Brinkman Vertical thread

chimmike · 02-04-2010, 12:16 PM

Just in case anyone else actually uses one of these, I figured it's due an "official" thread.

I've done a lot of research on modding this thing, and for a few extra bucks it can be a decent smoker.

My biggest issues so far: maintaining temps of 200-225.

Solutions for maintaining heat thus far:
-Drill out bottom of fire pan, add grate so ash can fall through. Shake bowl periodically while cooking.
-Seal all seams in smoker. Weld or otherwise. I tried to weld with flux core, but it was too hot. I'm going to try to cram aluminum foil up in there for now until I can get a MIG welder to use.
-Fire brick in the bottom.
-Fire brick or ceramic pizza stone in place of the water bowl. This should help maintain heat for a bit, and be a good block for direct heat on the meat.
-Seal around the doors.

The biggest change I noticed after drilling the fire pan before adding a grate was the ability to reach 250+ on the stock thermometer (which has to be about 70* low.....on a 70* day out, it read 0*. I've since bought a calibrated one to use as well).

My vertical is the two-door version. I'm still looking for oven door gasket to seal the doors. This should help in keeping the smoke in at the very least. When those lumps start smokin, it gets furious.

Ultimately, getting some more thinwall steel and welding essentially a "box" around the unit will create a nice insulating air pocket which will also help maintain heat.

My ultimate goal with this smoker is to not have to add fuel but every 3-5 hours to maintain 225* for smoking. If it can go longer, that'll be great. I think I'll have to increase the size/depth of the fire bowl for that to happen, but so be it. I'll just cram as much charcoal as I can in there for now.

Also, I'm going to experiment with leaving only 2 of the 4 vents open, one top and one bottom, to see if that makes any kind of difference in temp maintenance.

chimmike · 02-04-2010, 12:26 PM

Question:

Anyone use just wood (no charcoal) in the brinkman vertical? I might try a half-log tonight during a test just to see how long it'll stay burning and/or hot......

devious · 02-04-2010, 12:53 PM

those mods look like there gonna help. I did some mods to my ECB and while it helped a little i just got tired of messing with it. so i just gave it away and built a UDS. it cost me just as much as the ECB out of the box. but thats my 2 cents

CajunSmoker · 02-04-2010, 12:58 PM

Are you talking about the little round ECB, or the vertical cabinet smoker. This is one of the times a picture would be helpful.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chimmike

Just in case anyone else actually uses one of these, I figured it's due an "official" thread.

I've done a lot of research on modding this thing, and for a few extra bucks it can be a decent smoker.

My biggest issues so far: maintaining temps of 200-225.

Solutions for maintaining heat thus far:
-Drill out bottom of fire pan, add grate so ash can fall through. Shake bowl periodically while cooking.
-Seal all seams in smoker. Weld or otherwise. I tried to weld with flux core, but it was too hot. I'm going to try to cram aluminum foil up in there for now until I can get a MIG welder to use.
-Fire brick in the bottom.
-Fire brick or ceramic pizza stone in place of the water bowl. This should help maintain heat for a bit, and be a good block for direct heat on the meat.
-Seal around the doors.

The biggest change I noticed after drilling the fire pan before adding a grate was the ability to reach 250+ on the stock thermometer (which has to be about 70* low.....on a 70* day out, it read 0*. I've since bought a calibrated one to use as well).

My vertical is the two-door version. I'm still looking for oven door gasket to seal the doors. This should help in keeping the smoke in at the very least. When those lumps start smokin, it gets furious.

Ultimately, getting some more thinwall steel and welding essentially a "box" around the unit will create a nice insulating air pocket which will also help maintain heat.

My ultimate goal with this smoker is to not have to add fuel but every 3-5 hours to maintain 225* for smoking. If it can go longer, that'll be great. I think I'll have to increase the size/depth of the fire bowl for that to happen, but so be it. I'll just cram as much charcoal as I can in there for now.

Also, I'm going to experiment with leaving only 2 of the 4 vents open, one top and one bottom, to see if that makes any kind of difference in temp maintenance.

chimmike · 02-04-2010, 12:59 PM

I'd have gotten a better smoker to start, however, it was a stretch to get her to let me buy this thing!

chimmike · 02-04-2010, 12:59 PM

For clarification, this is the vertical cabinet smoker, the squared one.

devious · 02-04-2010, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chimmike

For clarification, this is the vertical cabinet smoker, the squared one.

oh that one.

chimmike · 02-04-2010, 01:31 PM

Yep, that one.

SirPorkaLot · 02-04-2010, 02:02 PM

This one?

stiffy · 02-04-2010, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirPorkaLot

This one?

I started with one similar to that just this time last year only mine had one big door instead of two, cooked on it three times and decided I needed a UDS. Dealing with the temp changes was a hassle and not something I miss a tall.

