# Master Forge smoker at Lowes



## lutznutz

I saw the Master Forge smoker model DGY784CP at Lowes for $149. It's not on the website. The doors on the floor model didn't seem like the close well, and the walls seemed a little thin. 

Does anyone have any experience with it? Thinking seriously about moving to propane from electric...

EDIT: It's on the website now: http://www.lowes.com/pd_190449-95393...ategoryDisplay


----------



## mgnorcal

Saw one in Lowe's and it is a 2-door version of their previous Perfect Flame gas smoker.
For the price it is a good smoker, but it cooks a little different than electric.  
Main difference is you'll be able to cook at higher temps for roasts and such and have much faster recovery time, but it can take some fiddling around to get a real strong smoke flavor on your food.
The doors and walls are fine, you can always put some high-temp silicone around the door if you feel you want a better seal.


----------



## pineywoods

If you can swing it I think I'd head to Bass Pro and pick up the bigger GOSM for 50 bucks more. The extra room sure is nice and eventually we all need more smoker space 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st..._SearchResults


----------



## mballi3011

Yea I'm with Jerry on this one to I would put alittle more money withit and go get the GOSM big bock or even a 100 bucks and get the smoke vault 24"


----------



## slim

my friend just got that same one and he really likes it....its only seen 2 smokes so we will see in a few months if he still likes it


----------



## ryanje

Just got one of these Master Forge units for 89 at lowes.  My first smoker!


----------



## slim

89 bucks....wow thats a steal....did they have it on clearance?


----------



## ryanje

They sold me a back ordered Perfect Flame 36" for that was on sale for $89 (i think it was only 89 because it was a floor model or clearance).  They replaced the Perfect Flame model with the Master Forge so they gave me that instead.


----------



## slim

heck ya...


----------



## ryanje

Either way I was a happy customer.  I am excited to make some BBQ!


----------



## ryanje

One thing to note.  I am having trouble keeping it at 225.  Its about 15-20 degrees where I live and I have to have it almost all the way down to stay around 225.  Then the burner seems to have a mind of its own that low.


----------



## tank

Yeah I got the perfect flame for 89 and haven't looked back yet.  I have only had it for a couple of months but it has made some good butts and ribs so far.  With that low of a price I was able to get an extra propane tank, another rack, and other great supplies.  So far I am happy with it.


----------



## jaxgatorz

Just a reminder ( as i too own 1 of these).. Do NOT trust the thermometer in those smokers.. Mine is 50-75 degrees off.. Happy smokes .


----------



## chiwa

I may have the only Perfect Flame that has an accurate thermometer.  It is slow to react, and I don't really trust it, but if the door has been shut for 15-20 minutes, it reads about the same as my digital.  Right now I have some deer jerky going, digital says 137, door says 140.  I have had mine about a year, and made a lot of good food with it.


----------



## bpscg

Got one at Lowes last week. Had bought an Old Smokey electric a couple of years ago, never could get good results from it. Cooked very fast (which isn't the point, is it?), did nice juicy pork shoulders, but if I kept the temp down near 225, the chips would never ignite. If I got it hot enough to get the chips smoking, it would have everything cooked in an hour or less; it would be juicy, but not particularly tender.

So I got the Lowes gas smoker, and did a brisket the other day, made a lot of mistakes. Still edible (made for a decent sandwich at lunch today), but not the real deal.

Bought some spareribs yesterday, marinated them overnight, rubbed them this am, put them in the smoker around noon. Kept an eye on the thermometer, but also stuck an oven thermometer inside so I could check from time to time. The oven thermometer consistently read about 20 degrees cooler than the smoker's. Made sure to replenish the hickory chips regularly - I'd been under the impression you only needed to load them up once and that would be it, which was what led to the brisket failure. Did a 3-2-1, and it's out of the smoker now, keeping warm in the oven waiting for Mrs. BPSCG to get home.

Looks tasty. Took a couple of pictures, but the upload attachment widget won't let me upload a jpg over 90-some kb. Gotta figure out the qview thing, I guess.


