New guy needs help

coldwindcoach · Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 10

I'm new to this so I bought a New Braunfels Hondo smoker just to get my feet wet. My question is I am have the same problem with mantaining heat and the heat fluctuation. Can I put the hot coals in the cooking chamber on the side of the of the firebox and the brisket or ribs on the other side by the smoke stack

coldwindcoach · Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 10

I guess know one has any help

skybob · Posted: Jan 17 2007 Post subject:

You need to just hang in there a little while. It sometimes takes awhile for the people with experience with the type cooker you have to see the question.
I don't have the type cooker you have, but I'd say that if you put the charcoal in the cooking chamber then you're going to have a little trouble with the direct cooking rather than indirect. You see the infrared rays off the charcoal will be able to hit the meat directly and will cook that side faster than the other. If you do it that way, you'd have to keep flipping the meat to get an even cook.
Good luck with it. Just takes a little patience and trial and error.

coldwindcoach · Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 10

My down fall lack of patience. Thanks for your help

skybob · Posted: Jan 17 2007 Post subject:

One thing about BBQ, it takes patience more than anything else. I've learned that the meat will be cooked when it's done at it's own schedule. I"ve tried to time things seeing as how I work on 2nd shift, and had to crank the heat up at times to try to finish the meat out. One hard and fast rule I"ve found is that there's NO hard and fast rule about cooking times. There are just too many variables, temperature, wind, humidity, temperature of the meat going in, amount of beer in the cooler, time you've absolutely got to be somewhere else. It's done when it's done.
You just have to keep after it and try to remember what you do so if it works good you can repeat it and if it tanks, you can not use that technique again.
Hang in there and just keep smoking!

barnburner180 · Posted: Jan 17 2007 Post subject:

adolpho · Posted: Jan 17 2007 Post subject:

Skybob is right. Once someone with your pit or similar to it reads the thread and has time, they'll chime in. I've seen the NB Hondo at my local Academy and my local Walmart sells the Brinkman Smoke-N-Pit Deluxe.
They are similar:
NB "Hondo"

Brinkmann "Smoke-n-Pit"

That being said, Alien should be able to help you with his modifications.

I personally have a Charbroil American that is smaller than the Hondo but works similarly. First thing I noticed is that they have way too many leaks and heat escapes. I adjusted that by using foil to seal the edges of the lid. The Hondos are a bargain at around $140, I just haven't got myself one because I have an offset barrel that is a little larger.
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roaster · BBQ Fan Joined: 04 Oct 2006 Posts: 252 Location: vermont

I have the walmart Smokin pit. My temps flucuated a lot. Like the others say time .practice and patience. If you can right dowm everthing you do. I took a piece of aluimun dryer vent pipe. Cut it to be about 12" long coiled it up And put it inside the chimney , letting it stick down about 1/4 " from the cooking grate. This will keep more heat in the champer. as the heat will fill the top of the champer . It will have to come down to the cooking surface before it is able to exhaust. Over by the firebox i added a peice of metal to direct the heat down from the fire box. Did you install a new temp gauge. My gauge that came with the cooker was not good. was off by 15 degrees. It was also installed in the top of the cooker. You want your gauge by the grate. You want to see what temp your meat is cooking at. Have you tried the Minon metheod with your charcoal? I do this with great sucsess:
Minion Method - Hot Coals In A Coffee Can Place a small, bottomless coffee can in the center of the charcoal chamber. Fill around the can with unlit fuel. Put hot coals inside the can, then carefully remove using a pair of channel locks and heat resistant gloves.

Here is a link to the smoker modifications:
http://www.homebbq.com/library/SmokerModifications.pdf

Hope this helps you. Just rember time ,practice and patience

Roaster

BBQMAN · Posted: Jan 17 2007 Post subject:

Welcome to the ring coldwind coach! Very Happy

There is literally TONS of info here on getting good results. The mods have been also discussed here at length. Please take the time to surf the site, and then get back to us with any questions. That smoker needs some work to produce well. I owned the New Braunfels myself years ago. The mods are important, and an afterburner or something similar will also help. Even high dollar pits have a "learning curve" for the new owner.

While we are happy to help, just like good BBQ there is no "instant gratification" with cooker help/problems. Some of it is just experience and that is where this site becomes a great tool. Lots of good info and ideas here! Very Happy

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mding38926 · Posted: Jan 17 2007 Post subject:

Alien BBQ · Posted: Jan 18 2007 Post subject:

If this one is similar to what you have then you can give this a try.
http://www.thesmokering.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1943&highlight=project+brinkman

If we are on the same page, ��this type of smoker does a lot better with wood as opposed to charcoal.
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BigOrson · Posted: Jan 18 2007 Post subject:

I had a Hondo for about 8 years (and miss it). I wasn't the perfectionist many here are when I owned it. It took me awhile to learn where the sweet spot was on the smoker box and how to build and maintain a proper fire in the firebox, but eventually I could cook 2-3 butts at 225 as long as I wanted to. The only mod I employed was a foil gasket between the firebox and the smoking chamber.

Hoochie-Que · Posted: Jan 18 2007 Post subject:

Hey, Coldwindcoach...

Welcome to the Ring!...

I suppose you certainly could add coals to your cooking chamber... As mentioned, the cooking then becomes a little more "direct heat" and a little less "indirect heat"... But Que doesn't always have to be done "indirectly"... I have a BDS smoker, and it works by "direct heat" method... And I know folks who set up ther big Weber kettles to smoke/Que with by stacking their coals to one side of the kettle (on the bottom) and their meat on the other side (up on the rack)... Sometimes they have a water or sand bath right in the middle of the bottom of the kettle, more or less "between" the coals and the meat...

But as some have suggested, work with your smoker a little more... it is designed to work indirectly, and probably has a "sweet spot" or two that will do the job... Also, on this type of smoker, make certain to leave your exhaust pretty much "open" and adjust your temps with your air intake on the firebox... A little work/experience on your part should have you flying in no time...

Best wishes... Cool

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