Quick ECB Mods - Pics

GridironGriller · 05-25-2008, 02:28 PM

Hopefully this should help me control the air flow and steady out the burn temp. Before it would just keep climbing and settle about 325*. Now (in theory, lol) I can cut the air back and the desired temp and get it to hold, right?

It's an electrical cover plate with longer screws and a piece of angle iron to use as a handle. Added 2 more screws to set where it is closed and 100% open.

Cooking brisket tomorrow to see how it works.

beerguy · 05-25-2008, 03:02 PM

Pardon me if Im wrong, but after using one of those animals for ten years, that little hole in the bottom is the least of your worries! The ash buildup with NO WHERE to drop was always my problem. The leaky door, the rim on the top cover, designed to let air in may foil your attempt to cut back on the air flow. Let us know how it works. Even with its flaws you can turn out some mighty fine BBQ on the gourmet Brinkmann.

Monty · 05-25-2008, 03:03 PM

looks good bro! i like your stops too!

might want to grind/cover those corners on the handle sticking out ... just incase you come across it with your ankle or leg (like i would

)... unless you plan on making it a bit shorter.

GridironGriller · 05-25-2008, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beerguy

Pardon me if Im wrong, but after using one of those animals for ten years, that little hole in the bottom is the least of your worries! The ash buildup with NO WHERE to drop was always my problem. The leaky door, the rim on the top cover, designed to let air in may foil your attempt to cut back on the air flow. Let us know how it works. Even with its flaws you can turn out some mighty fine BBQ on the gourmet Brinkmann.

Oh, I know and you are right!

I have a rack for the coals to sit on, raising them off the floor of the pan. My door is actually fairly tight. At the top I currently use foil to seal most of it up, but since I have no exhaust to control at the top, I figure some opening is good to draw heat/smoke up through the unit. Eventually, I will get some fiberglass rope and seal the top. I have an extra damper from a Char-Griller that I think I could attach, drill some holes and use to control the exhaust. I just know that I needed something to kill some of the air from the bottom to stop the heat. We shall see if it worked!

GridironGriller · 05-25-2008, 05:35 PM

So far so good...whole chicken has been on about an hour....holding between 225* and 235*. Much better than normal!

CajunSmoker · 05-25-2008, 08:18 PM

I tried it on my ECB. It works better than nothing but I still have a problem keeping the temps steady for a long period of time due to air leaks in other places.

reverendchip · 11-18-2010, 01:22 PM

I spent the summer learning to smoke on my tiny little Brinkmann combo grill/smoker, and finally decided that I needed something bigger. Soooo... after reading what I'm pretty sure was every available thread in the world on UDS's and ECB's, I stumbled upon a new in-the-box Smoke'n Grill on Craigslist for $20.

What I learned from my reading was:
1: The smoker needs to be airtight
2: You need to be able to control airflow precisely.
3: The coals need space under them so the fire doesn't smother
4: The smoker needs to be airtight
5: You need to be able to control airflow precisely
6: You need to be able to control airflow precisely

Thus begins the adventure!

I cut a 2" wide ring of sheet metal to put in the bottom of the ECB. OD was the same size as the ID of the smoker. This provides a shelf that prevents all the air from coming around the coal pan and effectively seals the bottom of the smoker. I sealed it with Furnace Cement and high temp mortar, then put a bead of the mortar around the inside edge to make an airtight seal with the coal pan. I coated the coal pan with Pam so that the mortar wouldn't stick to it and I could still remove it.

I cut a 2 inch hole in the coal pan, and made a pivoting aluminum damper to cover it so that I could control the airflow.

I had a turkey fryer basket sitting around that convenienlty sits in the coal pan with about 2 inches of clearance, that I cut down a bit so that I could have access to the coals through the side door if I need to add fuel.

I did the fire rope gasket mod around the lid, drilled vent holes in the lid and put a pivoting cover over the holes.

I carefully bent the door and latch until it was an almost perfect seal, sprayed the door with Pam, smeared a bit of furnace cement on the body of the smoker and latched the door. The seal is now great with only a wisp of smoke escaping through the hinge.

I'm doing a test burn now. I started it using the minon method with 16 briquettes in my chimney, dumped on top of one side of the 5 pounds of fuel in the basket, with the air intake wide open. As soon as the temp hit 300, I choked the air opening down to about 1/3 and the temp dropped to about 240 in a matter of minutes. It's been sitting there happily for about 2 hours now. I'll report back later with the final results. ( I plan on adding a real thermometer shortly, but right now I'm using my zillion dollar ExTech lab thermometr to keep track of the temp)

Thanks for all the help!

Photos of the mods are at http://picasaweb.google.com/reverendchip/Brinkman#

hamiltont · 11-18-2010, 01:56 PM

Here's what I did with the ECB I picked up this summer.. I've since drilled more holes in the charcoal pan and ditched the charcoal grate. Cheers!!!