----------



## ryanje

Cool! how are the results?  I have this smoker and am still figuring this whole thing out!


----------



## bpscg

Summary:
Ribs looked great, but weren't as good as I had hoped. I'm convinced this is strictly because I'm still getting accustomed to it. I'd allowed the inside temp to drop to about 200 for about a half hour during the 3-hour session, so I made up for it by allowing it to go for an extra 45 minutes before moving on to the 2-hour session. So my 3-2-1 amounted to almost 7 hours. As a result, the pointy end of the rack was kinda leathery, and the rest, while tender and falling off the bone, was a little dry and tasted a little overcooked. Lesson: Don't worry if the temp drops 25 degrees for an hour.
Went through a lot of hickory chips. Soak them next time.
I filled the water just once, and there was still some water left in it when I was done - didn't have to refill. Wondering if somehow that had something to do with the dryness noted in 1) above. Should I pop the temp up some?
As noted earlier, the supplied thermometer consistently read 20-30 degrees hotter than the oven thermometer I'd put inside at about the same level, but closer to the side. Could just be natural variance in temps around the inside of the box.
Mrs. BPSCG thought they were great. And she grew up on barbecue in Texas, so I consider that a good endorsement.

Okay, finally figured out how to upload pictures:


----------



## olecrosseyes

BPS stores have a few of the GOSM bigblocks but only at a few stores. Landmann seems to be not making and of the big blocks now for some reason. Smaller ones are available though. I'm waiting for the BB or will spring for something simular in size. I'm tired of cutting ribs and briskies in half! Also want a 4th rack.


----------



## ryanje

I have this same smoker.  Try out Hickory CHUNKS.  Just a few medium sized chunks will smoke for a few hours at a low temp.


----------



## bpscg

Did a couple more racks today (working from home *rocks*), with soaked chips  - have a big bag to go through before I go to chunks - and used a lot less.


----------



## m5allen

My buddy just got this smoker, I like it a lot.  The build quality seems to be pretty good.  And I really like the smaller door at the bottom that allows replacing the wood without opening the main door and loosing heat.


----------



## alyxx

This is my first smoker, I have the dual door model and I am pretty satisfied with it after a few mods. 

After my first attempt cooking with it I noticed that alot of smoke was being lost from the doors and the very top, which is like a lid tac/spot welded at a few points; allowing smoke to escape between the top and the main body of the smoker. I also relized that the thermometer was off by like 25*f. Also the smoker box and water pan were to small.

This is what I have done so far:

To address the smoke lost I got some oven door gaskets and used the original push clips to mount them, so all I had to do is drill some holes and cut one of the gaskets to length for the bottom door. 

For the top I just got some high-temp silicon gasket maker to seal the gaps.

I replaced the thermometer with a tel-tru thermometer due to their history with such products. 

As for the chip and water pan I modified two half hotel/steam pans, one for a water pan and one for the chip pan; by cutting up some square tubing and mounting extension on the pans so that I can use the existing racking. I also got a hotel pan lid a drilled some holes in it for the new chip pan.

So I install the water pan first. Then second, is the old chip pan which I put char-daimond briquettes in it to maintain the heat bellow the water pan when I open the lower door to add chunks to the lower pan, which is installed last. 

After a second attempt, I noticed that it was hotter in the lower portion of the smoker then the top. 

So I just got a steam baffle from an old temale pot and drilled some holes in it and mounted it on some existing bolts from the smoke stack. The baffle has preexisting slits in it and slows down the smoke a little to help maintain a more even temp in the upper portion. There is about a 1/4 inch gap between the baffle and smoke stack opening. The baffle is sandwiched between the existing nuts and some new ones.


I also didn't like the tempeture control knob it has to much wiggle in it when I adjust the temp a little it looked like I didn't. So I installed a needle valve on the gas line. I just put the factory knob on high and adjust my temp from the valve. it works great. 

