Brinkman SmokeNPit Modification and Tip on Jimbo Jitsu's Farm House Show

[marcusj325is]

I see you have a big pile of wood behind the smoker. Do you use just wood in this unit or do you use charcoal?

[JimboJitsu]

@marcusj325is no, that is fir and for the fireplace. I have switched to Cowboy Lump Charcoal after trying over a dozen types of lump and briquettes. The stuff from Trader Joe's was pretty good too for a briquet.

[967andy]

I tried to post a video response but I am not seeing it. I have the same smoker and thought it sucked because it leaked to much air/smoke around the lid.

I used woodstoke gasket to seal around the lid and it is a significant improvement and only about $25. The mods are on my Homade Bacon video.

[JimboJitsu]

@967andy lol, sorry for my confusion I believe it has been approved now. I really like the mod and the tip of clothespin it down.

[PlainVidz]

also...I understand the smoke, and I have plentiful amounts of hickory that is split into pieces about 6-9 inches long by 2-3 inches wide, but am I just wasting wood by NOT using lump charcoal? (I have so much wood) is it much easier to regulate and maintain a temp, using charcoal and tossing wet wood on regularly rather than just wood?

[JimboJitsu]

@PlainVidz Not sure that I have used hickory for smoke, not that I can recall so not sure what flavor it gives off. I like Apple and Maple myself. I like lump because it is easy to control your heat and it does not give off much flavor like briquets. If you use a steam bath you can just burn the wood and skip the charcoal, but that would be a technique to develop... There was a video I saw where they BBQ with corn cob husks as the fuel source.

[PlainVidz]

Thanks. Ive been smoking for many years under far less conditions, with all the bad reviews on this grill, its an improvement to my makeshift applications i made on my gas grills. I'm sure I'll be fine. But as far as the extension on the exhaust, can you tell me why? is it to make the smoke pass low and up through the meat? rather than up and over the meat? i see i would have to take off the upper rack (losing grill space) to do that.

[JimboJitsu]

@PlainVidz If you mean an internal extension to the bottom of the Q the purpose is to retain more heat... and I did not find it to be worth the effort but others have said it was. I think the new Brinkmans are thicker and have less troubles especially when you Q above 70 degree outside temp. To save fuel cost I would line the fire box with fireplace insert bricks and call it good. If you have lots of wood I suggest looking into making your own charcoal... Charcoal is easy to control is all.

[PlainVidz]

Can you please give some details on the mods you made? where you put the firebrick, did you use splits?etc. any detail would help. I need to know ASAP! grilling for the 1st time with this on the 4th

how big a piece of wood do you put in there? do you ever use ALL wood? if not, whats your ratio to charcoal?

[JimboJitsu]

@PlainVidz Actually in July, the heat is better and the brick mods are not that important. I lined the firebox as much as I could and then lined the bottom of the cooking chamber as best I could. I use fireplace insert bricks because they are heat ready and lighter the purpose is to keep the heat in. Your wood ratio is best to keep a small amount of smoke going all the time. And do a couple test runs before the 4th...

[SmokeyGoodness]

I've been "eyeing" a smoke-n-pit over at Ace, but I approach it with a great deal of caution! (Based on experience).

*FREE to a GOOD HOME, 1 Smoke-n-grill!!!*

[JimboJitsu]

@SmokeyGoodness

I didn't pay for mine... it was a gift... It works ok if you like to work at your BBQ... WSM will be my next purchase...

Editing my bone in leg of lamb video now.

[jwilson004athotmail]

Nice Jimbo!! Glad you don't use propane, it just doesn't have the same taste or feel of REAL cooking!!

[JimboJitsu]

@jwilson004athotmail

Unless it is fish or burgers for just the two of us, I would rather use lump charcoal for cooking my food. I have found Lump is much better than the briquettes I used to use... Don't have to wait for the briquettes to cook off before use or you have that bitter taste in your food...

[jwilson004athotmail]

@JimboJitsu yeah,I only use mesquite wood for my BBQ, gives it a nice flavor!!

[JimboJitsu]

@jwilson004athotmail

cool, I use the local hardwoods in combination depending on what I am cooking. Basically the waste wood from around the farm so it is free and no impact. For some reason our region does not produce lump charcoal so when I buy that it is usually mesquite.  Not for fish though, that is Apple...

[gerald2003r]

Walmart sells one of these style of smokers for 158, is it the same or compatible? Yeah I would also try your modifications. Looking to try one of these this summer.

[JimboJitsu]

@gerald2003r

probably, I have seen them with the fire box on the right side... Bryan Knox I think has it on that side... I like this one cause of the length, it was tricky to figure out the heat... oddly enough my original idea of puttin a few coals on the cold side was the best heat control I used. And I tried lots of things to get the heat even across the grates. To be honest I have never been in a Walmart so I have no idea what kinda of BBQ they have.

[gerald2003r]

@JimboJitsu Looks exactly like yours. They still haven't figured out how to put a Walmart out in the sticks yet... :) It's a fight between computer parts and smokers... So far computer parts are winning out but 158 is a pretty good deal...

[JimboJitsu]

@gerald2003r

Oh, they are around here, in fact they forced a local city to put them in instead of the multi-business village the citizens had wanted, it took over a year but they eventually won and the citizens lost. I kinda think forcing yourself on the citizens of the USA is a no no and I will not shop there period ever no way ain't gonna happen type thing.

[Ragrog105]

@JimboJitsu I've NEVER set foot in a Wal*Mart. Not only for that reason, but I refuse to support China's economy and therefore their military modernization and expansion. Very few products sold at China*Mart are American made.

I use nothing but lump charcoal, not only because of cost, but it is so much easier to control than briquettes, tastes way better and contains no chemical additives used in the processing. It starts easier and burns hotter and longer too.