Anybody ever seen one of these? / Name that smoker

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bigred77

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Feb 14, 2015
178
20
Texas Hill Country
we call her R2D2......and she is an old old gal



My dad gave her to me and he had it when I was born in 1978, have had to replace the heating element in her more than once through the years,the last time was a few years ago after he had given her to me and I almost cried when I thought I wasnt going to find a replacement element





I can remember dad cooking on this little gal as long as I can remember



He even served Don Williams' Mother and step father some chicken quarters cooked in her





The sticker on top is readable says "Mr Meat Smoker", but is very faded and a google search comes up with very little info, and only on the charcoal version of the same brand 







anyways, I thought I would hit up the brain trust to see if anyone here remembers these or ever had one like this one.







and here is pic of the fatties I just put on, little trouble with the bacon weaves with some cheap thin bacon
 
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I believe they are green now and the bottom part is a little different but the rest is the same. Head on over to the ECB section and join. I but you can find what you want to know over there. Mine is full of dirt and grows some really nice flowers now. lol. I had the smoke & grill, charcoal model which I converted to propane for years and years. I don't miss those days. Not one bit.
 
The "Mr Meat Smoker" is out of production I believe. The current model is the closed bottom type and is called the gourmet electric. The new replacement element should fit yours. Just google Brinkmann electric smokers or go to Brinkmann.net.
 
It looks almost the same as my ECB "Gourmet Electric" (The bottom is different). Brinkmann sells every part for it on their website and the prices are pretty reasonable.
 
I believe my dear departed mother-in-law had this same smoker but never used it. It eventually went to my wife's sister and I have no idea if she's ever used it. I wasn't into smoking at the time but I would have liked to have gained possession of it. Still, because that smoker didn't go to us I eventually bought a Masterbuilt 30" Electric Digital Smokehouse and that's been among the best purchases I ever made. It smokes "rings" around that ECB.
 
I believe my dear departed mother-in-law had this same smoker but never used it.

It eventually went to my wife's sister and I have no idea if she's ever used it.

It smokes "rings" around that ECB.

How do you know? It sounds like the thing is still new in the box somewhere [emoji]128516[/emoji]
Just kidding I had an electric ECB for a short time in the early 90's. It wasn't the most versatile cooker. I also had a charcoal "Mr. Meat Smoker" a few years back. Also not the most versatile. And a square box type Brinkmann. You guessed it, not the most versatile. However, they all do smoke meat and at a very affordable price. This gets people interested and the ones that really like it move on to cookers that are more suited to their needs.
 
How do you know? It sounds like the thing is still new in the box somewhere [emoji]128516[/emoji]
Just kidding I had an electric ECB for a short time in the early 90's. It wasn't the most versatile cooker. I also had a charcoal "Mr. Meat Smoker" a few years back. Also not the most versatile. And a square box type Brinkmann. You guessed it, not the most versatile. However, they all do smoke meat and at a very affordable price. This gets people interested and the ones that really like it move on to cookers that are more suited to their needs.
Actually, Mr. Funny Man Person (although that was a funny line), she'd had it out of the box for years but never used it. She bought it because she wanted one. But darn it all, that was back in the 1980s and I didn't get actively involved in smoking until 2012 and by then she and the smoker were long gone.
 
Just picked up this exact smoker for $5 at a garage sale...it looks almost brand new.

2 racks

a bowl

the bottom element with a flat plate that goes over the middle of the element

Am I missing any parts?

if anyone knows how to use this...where to put chips...what temp it gets to(there are no vents at all)

Better yet if you have a manual or have used it & can type me a short tutorial that would be great!

Thanks!
 
 
Just picked up this exact smoker for $5 at a garage sale...it looks almost brand new.

2 racks

a bowl

the bottom element with a flat plate that goes over the middle of the element

Am I missing any parts?

if anyone knows how to use this...where to put chips...what temp it gets to(there are no vents at all)

Better yet if you have a manual or have used it & can type me a short tutorial that would be great!

Thanks!
Great find!  Glad to hear someone else out there actually has one to use.  Keep it in good shape, it may be collectible some day 
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Sounds like all the parts to me,  assuming the bowl has the "hangers" for it that suspends it above the plate over the heating element and holds the bottom rack

this is how I use mine, step by step (assuming wood chips are already soaking in water)

1.  starting with a clean empty  fully assembled smoker, I plug it in to start heating

2. typically put a bottle of water or beer in the bowl so it gets heated up too

3. go to prepping food

4. after 30 minutes to an hour, with food prepped and ready, take the top lid off, take both racks out, and carefully pull the bowl up and out by the handles (remember everything is gunna be HOT, I typically do all this with my welding gloves on)  carefully set the bowl down on the concrete so you dont spill any of the hot water

5. put about two big handfuls of wood chips on the top of the plate that is right on the heating element

6. Carefully put the bowl back in using the handles, and make sure it sets level and the handles are all the way down in their slots

7. put bottom rack in, and put whatever food you are putting on it in

8. put top rack in and load with food

9. Put lid on, make note of time and go fishing  
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10, comeback after allotted time and take food out and serve

using my maverick probes, I measure an average of about 220 on the bottom rack and 235 on top, loaded with food (of course this varies depending on how close you are to the edge on the bottom rack especially, the bowl lets lot of heat around the edge)  

Unloaded I have gotten it up to about 250.   that is with the lid down set tight, you can easily accidentally get the lid caught just slightly off and it keeps the temp down, which is usefull depending on what you are cooking

I do A LOT of chicken leg/thigh quarters in mine (I think it is all it was ever used for when my dad had it).  Typically fit 10 to 12 quarters (5 or 6 per rack), and I usually figure about 4 hours from the time I put them on until they are done.  Gets maybe 30 minutes longer if I open it up a bunch to sauce them up.  

Remember, with a smoker constructed like this one (thin walls, vertical, lid being the only thing "catching" heat), you lose almost all your heat every time you open it up.  So try not to open it much if you can.

I have done ~10 lb pork butts in it several times and just put them on around 9 or 10 pm and go to bed, then wake up and check them and they are typically done and ready for pulling.

and as you can see above, I have played with doing all kinds of stuff in it
 
ohh yea, one more little tip, 

as you can see in the original picture above, I have a thin pan that is slightly larger diameter then the smoker that I always set the smoker on

the idea is to catch drippings, as anything that makes it past the bowl inside will drip out the edge near the element

as you can see that day I didnt quite have it centered and missed a couple drips, still have those stains on the driveway  
 
Turned out great for my 1st go at it...
Only a 2 lb pork loin roast.


It took about 2 hrs & was not dry, but I couldn't pull it at all. I assume it just too lean a cut of meat? Tasted great!

The temp seemed to stay about 230 (thermometer on the top rack, meat on the bottom)

I threw some chicken drummies on yesterday & added som brats to fill the space...just experimenting with the new toy. Temp seemed a little higher 240-250. Sorry, no pics. Both were very good. Chicken was quite juicy. 1 1/2 hrs.

It seems to cook fairly fast compared to what I see for some of the reference time charts on line.

Putting some pork ribs in tomorrow & im seeing times of like 4 hrs. Afraid if I do that they'll be like siding. I'll probably just check the temp after 2 & see where there at.

Again thanks for the tips. Definitely helped me to get off to a great start. The smoker seems to work great. Just have to figure out what works best.
 
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