Post some pics in a few did want to make it any longer then I already have. Please tell me your thoughts.


----------



## alyxx

Here are the pics


----------



## indyadmin1974

Can one of the moderators move Alyxx's reply into a new post on the propane smoker forum?

Sweet mods Alyxx!


----------



## south jersey bbq tim

i have had bad luck with those kind of smokers ....good luck!


----------



## rjdavis10

i bought mine about 4 months ago and i love it. probably smoked about 300 lbs of meat since i purchased it . also smoked several chickens for my neighbors and now every time i fire it up i have to sneak around and doit or they load me up with extra stuff to smoke for them.it does use alot of smoking chips though. about one bag every time i smoke because you have to keep adding more depending on the length of smoking time. but the food always turns out great!


----------



## unarmedone

I have had this grill since February I love it it does take a little getting used to though. You realy need to let the grill season for a good smoke. One thing you do have to watch the flame on windy days it will go out.


----------



## bpopovitz

I've have the Masterforge for about a month now.  Had a nice big gathering for Memorial day.  Smoked 2 shoulders the day before and then the day of had 3 racks of baby backs and 3 fatties with some room to spare.  So far it's been a great little smoker, very nice for my first one.  So far the experimenting goes well.  The only issue is keeping the temp low enough if i'm sitting in the sun, which is pretty much always since our neighborhood is only about 10 years old.


----------



## bratrules

i have this smoker a little over a month now it works really well. i use it at least twice a week for everything. i just think food tastes better smoked!! i just want to install a needle valve on so i can smoke sausage with it.


----------



## richc

Does anyone have the dimensions of the box of this smoker? Lowes' web site doesn't list any dimensions. 

Thanks

Rich


----------



## nwdave

RichC said:


> Does anyone have the dimensions of the box of this smoker? Lowes' web site doesn't list any dimensions.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Rich


Upper box  is (door opening) 21 1/4 x 14 wide.  Trays are 14 wide by 13 1/2 deep.  Just purchased the Master Forge to compliment my heavily modified but MUCH larger GOSM.  I'll take the Master Forge with me when I go camping with my Travel Trailer.  It's compact size lends itself favorably.  It definitely is a smoke leaker, but you shouldn't be making so much smoke, except for initial seasoning.  A little tweaking here and there, it's all good.  BIG burner plate, comparable to my BB GOSM, so heat in this small box is going to really swing when the door is opened.  Answer:  modification of the door with glass.  Works great (already done with my BB GOSM).   Door Temp gauge?  I ignore it because I use the Maverick ET-73 to monitor smoker temp.  And yes, the factory temp gauge is about 30-40 degrees high.  Totally unsatisfactory for smoking cheese or sausages or any other temp critical smoke.

I get the perception that several members think of the Master Forge as an all encompassing smoker, (did someone mention 4 briskets?.  This unit is not for big family gatherings.  Once you get a handle on how it smokes and what it takes to get your smokes, just so, it fills that niche for road trips.  Can you say Fatties at your favorite CG,  surrounded by a few friends wondering what the heck?


----------



## richc

Thanks for the info. I think I'm going to go with the GOSM Big Block. I'll order it when we get back from vacation in a couple weeks.


----------



## hottoddy9

Hi all,

I just bought the Master Forge at Lowes in Ontario. It's a great smoker and a decent price.

I have used it 4 or 5 times. I have smoke briskett, pork butts, mackeral and trout - it does a really great job.

I do see a bit of smoke loss at the top of my bottom door but it's very minor. The one contributor made a good comment that you could seal it more if you want the door perfectly tight. Initially, I did find it difficult to keep it at 225 degrees too but it seems that after I only have to adjust it once or twice now over a 6 hour period now that I've used it a few times.

I'm finding that the finest, shredded hickory works the best for the smoker. I used some small-to-average shredded mesquite and it didn't do as good of a job.

I added some kentucky whisky-bourbon to the water and it also really gave the meat a rich flavour. Thank-you to those folks in Kentucky for their great job in making whisky!!!


