[azcharlie]

I am at my girlfriends house this weekend and she has an electrick brinkman. So I thought I would cook up a pork butt for dinner today.

I put the meat in this morning and the temp inside the smoker will not go above 180. Is this normal for the brinkman units? I have never cooked with this type smoker before. With my smoker at home I always use lump and have grate results.

Do any of you know how I can get the temp up to were it needs to be?

[SmoknAZ]

If you have water in the pan maybe drop the level or empty completely.?.?

[Harpo]

Mine would hold around 200. I used the water pan but I put hot water in it to begin with. Mine was elec also. I had a small cast iron smoke box it would sit on top of the elememt and put my soak wood chips in it. The only thing in winter I would put a box over it to help it hold heat.

[AzJohnnyC]

Are you trying to rely on the built-in thermometer?  Have you tried a more reliable thermometer?

[azcharlie]

Well the cook is over for today I had to finish it in the oven. This butt was small only only 3.25 lb. After 6hr the internal temp was still only 110 deg.

I was cooking without a water pan. I used a oven thermo to find the temp. As the one on the Brinkman only says worm, ideal and hot. I even tried stacking bricks around the bottom of the smoker to reduce the flow of cool air. The temp only went up about 10 deg. (still under 200)

I would really like to do more BBQ for her and her friend's. But if this normal for the unit she has I don't know if I will try it again. Hay wait this sounds like a good reason for a NEW SMOKER.

[Harpo]

No meat can be served before it's time. You will have to learn your smoker. The brisket flat I cooked last night was a 10 hour cook. I have taken 14 hours on butts cooking under 200. It just take patients. Some of us are still trying to get the nerve up to tell our wives "It will be down when it's down" 

[azkitch]

Well the cook is over for today I had to finish it in the oven. This butt was small only only 3.25 lb. After 6hr the internal temp was still only 110 deg.

I was cooking without a water pan. I used a oven thermo to find the temp. As the one on the Brinkman only says worm, ideal and hot. I even tried stacking bricks around the bottom of the smoker to reduce the flow of cool air. The temp only went up about 10 deg. (still under 200)

I would really like to do more BBQ for her and her friend's. But if this normal for the unit she has I don't know if I will try it again. Hay wait this sounds like a good reason for a NEW SMOKER.

First, what is this "cool air" you speak of, and where do I find some? I thought it was an old wive's tale...
Second, you seem to have grasped the situation with the last sentence of your post. NEW SMOKER. If you can get a barrel free, a UDS is really cheap. And they work really well. And if cheap isn't a factor, you can always build a cheap UDS, and add a stoker. Can you say BEDTIME?

[revgodless]

you can get a barrel for about twenty-40 from arizonabarrels.com. I think taht's the address...

[screaming pete]

i have an electric brinkman and have had it for years and it works great...i put two 6-7 lbs butts on and let then roll for 12-14 hours and they are usully perfict or better.  i always use the water tray and put about 4-5 beers and take a pull of the top of each one just for luck, usully have to add more liquid to it about 7hours into it..  i do fish chickens turkeys and use it for a grill too...make sure you have the volcanic rick in the bottom with the heating element..

pete