Help ID this smoker

[WestKyHunt]

I'm most definitely ready for it to be gone

 

[DougE]

I'm most definitely ready for it to be gone

From your lips to God's ears. We have had enough rain for awhile, but we will probably be begging for rain come July and August as usual lol.

 

[chopsaw]

I'm high enough that I don't have to worry , but close enough to the river that I will get some " slow drainage " out of my backyard . Had some standing water yesterday . Creeks are to full to take the runoff . Sump kicked on last night too .

Just went outside . Thinking about putting a fire in the fireplace .

 

[DougE]

I'm high enough that I don't have to worry , but close enough to the river that I will get some " slow drainage " out of my backyard . Had some standing water yesterday . Creeks are to full to take the runoff . Sump kicked on last night too .

Just went outside . Thinking about putting a fire in the fireplace .

Everything is downhill from where I'm at. If it floods here, better be calling Noah to come pick us up as he floats by .........

 

[WestKyHunt]

From your lips to God's ears. We have had enough rain for awhile, but we will probably be begging for rain come July and August as usual lol.

Seems to be the way of things these days. Flood winter/spring, drought summer/fall

 

[DougE]

Seems to be the way of things these days. Flood winter/spring, drought summer/fall

Even though we got a drought early last summer, it rained enough later in the summer to give us a decent hay cutting last fall. We pretty much figured we wouldn't get much of a hay crop, sending prices through the roof, but were pleasantly surprised.

 

[WestKyHunt]

After work I came home and started cleaning the mystery pit.

Took all the grates out, shoveled the large bits and vacuumed the rest.
Then I took a ball of aluminum foil and scrubbed every bit of the inside.
Sprayed with olive oil and dumped in half a chimney of Cowboy charcoal with one hickory split, halved.
I had some yellow potatoes going bad so I leveled the bottom and put my temp probes in them. One left of middle (probe 1) and the other 8in from the stack (probe 2).

While cleaning I did narrow the identity of this smoker. The original stack was on the back. It had been removed and patched. Whoever moved it did a good job of hiding it, on the exterior at least.
Fairly certain it is a early 2000's Brinkmann

30min into the first firing.
The splits caught, temporarily spiked my temp and is now leveling out to ~260 probe 1, ~250 probe 2.


approaching 2hrs in and I am already learning. I've been changing one variable at a time while adding wood.
Adding 2 small splits spiked my temps over 300, then dropped out - burned too hot and fast.
I put 1 small split in and it held temp, but did not last long before burning away.
I then added one larger log. It had some squiggly bits hanging off which of course caught quick and made dirty smoke. It took longer to raise my temp back up to goal, but held a little longer. But if I'm to use larger sizes I will need to add them sooner.

 

[chopsaw]

The pics reminded me of an older Brinkman a buddy had , except the stack was wrong .
Right side of the back would be correct for what he had .
maybe that's what it is . His was a great smoker .

 

[WestKyHunt]

The pics reminded me of an older Brinkman a buddy had , except the stack was wrong .
Right side of the back would be correct for what he had .
maybe that's what it is . His was a great smoker .

The first photo in my last post shows the original stack location, which was back right.
Several smokers were made fairly similar during the time period this one was built. Hard to say 100% it was a brinkamnn without seeing the original chimney or other identifying marks

 

[DougE]

I do the "V" grate thing in my firebox.

After getting a decent coalbed started with lump, I start feeding splits of this size

Start with 2 until temps level out and keep more preheating on top of the firebox. I generally have to add 1 split every 30 minutes or so to maintain temps within reasonable limits.

Temp swings are normal on these outfits, and a little "dirty" smoke after adding a split is really no issue.

 

[WestKyHunt]

I do the "V" grate thing in my firebox.

View attachment 716341

After getting a decent coalbed started with lump, I start feeding splits of this size

View attachment 716342

Start with 2 until temps level out and keep more preheating on top of the firebox. I generally have to add 1 split every 30 minutes or so to maintain temps within reasonable limits.

Temp swings are normal on these outfits, and a little "dirty" smoke after adding a split is really no issue.

Thanks for the input!

I'm picking up a sheet of expanded metal from my dad's scrap pile tomorrow. Going to make a charcoal basket.
Fire bricks on their way from Amazon as well

 

[WestKyHunt]

@DougE How do you start your lump? Chimney or just in the FB?

 

[DougE]

@DougE How do you start your lump? Chimney or just in the FB?

Chimney