----------



## wildflower

Thank-you to those folks in Kentucky for their great job in making whisky!!!

your welcome


----------



## meche

Just got the masterforge.  Did the initial burn in, with a ton of smoke, but then went to do some brats (cheap special at costco, figured why not), and got next to no smoke the entire time.  Did a brisket next, and same result.  The wood chunks (hickory for brats, mesquite for brisket) combusted and turned to ash, but there wasn't much smoke coming out of it.  Any suggestions?

Also, alyxx, did you drill holes in your hotel pans for the wood?


----------



## alyxx

I drilled some holes in the lid and I use a load of 3 chunks.


----------



## micklouie

I have a question. I purchased my Master Forge smoker this spring. Got a deal for a ding and dent special from Lowes. Seasoned it well. Did my first attempt with a chicken from our organic food store. Turned out really juicy and flavorful. Then went for the Boston butt pork roast. It tanked bad. It did not fall apart at all when I tried to pull it. Did some pork chops but they were too thin my fault. Did 4 chickens and they tuned out good again. Went back to the Boston butt, failed again. Just tried a rack of baby back ribs. Not too bad but not fall off the bone quality. Used a digital thermometer to keep check of temperature. Thought I was cooking too low but then too high. Why does the meat come out tough? I did not brine the Boston butt. Baby back I seasoned with a good rub. I feel like I need to smoke these things for hours past the normal time. Boston Butt about 8 hours. Baby back 3-1/2 hours.

I'm a great grille cook but this smoker is killing me. What am I doing wrong with this grille?

Also where did you purchase the door seal material? Mine seems to smoke quite a bit out of the door.

Thanks for you help,

Mike


----------



## shadowwalker

Mike this is a decent smoker I use it as well, but you will have to play with it to get the settings you need, shoot for 220 to 230 or as close as you can get. Don't trust the door thermometer it can be off up to 50 degrees. Allow 1.5 hrs for each pound your butt weighs, I usually pull mine about 175 or so foil it then put it back until it hits around 200 or so, then wrap it more in foil and an old towel and put it in a cooler for 30 min to an hr, and for ribs do the 3-2-1 method posted....3 hrs unfoiled...2 hrs foiled with a little apple juice sprayed on them...last hr unfoiled. Hope this helps you some......keep us posted.


----------



## micklouie

I have 2 digital thermometers that read pretty close to what the door reads. I know not to trust that though. Maybe I will try to cook at lower temperature? I'm concerned about the meat being cooked properly. Most of time I'm checking it reads meat temperature low.

Isn't wrapping it in foil defeating the purpose of smoker cooking?

I'm might have go for a marathon cook at low temperature and see what happens.

Thanks for the tip,

Mike


----------



## alyxx

Well if you haven't yet you should take the 5 day e-course, then compare that to what you are doing, you should always be trying to reach an internal temp of 160 F on your butts and they should be easy to pull. As for my gaskets I found them in a salvage yard off some old ovens. You can buy them on line but they are pricey. If you do buy them make sure you get the push pins so they are easier to install, I covered that earlier.


----------



## micklouie

I might try the ecourse.

I did get the internal temp around 165-170. It just dried out too much I think.

I thought of looking at some local used appliance shops for those gaskets.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Mike


----------



## alyxx

I was wrong on the temp a little, you should wrap it with foil at 170 F and put it back in till it reaches about 200-205 F you don't get that much of a dark bark but the foil helps keep it moist.  Also spray some kind of juice or juice and water mix every hour to keep it from drying out. Before u wrap it spray down with some juices.


----------



## chendrix

I have been smoking on my Master Forge for about a month now and haven't had much luck with it.  The food has not really been that tender and I have followed the directions from people on this forum exactly.  Also when I put the meat on the racks the dripping don't hit the water pan much and makes a very big mess.  I am thinking about putting a larger foil pan on the bottom rack to catch the drippings so there won't be such a mess.  I'm not giving up yet but it is just very dissapointing that I can't get this thing to produce good smoked meats.


