After my initial crazy schemes for making a smoker out of a propane tank
(couldn't get it), I've decided I should follow the recommendation of
getting a New Braunfels smoker. I'm near a few Academy Sporting Goods
stores and can get them easily. I see the Hondo smoker and thought it
was a little big for regularly cooking for 2-3 people. I'm thinking of
the Hondo Jr. smoker instead:

http://tinyurl.com/zfvhd

I figured I can deal with tearing an old drum apart and making my own
thing after I've use one of these for awhile and gotten sufficiently
ticked off at it.

There's not much to say about them on the Internet. My thoughts are
that I'll have to change out fuel somewhat regularly while smoking;
perhaps I'd prepare charcoal ahead of time. I don't trust the wood too
much. However, I think it has about the right cooking area that I'd
actually use it often.

For giggles, somebody's selling a rusted out, older version of this
smoker for $75 on Craigslist.

There is nothing wrong at all with this pit (if you are not planning on
cooking for a huge group). Will do a good job for you and last for
years if you take care of it (clean out your ashes regularly and cover
it to keep off the rain).

When you go to Academy to buy it, pick up thermometer too (one that you
install through a hole in the pit). Helps to know what your
temperature is.

As for cooking...sure use charcoal. If you don't want to use totally
wood. (personally I always start the fire with charcoal, but after it
is going add mesquite for the entire cooking process). You can pick up
some mesquite wood chunks at Academy too. Soak some of them in water
for a few hours before you cook. Use charcoal as your basic fuel, but
put a chunk of the mesquite in every now and then to get the smoke.

Tom
http://www.specialshit.com/

Adam Preble wrote:
After my initial crazy schemes for making a smoker out of a propane tank
(couldn't get it), I've decided I should follow the recommendation of
getting a New Braunfels smoker. I'm near a few Academy Sporting Goods
stores and can get them easily. I see the Hondo smoker and thought it
was a little big for regularly cooking for 2-3 people. I'm thinking of
the Hondo Jr. smoker instead:

http://tinyurl.com/zfvhd

I figured I can deal with tearing an old drum apart and making my own
thing after I've use one of these for awhile and gotten sufficiently
ticked off at it.

There's not much to say about them on the Internet. My thoughts are
that I'll have to change out fuel somewhat regularly while smoking;
perhaps I'd prepare charcoal ahead of time. I don't trust the wood too
much. However, I think it has about the right cooking area that I'd
actually use it often.

For giggles, somebody's selling a rusted out, older version of this
smoker for $75 on Craigslist.

On 8-Jun-2006, Adam Preble wrote:

After my initial crazy schemes for making a smoker out of a propane tank
(couldn't get it), I've decided I should follow the recommendation of
getting a New Braunfels smoker. I'm near a few Academy Sporting Goods
stores and can get them easily. I see the Hondo smoker and thought it
was a little big for regularly cooking for 2-3 people. I'm thinking of
the Hondo Jr. smoker instead:

http://tinyurl.com/zfvhd

I figured I can deal with tearing an old drum apart and making my own
thing after I've use one of these for awhile and gotten sufficiently
ticked off at it.

There's not much to say about them on the Internet. My thoughts are
that I'll have to change out fuel somewhat regularly while smoking;
perhaps I'd prepare charcoal ahead of time. I don't trust the wood too
much. However, I think it has about the right cooking area that I'd
actually use it often.

For giggles, somebody's selling a rusted out, older version of this
smoker for $75 on Craigslist.

For openers, New Braunfels sold out to Charbroil. You can't buy a
new, New Braunfels offset pit. I cook on/in an original New Braunfels
Silver Offset cooker. Come Saturday, I'm gonna entertain TFM® and
his lovely mate Kili with a couple of racks of spares and a pork loin,
lovingly smoked on my patio in the offset pit. I ain't decided yet if
I should convert the loin into a roulade stuffed with some spinach
and select cheeses. At any rate, the sidebar will be available with
the five major food groups, Whiskey, Vodka, Rum, Gin and Bourbon.
And as an after thought, beer.

--
Brick(Found a motor..Trying to get it started.)

wrote:
For openers, New Braunfels sold out to Charbroil. You can't buy a
new, New Braunfels offset pit. I cook on/in an original New Braunfels
Silver Offset cooker. Come Saturday, I'm gonna entertain TFM® and

Well, isn't it essentially the New Braunfels design with Charbroil
handles? Too late now--I already got it and put it together. That's
99% of the way to total ownership right there.

On 9-Jun-2006, Adam Preble wrote:

wrote:
For openers, New Braunfels sold out to Charbroil. You can't buy a
new, New Braunfels offset pit. I cook on/in an original New Braunfels
Silver Offset cooker. Come Saturday, I'm gonna entertain TFM® and

Well, isn't it essentially the New Braunfels design with Charbroil
handles? Too late now--I already got it and put it together. That's
99% of the way to total ownership right there.