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...36#post1422936

reverendchip · 11-18-2010, 05:01 PM

5 hours (more or less) later... I've shaken the charcoal basket once to get rid of the ash, and opened the air vent a bit since the temp had dropped and held steady at 230 for about 10 minutes. Back to 240 now. This is just amazing to me, since with my little Brinkmann grill I had to tend the fire and try to regulate temps about every 15-30 minutes while smoking...

It's looking like I can get a 12 hour smoke out of about 7-10 pounds of charcoal. Does that sound reasonable?

reverendchip · 11-25-2010, 06:03 PM

Awesome first smoke with my ECB!

Wampus · 11-25-2010, 06:26 PM

NICE!

To handle the draft at the lid, I used some fiberglass rope (stove gasket) and some high temp silicone to secure it to the lid. Works nicely.

To handle the ash issue, just use a charcoal grate for a WSJ and some bolts/nuts....

I did the floor mod like you and drilled holes in the lid and covered so I could control the outflow.

I can get a good, consistent smoke for HOURS.

Ahhhh, the ECB....'twas my first smoker.

muerte · 09-26-2011, 07:16 PM

update??

Carbon · 09-26-2011, 07:26 PM

I get steady temps with my ECB also.

muerte · 09-26-2011, 07:35 PM

I added a 3 in elbow vent to mine on top the dome, sealed with Red RTV
Put the legs on the outside, I still need to add the legs to the
coal pan so that I can add more coal

05-25-2008, 02:28 PM	#1
GridironGriller Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 04-23-07 Location: Memphis, TN Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Quick ECB Mods - Pics Hopefully this should help me control the air flow and steady out the burn temp. Before it would just keep climbing and settle about 325*. Now (in theory, lol) I can cut the air back and the desired temp and get it to hold, right? It's an electrical cover plate with longer screws and a piece of angle iron to use as a handle. Added 2 more screws to set where it is closed and 100% open. Cooking brisket tomorrow to see how it works.

05-25-2008, 03:02 PM	#2
beerguy is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 05-05-05 Location: Fredericksburg Va Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Pardon me if Im wrong, but after using one of those animals for ten years, that little hole in the bottom is the least of your worries! The ash buildup with NO WHERE to drop was always my problem. The leaky door, the rim on the top cover, designed to let air in may foil your attempt to cut back on the air flow. Let us know how it works. Even with its flaws you can turn out some mighty fine BBQ on the gourmet Brinkmann. __________________ I support PETA - People Eating Tasty Animals Other half of the Cat Sass BBQ team Traeger BBQ100 18.5 " WSM X2 Weber Gold Kettle 22 1/2" Weber 18 1/2 " Brinkman Gourmet Smoker(retired) Brinkman 2400 Pro (using sideburner as Charcoal starter)

05-25-2008, 03:03 PM	#3
Monty Take a breath! Join Date: 05-21-08 Location: Martini, Texas Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	looks good bro! i like your stops too! might want to grind/cover those corners on the handle sticking out ... just incase you come across it with your ankle or leg (like i would )... unless you plan on making it a bit shorter. __________________ Monty "When a defining moment comes along - you either define the moment - or the moment defines you" -- Tin Cup *________________________________* 20X42 Klose "The Deluxe Grill Chef Smoker" Primo Oval Junior Cook'n'Kettle Sr. (almost 50 yrs old!) "Big Chief" ES (for Christmas Jerky!)

05-25-2008, 05:35 PM	#5
GridironGriller Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 04-23-07 Location: Memphis, TN Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	So far so good...whole chicken has been on about an hour....holding between 225* and 235*. Much better than normal! __________________ 1 Weber 22.5" OTG 1 Weber Performer 2 55 Gallon UDS 1 6' towable offset 1 Char-Griller Pro with offset --The backyard is getting full!

05-25-2008, 08:18 PM	#6
CajunSmoker is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 02-06-07 Location: Rolling down the river between St Louis and New Orleans Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I tried it on my ECB. It works better than nothing but I still have a problem keeping the temps steady for a long period of time due to air leaks in other places. __________________ Rodger How y'all are? I'm glad you got to see me I guarontee Justin Wilson 4/24/1914 - 09/05/2001 CAJUN QUE KREWE Proud ARKLAFO KCBS member & CBJ#24398 Twin CoonAss Ugly Drum Smokers Brinkman Smoke King Deluxe Brinkman Gourmet ECB with super chicken mods Weber OTS kettle

