Help and/or advice with ECB mods....

[sandman67]

I have made several mods to my ECB (Gourmet) and yesterday was still spent as a day of frustration dealing with temps. Here's the mods I made:

1. Added a charcoal grate about an inch and a half from the bottom to get the coals up off the floor and out of the ash.

2. Added a real thermometer at cooking level.

3. Drilled five 1/3 inch holes in the top cover to allow better air flow and smoke exit.

4. Drilled abour eighteen 1/4" holes spread evenly around the charcoal pan to allow better air flow for better burns.

Now keep in mind the charcoal pan on the Gourmet model sits inside the metal shell of the ECB. So the holes I drilled in the pan are not out in the open.

Problem:
I used the minion method (filled pan up with unlit coals and added 20 lit briquettes to start) temps went up to 220ish and held for 1/2 an hour and then it was hello 350! and then 400 degrees! The temps just would not come down. After an hour of playing, I finally took out all but about 30 pieces of charcoal and then the temps went down to 250 and held.

Did I drill too many holes in the charcoal pan? I left all the holes open for good air flow.
Did I use too much charcoal? I followed the Minion method and used the numbers he suggested.

The one good thing is at least I am enjoying this. It's a learning process but it is fun and when that wood starts smoldering...

Any ideas are appreciated.

 

[richtee]

I would start by reducing your amount of charcoal. It's gonna be a constant battle, but once ya get the feel for it, it's not bad. THEN Winter comes..and you get to learn all over agin ;{) Don't forget to fashion a windbreak!

 

[guvna]

those 1/4 inch holes in the fire pan are probably cloging up pretty quick. i would go bigger. also, you may want to just lose the metal shell on the bottom and control your temps by the amount of charcoal you're adding. you're using way too much charcoal! try starting with a chimney that's about 2/3 full and then dump it in a fire pan that looks somthing like this.