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wally

wally

Newbie
Original poster
Apr 5, 2012
19
10
Salamanca, NY Located in upstate WNY, just sout
After reading a lot of the threads here, I have what looks to be a pretty cheapo smoker. I can't add chips without opening the door, I have no venting except for a small hole in the top right corner, and when seasoning the unit, there was plenty of white smoke coming out through the door. Am I going to be able to use this unit correctly? Any advice is greatly welcomed. Please help me be successful on my first smoke. I have added a pic to show the smoker that I have. Thanks in advance guys/gals.
d60ccecf_DSC05422.jpg
 
Wally, morning.....  Could you be more specific as to what you want to do to the Masterbuilt ???/  Or your concerns ???

If opening the door is a problem, an AMNPS smoke gen by Todd will make it so you won't have to open the door for 10 hrs or so....   The vent and air intakes might need to be enlarged, at least the vent....  More info would help....   Dave
 
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Wally said:
Are you suggesting that maybe I sell the smoker and use my Weber kettle grill to do my smoking?
Click to expand...
Wally, not at all....  folks have used them successfully for years.... others have found, to improve the smokers performance, the smoker needed modifications.... 

 

"Please help me be successful on my first smoke."   

Below is a search for electric smoker modifications....  This will lead you to what others have done to their smokers.....    
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/se...&containingforum[]=110&output=all&action=disp

I'm not sure the "perfect" smoker has been built by a production factory....  Most folks here have found "factory smokers" need some mods to make them work to the individuals satisfaction....

There are several sections where folks build their own smokers to their specs and avoid the factory units all together....

We are just trying to help you out....  Dave
 
A couple simple mods, and your Masterbuilt will make a nice dedicated smoker.

I wouldn't sell it, just modify it to perform a little better
 
Those things are way too clean! Get after it man! What others have said about modifying your Masterbuilt is all true. Part of the fun for me is trying new things with my smokers to see if I can get longer smoke times, more stable temperatures etc. I also love to see if I can do different things such as cold smoked cheese, bacon and other items such as salt and nuts. I would highly suggest you look into purchasing an amazn smoker from Todd (the guy who first responded to your post) his product will make making smoke easier than ever.
 
 there was plenty of white smoke coming out through the door
Click to expand...
This is typical for the model smoker you have.  There is no gasket between the metal box and the metal door and the fabrication of the box and door are not so exact as to provide a tight seal in most cases. One mod I have seen on this forum is to attach a gasket to the box or the door to provide a better seal. Some have used gasket material/glue that is made for wood stove doors with apparently good results. Do a search on 'gasket' or similar and you should find some discussions on this kind of mod. They will not all be specific to your particular smoker, but the information may still apply.

Keep in mind that this mod won't make your smoker perform any better or improve your results, it just eliminates the annoyance of having the smoke blow around all over.
 
Last edited:
Wally, your smoker can function perfectly fine, but does have limitations.  As you pointed out the door leaks, you can't add wood chips unless you open the hatch, and it doesn't use a digital controller like the MES to regulate heat, however some people actually prefer the analog dial type.  Further since it isn't insulated there will be significant heat loss if used outside in cold ambient conditions.  Yet having said all that, there have been similar smokers used successfully for the past 40-50 years.

You should carefully read the manual, then use it a few times before you start modifying. Of course adding a gasket to the door is a simple mod, the vent mod may or may not be necessary.  The recommendations for a AMNS or AMNPS is excellent and would solve one problem. 

You can also return that Masterbuilt model and use the money to buy a superior MES, then you don't have to worry about mods you would have a great smoker right out of the box.
 
That's the same unit I have.  You can make the door close more tightly by adjusting the clamp. There will still be some leakage, but I don't see how that is a problem.  Adding chips to the smoker was a pain so I got an AMNPS.  I have had to play around a bit with heat shielding and air flow to get the AMNPS to work properly, but am quite pleased with the results I get. 
 
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