Help with Masterbuilt xtra wide and smoke daddy

[nr140e]

Hey guys well i finally made my decision on buying a smoker and I'm definitely going to get the masterbuilt xtra wide. But i been reading some reviews that even though that smoker is for wood chips you wont get the 100% smoke flavor, so I'm deciding to purchase a smoke daddy just for the extra smoke but since this is my first time smoking dont know if it would be to much smoke coming from smoke daddy and the one from the smoker or it really doesn't matter, some people say the more smoke the better or is there such a thing of to much smoke will ruin your food .

thanks everyone

 

[daveomak]

I'm not a fan of a lot of smoke.... It can overpower the flavor profile of the product... It's all personal preference...

Also, different smokers apply smoke at different rates... Gas smokers, can burn up the smoke in the flame so consideration is in order as to where the smoke is injected into the smoker... above the flame is best...

IMO, the meat surface must be dry for good smoke penetration... water pans are out, too much moisture in the smoker and I feel it inhibits smoke adsorption... also, I feel smoke is adsorbed best at temps below 140... I shoot for 120 during the initial smoke then raise the temp to cook the food when the smoke is completed....

I use the AMNPS smoke generator in my MES 30.... usually 3-4 hours of smoke is what I have found fits our taste best....

Mesquite is a different story.... less than 1 hour for it... it can be very powerful in a smoker... fruit woods are fairly mild...

Keep track of the wood flavor you use and the length of time.... adjust in the future....



EDIT.... also some have found the gas smokers need a different regulator and needle valve to get lower temps in the smoker... the factory design puts out too much heat.... do a search for "needle valves" etc...

 

[nr140e]

So do you think i should just leave it how it is, also the smoker I was looking into it has the two door and the wood container is fairly big honestly it could fit up 2-3  hand full of chips in there so i don't know if that's even enough on for a smoke.

 

[daveomak]

Chips should be added periodically throughout the smoke... I like to add about 1/4 cup every 30 minutes or so... seems to provide a more even smoke and reduce flare ups.. ( fire ) .... If you have flare ups, cover the chip pan with foil to reduce the oxygen availability so they won't flare up....

Another wood source could be chunks... place 1 ( one ) chunk in the chip pan at a time... 2 chunks can catch fire... been there, done that....

 

[nr140e]

Ok the chip pan actually has this cover with small holes in it so that should prevent the flare so @dave do you think t his would be a good method then and avoid the smokedaddy or should i add it for additional smoke.

 

[daveomak]

I would go with chips for now.... W-M has many flavors of chips that they sell with their Big Chief smokers.. that's where I pick mine up...
Don't soak the chips.. start with a small amount at first then graduate to more chips in the pan as you figure stuff out.....

clean the smoker well with soap and water.... rinse well.... spray the inside with PAM or something similar... fire up the smoker to cook in the oil..... then fire it up again with chips to coat the inside of the smoker with smoke residue..... bring the smoker up to at least 275 for several hours.... that's probably the highest temp you will use... I generally smoke stuff between 70 and 205...

Get a remote cabled therm to monitor food temps.... If you are flush, get a dial therm to mount in the door to monitor temps also.... The factory therms are a waste of time... they are not accurate...

 

[nr140e]

Thanks so much for the help!!! i would just stick to the chips like you said so I'm definitely going to get some good smoke flavor correct? and also i been seeing some valve mods is there one specific you guys could recommend.