- Jul 1, 2010
- 2
- 10
I am new to this and have an upright Brinkman charcoal smoker (with 2 doors and pullout trays for charcoal, water, and 2 food trays, and 2 upper vents and 2 lower vents). I have trouble getting the temperature above 220 deg. even with all vents open. The way the charcoal tray is designed, it seems like there is limited air flow to the coals. The charcoal tray has about 3-4inch sides with a little grate on the bottom; the charcoal just fills the tray. Has anyone cut holes in the side and even the bottom of the tray that holds the charcoal? I don't want to redesign Brinkmanns unit, but it seems like the charcoal may need more air flow to burn faster and get hotter. Thanks.