"Jake" > wrote in message
...
> Greetings Fellow Food Enthusiasts:
>
> I recently noticed that, through years of credit card use, I've
accumulated
> enough "points" to actually get something worthwhile. After evaluating
the
> various products available the Brinkmann Gourmet Charcoal Smoker and Grill
> really caught my eye. The old Weber grill currently sitting on the deck
> was given to me by a friend and has certainly seen better days. I've
spent
> some time researching the Brinkmann Gourmet unit this afternoon and it
seems
> to be regarded as a decent entry level smoker once some modifications are
> done. While I'd love to begin experimenting with smokers I'd like to be
> certain that the Brinkmann Gourmet can also be utilized as a grill. All
of
> the manufacturers documentation seems to indicate that it can but I
haven't
> seen any posts or opinions on how well it performed grilling duties. Does
> anyone care to comment on their experiences with the Brinkmann Gourmet
and,
> more specifically, whether it will also work well as a grill that will
> receive extremely frequent use? Also, I've read some concerns regarding
> using the unit on a wooden deck. Does this only apply when using it's
> smoking capabilities?
>
> As always, thanks in advance for any feedback, input or advice,
>
> J.P.

I cooked on a Gourmet for 4 summers (I still have it, but it's semi-retired
in favor of a Weber Smokey Mountain). I found that, with some
modifications, it would hold a steady temperature for up to 6 hours with
little or no attention from me. You can see the modifications I made at
http://community.webshots.com/album/85230444qwxKGC

The two most important: (1) Some type of adjustable control over air
intake, which will allow you to control the temperature; (2) A grate of some
kind in the bottom of the charcoal pan, so ashes can fall through instead of
accumulating around the charcoal and smothering the fire. These two things
will allow you to maintain a steady, controlled temperature. You'll also
need some way to accurately gauge the temperature where the meat is; the
built-in "thermometer" is pretty much useless.

I never used mine as a grill, so I can't comment on how well it works. I
don't use it on a wooden deck, either, but the major problems with Brinkmann
smokers on wooden decks, I believe, were with the smaller, cheaper model.
It, at one time, had a hole in the bottom of the charcoal pan for airflow.
Hot coals could fall through that hole onto whatever surface the smoker was
sitting on. Now, the cheaper model has no hole in the charcoal pan. While
there is a hole in the bottom of the Gourmet's exterior charcoal pan, the
inside pan has a series of slots for airflow, none of which are located
directly above the hole. So, there is almost no chance that a hot coal
could fall out of the smoker. Even so, if you plan to use it, or any
smoker, on a wooden deck, you'd be well advised to put it on some type of
fire-resistant material. There are pads made for this purpose, and they'll
also keep any grease drips from staining the deck.