Thread: New ECB Cooker
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Brad Houser
 
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Default New ECB Cooker

As mentioned in another post I have completed my first smoker meal. I have
used the Weber grill for years, as well as the Weber Genesis gas grill for a
while, when I had natural gas piped to my old house. I decided to go the
smoker route after reading this NG and the BBQ FAQ. I didn't want to spend a
lot, so I figured that since so many people say the El Cheapo Brinkmann can
make "great Q" without modifications, I decided to give it a go and save the
bucks for later (and ECB was on sale for $34.99 at OSH).

I assembled the Smoke 'N Grill Brinkmann with the easiest non-invasive mod.
I put the legs on the outside, and found some extra pieces of marble to hold
the briquet pan, making tending the fire a simple task of lifting the entire
unit. Since I was using mesquite charcoal, and it generally burns hotter
than regular briquets, I wanted to just try it as-is without drilling more
holes for air.

After the 2 hour curing burn, I had the two 5 lb. chickens rubbed and ready
to go. (Olive oil and Jamaica Seasoned Salt if you are interested.) I had a
couple big chunks of regular mesquite soaked for the added smoke kick.

The mesquite lasted longer than I thought it would, but during the actual
smoking, I learned it was best not to add fresh mesquite, but to get it
going in the chimney first. This minimizes the recovery time and reduces
heat loss. I added coals twice, and in 4 hours my babies were done. I was
the BBQ hero saturday night!

I will be moving on to bigger things soon.

Question: Since I am using mesquite charcoal, do I really need the soaked
wood chips?

Brad Houser