Masterbuilt Smokers (Bear’s Thoughts & Findings)

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Quote:
Originally Posted by FloridaSteve View Post

Money well spent on their part.
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I would maybe disclose it in your review to address questions of bias that may come up.  Are you going to post a review about all your suggestions for Model 3.0.  Im very curious to hear your thoughts.

I sure didn't mean to imply that Masrerbuilt "bought" Bear's testimonial! I simply ment that if they really had faith in their new product, who better to sent it to for feedback them someone who was worked so hard to help everyone with MES units to get the most out of their smokers, even those models that had obvious problems.
 
Hey everyone. I just fell upon this post. I see where the gen 1 30 inch Master built has a digital read out. If that's a gen 1, what's mine? Mine isn't digital at all. There is a knob you adjust at the plug going to the smoker and there is a whole about the diameter of your thumb at the back upper corner of the smoker.
Yours is the analog model
 
Bear, one suggestion would be to find out how far along the AMPS rows are burnt when you start to get too much smoke. Then you could possibly use less pellets at that point and start decreasing them along the rows that are left. Something else you may try, is to put the lit end of the AMPS at the rear on the side of the heating element, then as the rows burnt they would be farther away. Perhaps there's something with the placement of the element along with the shape of its cover and the different shaped water pan than on the gen 1 that puts more heat on the element side. This would cause the rows on that side to heat and dry out more thus putting out more smoke.
 
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Yup---We get the cold in PA, but we only got 5 inches of rain in the last few days. I guess Joisey didn't get it as bad as expected---Am I right??


Bear

Not bad in our town. Leaf and light branch debris. We live 2 miles from shore (10 min north of Atlantic city) and didn't have much flooding. Barrier towns had some flooding but fared pretty well.

Wife and Kids enjoyed some inside time and I did some ribs with the smoker in the garage (side door open :)).
 
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Why would I worry about that? Most people know me & know my report would be honest regardless.

If I was going to slant my review because the Test item was "No Charge", I wouldn't have reported that I didn't like the Gen #2. No charge for that one either, and I told them I hated it & listed things I would change. If this one had anything I didn't like, I would have done the same. That's one of the reasons I was asked to do the testing.

There is no model #3, and I gave everything I had on the ones I tested.

Bear
It's time to come clean, Bear. Yes, everybody, it's true. Bear has a vested interest in the MES. For all of you unaware of it, Bear's full name is Bearcarver Masterbuilt, scion of Woodcarver Masterbuilt who built the first smokers completely out of wood. Where do you think Bear got his woodcarving skills from? I'm sorry, Bear, but your story had to be told...
 
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Hey everyone. I just fell upon this post. I see where the gen 1 30 inch Master built has a digital read out. If that's a gen 1, what's mine? Mine isn't digital at all. There is a knob you adjust at the plug going to the smoker and there is a whole about the diameter of your thumb at the back upper corner of the smoker.
I think you're describing an analog MES 30. That's a different animal from the digital model.
 
 
It's time to come clean, Bear. Yes, everybody, it's true. Bear has a vested interest in the MES. For all of you unaware of it, Bear's full name is Bearcarver Masterbuilt, scion of Woodcarver Masterbuilt who built the first smokers completely out of wood. Where do you think Bear got his woodcarving skills from? I'm sorry, Bear, but your story had to be told...
I can see it now -- a hollowed out wood bear with chips going into its mouth and smoke coming out its ass!

Points for the best laugh of the day!

points.gif
 
 
Thanks, Steve. I came up with the concept but you elaborated on it nicely!
All I could do or come up with when I read it, is ... 
th_HaHAAHaa.gif
   

That was a good one Rick. I loved it and know that "Da Bear" will also .... Did you ever consider being a comedian like Jay Leno?   
rofl.gif
 
Thanks Rick!!!

Now everybody knows the truth about the Bear!!
devil.gif


BTW:  When you guys get done Chuckling, & wipe the Laughing tears from your eyes, I'm reporting my Gen #2.5 worked Really Great on 7 hour Double Smoked Ham today. I'll be posting it in a Day or 2.

