How to Modify the Brinkmann ECB - July 2008 Newsletter

Hello and welcome to the July 2008 edition of the Smoking Meat Newsletter.

In this months edition we are covering a question that comes up a lot in any given month and that is "How to control the temperature in your ECB smoker". I have complete instructions below that will show you how to get the most out of your Brinkmann charcoal water smoker.

Just before we get into that..

Let me say that I feel really bad for not being able to answer all of the those excellent emails that I get. I get tons of email folks and I try very hard to get through all of it but it is virtually impossible.

I have setup filters and such to try and catch things that MUST be answered by looking for specific keywords and phrases so I don't think anything like that is falling through the cracks but it is the day to day questions that I just wish I had time to answer.

Back when I was only getting 20-30 emails per day, I did try to answer most of them within a timely fashion but that is just not possible anymore.

Please continue sending your questions and comments since that is a thermometer of what folks need and want to know and it gives me new ideas for newsletters and articles but I do want to say that the forum at http://www.smokingmeatforums.com is a resource that many of you may not know about or be taking full advantage of.

At last look, we had 11,200 members and more than 220,000 posts on smoking meat. All of this is searchable by keywords.

Let's say you want to know about chicken, you would simply click on the search link and type in chicken to get hundreds and possibly even thousands of posts about that very subject.

Folks will go in and ask a simple question like, "How do I smoke Chicken" and within minutes that question will have a handful of answers from different folks. You can see why I say that this is a valuable resource at everyone's fingertips.

It's a sweet sweet thing folks!!

Note: We now have Premier Memberships available which many of you have already taken advantage of. It gives you some special perks and that is nice but most of all it supports the forum. At only $15/year for what you get, you just can't get this much information anywhere else. Yes, you can get it for free but for those of you who can afford $15 it sure does not hurt to show your continued support in a monetary fashion.



Now let's get right into the main article that I have been working hard to prepare for you.. hope you enjoy it immensely!

How to Modify the ECB

For any of you who are not familiar with the ECB.. this is a nickname given to the cheap bullet shaped smokers found for 30 to 50 dollars at various department and hardware stores.

The one that most folks are familiar with are made by Brinkmann and thus the name is born..

El Cheapo Brinkmann or ECB for short.



What the ECB Looks Like

The setup is simple.. a cylinder shaped body with a charcoal pan on the very bottom, a water pan just above that and then 2 grates above the water pan.

All of this is covered by a dome lid containing a temperature gauge that simply reads warm, ideal or hot.

There are different versions and yours may not be exactly the same as mine depending on when and where you bought it but the operation is pretty much the same and there are several things you can do to make them work a little better.



Problems with the ECB and How to Fix Them

Let's talk about the main problem that folks usually have with the ECB and then I will give you a few tips on how to make it operate a little better.

First and foremost I hear complaints that it is next to impossible to get the temperature up to 225 degrees and hold it there.

You must make sure that you are using the correct pans for water and charcoal.. the charcoal pan has a diameter of 15-1/2 inches while the water pan is only 13-1/2 inches.

Air flow to the charcoal is restricted in many cases and the only way for air to get in is thru the access door which also allows heat to escape before it makes its' way up to grate level.



More Air to Charcoal Pan

To get more air to the charcoal pan without allowing the heat to escape out the door you will need to drill some holes in the bottom sides of the charcoal pan.

Use a 1/4 inch drill bit and drill about 8 holes in opposite sides of the charcoal pan. This will get more air up into the charcoal from the bottom which will help dramatically.



Raised Grate for Charcoal

Another thing that will help the charcoal pan is to find a round grate that is only slightly larger than the bottom diameter of the charcoal pan. When you lay this in the bottom of the pan it will leave a space for the ashes to fall down and away from the hot coals.

You can also cut 2 round pieces of chicken wire that is about 1 inch larger than the bottom diameter of your charcoal pan.

Place this in the charcoal pan to lay your coals on.. just like the round grate above, this will allow the coals to set up above the bottom a little allowing the ashes to fall down below instead of smothering them.




Airflow Regulator in Lid

The next thing that will help the smoker is a air regulator in the dome lid.

