New Braunfels Restoration and Mods w PRON! (2024)

I bought this New Braunfels for $40 on Craigslist, researched the brand and type of smoker on BBQ Brethren before I bought it.

A little rusty, a lean, but some character, right? Over the next few weeks I browsed BBQ Brethren and got tips on getting rid of rust, rust converter, and what type of paint to use to start restoring it.

I started with this

And after some tough work with an orbital sander and some rustoleom, I ended up with this

So far I'm in this about $70 including the purchase price of the smoker, paint, and sand paper.

Then I started grad school and the smoker sat in my garage for a few months. But I got a Tel-Tru thermometer for Christmas (thanks again to everyone at BBQ Brethren) and decided New Years Eve was the perfect day to get my smoker finished.

Went to Home Depot and picked up some red oak and stain, and an oak dowel for new handles.

First I installed the thermometer

Then I cut and drilled holes in the red oak plank and oak dowel (couldn't find a red oak dowel), and then stained it with Sedona Red Stain.

And here's the final product.

Smoker - $40
Paint and Sandpaper - $30
New bolts, washers, and nuts - $10
Wood and Stain - $30
Thermometer - $60
Steel Baffle - $10
Total - $180

The BBQ Brethren forums helped me immensely by answering some of my questions directly, and by just searching and seeing what others had done. Big thanks to everyone here for their time, advice, pictures, mod suggestions etc. I hope this resto shows all of your hard work on this forum really helps people.

I'll be smoking for the first time next weekend, any suggestions for the best meat to smoke for a first timer?

A thing of beauty... now fire it up and get her dirty!

Well done!

As for the inaugeral smoke... a pork (Boston or picnic/shoulder) butt and a few fatties!
(The fatties to fend off the appetites and the pork butt is a very forgiving cut of meat)

Very nice. Fun to do ain't it?

Gotta say though, your "before" picture is a definite Keeper! You can tell people you have a special offset for high wind situations.:bow:

Nice job, good luck with it!

Happy New Year!

Thanks everyone! I'm really proud of it, looking forward to using it next weekend.

@jdub - I've gotten a lot of jokes out of it leaning like that! High wind area, a political leaning, looks like it's getting ready to haul ass just to the left....

Can't wait to try out a fattie (I had to go look them up first!)