Cleaning the Masterbuilt Cold Smoker??

smesh · Dec 23, 2014

Anyone have any tips for the best way to clean the chimney and chute for the Masterbuilt Cold Smoking Kit? I use mine for everything now since it gives me better smoke and allows longer burn times, but it's pretty badly clogged up and the pellets and chips get stuck in the chute. I have to go out once in a while and use the BBQ spit to lightly poke through the suspended wood so it falls the rest of the way down. I tried using a screw driver and managed to get some to peel away, but there are enough rough edges that when the moisture kicks up, the pellets and/or chips stick to the sides.

I thought about putting the chimney on the gas grill and cooking the crap out of it at high heat, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea. Anyone have any other suggestions?

Is there some kind of cleaning solution I should try?

bear55 · Dec 23, 2014

I really don't know but I would not put it on my grill and cook the "crap" out of it. I'd be afraid of a fire in the chimney.

smesh · Dec 23, 2014

It's just a chute about a foot long. I can't see it being too much of a fire hazard in a stainless gas grill. I'm more worried about damaging the chute itself.

brianlamb41 · Dec 23, 2014

I've had the clogging problem at times as well. I have taken a wire brush and scrubbed the hell out of the inside, which has seemed to help quite a bit.

I would suggest using a wire brush attachment in a drill and clean it thoroughly.

smesh · Dec 23, 2014

brianlamb41 said:
I've had the clogging problem at times as well. I have taken a wire brush and scrubbed the hell out of the inside, which has seemed to help quite a bit.

I would suggest using a wire brush attachment in a drill and clean it thoroughly.

The drill idea is brilliant. Gotta find something long enough now. :)

lovespicyfood · Dec 24, 2014

Noticed this issue on mine too. Stupid pain just bubbles away. Once all the paint comes off, will it rust? Just concerned the rust could mix with the smoke and taint my food...

jsdspif · Dec 24, 2014

I don't really clean mine . I've been using it about 2 years or so . I really like it . I usually use the western brand wood chips . If I load it pretty full I do have to kind of "tamp" the chips down from the top after an hour and a half or so ( most of the time sometimes it continues smoking so I leave it alone ) . The next day I just empty the little drawer and the tower part ( which is usually empty or may have a few partially burnt chips ) . I've never noticed any off flavors from anything .

smesh · Dec 24, 2014

Are you telling me all that black stuff that bubbled up inside the unit was PAINT? I was peeling it all off yesterday from under the lid and around inside the unit and it had basically turned to goo. Huge pockets of air and water everywhere, but I thought it was creosote. If that was paint, then all of the paint fumes went into the smoke and into the food I've been making the last two weeks. I'm NOT happy about that.

WTF Masterbuilt? Why would you paint that area?

lovespicyfood · Dec 24, 2014

Smesh said:
Are you telling me all that black stuff that bubbled up inside the unit was PAINT? I was peeling it all off yesterday from under the lid and around inside the unit and it had basically turned to goo. Huge pockets of air and water everywhere, but I thought it was creosote. If that was paint, then all of the paint fumes went into the smoke and into the food I've been making the last two weeks. I'm NOT happy about that.

WTF Masterbuilt? Why would you paint that area?

I'm pretty sure it's paint. Here's a pic of the outside of it w/ paint peeling...

brianlamb41 · Dec 24, 2014

I'm going to assume that Masterbuilt is smart enough not to use hazardous paint for the cold smoker. Either way, I haven't heard of anyone getting sick from using it.

smesh · Dec 26, 2014

Lovespicyfood said:
I'm pretty sure it's paint. Here's a pic of the outside of it w/ paint peeling...

All of the paint inside my lid and around the chimney bubbled off. It all turned to goo. I scraped off what I could and now I'm all sheet metal inside now.

brianlamb41 · Dec 28, 2014

Smesh said:
All of the paint inside my lid and around the chimney bubbled off. It all turned to goo. I scraped off what I could and now I'm all sheet metal inside now.