To facilitate this, use a 1/4 inch drill bit and drill about 8 evenly spaced holes inside of a 4 inch area on the top of the lid.

Attach a 5 inch piece of flat metal with one machine screw so that you can cover the holes in any increment that you need to.



Better Access to Charcoal Pan During Cooking

Another option is to move the legs from the inside of the smoker body to the outside.

You then set the charcoal pan on bricks or some other platform that is not attached to the smoker body.

When you need fresh charcoal you only have to lift the smoker up and off the charcoal pan.. you may need a helping hand with this but I have performed this feat alone on a few occasions.

After dumping the ashes and putting new lit coals in the charcoal pan, you can sit the smoker on top once again.

This preserves heat by not removing the lid allowing the heat to escape.



Adding a Better Temperature Gauge

As you know, the temperature gauge that ships with the ECB leaves a LOT to be desired! Warm, Ideal and Hot are no use to anyone when smoking and who knows what temperature IDEAL really is.

You can purchase a temperature gauge to install in the lid of the smoker and I highly recommend this. The one I found was at Walmart and was made by Grill Mate. It is easily installed into a 7/8 inch hole drilled in the lid of the ECB. A knurled nut tightens onto the back of the gauge with a pair of pliers and keeps it secured to the lid.



Last but Not Least..

These mods are just a start but will allow you to get some good use out of your smoker and allow you a little more control over the heat.

I am convinced that the Brinkmann folks do not use their own smoker (no offense Brinkmann!).. if they ever do then these mods will become standard on every charcoal model.

I hope this has helped the hundreds of you who have written to me over the past several months saying that you cannot get your ECB to heat above 200 degrees and that controlling the heat is almost impossible.

Use the picture links that I have attached to this tutorial to give you a better idea as to how the modifications should be made.

Enjoy your ECB!!

My Recipes Speak for Themselves

Here are just a few of the hundreds of testimonies that I have received in the last short while from folks who have bought the recipes and wanted to let me know that they are every bit as wonderful as I claim.



Ok, I paid for your rub and sauce recipes. My wife thought I was crazy. I was wondering myself. I have yet to try the rub because I have a good supply of some from Texas but I will be trying yours. However, your sauce recipe has been tried, and tried and tried. I think I need to buy bulk ketchup at this point. It is simply the best BBQ sauce I have ever had

Mike




Your rub and sauce are the best ever!!!!

John




I used your rub and sauce which is some of the best I've tasted

Larry




You are the bbq master. I just wanted to say thanks again. i have a 15 yr old daughter that ever time i cook she says ewwwww to everything. i did your rib rub yesterday and wow she shocked me.. she had two servings on those ribs. And my father for someone who doesnt like pork ribs sure put them away. Thanks again keep up the good work.

Mike



thanks for making my weekend great with that recipe. I have more friends that want me to ribs for them. But they want me to cook it because I have the weber bullet and the Naked Rib Rub recipe. WOOHOOOO!!!!

Darrel



Just wanted to let you know your sauce is fabulous. I do not use store bought sauce anymore for anything. Thank you!!

Jeff


Only $18.95 and you never have to buy the store-bought stuff again. The recipe is easy to make, uses common ingredients and you will love yourself for it time and time and time again!!

Order the recipes individually at http://www.smoking-meat.com/jeffs-naked-rib-rub-recipe.html or if you are in a big hurry you can go to http://www.smoking-meat.com/order to be transported straight to my buy-now page.

Important Note: A download email will arrive in your email inbox within minutes of ordering.

The email will contain a link along with a 6-digit numeric password which will allow you to download the recipes as a PDF file.

If you do not receive the email.. first check your junk/spam folder. If you still do not find it, send me a quick email (jeff at smoking-meat dot com) and let me know that you did not receive it and I will personally work with you to make sure you get the recipes and are able to open them in a format that is best for you.

Be sure to send me a testimony after you try them out.. you will be amazed.. I PROMISE!!

In Closing..

Thank you for subscribing to the Smoking Meat Newsletter. Be sure to check out the forum at http://www.smokingmeatforums.com for even more information on smoking meat.

Until next time.. have a great day and God bless!