# Masterbuilt electric smoker questions



## nopeda (Feb 6, 2016)

Hi,
 
I've tried using a wood smoker and have never had satisfactory results. Now I want to make a final attempt using an electric smoker and from what I've seen so far a Masterbuilt 20070910 seems like the best option for the most affordable price. There are a few questions I've developed though and wanted to ask about them.
 
One is: how to break in a new smoker?
 
Another is about the digital controller on top. I heard that cold weather can cause problems with it, so it's good to take "it" inside in cold weather. Does that mean the controller can be removed from the smoker and taken inside to protect it, or would the entire smoker have to be taken inside? 
 
Another is that sometimes this type smoker is not efficient at getting the wood chips or shavings or whatever to produce smoke. That was from a Youtube video here:
 

 
The person explains a way to work around that, but also says it's not always an issue for everyone. Can anyone explain more about that? Does it have much to do with the general temperature you're trying to use...sometimes too low to make smoke maybe? Or whether you use chunks or chips or shavings?
 
Some people say the wood should be soaked in water before using and some say it should not. It may or may not be significant regarding this smoke producing issue, but whether it is or not any input about that would be much appreciated. (I'm hoping to mostly use hickory in case that's a significant factor.)
 
Thank you for any help or suggestions people might have for someone who is still a pre-newbie!
 
David


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## Bearcarver (Feb 6, 2016)

I answered these questions on your other post.

Bear


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## SmokinAl (Feb 6, 2016)

DUPLICATE POST


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## nopeda (Feb 6, 2016)

SmokinAl said:


> DUPLICATE POST


SO??? 

I've never considered it to be anyone else's business what other people post where as long as it's not some big spamming project. The reason to post in these forums is to get AS MANY different suggestions and opinions as people are willing to share. When people like you stomp on newbies like myself, other people who might have been willing to share information can get the impression that their contribution would no longer be of value because the post was made in more than one place, or maybe that they somehow would be being taken advantage of for the same reason, or any number of other things that would discourage other people from sharing information because someone like yourself went out of your way to discourage them from helping. I wonder how many times I myself have been screwed out of potentially helpful information by people doing what you did, and how many times you yourself have screwed other people out of potentially helpful information by doing what you did. Of course that latter part either has never been of the slightest consideration to you and never will be, or....what? What could be a possible alternative?

But you did defeat me for whatever gain that could possibly be to you, and I admit you did, and as a method of surrender to you I went and deleted as much of my post in the other forum as I could for you. SO....

If there's anyone reading this who has information to share but doesn't want to help someone who has posted the same request for help in more than one forum, PLEASE share it now because I did go back and remove as much as I could from the first post so this is no longer a "DUPLICATE POST".

Thank you for any help or suggestions!!!

David


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## paul6 (Feb 7, 2016)

The controller can easily be removed but if you have the room inside the smoker really is not that heavy . As for soaking it is a preference,  with the MES there is no need to soak because you can load more chips without opening the door. Just make sure you read the instructions I had a friend called saying his wood chips would not burn. after questioning I figured out he wasn,t dumping them into the tray from the loader !!


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## nopeda (Feb 7, 2016)

paul6 said:


> The controller can easily be removed but if you have the room inside the smoker really is not that heavy . As for soaking it is a preference,  with the MES there is no need to soak because you can load more chips without opening the door. Just make sure you read the instructions I had a friend called saying his wood chips would not burn. after questioning I figured out he wasn,t dumping them into the tray from the loader !!


LOL. Thank you for your input! After being warned that electric smokers don't produce smoke well below 180 degrees I believe I'll go with the suggestions from Bear and Chef JimmyJ to get an amazen pellet smoker too. That way it should be covered in the smoke area pretty much no matter what.


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## chef jimmyj (Feb 7, 2016)

David, Please don't be offended. Duplicate posts are frowned upon in a forum of this format because of the nature of the board. New posts, regardless of sub-forum, are added to the Main Page. There is only so much space and each additional post pushes earlier posts down and eventually off the page. We have thousands of members and get hundreds of posts a day. Let's say, You as a new member came on and posted for Help. Your post is now on the main page for everyone to read and answer...Now Al. Bear, and myself come on and post our Superbowl Pork, Chicken, Brisket Smoke with all the sides and sauces. If each of us posted the exact same info in the Pork, Poultry, Beef, General Discussion, Electric Smoker, Sauces, Sides and other relevant sub forums...That would be some 20-30 posts of exactly the same thing. Your post for Help would be pushed so far off the main page that it could go unnoticed and unanswered. So, in order to be fair To All Members and give all an opportunity to post their successes, questions and quick help requests, Forum etiquette and policy is that members only post once in the relevant sub-forum and wait for a response. In the event that some time passes without response, it is acceptable to Bump your post back on to the main page, where a hundred or more logged-in members can see it and respond. So Al was not beating you up or trying in any way to slight you from getting responses...You will notice there are many Moderators and OTBS (Order of the Thin Blues Smoke) Members on at any given time. Every one of us is dedicated to helping and teaching our art at anytime. In the future if you post and are having difficulty getting a response, PM anyone of us and we will either answer directly or being dedicated helpful members, will tell you the most experienced member to help you out. Enjoy your stay and join us in keeping SMF the most helpful place to come to get answers and share your successes. Thank you Sir...JJ