I took a sturdy putty knife and scraped most of mine off. If you're trying to clean the inside as well, to prevent chips from sticking to the side of the chute, this is very effective for that, too.

lovespicyfood · Dec 28, 2014

I'm going to try to do that w/ mine; thank you for the tip on the putty knife. I did a pork shoulder yesterday and the chips kept getting stuck and I'd lose smoke. Kind of a bummer as I woke up at 5am to put this meat in and expected it still to be smoking when I woke back up at 7am. Everything worked out fine, though, as it was such a long cook that I got plenty of smoke on it...

So is everyone taking out the stock MES wood burning tray when they use their cold smoker? I haven't been and am thinking that I should. However, I do wonder if perhaps it protect the heating element a little bit? I smoked and 11lb pork shoulder and there was quite a bit of fat, some of which that landed on the bottom of the wood tray...

brianlamb41 · Dec 28, 2014

Lovespicyfood said:
I'm going to try to do that w/ mine; thank you for the tip on the putty knife. I did a pork shoulder yesterday and the chips kept getting stuck and I'd lose smoke. Kind of a bummer as I woke up at 5am to put this meat in and expected it still to be smoking when I woke back up at 7am. Everything worked out fine, though, as it was such a long cook that I got plenty of smoke on it...

So is everyone taking out the stock MES wood burning tray when they use their cold smoker? I haven't been and am thinking that I should. However, I do wonder if perhaps it protect the heating element a little bit? I smoked and 11lb pork shoulder and there was quite a bit of fat, some of which that landed on the bottom of the wood tray...

I leave the wood tray in there. The first time I smoked with the Cold Smoker, I didn't notice any temperature differences when I had the smoker tray left in, so it's stayed in ever since.

Every couple of smokes, I will go in with a couple of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers and scrub the hell out of everything, (window, light cover, water pan, chip tray, drip tray), and I'll brush out the cold smoker really well.

craigdchang · May 6, 2015

I just bought a cold smoker and the build up is so bad on the chute the wood chips get stuck along the sides. I has a tar like consistency, any ideas how to clean it?

brianlamb41 · May 6, 2015

craigdchang said:
I just bought a cold smoker and the build up is so bad on the chute the wood chips get stuck along the sides. I has a tar like consistency, any ideas how to clean it?

I cleaned mine with a wire brush, as I also had this problem pretty bad. I'd put a shoulder butt or brisket on at night before bed, and in the morning whenI wake up there are about 1/4 of the chips stuck to the side of the chute.

I really scrubbed the hell out of mine with the wire brush and it's much better now. It doesn't take long, but is something I recommend doing every few smokes.

remsr · Jul 2, 2015

Mine is new never used it yet I wonder if I should use paint remover to eliminate the paint peeling issue?

lfzguud · Jan 19, 2016

Thanks Smesh for posting this. After doing the burnout/seasoning of the cold smoker, I let it cool down then did the initial run today. Ugh. That paint was near the top of the chimney and I too thought it was creosote build-up until I cleaned it and it peeled out just as burned paint would. Yuck.

I guess that explains the acrid smell that everything got. Not pleased at all.

I notice that you posted the original post back in 2014. Have you continued to use the cold smoker?

BTW - I also just ordered the A-MAZ-N Pellet smoker so soon as that arrives this cold smoker is going back in the box.

mdgirlinfl · Nov 28, 2016

I just came across this thread through a search for cleaning creosote in my cold smoke attachment. Is the result of this that it isn't creosote? The smell that I liken to stale ashtray is the paint included in the smoke?? I need to resolve because I have a slab of bacon I am in the middle of smoking. Ugh
I'm going to start with soap and water then move on to a putty knife and see what happens. If this is a paint issue I'm seriously going to have a problem with Masterbuilt.

SmokinAl · Nov 28, 2016

I have had mine for a couple of years & never cleaned it.

I put the chips on a paper plate & roll it up & add them thru the top of the chute.

Once in a while they will stick to the side, but I just push them down with a wooden dowel.

You need to separate the cold smoker from the smoker with a piece of pipe.

As the smoke cools in the pipe the creosote will stay in the pipe & you will get nice clean smoke into the smoker.

As a matter of fact the glass on the door of the smoker stays clean, I never need to clean it.

Al

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