11-18-2010, 01:22 PM	#7
reverendchip Got rid of the matchlight. Join Date: 11-11-10 Location: Cincinnati, OH Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I spent the summer learning to smoke on my tiny little Brinkmann combo grill/smoker, and finally decided that I needed something bigger. Soooo... after reading what I'm pretty sure was every available thread in the world on UDS's and ECB's, I stumbled upon a new in-the-box Smoke'n Grill on Craigslist for $20. What I learned from my reading was: 1: The smoker needs to be airtight 2: You need to be able to control airflow precisely. 3: The coals need space under them so the fire doesn't smother 4: The smoker needs to be airtight 5: You need to be able to control airflow precisely 6: You need to be able to control airflow precisely Thus begins the adventure! I cut a 2" wide ring of sheet metal to put in the bottom of the ECB. OD was the same size as the ID of the smoker. This provides a shelf that prevents all the air from coming around the coal pan and effectively seals the bottom of the smoker. I sealed it with Furnace Cement and high temp mortar, then put a bead of the mortar around the inside edge to make an airtight seal with the coal pan. I coated the coal pan with Pam so that the mortar wouldn't stick to it and I could still remove it. I cut a 2 inch hole in the coal pan, and made a pivoting aluminum damper to cover it so that I could control the airflow. I had a turkey fryer basket sitting around that convenienlty sits in the coal pan with about 2 inches of clearance, that I cut down a bit so that I could have access to the coals through the side door if I need to add fuel. I did the fire rope gasket mod around the lid, drilled vent holes in the lid and put a pivoting cover over the holes. I carefully bent the door and latch until it was an almost perfect seal, sprayed the door with Pam, smeared a bit of furnace cement on the body of the smoker and latched the door. The seal is now great with only a wisp of smoke escaping through the hinge. I'm doing a test burn now. I started it using the minon method with 16 briquettes in my chimney, dumped on top of one side of the 5 pounds of fuel in the basket, with the air intake wide open. As soon as the temp hit 300, I choked the air opening down to about 1/3 and the temp dropped to about 240 in a matter of minutes. It's been sitting there happily for about 2 hours now. I'll report back later with the final results. ( I plan on adding a real thermometer shortly, but right now I'm using my zillion dollar ExTech lab thermometr to keep track of the temp) Thanks for all the help! Photos of the mods are at http://picasaweb.google.com/reverendchip/Brinkman#

11-18-2010, 01:56 PM	#8
hamiltont is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 05-24-10 Location: Kearney, NE Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Here's what I did with the ECB I picked up this summer.. I've since drilled more holes in the charcoal pan and ditched the charcoal grate. Cheers!!! http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...36#post1422936 __________________ If Homebrew & BBQ aren't the answer, then you're askin' the wrong questions... Cheers!!!

11-18-2010, 05:01 PM	#9
reverendchip Got rid of the matchlight. Join Date: 11-11-10 Location: Cincinnati, OH Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	5 hours (more or less) later... I've shaken the charcoal basket once to get rid of the ash, and opened the air vent a bit since the temp had dropped and held steady at 230 for about 10 minutes. Back to 240 now. This is just amazing to me, since with my little Brinkmann grill I had to tend the fire and try to regulate temps about every 15-30 minutes while smoking... It's looking like I can get a 12 hour smoke out of about 7-10 pounds of charcoal. Does that sound reasonable?

11-25-2010, 06:03 PM	#10
reverendchip Got rid of the matchlight. Join Date: 11-11-10 Location: Cincinnati, OH Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Awesome first smoke with my ECB! __________________ ECB - Modded Smoke'n Grill, UDS in process. (Have the skills, parts and drum, no time)

11-25-2010, 06:26 PM	#11
Wampus somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-05-09 Location: Mooresville, IN Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	NICE! To handle the draft at the lid, I used some fiberglass rope (stove gasket) and some high temp silicone to secure it to the lid. Works nicely. To handle the ash issue, just use a charcoal grate for a WSJ and some bolts/nuts.... I did the floor mod like you and drilled holes in the lid and covered so I could control the outflow. I can get a good, consistent smoke for HOURS. Ahhhh, the ECB....'twas my first smoker. __________________ Big JT's Smokin' BBQ Competition Team “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. We need not wait to see what others do.” - Mahatma Gandhi

09-26-2011, 07:16 PM	#12
muerte Is lookin for wood to cook with. Join Date: 09-25-11 Location: Bradenton FL Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	update??

09-26-2011, 07:26 PM	#13
Carbon is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 08-24-08 Location: Los Angeles Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I get steady temps with my ECB also. __________________ UDS / Mini-WSM / Weber 22.5 OTG / Modified ECB / Lodge hibachi / 34" WFO.

09-26-2011, 07:35 PM	#14
muerte Is lookin for wood to cook with. Join Date: 09-25-11 Location: Bradenton FL Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I added a 3 in elbow vent to mine on top the dome, sealed with Red RTV Put the legs on the outside, I still need to add the legs to the coal pan so that I can add more coal

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