooking at 225-250 with a load of wood (with a base of charcoal) it will run for ~6 hours without re-loading

I have a heavily modded Trailmaster that I'm really happy with. Some mods, that haven't been mentioned, to consider: high temp silicone seal the door, tuning plates and fire brick line the bottom of the cooking chamber. I did that plus I had a custom charcoal basket and baffle fabricated (at the same time the plates were made).

The best mod that I have done on my Brinkman was to make a deflector plate that fastened in the chamber on a 60 degree angle down to stop the coals from grilling the meat closest to the fire box, and even out the smoke throughout the chamber. I made it from 1/16th inch metal, and used the screws holding the firebox to the chamber to also hold the deflection plate. I also raised the bottom grate in the firebox to allow more room for ashes, and increased air flow. I rolled up aluminum sheeting to lower the exhaust closer to the grate for more uniform temperature. Needless to say, I have turned out some fine meats with my set up. The main thing though, is gaining consistency in the cooks; doing the same thing every time. That means cooking a lot, which we all enjoy. Good luck cooking. May the smoke be with you. :clap::-D

I have a Brinkmann Professional Charcoal Grill. It is a grill and not a smoker, but I love it.

I have used it to imbibe some subtle smoke flavour and the grill marks I get off it are superb. I've had it since 2005 and it has spent all it's time outside, uncovered in snow, sun, rain, hail, whatever.

Here are some photos...

My dad has that same Cimmeron. I've only cooked on it once and just did ribs. That was a couple years ago so I don't recall what problems I had if any. I bet it's been cooked on ledss than 10 times though total. He bought it from the Bass Pro catalog outlet in Springfield, MO like 3-4 years ago for like half price.

I need to load it up and bring it home one of these days so it'll actually get some use haha

You get what you pay for with smokers. You can mod a cheap cooker to work more efficiently, but weather conditions still need to be ideal for you to avoid additional trouble.