El cheapo Brinkmann Smoker

NS Gearhead · Aug 11, 2015

I've wanted a smoker for years... but let's face it... it wasn't high on the financial priority list. When I went in to Home Depot and spotted this for $90, I couldn't pass it up.

It has no adjustable vents. It's meant to have air flow around the charcoal bowl and out under the lid. How bad could it be? LOL Well apparently pretty bad.

Test #1 I just followed the instructions. 1 full chimney of Kingsford briquets. Same for every test. Didn't produce temps higher then 200F and even that didn't last long. The charcoals smothered themselves in soot. To combat this I placed one of the grills on top of the charcoal bowl to elevate them and leave somewhere for the soot to fall.

Test #2 produced way high temps! Spiked over 300 and stayed there for 1.5hrs. Burned out after 2.5hrs. Way too much air.

Test #3 I installed a 1/2" gasket around the lid where it meets the body and made a rotating vent for the top. I also made a basket for the charcoal same diam as the bowl and 4" tall. Much better, but still way too much air. I had to keep adding charcoal to keep a respectable temperature. Smoked 3 sausage just to try and they turned out pretty good.

Test #4 I cut a metal ring that I riveted to the top of the charcoal bowl. Outside diam the same as the smoker body. Then I drilled 4- 1/4" holes. After starting this test I could see that I needed more air from the bottom as the top vent was wide open. I opened them to 1/2" and drilled 4 more at that size.(so 8-1/2" holes) It seemed to do very well with this. Held 220-250 with minimal adjustment of the top vent. Burned for 4 hours and still had 1/3 to 1/2 the charcoal I started with!

That's what I'm talking about!!! I was doing a batch of jerky in the oven, so put about 1/3 of that on the smoker (1lb), and three more sausage. They both turned out great! 1/4" smoke ring in the sausages! I used one fist full of misquite chips when I first put the meat on and again after the first hour. Jerky 1.5hrs, sausage 3 hours with internal temp of 150F

The only thing left is to make some legs for the bowl and remove the ones from the body. The body sits on the metal ring of the bowl and it's legs don't touch the ground once on there.

Top vent, gasket, and legs turned to the outside.

Coal basket and bowl lip extension (LOL)

The intake holes I drilled are just under the ring on the bowl. The gasket cost $10, and the rest was just scrap I had.... ok, I ordered a $42 temp gage. LOL Can't wait to try a big chunk of meat!

jack707 · Aug 11, 2015

I'm building my own out of a 55 gal. I got the idea from youtube UDS.

gsganzer · Aug 11, 2015

I had one of those and experienced the same issues. The charcoal would go out if you tried to smoke anything. I had a different one years ago and loved it. The original one must have been slightly different in design, because I never had any issues with it. But the new "deluxe" smoker was utter junk and had a serious design flaw.

ENC · Aug 11, 2015

I don't use charcoal for smoking. I use actual wood chips that I make myself. Charcoal for grilling. But by now you could have bought a pretty nice smoker. I usually buy mine at yard sales or moving auctions. They are already seasoned that way. If I bought a new one I wouldnt know what to do.

gsganzer · Aug 11, 2015

ENC said:
I don't use charcoal for smoking. I use actual wood chips that I make myself. Charcoal for grilling. But by now you could have bought a pretty nice smoker. I usually buy mine at yard sales or moving auctions. They are already seasoned that way. If I bought a new one I wouldnt know what to do.

I actually do the same thing. When I get a piece of fire wood that looks gnarly and a PITA to split, I use the chainsaw and slice it up into 3" wafers. I then split the wafers, making chunks that will feed the grill.

NS Gearhead · Aug 12, 2015

That may be the case where you guys are, but smokers aren't very common here... I suppose an old BBQ could be used... but it would probably be just as big of a project and end up costing just as much.

$142 won't buy a "pretty nice smoker". LOL

We don't have any wood here that would be favorable for smoking... we mostly have maple and birch for hardwoods. Edit; just did a search and maple is in fact good for smoking! I'll gather some up soon!

GLyford · Aug 12, 2015

We run anything maple in the woodshed short enough to fit in the firebox, split it into kindling in the early stages to help get the fire going, but once there is a bed of coals just put in anything that will fit. Sometimes white or red oak, too. Anything I can't identify stays in the shed.

Not very good at smoke control, mostly I just try to keep the temp in the right range and let the smoke do what it will.

This model of smoker comes with a charcoal tray for direct grilling, but we never used it. So when the firebox burnt out and we replaced it, I yanked the tray and put in a row of baffle plates, maybe 6" wide with a 1/2" gap or so. Between that and the two thermometers down at grate level we are doing better at temperature management, the grates can be as much as 100F hotter than the top of the box where the original gauge is. Got those two tips from a BBQ forum, and they do help. The fencing around the legs to keep the dogs out of the grease cup was my own idea.

The firebox is often sold as a stand alone "tabletop" grill, which is how I bought it for replacement. I don't see why you couldn't grab one and add it to a barrel, if making up the whole works from scratch looked like too much work. They go for between 50-70 US.

I was given a gas smoker unit a while ago based on a large pot burner, with extra baffles and water tray and such, but have never used it. It looked way too complicated, but if I wanted a colder smoke for something like fish I might be tempted to set it up.

Egon · Aug 12, 2015

[video]https://www.google.ca/search?q=home+build+wood+smoker&client=safari&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAWoVChMI-JeUgP6jxwIVCVqSCh3u8A4Z&biw=1024&bih=681#imgrc=ct8KJcWvf23DOM%3A[/video]

This type of smoker would be cheap and easy to build. There was one Similar on the farm when I was a kid. Worked well for whole hams, sides of bacon and sausage. It was all home grown. Used willow wood for the smoke materials.

Buggs67 · Aug 12, 2015

I had a Brinkman. It's difficult to use and requires constant attention. I would sometimes have a separate charcoal fire going to add coals from. Also threw on chunks of home grown wood Oak, cherry, hickory.

But I had several turkeys smoked in it and they came out great. I halved the turkeys and brined them first.

And don't trust the included thermometer. The vent on the top is a good addition.

I scored one of these, with a cover, that was almost new at a yard sale for $40. I didn't even haggle. Works great. Set the electric element and let it run.