Lookee what I found.

[boozer]

I was on my way to work this morning, and saw this guy on the curb with the trash. Now I have 2! The element is burned out. I may have left it because of that, but I decided to throw it in the truck and take it home, hoping one of you guys here had a bright idea what I could do with it. I figure I have a few options:
I could buy the replacement element, but the cheapest I could find it was $30. this kind of defeats the purpose of a free smoker.
I have an element from an old pos electric smoker (I also found that in the trash, and my char-griller. I found that one in the trash too.) This element works, sort of. It has a temp controller on it that cuts out every now and then. I could use it, but I would have to cut a hole for it to fit.
I could convert it to charcoal, But already have a charcoal smoker that I really like, I would probably not use this one much in that case.
I can always put it back on the curb for someone else, probably a scrap metal guy.

 

[Nick Prochilo]

Go buy a cheaperoo hot plate and your good to go! Good score!

 

[Griff]

Bigwheel will check in and tell you how to electrify it. He likes this kind of stuff.

 

[bbquzz]

Nice get, I'll be anxious to see what BW suggests.

 

[Bob In Fla.]

Bigwheel will check in and tell you how to electrify it. He likes this kind of stuff.

:supz::supz::supz:

:finga:

 

[bigwheel]

Well..a person might clean up the element and take it to Academy Sports and start acting all indignant and raising the voice about what junk they sell. They will most likely give you a free one. Now if they threaten to call the cops..it might be a good idea to give up and leave. The hot plate replacement might work. They also appear easy to convert over to charcoal. Keep us posted.

 

[boozer]

Well, we don't have an academy sports here. And I don't think that will work at home depot. I actually thought nick was making fun of me with the hot plate idea.

 

[Nick Prochilo]

You said the element was no good. That sounds to me like its electric. If that be, its only a heating element which is a hot plate. Hot plate with a pan of wood chips on it will work! Tell him how to do it Jeff!

 

[bigwheel]

Well think the first step would be to separate the heating elements from the heat control mechanism. Not sure how a cooked controller would work out. It would look to me like a person could just splice a couple of heat resistant wires to the element and leave the electronics on the outside. Now I aint never done it of course. Would think maybe one WW hot plate element would not get hot enough to do any cooking even if allowed to run unregulated. Now I have a high dollar 1500 watt hot plate which could do the job..but it costs more than a new Brinkmann. Bet Pigs might know.

 

[boozer]

I'm sure I could figure it out, but If I end up having to use a nicer hot plate, or two of the 15 dollar ones, then I'm getting to the same cost as the replacement brinkmann element. Even if I have to spend the 30 bucks, that's a smoker for 30 bucks, still not bad.

 

[bigwheel]

Well this is a fertile field and at the risk of being redundant yet again. The first electric gizmo I ever built was copied from an old football coach type guy I knew back in the late 60's. His favorite trick was to take a metal interior ice box..refrigerator?..which was commonly available for free back in them days and hook up a double loop 220 cooking range element in the bottom..but only hook up one loop to 110. It did not get real hot cept when you shut the door. One fist size chunk of good S. Texas Mesquite could make a bunch of stuff smokier than a mo fo..and no need to mess with it till manana. Made jerky excellent..heard yankees use the same process for smoking carp and gar possums etc. Not sure about that. The old Coacher turned out some fine brisket on his. Hey you just gave me a brilliant idear here..lol. Use the electric range element as describe above..dunk the 55 gallon barrel down over the top even on nice days to give it some insulation to mimic what the ice box had..which should be real close and you prob be good to go. Just use some heat proof wires to run to the element. Sit the wood in a pie pan on top of the element. We may can get a patents on this deal. Put some handles on the big barrel. It will most likely get pretty hot.

 

[Max1]

Hell man I got a hot plate for like $5 on amazon. I would check into it. it seems like the logical thing. That or use it as a charcoal smoker.

 

[boozer]

Max, can you post a link for the 5 dollar hot plate? The cheapest one I found was $12. http://www.amazon.com/MaxiMatic-ESB...&qid=1376769075&sr=8-9&keywords=hot+plateThis looks good though, I might be able to work with this.

 

[boozer]

..heard yankees use the same process for smoking carp and gar possums etc.

Whoa! ease back a bit on that! I'm not sure if you Texas folks consider Nebraska yankees, but smo-fried carp is amazing. As far as gar and possum, those are inedible unless you happen to be starving to death. Next time I catch a big buffalo carp, I will show you guys how to cook them. As far as the 55 gal barrel, Great Idea. I'm on the lookout for one.

 

[bigwheel]

The feed stores have an ample supply of barrels in these parts. Last one I bought cost 12 bucks and had been full of tomater sauce I think. I make the best carp patties on earth. Gar is very good. Nice white meat and has a diet a bunch higher on the food chain than nasty old catfish or carp. Yes..anybody who wasnt born in Texas or moved here as quick as they could is a yankee. Sorry about that. I dont make the rules..lol. There are a few exceptions for Louisiana coon asses and folks from Tennessee.That is where Davvy Crockett and Jim Bowie came from to help us kick Santa Anna's coola..so they get special treatment. Okies also dont count as yankees. They are a unique species who are living proof native american Injun Peppels did have carnal relationships with Buffaloes.

 

[boozer]

Gar is very good. Nice white meat and has a diet a bunch higher on the food chain than nasty old catfish or carp.

Lol I've had the misfortune of eating gar before. I'm going to need some pics, or I call ********!

 

[bigwheel]

Well not sure what you were eating but if it wasnt any good..it wasn't a gar or somebody screwed up knowing how to fix it. I have a pic of the oldest of the male chillins holding up a 40 pounder by the tail but dont show us eating it. It was good..slightly chewy but thats a pretty big fish. Smaller one would be best to eat I think. The object on cleaning them is bust them out of the shell sorta like for an Armadillo..then the pretty white meat is covered with a black membrane.silverskin? You can cut it into steaks and remove the membrane before cooking or get rid of the the membrane before steaking it. Here's sort of an interesting link on the process. They will not eat anything that is not alive and kicking.

Eating Gar

 

[boozer]

We only have the shortnose variety up here. They are ridiculously easy to catch, you can actually see them in the water because they like to hang out on the surface. Just hook up a sand toad on a bass hook, cast it in front of their face...Bam, you got a gar, 6 feet long and 6lbs lol. These things are all scales and teeth. The longnose gar may have some meat on them, I'm still willing to bet it tastes bad.

 

[bigwheel]

We have mainly what is called Needle Nosed gar around here. Now I am hearing stories of the big Alligator Variety being caught on one of our local rivers but aint never bumped into one personally. Thought them things were some kinda coon ass variant which hung out in the swamps..lol. The needle nose cook up great. Best bet to snag em is spring when they mate. The huge females love clean fast moving water and they swim up to a low water crossing or islands and just hang out laying eggs. Pretty easy to snag. The much smaller males hover about trying to cough up sperm or something. For still water the best bet is the frayed nylon rope segment attached to a shiney bass spoon. Might get one..but after the commotion its hard to trick another..lol. They are very shy and gentle creatures. Sorta feel guilty eating one.

 

[boozer]

They are very shy and gentle creatures. Sorta feel guilty eating one.

I know, just like snappin' turtles, right? I knew you was full of shit!