# troubleshooting masterbuilt smoker not smoking



## Dbrown1450 (Jun 1, 2020)

I just received the Masterbuilt smoker MES 430/S that I ordered from their web site a few days ago.  It will not smoke the wood chips.  The bottom element heats up but no smoke from the smoker.  I can't get Masterbuilt to return my email and they are not answering the phone, a recorded message blames Covid 19 and directs you to their web site. Most businesses are working their employees from home for customer service.  I'm so frustrated! I saved a long time to buy this smoker, finally get it and it won't work.  Does anyone know what the problem could be?
Deb


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## Winterrider (Jun 1, 2020)

What temp are you set at? Digital thermometer to known for sure you are at the temp intended? They normally don't produce smoke unless up above 200° to initially get wood chips started.


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## forktender (Jun 1, 2020)

Set it to 250* for an hour and see if you get smoke, if you do you can turn it down to 225* which is a good temp to smoke  most things. I actually prefer 250*+ for 90% of my smokes.


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## Dbrown1450 (Jun 1, 2020)

Winterrider said:


> What temp are you set at? Digital thermometer to known for sure you are at the temp intended? They normally don't produce smoke unless up above 200° to initially get wood chips started.


I tried seasoning the unit like the instructions said @ 275. The unit itself got hot but no smoke. I then cooked baby backs for 6 hrs and they were barely done. Finished them in my oven. So I think this smoker is defective.


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## Dbrown1450 (Jun 1, 2020)

forktender said:


> Set it to 250* for an hour and see if you get smoke, if you do you can turn it down to 225* which is a good temp to smoke  most things. I actually prefer 250*+ for 90% of my smokes.


I tried 275 with no smoke results.  I'm so ticked right now


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## fivetricks (Jun 1, 2020)

Are you independently verifying these temps with your own thermometer?


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## Dbrown1450 (Jun 1, 2020)

fivetricks said:


> Are you independently verifying these temps with your own thermometer?


I started it again with an oven thermometer on the center shelf. Set it to 275, after 1 hr it stayed between 275 and 300 on the oven thermometer yet the wood chips are barely hot to the touch. This model does have a small heating element over the wood box that I think maybe isn't heating up.


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## forktender (Jun 1, 2020)

Another reason to buy a smoke tube or Maze. 
That stinks that you can't get ahold of anyone. Sorry man, make a smoke bomb out of chips or dust wrapped up in foil and put it directly on the burner.


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## Dbrown1450 (Jun 1, 2020)

forktender said:


> Another reason to buy a smoke tube or Maze.
> That stinks that you can't get ahold of anyone. Sorry man, make a smoke bomb out of chips or dust wrapped up in foil and put it directly on the burner.


thank you for the suggestion


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## dr k (Jun 2, 2020)

Dbrown1450 said:


> I started it again with an oven thermometer on the center shelf. Set it to 275, after 1 hr it stayed between 275 and 300 on the oven thermometer yet the wood chips are barely hot to the touch. This model does have a small heating element over the wood box that I think maybe isn't heating up.


If you have the independent chip/chunk burner and the side door to drop in the wood that sits on the independent burner, it has five temp settings to burn wood. Usually setting 1 for chips and 2-5 for chunks. The burner is always under the wood. What did the directions say about running the chip/chunk burner?


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## dr k (Jun 2, 2020)

Try Masterbuilt's page on FB  and messenger them. That's the fastest response.


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## Dbrown1450 (Jun 2, 2020)

dr k said:


> Try Masterbuilt's page on FB  and messenger them. That's the fastest response.


Thank you, I will


dr k said:


> If you have the independent chip/chunk burner and the side door to drop in the wood that sits on the independent burner, it has five temp settings to burn wood. Usually setting 1 for chips and 2-5 for chunks. The burner is always under the wood. What did the directions say about running the chip/chunk burner?


it said to use setting 1 for chips which is what I did


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## tallbm (Jun 2, 2020)

Dbrown1450 said:


> I just received the Masterbuilt smoker MES 430/S that I ordered from their web site a few days ago.  It will not smoke the wood chips.  The bottom element heats up but no smoke from the smoker.  I can't get Masterbuilt to return my email and they are not answering the phone, a recorded message blames Covid 19 and directs you to their web site. Most businesses are working their employees from home for customer service.  I'm so frustrated! I saved a long time to buy this smoker, finally get it and it won't work.  Does anyone know what the problem could be?
> Deb



Hi there and welcome.

I'm sorry to hear that.

In any case the A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker (AMNPS) tray will give you 12 hours of perfect smoke so basically every MES owner uses it and abandons whatever onboard smoking mechanism that comes with the MES.  Also with AMNPS u can cold smoke where u wont be able to do that with the onboard chip smoking unit.

Again it sucks that u cant use what you bought but honestly u should have a way better setup using the AMNPS tray and a 20-40 pound bag of pellets lasts a loooooong time so u get savings in the end :)


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## old sarge (Jun 3, 2020)

Dbrown1450 said:


> I tried seasoning the unit like the instructions said @ 275. The unit itself got hot but no smoke. I then cooked baby backs for 6 hrs and they were barely done. Finished them in my oven. So I think this smoker is defective.


 BB ribs for 6 hours 

 275
 and not done?  I think you got a bum smoker.




tallbm said:


> Hi there and welcome.
> 
> I'm sorry to hear that.
> 
> ...


I agree with the addition of an AMNPS but ONLY if the smoker heats up and cooks. As I stated above, the ribs should have been fully cooked after 6 hours.   I would be returning the unit to the store .


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## tallbm (Jun 3, 2020)

old sarge said:


> BB ribs for 6 hours
> 
> 275
> and not done?  I think you got a bum smoker.
> ...



Good point, if it aint cooking then definitely return it haha.


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## rdarby (Jun 15, 2020)

I was having trouble with food cooking slowly on my new MES 40.  On the 5th smoke I bought a Inkbird 4 probe thermometer which showed that when the smoker showed it was at 225 it was only 167 in the smoker.  After running it at 275 for several hours my temp only rose to 212-214.  The outside temp that day was 81.  I am about to try contacting Masterbuilt as I got the smoker at X-mas and have only used it 5 times.


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## tallbm (Jun 15, 2020)

rdarby said:


> I was having trouble with food cooking slowly on my new MES 40.  On the 5th smoke I bought a Inkbird 4 probe thermometer which showed that when the smoker showed it was at 225 it was only 167 in the smoker.  After running it at 275 for several hours my temp only rose to 212-214.  The outside temp that day was 81.  I am about to try contacting Masterbuilt as I got the smoker at X-mas and have only used it 5 times.



Hi there and welcome!

Yeah contact them.  It sounds like u have a bad smoker probe or something else.


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