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I used the Brinkmann Electric Converter to convert a Weber One-Touch Silver 22 1/2" Charcoal grill into an awesome electric BBQ grill. I had a Masterbuilt Electric Veranda Model pedestal grill with a 1650 Watt variable output electric heating element, but with only 200 square inches of heating surface it was limited to cooking for about 2 to 3 people. I needed something bigger for when guests stop over for free food. The Weber is about 380 square inches, so I almost doubled my cooking surface! (Area = 3.14 X Radius X Radius).
Since the Weber One-Touch Silver 22 1/2" Charcoal grill is one of the most popular grills in the USA, I got one for $89 at a local hardware store. The Brinkmann Electric Converter through Amazon was less than $50 with shipping. I also picked up a cheap temperature gauge for about $10 at the hardware store that reads up to 750 degrees Farenheit.
The conversion was pretty straight-forward. I sat the Brinkmann element on the lower grill where the charcoal is normally located. Then I marked the area where the electric cord needs to come out of the grill. I used a cutting wheel attachment on an electric drill to buzz off some of the lower grill where the cord needs to come through. Then I used a 3/4" unibit to blast 3 holes through the bottom basin of the grill, and connected the holes together by using a 3/8" drill bit to buzz around the holes, kind of like an end-mill. (A 1" hole saw would have probably worked just as well, but I couldn't find one in my garage.) So once the hole was made, I simply sat the electric element in place, with the electrical cord coming out the back-bottom of the grill. I also hacked a couple inches off one of the charcoal scraper louvers so that it wouldn't bang on the electric cord.
I used a couple feet of aluminum foil to wrap around the rubberized insulation where the electric cord enters the bottom of the element, and held it together with some heat resistant tape. Then after setting the element in place I used some more heat resistant tape to seal the hole on the bottom basin of the grill, where the electric cord comes out. I used some cheap black spray paint from the dollar store to paint over the silver tape and some tool marks I had made. After drilling a small hole in the grill's lid for the temperature gage, I locked the gage in place with another small piece of heat resistant tape. Done.
The element cord will probably need an extension so that you can place the grill where you need it. I bought a 9' extension cord normally used for large appliances, such as a refrigerator. The AWG is 14, don't use 12 AWG as it will get warm to the touch when running this element, and the appliance extension cord does not get get warm at all.
The empty grill goes from 75 deg F to 350 deg F in 10 minutes flat. It doesn't seem to matter whether the lower charcoal scraper louvers are open or shut. I leave them open so that grease can drip down through the louvers into the pan that normally catches charcoal dust. After taking the lid off the grill to flip your steaks or whatever, the recovery time back up to 350 deg F is about 5 minutes. If the temperature gets too high for you, just open the vent on the lid and the temperature will drop about 5 degrees per minute. Close the vent when you get to where you want to be again.
This grill conversion tends to hold at about 350 deg F no matter how much or how little food is being cooked. It is so simple to operate that you can walk away from it for periods of ten to fifteen minutes without having to worry about it going past 400 degrees. It is perhaps the best BBQ grill I have ever seen, considering the ease of use and lack of filthiness associated with charcoal. Plus it doen't dry out meat the way a gas flame does, and the temperature is a very consistant 350 degrees (+25), perfect for cooking almost anything.
My Masterbuilt Electric Veranda was okay, but for a relatively small cooking surface I think the electric element was slightly oversized, and even though I got used to tweaking the temperature setting for the element, I still found the unit bursting into flames when least expected. This Brinkmann-Weber conversion is simple and reliable, allowing me to pinpoint cooking times within ten minutes. Try that with charcoal! All you need are a few tools, a couple of hours, a little ingenuity, and you will have the best grill on the block.
Hope this helps.
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I converted my Weber kettle grill with this electric converter and I must say it does work...maybe to good...I agree with the other reviewer that the temp gets to around 350deg and heats up quick. I would say it is like a toaster oven but on crack. However for smoking, the temp might be a tad bit to high without a way to control the heat.
Does anyone know how to reduce the amount of current going into the element?
Update: I am going to try to regulate the element by using an router speed control. The one that sells for under $20...Says it is rated at 15amps and 120v so I will try it out and let everyone know.
Update2: Well as you can see by my pictures it works! One side note about the temp controller is that the bottom of the case is metal to add as an heat sink and also has a belt clip. Now when running this amount of current through this device it will get hot so beware.
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The first unit I received did not heat up like it should have. I contacted the seller and they referred me to Brinkmann. They immediately sent me a replacement and now I am on my way to smoken everything in the freezer!
Honest reviews on Brinkmann 812-3323-0 Smokeshop Electric Converter
I purchased this to convert my Brinkmann Smoke 'N Grill to electric after moving to an apartment complex that does not allow charcoal grills. So far I am very pleased with the conversion, I have used it to grill burgers, steaks, and hot dogs without any problems. I also successfully smoked a 5-pound bacon-wrapped pork loin earlier this week, which got rave reviews from my wife and in-laws. It tasted every bit as good as with charcoal.
Some buyers of this item have claimed that it has trouble putting out enough heat. It is true that the electric element does not get as crazy hot as a full bowl of burning charcoal, but honestly this gives as much heat as you need if you know how to use your grill/smoker. I added some ceramic briquettes around the heating element, which seems to help the smoker heat up faster, reach a little higher temperature, and stay hot when I remove the lid for checking the meat. Overall, I am starting to like the electric conversion better than using charcoal because it provides consistently moderate heat whereas using charcoal tends to require constant attention to stay somewhere between way too hot and way too cold.
Regarding wood to use for smoking: There is not much room between the wood plate (which sits on top of the heating element) and the bottom of the water bowl, so large wood chunks might not fit. Chips or small-ish chunks work best. Also, the wood doesn't start smoking as fast or catch fire with the electric conversion as it would with charcoal, so I've stopped soaking the wood before adding it. If you do soak, the wood just sizzles for a few minutes until it dries out enough to start gently smoldering.
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I had this conversion once before for another Brinkman and I let it get away from me. I recently bought another Brinkman Smoker-Grill and just had to have another of these units. Easily converts the smoker from charcoal to electric smoker in a mere minutes. Great to have the option.
Paul in Texas