----------



## cyclicpitcher

I purchased the Master Forge Smoker after reading tons of reviews and driving all over looking at all the brands of units available at the local chain stores.

Bang for the buck, This smoker is the best!  Packing alone was high quality, everything wrapped, standardized bolts, logical build order, complex parts preassembled, clean surfaces, good welds, even the outer box had shipping straps!

This is a solid unit and the complaints about the doors leaking smoke is not a problem. I used a plastic paint brush handle to pry the door lips square and also used a small wood block and a hammer to tap out the edges around the openings. The bar that crossed between the top and bottom door was pressed in and was causing a large gap. I used my hand to pull it out and worked around the edges and was able to make a nice fit for both doors. Seems they bent the sheet metal edges in a bit too far during manufacturing.  One other thing is when you tighen the door handle locks slide them all the way back in the slots to make the doors get pulled tight when the handles are in the lock down position.

I took the thermometer and put it in a small stainless steel bowl and placed it into my home oven. The bowl was so I could see through the window of my oven the face of the meter.  My oven is a newer model with digital settings and so I set the oven to 220 degrees and waited for it to beep that the temp was achieved. After about 20 minutes the thermometer was reading about 50 degrees high. So I removed the unit and once it cooled I took a wrench and unbolted the nut on the sensor and removed the thermo from the black metal holder. (dont need to loosen the two black bolts on the housing) Once I removed the meter, I used a small screwdriver and bent the tabs on the shiny metal housing and carefully removed the bezel and exposed the face of the thermometer and needle indicator.

I then used my finger to gently pull the needle backward about 1/4 to 1/2 around. The thermometer is made from a bi-metal coil. I did this several times until the needle would rest farther back from it's original resting point. I reassembled the unit and bent the tabs back down and put the nut back on the housing and returned to the kitchen and placed the assembly back into the oven. I set the temp to 220 and waited. This time the meter read about 10 degrees higher at 230.  Close enough for me and I did not want to re-twist the needle again and risk any more the possible breaking of the unit. Now if I am cooking anywhere between 220 to 250 I am happy, it's not that critical. 

So now I am all set and after breaking in the unit , I cooked my first  Pork butt. Be sure to line your water bowl with foil and make some wings so you get better coverage from the drippings. 

I used the cowboy hickory chips sold at lowes and they worked perfectly after a good soak pour off the water and let them dry a bit.  I like smoke flavor but I want to taste the meat too, so when my chips cook out after about 4 hours I don't add any more, even the owners manual says the smoke flavor sets in the meat in the first two hours. I like to add a small stainless bowel with apple cider vinegar on the low rack to add a little twang to the pork. I also dont like mixing meats, I like to cook pork with pork, beef with beef. It's not just smoke your making, it''s moist heat, low and slow. This cooker sure beats my old charcoal unit by a mile.

As you can tell , I am very happy with this smoker!!


----------



## olecrosseyes

Alyxx said:


> Well if you haven't yet you should take the 5 day e-course, then compare that to what you are doing, you should always be trying to reach an internal temp of 160 F on your butts and they should be easy to pull. As for my gaskets I found them in a salvage yard off some old ovens. You can buy them on line but they are pricey. If you do buy them make sure you get the push pins so they are easier to install, I covered that earlier.


Alyxx,

Do you really mean 160 degrees internal of the pork butt to be able to pull it? I'm of the opnion that it takes an internal temp of 185 to 205 to pull pork.


----------



## swalker

I have Never not liked my GOSM smoker...Its propane and maintanes its temperature through out the smoke. Set it on low and it will hold a little above

225 degrees....Much better than my old (babysit) Brinkman charcoal smoker.

Just my thoughts.


