My first water smoker was a Brinkmann Smoker and Grill that I purchased for $50. The smoker consisted of a bullet shape with a charcoal pan on the bottom, a water pan just above that and two grates for meat. The water smoker is topped off with a dome shaped lid that contain a temperature gauge.
While this is a great entry level water smoker and I know people that have been using them for years, there are also a few problems. Fortunately, most of these problems can be fixed with a few simple modifications.
The biggest problem with the Brinkmann Smoker is that it does not have an actual temperature gauge. Rather than giving the internal temperature, it simply reads; warm, ideal or hot. When I first purchased my smoker I also bought a small oven thermometer to place on the top grate. When my external thermometer was on the line between warm and ideal, the oven thermometer would read 225 degrees.
The easiest way to correct this problem is to install an additional thermometer in the lid of the water smoker. These can be found at any store that carries grill supplies and can easily be installed by drilling the appropriate size hole in the lid.
A common complaint with this type of smoker is that it is difficult to get them hot enough. This is caused by poor airflow to the charcoal. A simple solution to this problem is to drill 1/4 inch air holes into the sides of the charcoal pan. About eight holes on either side of the pan should do the trick.
Another way to improve the charcoal pan is to add a small grate to the inside. Find a grate that is slightly larger than the bottom of the pan. The charcoal will sit on top of the grate and the ashes can fall into the bottom of the pan.
I hope these modifications make using your Brinkmann Smoker and Grill more enjoyable. These little water smokers are a great way to start smoking your own meat. These minor improvements should add to your enjoyment and produce a better piece of meat.
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