Also the AMNPS gave nice light smoke for 4 hours on the first row.

Then it got heavier & almost got too heavy at the first turn.

So I pulled it out & scraped a little (very little) of the burning black pellets into the ash side of the fire.

Put it back in and had Beautiful Light Medium to Medium smoke for the last 3 hours.

Thinking about filling the turn a little less next time & see what happens.

No Biggy----Still Worked Great !!!

Also: I had it dead center on the bottom rack, just above the water pan.

Bear
 
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Thanks Rick!!!

Now everybody knows the truth about the Bear!!
devil.gif


BTW:  When you guys get done Chuckling, & wipe the Laughing tears from your eyes, I'm reporting my Gen #2.5 worked Really Great on 7 hour Double Smoked Ham today. I'll be posting it in a Day or 2.

Also the AMNPS gave nice light smoke for 4 hours on the first row.

Then it got heavier & almost got too heavy at the first turn.

So I pulled it out & scraped a little (very little) of the burning black pellets into the ash side of the fire.

Put it back in and had Beautiful Light Medium to Medium smoke for the last 3 hours.

Thinking about filling the turn a little less next time & see what happens.

No Biggy----Still Worked Great !!!

Also: I had it dead center on the bottom rack, just above the water pan.

Bear
Bear, did you have your chip loader all the way in or pulled out a little?

You know, I never have tried using my Maze on the bottom rack. I always have it on a small 2" or so high rack the same size as the Maze placed on the bottom of smoker just to the left of the chip pan.

I can see if placed on the bottom rack like you did, that being higher up it may very well get more oxygen.
 
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Bear, did you have your chip loader all the way in or pulled out a little?

You know, I never have tried using my Maze on the bottom rack. I always have it on a small 2" or so high rack the same size as the Maze placed on the bottom of smoker just to the left of the chip pan.

I can see if placed on the bottom rack like you did, that being higher up it may very well get more oxygen.
Nope!!

I'm funny that way:

I don't Nuke any pellets, because I never had a problem keeping mine lit. I just keep them dry.

I don't remove the Chip Dumper for the same reason.

I never pull the chip drawer out at all for the same reason.

I also don't use a mailbox for the same reason. My mailbox is for my Mail.

If I ever have trouble keeping mine lit, I might try one or two of those things---But until then I keep my MES the way it came.

AS for putting it on the bottom rack----I just figured I'd try the easiest way first.

Bear
 
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Nope!!

I'm funny that way:

I don't Nuke any pellets, because I never had a problem keeping mine lit. I just keep them dry.

I don't remove the Chip Dumper for the same reason.

I never pull the chip drawer out at all for the same reason.

I also don't use a mailbox for the same reason. My mailbox is for my Mail.

If I ever have trouble keeping mine lit, I might try one or two of those things---But until then I keep my MES the way it came.

AS for putting it on the bottom rack----I just figured I'd try the easiest way first.

Bear
Bear has all his extensive Step-by-Steps for smoking just about anything. But for using the smoker itself, Bear and I both are products of the Minimalist School of Smoking. Actually, Bear was the instructor and I his student. I think the only "mod" Bear has made for his MES 40 is his adjustable heat baffle or shield.

I'm only having an issue with keeping wood pellets lit during cold smokes. I'm researching the simplest solution to the problem and I don't think nuking the pellets or a mailbox mod is it.
 
 
Thanks Rick!!!

Now everybody knows the truth about the Bear!!
devil.gif


BTW:  When you guys get done Chuckling, & wipe the Laughing tears from your eyes, I'm reporting my Gen #2.5 worked Really Great on 7 hour Double Smoked Ham today. I'll be posting it in a Day or 2.

Also the AMNPS gave nice light smoke for 4 hours on the first row.

Then it got heavier & almost got too heavy at the first turn.

So I pulled it out & scraped a little (very little) of the burning black pellets into the ash side of the fire.

