Advice on a new smoker

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farmerdd

Newbie
Original poster
Sep 18, 2012
6
10
SW Iowa
I am new to smoking meat, but I have read a lot on this forum. I have considered buying a Masterbuilt Cookmaster Propane Smoker. http://www.basspro.com/Masterbuilt-Cookmaster-Propane-Smoker/product/11082605010039/ over an electric model. Does anyone have any trouble holding temperatures steady in propane units? I have seen others have added needle valves to control temps. How much tinkering goes into setting the temperature? I want a smoker that can handle a variety of ranges in temperature, is a propane smoker the best for this? What would I have to do to convert this to a cold smoker?  Thanks in advance.
 
I have a GOSM propane smoker and after a few simple mods I can maintain anywhere between 135* and 300* all day long so it's good for drying jerky or putting a crisp skin on some chicken. Ambient conditions can affect it so sometimes there are little adjustments to be made.
 
Been using propane smokers for over 3 years now and I love them.. They reason I got one was for the ease of setting the temp for long smokes.  I used a Kenmore smoker similar to the one your looking at and it has worked out great. 

I recently picked up a Masterbuilt XL from Bass pro and have only used it once and after a little trial and error I seem to have the temp control figured out, held at 240-245 for 2 hours with no problems.  IMO you can't go wrong with a propane smoker for a set it and forget it unit..

My buddy has an electric smoker and he swears by it.. So I guess it's which type will work best for you..
 
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