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## SmokinAl (Feb 7, 2016)

nopeda said:


> SO???
> 
> I've never considered it to be anyone else's business what other people post where as long as it's not some big spamming project. The reason to post in these forums is to get AS MANY different suggestions and opinions as people are willing to share. When people like you stomp on newbies like myself, other people who might have been willing to share information can get the impression that their contribution would no longer be of value because the post was made in more than one place, or maybe that they somehow would be being taken advantage of for the same reason, or any number of other things that would discourage other people from sharing information because someone like yourself went out of your way to discourage them from helping. I wonder how many times I myself have been screwed out of potentially helpful information by people doing what you did, and how many times you yourself have screwed other people out of potentially helpful information by doing what you did. Of course that latter part either has never been of the slightest consideration to you and never will be, or....what? What could be a possible alternative?
> 
> ...


The only reason I wrote duplicate post was so people would not respond to both posts. Hopefully you would see that they were the same & delete one. It was in no way meant disrespect you. It was so who ever responded would be able to see what had already been said. I assumed you posted it twice by mistake. Apparently I was wrong & apologize. It was my mistake not to see that you had posted it in two different forums. I check the new posts & don't go to the individual forums. I will be more careful in the future. Once again I'm sorry and meant no disrespect.

Al


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## nopeda (Feb 7, 2016)

SmokinAl said:


> The only reason I wrote duplicate post was so people would not respond to both posts. Hopefully you would see that they were the same & delete one. It was in no way meant disrespect you. It was so who ever responded would be able to see what had already been said. I assumed you posted it twice by mistake. Apparently I was wrong & apologize. It was my mistake not to see that you had posted it in two different forums. I check the new posts & don't go to the individual forums. I will be more careful in the future. Once again I'm sorry and meant no disrespect.
> 
> Al


Ah, I see what you mean about just checking the new posts and why you responded that way now. Your apology is well accepted and I apologise to you for overreacting. I've spent/wasted a lot of time in more hostile forums and probably need to learn how to behave better in a more civilized type of environment...not being so defensive and always suspecting an attack from any direction. Thank you for being so nice about this! I see now that I misjudged you badly and you're really a good person, not the mean bully type I mistook you for.


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## nopeda (Feb 7, 2016)

Chef JimmyJ said:


> David, Please don't be offended. Duplicate posts are frowned upon in a forum of this format because of the nature of the board. New posts, regardless of sub-forum, are added to the Main Page. There is only so much space and each additional post pushes earlier posts down and eventually off the page. We have thousands of members and get hundreds of posts a day. Let's say, You as a new member came on and posted for Help. Your post is now on the main page for everyone to read and answer...Now Al. Bear, and myself come on and post our Superbowl Pork, Chicken, Brisket Smoke with all the sides and sauces. If each of us posted the exact same info in the Pork, Poultry, Beef, General Discussion, Electric Smoker, Sauces, Sides and other relevant sub forums...That would be some 20-30 posts of exactly the same thing. Your post for Help would be pushed so far off the main page that it could go unnoticed and unanswered. So, in order to be fair To All Members and give all an opportunity to post their successes, questions and quick help requests, Forum etiquette and policy is that members only post once in the relevant sub-forum and wait for a response. . .


I understand what you're telling me and agree that posting a bunch of times is unfair, but also understand why it can be of value to the person asking questions to post the same thing in a couple of different forums, since not everyone reads every forum and you never know when you can learn something that's very significant because you asked in a different group. Especially when you're as pre-new to all this as my position, and trying to decide in a couple of days whether or not to spend a couple hundred dollars on a smoker (and cover :-), and then came the amazen pellet thing which I never have heard of or anything like it before...and the whole concept of smoke production being independent from the temperature of the "smoker". I couldn't have imagined all that even though it's all basic stuff for you people. But that sort of thing is why I wanted to post to a smaller more specifically oriented forum, and also to a large broadly oriented forum. Trying to get as much input as I could before breaking out the credit card. I'll make sure not to try to abuse that sort of thing though. Thank you very much for your great explanations about things Sir!


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## chef jimmyj (Feb 7, 2016)

Not a problem.
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






 There have been people in the past, posting in every related sub-forum. It got out of hand and many other posts were missed and not answered, frustrating new members. As a result policy was set by management to just Delete duplicate posts so every member has an equal opportunity to be seen. In short order you will develop a network of people you trust and can PM directly for a guaranteed response. Enjoy the rest of the weekend...JJ


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