Put it back in and had Beautiful Light Medium to Medium smoke for the last 3 hours.

Thinking about filling the turn a little less next time & see what happens.

No Biggy----Still Worked Great !!!

Also: I had it dead center on the bottom rack, just above the water pan.

Bear
This is a great suggestion but it took me a while to wipe the laughing tears from my eyes before I could read it. I tend to fill the AMNPS and just let it be through both light and heavy smoke. Looks like I'll have a bit more work to do next time out.
 
 
All I could do or come up with when I read it, is ... 
th_HaHAAHaa.gif
   

That was a good one Rick. I loved it and know that "Da Bear" will also .... Did you ever consider being a comedian like Jay Leno?   
rofl.gif
Thanks, Brickguy! I hope Bear liked it. I pray that Bear liked it.

I assume you mean YOUNG Leno and not whatever he had turned into near the end of his Tonight Show run. Honestly, the thing about comedy for most of us (especially me) is that no matter how funny you think you are a live audience will typically think otherwise. I was once part of a singing duo and I thought I'd come up with some surefire boffo in-between songs patter. But I guess the bar crowd couldn't hear me over the glasses clinking and the drunk ordering and the drink gulping and the tables chattering. So...I ply my comedy trade here. But nowadays I do my stand up sitting down at the computer.
 
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Bear has all his extensive Step-by-Steps for smoking just about anything. But for using the smoker itself, Bear and I both are products of the Minimalist School of Smoking. Actually, Bear was the instructor and I his student. I think the only "mod" Bear has made for his MES 40 is his adjustable heat baffle or shield.

I'm only having an issue with keeping wood pellets lit during cold smokes. I'm researching the simplest solution to the problem and I don't think nuking the pellets or a mailbox mod is it.
Thanks Rick!!

I noticed That you agree on those things, because yours doesn't need them either.

And as for my only Mod on my Gen #1 (My Heat deflector)---The good thing is, It isn't needed in my new Gen 2.5. 
icon14.gif


Bear
 
This is a great suggestion but it took me a while to wipe the laughing tears from my eyes before I could read it. I tend to fill the AMNPS and just let it be through both light and heavy smoke. Looks like I'll have a bit more work to do next time out.
I don't mind my smoke getting a little on the heavy side, but I draw the line when it gets to the point of not being able to see through it.

It never happened to me until the other day. I'll figure it out & make a simple adjustment.  No Biggy.

Bear
 
 
Thanks, Brickguy! I hope Bear liked it. I pray that Bear liked it.

I assume you mean YOUNG Leno and not whatever he had turned into near the end of his Tonight Show run. Honestly, the thing about comedy for most of us (especially me) is that no matter how funny you think you are a live audience will typically think otherwise. I was once part of a singing duo and I thought I'd come up with some surefire boffo in-between songs patter. But I guess the bar crowd couldn't hear me over the glasses clinking and the drunk ordering and the drink gulping and the tables chattering. So...I ply my comedy trade here. More sit down than stand up, though.
Watched a couple reruns the other week--Happy Days, Combat, and guess what Program is the first ever date I ever saw Leno????

Give up??-------Laverne & Shirley----Leno was Laverne's Date.  Goofy program, but I had to see where Leno got his start---At least I think that was his start.

Bear
 
TALK ABOUT GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE,

Last Thursday I told bear in this thread that my Maveric smoker probe constantly read 30 degrees less than what I set my smoker temp for. And because of that, I couldn't cook at much above 245. He suggested I call Masterbuilt because it sounded like I had a bad controller. I said I would. Friday morning I got a private message from Darryl at Masterbuilt, asking for my full name and address so he could send me a new controller. I answered imeadately, and within 30 minutes I got another message saying he get one shipped that day.

Today it arrived! It took some struggling to get the old controller to pop out of the frame, but the new one practally fell into place. A quick test showed it work g much better. I'll know more tomorrow as I'm smoking two large butts. I'll let y'all know how it goes!

Thanks Darryl!

 
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