----------



## pizzaman1

Stay away from Master Forge Smokers- they are cheaply made, poorly designed, and very flimsy. i just bout one and have ordered the same replacement parts twice. if you want a good smoker buy a Smoke Hollow


----------



## pizzaman1

if you read my post on may 23, 2012 i detailed my problems with the mf dual door smoker. as of today i have not received the SECOND set of replacement parts. btw, i posted basically the same review on the LOWES review site and i received an e-mail the next day telling me that my review would not be accepted on their site. tells you something about LOWES and how they dont stand behind their products or accept less than positive reviews. you would do well to stay away from master forge smokers and buy a smoke hollow propane smoker. i bought mine at gander mountain. and to that individual that was an engineer-what does the product you purchase and the good money you spend on it have to do with "tinkering" with it? if i spend my hard earned money on something, i do not buy it for the purpose of attempting to tinker with, or improve it. i want it to work as it's supposed to out of the box! if and when the replacement parts do arrive, and if they do not work as designed, and i'm betting they will not i will take it back to LOWES.


----------



## hitechredneck

I've smoked using the 'out of box' Master Forge from Lowes...  The only thing I've done is to make sure that the doors close up nice and tight.  Smoke comes out, but not overly so.  Other than that, I seasoned once and started smoking.  I use large chunks of mesquite and smaller hickory and fruit wood chunks in combination depending on the type of meat I'm smoking.  The bi-metal thermometer is junk, but then they have been junk since they were invented a couple hundred years ago.  

I use the wood tray and the water tray that came with the unit with no issues, I do have a lot of wind, so I have to block off two sides (back and left) so the wind doesn't affect the flame so much, but it comes up to temp easily and stays that way for hours.  I used it again this past weekend on a turkey.  The smoke ring on that thing was almost an inch deep.  We ate it all before I could get the camera out and take a picture, but I'll try next time to put the fork down long enough to snap a pic.

I understand your frustration pizzaman1, but perhaps you simply got one of the 'lemons' that happen when manufacturing goes wrong.

Now, could this smoker be better?  Of course.  But for 150 bucks, I think it's a very good deal and a great intro into smoking with propane.

Also, I don't know a single purveyor of smoked meat that doesn't like to fiddle and tweak his smoker just a little :)

HiTechRedNeck

The only good meat is a smoked meat.


----------



## tim202

I'm still new to Smokin but I like my Master Forge and think that for the price it's a very good unit.

My biggest  problem is that the wood chunks always seem to catch fire, I've raised the tray and last smoke I made a foil packet but still cought fire. 

Tim


----------



## smokin nw

My Master Forge was garbage before I worked it over.

The water pan is big, but I took and drilled 1/2 inch holes through the flange on all four, about 1/2 inch apart.

Lets a lot more heat and smoke thru. I have never had a problem with the chip box, but sometimes do put it

up one slot.

Wind is the biggest foe for this unit, so I have foil insulation stuck on mine and now can hold 225 - 230 all day long,

even at 50 degrees and blowing wind. Only thing I can't do is smoke at any temp above 250, melts the inside of the insulation, still needs work, 

but I don't usually smoke above 250 anyway.


----------



## butchieboy

I purchased a master forge duel door unit this weekend 
First time smoker a 25 lb turkey
After much research decided to smoke for 2 hours them bake 
Initially started a smoker up on gas with unit Empty, after 10 min. Temp went up to 500 degrees
So I felt comfortable that I could bake turkey okay
Start unit up on coal and put turkey in smoker, could not get unit over 100f (outside temp 25f on wind) so I started gas unit up and with coal and gas got unit up to 225f.
Had to get temp up to 325 min. So I removed water pan and replace it with smaller container 
It worked and I got turkey finished on time and tasted great
Now I got a lot of mods to do
Insulation around doors
Modify water pan to allow heat to get around it -but let it still catch drippings
Thinks about insulation on sides of unit too
Also need digital Thermometer
Will keep you posted on progress


----------



## biged92

Congrats on the new purchase.  I have the same smoker, and have had a lot of sucess with it.  The one Mod I would suggest you get is the A-Maze-N tube smoker, http://www.amazenproducts.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=AMNTS.  I use the 12" version in my smoker, and it's helped produce some great cooks.  Good Luck.


