New Braunfels El Dorado Grande

[camp_cookie]

link

What do y'all think of this rig? The underneath firebox makes me think that it would have a hot spot in the cooking area directly above it. There is an internal grill grate that can be raised and lowered as well.

 

[cajunsmoker]

I like the idea

, if they run some tuning plates across the smoke chamber it ought to rock

 

[up in smoke]

It actually makes more sense than having the fire box on the far end! Neat!

 

[camp_cookie]

I was wondering if it might be more efficient. Heat rises; so, maybe the box being positioned like it is might help those cooking in colder temps; however, it might also impact temp control.

You can't see it in the picture, but there is a vent on the outside of the firebox. On the inside of the cooking chamber there is a drip pan/heat shield under the cook chamber charcoal grate.

 

[crewdawg52]

Can the internal grate be lowered enough to do, say a turkey?

 

[camp_cookie]

It looked like it would drop all the way down to the internal drip pan.

Just to be clear, there is a cooking grate and a charcoal grate inside the main cooking chamber. The charcoal grate can be raised and lowered.

 

[deejaydebi]

Rodger-

What's a "tuning Plate?"

 

[short one]

Tuning plates are pieces of metal that interfer with and redistribute the airflow through the oven. I think if it were me, I'd just buy a new smoker as opposed to using them. But I think some of just like tinkerin'.
Quote from SmokeyOky

 

[hanifen]

I have this grill/smoker and I love it. I have had mine for about 8 years and I think I would cry if anything ever happened to it.

Temp is easy to control with the vents and placement. I always place what I am smoking on the far right since that is the farthest from where the heat and smoke comes up through the bottom.

One modification I did was to drill four holes in the fire box and place metal hooks so that I can hang the rack where you build your fire. When doing a good 12-14 hour smoke ashes can sometimes need taken out. With the rack suspended you can just reach in with a glove and pull the ash pan out. Other than that I really have not done much to mine besides add more racks to it.

So where did you find this at? I have never seen them since I bought mine at Sam's Club 8 years ago.

There is one down fall and it is minor. I currently smoke a lot of sausage and even with 5 racks pushed to one side it does not hold as much as I would like at once - so I am building a refridgerator smoker to meet that need. Put you can easily do a turkey, several racks of ribs, I have had 5 butts on at once. It is perfect for doing normal smoking - just not for large amounts (100 lbs) of sausage at once.

So buy I say and let me know where you are getting it - might want to pick up another as a back up....

 

[cajunsmoker]

What he said

I must be a tinkerer

if I needed tuning plates to make the pit temp even throughout then I would put them in.

 

[hanifen]

Mine has a big V peice of metal that runs the interior length of the smoker. It severs two purposes: 1. it forces the heat and smoke to spread out into the cooking area. 2. it acts as a drip pan to guide the juices into a cup.

I know several years ago Charbroil bought New Braunfels so i hope the quality of their product has not dropped. Mine weighs a ton and is very sturdy - basically it is one huge piece of metal.

Also important to buy a cover for it cause it will rust on you if you are not careful.

Once again I highly reccomend this smoker... Oh and it makes for a wonderful grill too. 4 foot by 2 foot makes for a huge grilling surface.

 

[kingoh4]

I heartedly agree with Cajun(must be the Texan in me-we love offsets). I modified my Red River placing a stainless (1/4") , cut to profile the smokechamber and blocking the heat passage forcing the heat and smoke beloe it, passing the smoke to the opposite end of the chamber. Then I moved the smoke etack to the offset end causing a drafting over the meat of the smoke(in theory it is relieved of a great amount of the nasties we try to avoid.
I appologise for the lack of photos,I only have an American Idol key chain camera and it has no usable viewfinder and getting a centered shot is like painting a billboard with a brush on the end of a stretched out coat hanger in high wind. It's driving pain in my seat!
I'm begging MOM to get the bigger one but it's not working.
Time for "Plan 2"!

 

[camp_cookie]

I found it at Academy Sports. There is a link in my original post.

 

[john44]

I was given an El Dorado smoker this week end.After I assembled it I noticed that the fire box door didn't close completely,there is a 3/8 inch gap across the top and bottom of the door. The top cover only touches the smoke chamber in about 4 places accross the front,and doesn't touch anywhere else at all.When I tried to do the first burn in I used 10 lbs. of charcoal and 5 pieces of wood and only got the temperature to 275 for about 20 min out of 3 hrs of burning.I contacted Char-broil and sent digital pictures and was told someone would call me.I got no phone call,only an email stating there were no issues with my smoker.I went to the store where my smoker was purchased and looked at 2 same model smokers on the floor.The top cover fit right on 1 but not on the other one,the fire box doors weren't right on either one.Shouldn't these parts fit better and shouldn't Char-broil care. Thanks John

 

[navionjim]

It says New Braunfels on it so I'm thinking you can't go too wrong. I have a NB Bandera vertical and have used the crap out of it. All smokers need some tweaking from what I can tell, mine did for sure but its a workhorse now and I'd bet this one could be too.
Jimbo

 

[swkegelguy]

I agree with U. i. S. for I have looked at this closely. If the smoking area is as long as one with a fire box I can see this working.

Positive!! You have a drawer for waste and a grill without having the put a grate in a firebox. SMOOTH

 

[john44]

The New Braunfels smoker of 4or5 years ago and the ones being sold today are 2 diferent animals.They used to be built in Texas by people that knew and cared what they were doing.The New Braunfels name was sold to Char-broil and they are now made in China.Removing the firebox door hinge pins and rewelding them so the firebox door will close completly is way beyond some tweaking.On the one I had as much heat and smoke came out of the top of the firebox door as the top of the smoker.If you can't control the airflow in the firebox you can't control the temperature in the smoke chamber.A poorly built product would not be a huge problem if Char-broil would stand behind it and make it right,but they couldn't care less.I returned mine to where it was puchased for a refund and bought a Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker,which is a very well built U.S. made smoker that I am very happy with.I am just trying to warn people to be careful and check carefully before they buy something just because it used to be a good name.