Sunday, May 5, 2013

Franken Smoker is Reborn!!


 What do you do when the maker of your smoker does NOT make ALL the parts to replace those that get burned out? You improvise that's what!!

 I have a Brinkmann Gourmet Smoke and Cook that the base burned out of. Brinkmann makes new fireboxes but not the base for replacement. Now I have been Jonesing for SOMETHING, ANYTHING smoked. Have you ever been there?



 Now, if you follow Tulsa Jeff Phillips @ www.smoking-meat.com you know he uses an ECB with round pavers to put the fire pan on so that he can lift the food off the fire with out having to open the lid and lose the heat inside when adding coals or wood chunks to the fire. Well, I went in search for the pavers and with all of the big box stores in my area wouldn't you know that they no longer carry the round pavers!

 Argh! What's a smoke deprived Pyrate to do??

 Well I was going to cast me own paver from concrete, but, the more I looked at me situation I had to think that this was not how I wanted to go. Me firebox is burned out at the bottom and the base is gone as well. But, But, the side of the firebox is still in OK shape. So I got a piece of 1 1/2" angle iron and made four legs  and attached them to the side of the firebox! This allowed the body of the smoker to sit in the seal made for it and the replacement fire pan to sit inside of it as well.

 The first thing to do was to cut out the old burned out center of the firebox.


 Next was to drill and bolt the new legs to the side of the box.



 Simple fix for a tight (cheap) budget smoker!!
    



Now for some Chicken!!



What turned out to be a simple fix had been delayed for a couple months and that caused much grief. But, now we're back up and cooking!!

 Till next time may the wind fill yer sails and be fair seas ahead of ye!