Yes, it is. I only question the Charbroil beancounters attention
to manufacturing quality. Not that the New Braunfels was all
that great. But, from what I've seen Charbroil is far more concerned
with profit then with quality.

With that said. Buy some extra fire chamber grates and turn two of
them sideways in the fire chamber. This will give you some precious
space between the coals and the grate for longer fire life. Then create
some kind of baffle between the firebox and the cook chamber to
reduce the radiant heat from the the firebox reaching the meat in
the cook chamber. I use a very large brick to deflect the radiant
heat.
--
Brick(Found a motor..Trying to get it started.)

I thought I'd give a trip report after trying a brisket with this
smoker. I had grilled with it the day before to get comfy. I've done
brisket in an electric smoker so I have a remote idea of what I might
get into. Still, I see how much more difficult it is to maintain the
fire and temperature when I'm not using some kind of heating element.

I have to agree with hrbricker's recommendations: putting in two extra
grates sideways for more space in the firebox, and use a brick or
something to block the irradiation. I'm tempted to use thin brick along
the bottom in order to help heat retention.

My initial fire was too hot. It started to burn clean and I closed it,
getting about 300F according to the prepackaged thermometer. I opened
everything but the gain grill chamber until it dropped to 250F and tried
again.

After awhile, keeping the temperature up was a problem. I threw
charcoal and pecan at it, but had to light it in the fire chamber. I
ended up getting a lot of smoke while doing this.

In the end, I had to finish the brisket off in the oven because I just
wasn't getting near 160F. The end result was pretty good though; at
least on par with what I could get from my runs with an electric smoker.
I think there was some creosote because I had a piece or two have a
quick, bitter taste. I'm not surprised.

I'll have to also get a chimney starter, and some additional bricks to
prop it up while things burn down in it. I think that will keep
smoldering pieces out of the fire. I'm wondering if the thermometer
that came with it is any good.

While I complain about maintaining temperature, it was around 200F a lot
of the time. It only dropped during 30 minute intervals when I mopped
and/or opened things up to tend the fire. I wasn't screwing around with
it and peeking in on it. For a 1.5 lb cut, I didn't expect it to be
undercooked 6 hours in. What I'm wondering is if these thermometers
tend to run high.

Adam Preble wrote:
I thought I'd give a trip report after trying a brisket with this
[ . . . ]
While I complain about maintaining temperature, it was around 200F a lot
of the time. It only dropped during 30 minute intervals when I mopped
and/or opened things up to tend the fire. I wasn't screwing around with
it and peeking in on it. For a 1.5 lb cut, I didn't expect it to be
undercooked 6 hours in. What I'm wondering is if these thermometers
tend to run high.

If it's like most, the thermometer is pretty high up in the chamber. Temp
at the grate is prolly much lower. Pick up a Polder knock-off (Taylor at
Target $16) and put it through a potato, lemon or cork at grill level. Get
two, stick the second one in the meat. Marinate (?), rub, don't mop. Get
the grill temp up to 250 or so. I've never seen a 1.5 lb brisket. You wanna
get it up to 190-200 internal.

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families!

Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not forgotten. Thanks ! ! !

Adam Preble wrote:
snip
undercooked 6 hours in. What I'm wondering is if these thermometers
tend to run high.
Adam,

test the thermometer in boiling water which runs about 212F and or in
ice water which should be about 32F. it also might be reacting slow,
temp might be what you need but your still fuss'n and it over or under
shoots. go digital!

--
Regards,

Piedmont

The Practical Bar-B-Q'r at: http://web.infoave.net/~amwil/Index.htm

What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless,
whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism
or the holy name of liberty or democracy?

Mahatma Gandhi, "Non-Violence in Peace and War"

wrote:
Adam Preble wrote:

I thought I'd give a trip report after trying a brisket with this
[ . . . ]
While I complain about maintaining temperature, it was around 200F a lot
of the time. It only dropped during 30 minute intervals when I mopped
and/or opened things up to tend the fire. I wasn't screwing around with
it and peeking in on it. For a 1.5 lb cut, I didn't expect it to be
undercooked 6 hours in. What I'm wondering is if these thermometers
tend to run high.


If it's like most, the thermometer is pretty high up in the chamber. Temp
at the grate is prolly much lower. Pick up a Polder knock-off (Taylor at
Target $16) and put it through a potato, lemon or cork at grill level. Get
two, stick the second one in the meat. Marinate (?), rub, don't mop. Get
the grill temp up to 250 or so. I've never seen a 1.5 lb brisket. You wanna
get it up to 190-200 internal.


Weber also sells thermometers that can be mounted anywhere
you choose to drill a 3/8" mounting hole for about 7 bucks I
think. I put one the level of each grate on my WSM as
shown:
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/...264&uid=680057

I also use digital probes during cooks. I mounted the ones
in the Weber before I decided that I wanted a dig. remote unit.

Next step is probably a BBQ Guru so that the pit temp stays
where it's set. (Yeah, I know - talk about lazy ;-) )

--
Steve