Using electric Brinkmann as charcoal smoker?

[teleburst]

Any reason why you couldn't use the electric smoker as a charcoal smoker by swapping out the bottom pan with a replacement pan from the charcoal smoker? Are they the same diameter? If not, perhaps use a cast iron pot and just putting the top cylinder directly over it? Any structural reason why it wouldn't work?

Obviously, if I were to use a cast iron pot or other separate charcoal tray, I'd make sure to have some sort of heat resistant block underneath it. I'd also make sure that the bottom of the water pan had sufficient clearance.

Anyone tried this? I assume that using the normal pan that comes with the unit would be risky, as it probably wasn't designed for charcoal. Or am I wrong about this?

 

[earache_my_eye]

I'm not exactly sure how the electric ecb is set up, but the gourmet charcoal version has two pans on the bottom. The outer pan has a hole in the center to allow for air flow, and the inner pan is for the charcoal.

I can't imagine that Brinkmann would want to make different size barrels for their ecb's....more cost effective to keep everything the same size.

I don't see any reason that you couldn't get replacement parts and have the best of both worlds!

Check around in the charcoal smoker threads, WalkingDude has some threads posted for ecb mods.....very helpful for making the charcoal ecb work to your advantage.

L8r,
Eric

 

[daddio]

i have the electric gourmet also,i went to a local mom and pop hardware store that carries a good bit of grilling stuff also and they had the charcoal replacement pans that have the vents all around the bottom and it was like 14.00.fits perfect as for the hole in the outer pad in the bottom the electric has a hole in the side that should help airflow some.

 

[teleburst]

Thanks daddio.

I couldn't find one locally so I ordered it directly from Brinkmann. It ran me $24, but I think it'll be worth it.

 

[teleburst]

The pan came in today so I'll be checking it out in the near future.

Now I can start reading the charcoal smoker thread <chuckle>.

It's great having the best of both worlds (well, three worlds if you count the Weber).

 

[daddio]

let us know and see how it works out.good luck

 

[laughingpanther]

How old is your smoker? My older Chargril was easy to convert to charcoal, but I'm not sure if a new one would be as easy. The reason I say that is that my new Chargrill is designed in such a way that it's only good as an electric. The big firepit that you can use either an element or chacoal with is gone with the new model; replaced with a flat whatchamacallit and there's also less space upwards between it and the water pan. Is the smoker you're looking to convert old school or new school?