# 1st cook in my 1st smoker :(



## Bigheaded (Apr 4, 2021)

Put my Masterbuilt 560 together on Tuesday night, but I was waiting for the weekend to fire it up for a meal.  Since about a month ago when I decided to order one, I've been envisioning my 1st cook which would be a glorious rack of baby backs. With a side of homemade bbq bacon baked beans and some smoked mac and cheese.  I'm not sure exactly what happened, but tonight I ended up making Juicy Lucy's and corn on the cob.  Not a great thing to christen your 1st smoker.  Burgers came out good, but they're burgers.  The highlight of my 1st time using a smoker was I had a couple epic grease flair ups.  3 foot flames are pretty damn cool if not a bit jolting at 1st when they pop out of nowhere while you're flipping a burger.  And I must say I'm impressed at how fast this sucker comes up to temp and how steady it stays.  Tomorrow I'll smoke a spiral cut ham, which still isn't ribs or a brisket. But it's a step closer to the ribs I've been dreaming about.

It was also pitch black when I started, which wasn't in my original dream either. No backyard lights here so I had to use a little flashlight. It's difficult to grill in the dark, especially when you don't grill lol. I took a single picture, only because I'll never be able to say this is my 1st time using a smoker again.


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## Chasdev (Apr 4, 2021)

I don't use mine as a grille, smoking beef all the way for me, but I am curious as  to how do you keep the fan blowing with the door open?


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## mike243 (Apr 4, 2021)

Burgers cause grease fires on any grill when grilling, how ever a low temp smoke will give you perfect flavor without fires most of the time, it all depends on the grill. the best method is indirect and all grill smokers have hot spots so learn them and use to your advantage. Practice makes perfect and new cooking toys are always the best lol


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## mike243 (Apr 4, 2021)

burgers don't require a fan for 3 foot flames lol  I have had them on every grill/smoker I own  , I don't any more but you learn from your mistakes or you eat a lot of stuff cooked on the stove


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## JLeonard (Apr 4, 2021)

Wasn't your dream cook. But, you were cooking on your new cooker. Heck even if it had been hot dogs that I burnt to a crisp I'd still be bragging! lol! Look at it as your burn in cook. Now onto bigger and better. 
Jim


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## GaryHibbert (Apr 4, 2021)

Nothing wrong with a good burger.  And you got your first cook in on your new smoker.
Only took one pic??  And where is it??
Gotta say I'm jealous--I've had flare ups but the only time I had 3 ft flames was when my brother and I were grilling a turkey.  And that wasn't a flare up.  It was the whole grill *and* the turkey on fire.  LOL.
Gary


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## JLeonard (Apr 4, 2021)

GaryHibbert said:


> Gotta say I'm jealous--I've had flare ups but the only time I had 3 ft flames was when my brother and I were grilling a turkey.  And that wasn't a flare up.  It was the whole grill *and* the turkey on fire.  LOL.
> Gary


\
Man those are rookie numbers! Gotta step your game up.
Jim


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## 912smoker (Apr 4, 2021)

CONGRATS on your 1st cook !  I lined the top of the manifold with foil and that seemed to help some with the flair ups. But nothing like a flame kissed burger or steak ! 


GaryHibbert said:


> Nothing wrong with a good burger.  And you got your first cook in on your new smoker.
> Only took one pic??  And where is it??
> Gotta say I'm jealous--I've had flare ups but the only time I had 3 ft flames was when my brother and I were grilling a turkey.  And that wasn't a flare up.  It was the whole grill *and* the turkey on fire.  LOL.
> Gary


Bet that was pretty exciting Gary. I was helping a friend cook burgers at church on his new gasser. Flame got so big that it melted the plastic knobs. Kept telling him to cut the heat lol


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## civilsmoker (Apr 4, 2021)

Agreed with Gary nothing wrong with a good burger......oh wait I had homemade burgers last night.....oh with flair up....the % of fat content will greatly affect the “level”

congrats on a new smoker it seems you are already enjoying it and that is the best way to break it in!


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## Bigheaded (Apr 4, 2021)

Chasdev said:


> I don't use mine as a grille, smoking beef all the way for me, but I am curious as  to how do you keep the fan blowing with the door open?



The switch turns the fan off when the lids open, I had it closed except when I needed to check things out.




GaryHibbert said:


> Nothing wrong with a good burger.  And you got your first cook in on your new smoker.
> Only took one pic??  And where is it??
> Gotta say I'm jealous--I've had flare ups but the only time I had 3 ft flames was when my brother and I were grilling a turkey.  And that wasn't a flare up.  It was the whole grill *and* the turkey on fire.  LOL.
> Gary



It was dark dark and I had to use a flashlight to take the pic.  My 1st pic was suppose to be a shot of the smoke ring on a rack of ribs that was so good looking Malcom Reed would consider retiring if he saw it. Okay, so I'm exeggerating but I wanted that lol.  I had it planned out in my head it would be framed and set up to look like something from a cook book or an ad' for a restaurant.  My pic turned out sad panda. And even worse, I should have waited until the food was ready to take it, at least then the burgers would have nice char marks. But nope, I took it square in the middle, so it's half cooked burgers that hadn't even been flipped yet, oh well. I'll post it because, well it's a start. Close up of smoke ring in the next pic 100% lol. I did throw a few hickory chunks in, so technically I made smoked burgers.

One positive, 2 of the burgers didn't leak, and the last only leaked a lil.  When I make stuffed burgers I usually have at least one bust open and all the cheese pours out.  I do them by hand, I don't have a fancy $10 contraption that seals them properly lol.


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