If yours is like the one pictured by Sir Pork a Lot, I think it might be better than the one door model since you aren't letting all the heat out of your smoking cabinet when you tend the fire. might be an upgrade idk till I have tried it.

chimmike · 02-04-2010, 02:20 PM

That's exactly the one, the two door model.

early mornin' smokin' · 02-04-2010, 02:23 PM

I started on one of those, it's decent, but i quickly learned i could smoke just as easily and probably more on my weber kettle, so it never really got that much use.

chimmike · 02-04-2010, 02:25 PM

the only major seam on the whole thing is at the top. Smoke will come pouring out of there, the upper door, and of course the upper vents right after putting the wood chunks on.

chimmike · 02-04-2010, 07:51 PM

WOW.....so I threw in half stubbs briq and half BGE lump, added a grate to the fire pan with bigger holes at the bottom, and the thing is at about 400* now, with 2 of 4 vents CLOSED! Guess those stubbs briq are gonna be utilized for fast 'n hot and not smoking!

chimmike · 02-04-2010, 08:23 PM

reached 500*. Okay. Stubbs is relegated to short/fast cooking ONLY. Ouch. interesting thing is, it's maintained 400+ for well more than an hour now.

Maybe a stubbs briq or two in with the lump for smoking........MAYBE. i'll be starting late tomorrow night so I'm hoping to stoke with enough lump to sleep 4 hours, wake up and stoke again if needed.

02-04-2010, 12:16 PM	#1
chimmike Got Wood. Join Date: 01-30-10 Location: Parrish, FL Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Brinkman Vertical thread Just in case anyone else actually uses one of these, I figured it's due an "official" thread. I've done a lot of research on modding this thing, and for a few extra bucks it can be a decent smoker. My biggest issues so far: maintaining temps of 200-225. Solutions for maintaining heat thus far: -Drill out bottom of fire pan, add grate so ash can fall through. Shake bowl periodically while cooking. -Seal all seams in smoker. Weld or otherwise. I tried to weld with flux core, but it was too hot. I'm going to try to cram aluminum foil up in there for now until I can get a MIG welder to use. -Fire brick in the bottom. -Fire brick or ceramic pizza stone in place of the water bowl. This should help maintain heat for a bit, and be a good block for direct heat on the meat. -Seal around the doors. The biggest change I noticed after drilling the fire pan before adding a grate was the ability to reach 250+ on the stock thermometer (which has to be about 70* low.....on a 70* day out, it read 0. I've since bought a calibrated one to use as well). My vertical is the two-door version. I'm still looking for oven door gasket to seal the doors. This should help in keeping the smoke in at the very least. When those lumps start smokin, it gets furious. Ultimately, getting some more thinwall steel and welding essentially a "box" around the unit will create a nice insulating air pocket which will also help maintain heat. My ultimate goal with this smoker is to not have to add fuel but every 3-5 hours to maintain 225 for smoking. If it can go longer, that'll be great. I think I'll have to increase the size/depth of the fire bowl for that to happen, but so be it. I'll just cram as much charcoal as I can in there for now. Also, I'm going to experiment with leaving only 2 of the 4 vents open, one top and one bottom, to see if that makes any kind of difference in temp maintenance.

02-04-2010, 12:53 PM	#3
devious is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 12-08-09 Location: Bellevue Nebraska Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	those mods look like there gonna help. I did some mods to my ECB and while it helped a little i just got tired of messing with it. so i just gave it away and built a UDS. it cost me just as much as the ECB out of the box. but thats my 2 cents Last edited by devious; 01-31-2012 at 07:59 PM..

02-04-2010, 02:23 PM	#12
early mornin' smokin' is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 10-06-08 Location: wading river, ny Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I started on one of those, it's decent, but i quickly learned i could smoke just as easily and probably more on my weber kettle, so it never really got that much use. __________________ I'm an EGGHEAD, L BGE, dueling weber 26.75's, heineken 22 1/2, and a neglected pro-q 20

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02-04-2010, 12:26 PM	#2
chimmike Got Wood. Join Date: 01-30-10 Location: Parrish, FL Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Question: Anyone use just wood (no charcoal) in the brinkman vertical? I might try a half-log tonight during a test just to see how long it'll stay burning and/or hot......

02-04-2010, 12:59 PM	#5
chimmike Got Wood. Join Date: 01-30-10 Location: Parrish, FL Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I'd have gotten a better smoker to start, however, it was a stretch to get her to let me buy this thing!

02-04-2010, 01:31 PM	#8
chimmike Got Wood. Join Date: 01-30-10 Location: Parrish, FL Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Yep, that one.

02-04-2010, 02:20 PM	#11
chimmike Got Wood. Join Date: 01-30-10 Location: Parrish, FL Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	That's exactly the one, the two door model.

02-04-2010, 02:25 PM	#13
chimmike Got Wood. Join Date: 01-30-10 Location: Parrish, FL Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	the only major seam on the whole thing is at the top. Smoke will come pouring out of there, the upper door, and of course the upper vents right after putting the wood chunks on.

02-04-2010, 07:51 PM	#14
chimmike Got Wood. Join Date: 01-30-10 Location: Parrish, FL Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	WOW.....so I threw in half stubbs briq and half BGE lump, added a grate to the fire pan with bigger holes at the bottom, and the thing is at about 400* now, with 2 of 4 vents CLOSED! Guess those stubbs briq are gonna be utilized for fast 'n hot and not smoking!

02-04-2010, 08:23 PM	#15
chimmike Got Wood. Join Date: 01-30-10 Location: Parrish, FL Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	reached 500*. Okay. Stubbs is relegated to short/fast cooking ONLY. Ouch. interesting thing is, it's maintained 400+ for well more than an hour now. Maybe a stubbs briq or two in with the lump for smoking........MAYBE. i'll be starting late tomorrow night so I'm hoping to stoke with enough lump to sleep 4 hours, wake up and stoke again if needed.