Greetings Fellow Food Enthusiasts:

I recently noticed that, through years of credit card use, I've accumulated
enough "points" to actually get something worthwhile. After evaluating the
various products available the Brinkmann Gourmet Charcoal Smoker and Grill
really caught my eye. The old Weber grill currently sitting on the deck
was given to me by a friend and has certainly seen better days. I've spent
some time researching the Brinkmann Gourmet unit this afternoon and it seems
to be regarded as a decent entry level smoker once some modifications are
done. While I'd love to begin experimenting with smokers I'd like to be
certain that the Brinkmann Gourmet can also be utilized as a grill. All of
the manufacturers documentation seems to indicate that it can but I haven't
seen any posts or opinions on how well it performed grilling duties. Does
anyone care to comment on their experiences with the Brinkmann Gourmet and,
more specifically, whether it will also work well as a grill that will
receive extremely frequent use? Also, I've read some concerns regarding
using the unit on a wooden deck. Does this only apply when using it's
smoking capabilities?

As always, thanks in advance for any feedback, input or advice,

J.P.

"Jake" > wrote in message
...
> Greetings Fellow Food Enthusiasts:
>
> I recently noticed that, through years of credit card use, I've
accumulated
> enough "points" to actually get something worthwhile. After evaluating
the
> various products available the Brinkmann Gourmet Charcoal Smoker and Grill
> really caught my eye. The old Weber grill currently sitting on the deck
> was given to me by a friend and has certainly seen better days. I've
spent
> some time researching the Brinkmann Gourmet unit this afternoon and it
seems
> to be regarded as a decent entry level smoker once some modifications are
> done. While I'd love to begin experimenting with smokers I'd like to be
> certain that the Brinkmann Gourmet can also be utilized as a grill. All
of
> the manufacturers documentation seems to indicate that it can but I
haven't
> seen any posts or opinions on how well it performed grilling duties. Does
> anyone care to comment on their experiences with the Brinkmann Gourmet
and,
> more specifically, whether it will also work well as a grill that will
> receive extremely frequent use? Also, I've read some concerns regarding
> using the unit on a wooden deck. Does this only apply when using it's
> smoking capabilities?
>
> As always, thanks in advance for any feedback, input or advice,
>
> J.P.
I used to have one of these and liked it. I made several mods and did mostly
low & slows with it. But grilling is easy enough. The body is a round part,
like a soup can with both lids removed (but obviously bigger). For low and
slow, you put the 'body' on the charcoal pan which sits in another pan with
short legs. Then you put the water pan and one grill on the lower brackets
and one grill on the upper brackets and then the cover. Now your set for low
& slow cooking.

For grilling, you put the 'body' in the bottom pan with legs then put the
charcoal pan on top with the grill on that. Now you're ready to grill.

It's tougher to describe than actually do.

Since the charcoal pan is in the bottom pan with legs for low & slow, and
the legs are only about 1-2 inches high, I can see a concern with using it
on a wooden deck. But for grilling, there is no more concern than with any
other grill.

Good luck.

P.S.
Make the mod for controlling air flow to the bottom pan with legs (a movable
alumnum slider).Also consider wrapping the body in fibregalss insulation and
cutting out for the door in the body. These two mods will make a
considerable positive impact. You don't need to do the cutting of holes in
the fire pan to increase air flow since the gourmet model has holes
(actually slits) in the fire pan. You also don't need to put holes in the
lid since the lid does not seal well (at least mine didn't). Unless you do
something like add a gasket to seal the lid, holes are unncessary, IMHO.
Although I did have them in mine.

>I've spent
> some time researching the Brinkmann Gourmet unit this afternoon and it
seems
> to be regarded as a decent entry level smoker once some modifications are
> done.

A little more airflow has helped my cooks a LOT. All I did was drill a few
extra holes.


>While I'd love to begin experimenting with smokers I'd like to be
> certain that the Brinkmann Gourmet can also be utilized as a grill.

I've never used mine as a grill, and don't plan to. It might work OK, but I
haven't added adjustable vents, and it doesn't have handles so you can move
it, and the cooking grate is going to be tough to move if you have to fiddle
with the fire. I'd say it's grilling capabilities are in the "works if you
have to" class.


>Also, I've read some concerns regarding
> using the unit on a wooden deck. Does this only apply when using it's
> smoking capabilities?

Fire pan works the same either way. I wouldn't use it on a wooden deck
unless you have some sort of base or fireproof mat underneath.

Get the smoker, see the FAQ, cook some food. Get a replacement grill later.
:-)

-John O

"Jake" > wrote in message
...
> Greetings Fellow Food Enthusiasts:
>
> I recently noticed that, through years of credit card use, I've
accumulated
> enough "points" to actually get something worthwhile. After evaluating
the
> various products available the Brinkmann Gourmet Charcoal Smoker and Grill
> really caught my eye. The old Weber grill currently sitting on the deck
> was given to me by a friend and has certainly seen better days. I've
spent
> some time researching the Brinkmann Gourmet unit this afternoon and it
seems
> to be regarded as a decent entry level smoker once some modifications are
> done. While I'd love to begin experimenting with smokers I'd like to be
> certain that the Brinkmann Gourmet can also be utilized as a grill. All
of
> the manufacturers documentation seems to indicate that it can but I
haven't
> seen any posts or opinions on how well it performed grilling duties. Does
> anyone care to comment on their experiences with the Brinkmann Gourmet
and,
> more specifically, whether it will also work well as a grill that will
> receive extremely frequent use? Also, I've read some concerns regarding
> using the unit on a wooden deck. Does this only apply when using it's
> smoking capabilities?
>
> As always, thanks in advance for any feedback, input or advice,
>
> J.P.

I cooked on a Gourmet for 4 summers (I still have it, but it's semi-retired
in favor of a Weber Smokey Mountain). I found that, with some
modifications, it would hold a steady temperature for up to 6 hours with
little or no attention from me. You can see the modifications I made at
http://community.webshots.com/album/85230444qwxKGC

The two most important: (1) Some type of adjustable control over air
intake, which will allow you to control the temperature; (2) A grate of some
kind in the bottom of the charcoal pan, so ashes can fall through instead of
accumulating around the charcoal and smothering the fire. These two things
will allow you to maintain a steady, controlled temperature. You'll also
need some way to accurately gauge the temperature where the meat is; the
built-in "thermometer" is pretty much useless.

I never used mine as a grill, so I can't comment on how well it works. I
don't use it on a wooden deck, either, but the major problems with Brinkmann
smokers on wooden decks, I believe, were with the smaller, cheaper model.
It, at one time, had a hole in the bottom of the charcoal pan for airflow.
Hot coals could fall through that hole onto whatever surface the smoker was
sitting on. Now, the cheaper model has no hole in the charcoal pan. While
there is a hole in the bottom of the Gourmet's exterior charcoal pan, the
inside pan has a series of slots for airflow, none of which are located
directly above the hole. So, there is almost no chance that a hot coal
could fall out of the smoker. Even so, if you plan to use it, or any
smoker, on a wooden deck, you'd be well advised to put it on some type of
fire-resistant material. There are pads made for this purpose, and they'll
also keep any grease drips from staining the deck.