Brinkman Smoker cant get the temp up

[redneck1676]

I've got a Brinkman smoker that I cant get the temp up on. A few weeks ago I smoked some roasts and got up to 225, yesterday I smoked with a water pan and could get 150. I was using lump charcoal and wood chip n chunks. I know I loss a lot of smoke from around the door so I was thinking of adding a seal. So i dont know if the fire pan is being choked out with not enough air flow to the bottom of the pan or not, there are no dampeners on the unit. Take a look at these pics and let me know what you think I can do. Thanks Jason

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Looks like too many and too big of holes on the bottom of the cabinet, which will blow all your heat out the top pretty quickly. Also, not enough holes in the fire pan. You may be better off with a basket for a charcoal holder. I'd close in most of the holes on bottom for starters, then add an intake draft control to the cabinet bottom...just a swinging plate/sheet over a 1-1/2" hole or two should do the job. I suspect the ash is building up in the pan over time...always does, that's where a grate or basket will help a lot on long smokes.

Adding water to the water pan will kill your heat too, as evaporating water from the pan will cool the smoker. Water helps mainly for temp control...too hot, add water, too cold, take it away, or use less of it. If you use washed sand in the water pan instead (with a foil drip pan or hand-made foil pan, if you have room), it will heat about as slowly as water, but will allow you to get higher overall temps, and adds mass to the smoker for smoothing out the temp fluctuations a bit.

Eric

 

[redneck1676]

THANKS GUYS FOR THE INFO I PUNCHED OUT THE HOLES IN THE FIRE PAN TO 3/4 AND SMOKED IN IT YESTERDAY IT WORKED GREAT THE TEMP CAME RIGHT UP AND I COULD GET A CONSISTANT 200-230. NOW OF COURSE SINCE THERES MORE AIR FLOW I HAVE TO FEED IT MORE BUT THATS ALL GOOD. MAY TRY AND BUILD A DAMPANER PLATE ON THE BOTTOM TO HELP AND REGULATE IT SOME MORE. THANKS FOR ALL THE ADVISE IT HELPED MAKE THIS ECB A BETTER SMOKER.  JASON