first timer help

[borto1990]

Hello all... Wife found me a brand new masterbuilt double door gas smoker at a garage sale for 15 bucks.. I know it's not the best but it's gonna do for now.. I'm on my third attempt at smoking a chicken. Trying to keep it cheap till I figure a few things out. I read on here how to season or break in a new smoker. So I did that. But now all of the skin on the bird tastes like gas. I have my upper vent open all the way. Burner on as low as it can go. I put the bigger water pan in it and I have the cast iron skillet for the wood chunks. Flame looks blue. Just a little yellow tip maybe. I put a wired digital therm into the meat. Leave top chamber closed. Opening the bottom only to add chunks. The skin is not edible. Peel the skin and it's not bad (no gas taste anyways) millions of gas smokers are out there. I just don't know what to look for that causeS this. Thanks for any help/tips

 

[bmaddox]

If the unit is burning cleanly than there shouldn't be a gas taste. Have you used a spray bottle of soapy water to check for leaks?

 

[borto1990]

I did at the beginning but I can again. If my meat is getting that taste do I need to clean the walls down?

 

[bmaddox]

You could try cleaning it well then re-seasoning it but I'm not sure if that will help. It seems weird that you can taste the gas. Maybe some of the guys with that smoker will chime in.

 

[joe black]

My experience as a judge is, yes you can taste and smell gas. If a propane cooker is having any combustion problems, the gas will collect in the meat. You cooker needs to be checked out by a restaurant service company. Maybe the problem was not advertised by the seller. Wonder why? Good luck with it, Joe

 

[borto1990]

Oh no. No restaurant service checks for a 15 dollar smoker. I've got No problems buying new burners to put in on my own. They are just a few bucks.. thanks for the input so far

 

[frog1369]

Borto, I don't have that particular smoker but I do have a gas fired Smoke Vault cabinet. About the only thing that can cause a gas taste in your food is poor combustion but you already know that  because you mentioned checking the flame and only having slightly yellow tips.  I have only had the gas taste once and it was because the burners were sooted up but it was easy to find, lots of yellow flame.  Are you running the top dampers wide open?  Here is my suggestion ...... open all the dampers all the way, don't worry about smoke, just cook something, some burger, piece of chicken, whatever.  See if you get a gas taste when it's cooked.  If you don't , start playing with the dampers until you determine the cause.  If you're getting a blue flame with slight yellow tips I doubt changing the burners will help.

 

[borto1990]

Thanks for the info. Yea. On this last one top vents were wide open. On my first cook they were not and the food was totally inedible. For this one wide open, the skin was terrible, peel the skin and gas taste was gone.. I'll check the burner more closely. Previous owner had a fire by the burner that melted the hose During his seasoning. So he just sold it. I got a hose and crimped on new ends at work and it seemed ok.