Hi folks,
I'm pretty enthusiastic about smoking so I didn't hesitate to offer to help a friend who wanted to get some use out of their smoker. It turns out that they have what appears to be an older Brinkmann Sportsman Smoker that has a single grate, open bottom and no vents in the cover. The bottom section does not have a door either. It looks like air flow is controlled by the space between the charcoal bowl and the housing. (NB, I'm used to a WSM with top and bottom vents...)
I have two concerns: 1) measuring temp and 2) controlling temp. Ordinarily I use a Maverick remote reading thermometer to monitor smoker and meat temperature. The lid on this BSS looks pretty tight and I'm concerned about damaging the thermometer leads. Can I wrap them with foil to provide some protection? Can I use some extra foil to block the opening that will result from the probes?
Regarding temperature control, how do I do it? It seems like I have the choice of how much charcoal to start with and that's about it. Can I shove some foil into the annular gap between bowl and shell to reduce air flow (and that's assuming I need to reduce temperature.) The directions are quite clear about not needing to worry about overcooking food. Are my fears unwarranted? Charcoal sitting in a bowl and a non-vented lid hint that overtemp may not be a problem. I'm accustomed to closing up my WSM and making a few adjustments for a 6 or 8 hour smoke.
BTW, we're planning on smoking a 5 lb pork shoulder (for pulled pork) and a slab of baby back ribs. My expectation is that we'll at the least be opening the smoker to remove the ribs after several hours.
Tips and suggestions are most welcome!
thanks,
walt
I'm pretty enthusiastic about smoking so I didn't hesitate to offer to help a friend who wanted to get some use out of their smoker. It turns out that they have what appears to be an older Brinkmann Sportsman Smoker that has a single grate, open bottom and no vents in the cover. The bottom section does not have a door either. It looks like air flow is controlled by the space between the charcoal bowl and the housing. (NB, I'm used to a WSM with top and bottom vents...)
I have two concerns: 1) measuring temp and 2) controlling temp. Ordinarily I use a Maverick remote reading thermometer to monitor smoker and meat temperature. The lid on this BSS looks pretty tight and I'm concerned about damaging the thermometer leads. Can I wrap them with foil to provide some protection? Can I use some extra foil to block the opening that will result from the probes?
Regarding temperature control, how do I do it? It seems like I have the choice of how much charcoal to start with and that's about it. Can I shove some foil into the annular gap between bowl and shell to reduce air flow (and that's assuming I need to reduce temperature.) The directions are quite clear about not needing to worry about overcooking food. Are my fears unwarranted? Charcoal sitting in a bowl and a non-vented lid hint that overtemp may not be a problem. I'm accustomed to closing up my WSM and making a few adjustments for a 6 or 8 hour smoke.
BTW, we're planning on smoking a 5 lb pork shoulder (for pulled pork) and a slab of baby back ribs. My expectation is that we'll at the least be opening the smoker to remove the ribs after several hours.
Tips and suggestions are most welcome!
thanks,
walt