----------



## doctorvapor

I own this smoker and have been using it for over a year now.  My partner on my BBQ team liked mine so much he bought one too.  In our last three BBQ comps, we have taken a 1st in Ribs, a 1st in chicken, a 2nd in pulled pork, and a 3rd in pulled pork and have won about $1100 using the Master Forge smoker.  We have beaten several professional restaurants and caterers with rigs costing thousands of dollars with two $150.00 smokers.  I'd say this is one of the best buys on the market.

Let me also state that they are not insulated, they leak air and smoke like a screen door on a submarine, and they don't cook very well when the temperature is below 50 degrees.  But for a cheep smoker, you couldn't ask for much better.  All inexpensive smokers have the same problems this one has.


----------



## doctorvapor

@ Smokin NW

I love the insulation job you did on your Master Forge.  I'm going to attempt the same on mine.  Thanks for the great idea.


----------



## surfcitybeach

Have the same smoker smoked a fresh ham last weekend everyone loved it.  Trying a Beef tenderloin this weekend and going to use iron skillet for wood chip to help control flair ups,  Any ideas?


----------



## claupro

What brand/name high temp silicone is recommended for sealing?  Thanks


----------



## roadkill cafe

Permatex High-Temp RED Silicon Gasket Maker. Good to 650* and can be used on ovens so it's food safe. Run a nice size bead, cover with cellophane (Saran) wrap, and close door. Wait about 24 hours for it to cure, open and cellophane will lift right off. Run a couple hours with a little wood to get rid of the chemical smell.


----------



## challenger27j

Have had this smoker a bit over two years.  One of the first modifications was to properly seal the doors.  Found some flat high temperature fireplace door seal material at True Value. It measured 3/4 wide by 1/8 thick.  Used red Permatex to hold it in place and it has been going strong since.  You will need 12 feet of the stuff to do both doors.

Another modification was the addition of 3 dial thermometers to measure box temperature.  One at the top, one at the bottom, and one in the middle.  Found them at Grainger.  They have a foot long probe and seem to respond quickly.  Just carefully drilled holes through the side of the box so the probe just slides in.  No other support is needed and they slide out for cleaning.

Just upgraded a previous modification which installed a needle valve in the gas supply.  Just upgraded from the needle valve to a true metering valve salvaged from some junk industrial equipment.  It takes a full ten turns from open to close and has a scale which allows you to record the setting of the valve.  Very cool looking. 

Overall, this smoker has done a great job and allowed me to tinker a bit.   If we did upgrade, it probably would be for size, we are getting close to outgrowing this one!   We primarily do sausages, pastrami, and some chicken.


----------



## bigcitysmoker

I've been using this smoker for just about six months now. I've made some very good smokes using this propane smoker.

One most recent struggle has been to get the temps low enough for smoking sausage. After reading some threads here and across the web I found an 'acceptable to me' solution.

Being that I have the newer model Lowes, the fittings underneath are not the same in some of the threads you see here regarding conversions to natural gas. In the newer version, the propane hose has a factory crimp and removing/replacing is not an option.













dnc6dg.jpg



__ bigcitysmoker
__ Dec 26, 2012






This is a King Kooker stainless hose with an adjustable valve fit to the original propane hose. The line was tested for leaks and every half hour during it's first smoke I tested for leaks.

Using this setup, I can adjust the flame extremely well and now can smoke sausages at a low temp.

An in progress after the modification...













2exal9j.jpg



__ bigcitysmoker
__ Dec 26, 2012


----------



## cullowheedawg

Just did a brined turkey and a cured ham for Christmas on my MasterForge.  It worked great and I am almost forgetting about smoking with wood only.  It is nice to have the gas that does a good job of keeping close to a constant temp (I do check with an inside oven therm. but they are very close (10 to 15 degrees)  We pigged out even if it was with turkey. 

I still want to build a brick one but it is hard to get started when this one does the job.

Cullowheedawg


----------

