Re-seasoning a Masterbuilt electric

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dale w

Newbie
Original poster
Jan 16, 2011
9
11
Grantsville, Utah
I have a problem with my smoker.  I have used it many times and have had a funky taste to all my food.  I don't know if its the wood, the smoker or what could be the problem.

Is it possible to clean and re-season the smoker to change the tastes?

Dale
 
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First off what is the flavor that you are tasting. Is it a bitter taste ? If it is then it could be too much smoke. When you see and read here the "Thin Blue Smoke" that is what we mean when you are smoking. You will barely be able to see the smoke but you be able to smell the smoke. Now you will get a descent amount of smoke in the beginning and then it will calm down to a wisp of smoke coming out of your stack. Now it could be that you are using a very stong flavored type of wood also. Now woods like mesquite, hickory, and sometime pecan are on the stronger flavors of smoking woods. Now you have alot of other choices out there to. Most of your fruit woods apple, cherry, orange, and stuff like that woud give you as much of a smoky flavor. So maybe you should try a different woods before you go and clean and try to re-season which really you don't have to do anyway. Just let the smoker go and you will be fine. Keep Smokin 
 
As mballi3011 suggested, it is more likely that changing your smoking technique will eliminate the 'funky taste".  It is easy to over smoke using the chip tray in the MES, especially if you have the large chip tray and load it up too much. I found that using an AMNS or AMNPS box pretty much prevents one from accidentlally over smoking, because it provides smoke at a more controlled and steady rate. Just my thoughts....
 
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If you have a lot of buildup on the walls & want to use a scrapper to get some off that's OK. Just don't use any kind of soap or solvents. You really won't need to re-season it after scraping the walls.
 
I have a problem with my smoker.  I have used it many times and have had a funky taste to all my food.  I don't know if its the wood, the smoker or what could be the problem.

Is it possible to clean and re-season the smoker to change the tastes?

Dale
What kind of wood are you using and what is the taste. Like Mark suggested it sounds like too much white smoke to me which creates creosote
 
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I would be willing to bet the off taste you are getting is either from stale smoke or heavy smoke. I will also say if you are getting tingling in your lips or tongue it most likely creosote causing this. 
 
Thanks all for your replies.  All info is good info.

I don't thinks its too much smoke.  I've used all types of woods before.

The flavor I'm getting is like its gone "off", if you know what I mean.  Kind of like when you know milk has gone south.

I'm wondering if its some of the collected grease in the bottom.  I try to keep it clean, but that doesn't seem to help.

For a control, I do the same beans on my char coal/wood smoker.  They're fantastic.

As far as re-seasoning it, would cleaning out the smoker (simple green) and re-oiling and smoking it help?

Thanks all again.

Dale W.
 
It will help to determine if it is the smoke or not. if you get the same taste the problem is with the Wood or over smoke. if it is gone then you build a thick layer of creosote in previous smokes.
 
Are you keeping your vent all the way open on the top? It is important to keep the top vent completely open when the smoke is rolling and any time food is in the smoker. If you are using the water pan and closing the top vent you are making a smokey steam bath that can lead to a stale funky flavor on your meat.
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