Masterbuilt Electric Smokehouse

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Rob,

The recall is for a fire issue that they had when the door was opened. It would fire up the chunks or chips and then you would get a little grease fire as well if you had enough grease inside the unit. Their repair is a tin box that goes over the heating element. If you call them they will send you one right out. Mine had it with it, but does not have all of the 2007 updates (latch on door and vent in roof). I put 2 latches on mine and it works great.
I did a pork butt yesterday and that was my first real smoke. We had my folks over and they were impressed as well as my family. My mom wants me to do 4 loins for Easter at their house. I can't wait!! Sorry no porn because I was afraid it would not turn out.

Illini,
I did that pork butt with Buckboard Bacon and I took it to 160#. We sliced it about 1" thick and it was just like a good Iowa Chop! I could not believe it! I did your trick of 3 - 5 chips avery 45 minutes for 3 hours and it turned out perfect! I could not believe it. Thanks for all your help!

MDK
 
Rob
You will like the mods for sure....My 1" inside diameter pipe is adequate because that constitutes a lareger area than the three small inlet holes....use washers with different size holes on top to adjust the flow...also have cap to place on top to completely shut it off if I want to....the damper is a good idea and surely would make it adjustable

Please be careful when you make the cuts...thats thin stuff and you need them right the FIRST time
 
"Installing a dampered vent" -- I like that idea. Obviously need to make these basic mods to my new MB that I just got for Christmas.

Where would one find a dampered vent?
 
That is an idea promoted by ROB...see post above on this thread...and would be fine...think it would have to be a homemade device...personally the top vent does not need to be too large....I" to 1-1/2" is adequate....if you cut a larger hole you might weaken the cabinet and will surely need to close it way down...just my 2cts
 
ok thanks. Two other questions:
- I too, had some black smokey water drip out the bottom of my unit during my first run when I was seasoning it. Too hot? Not enough vent? I kept the wood tray shoved all the way in.

- These small vent holes I read about -- where are they? I looked tonight and I don't see any vent holes. Just the main round hole on the right side that takes the wood tray. No wonder a top vent is needed.

RandallDad
 
RandallDad
Welcome to the forum. Why not introduce yourself to everyone at the roll call thread!

If you have the older model with no top vent expect some dripping.

The new model that is vented or by adding the top vent mod to the older model
will practically stop this for you. All that moisture from the water pan has to go somewhere!

The vent holes we speak of are the three small holes in the outside end of the wood tray itself

Get the combustion air going in these three holes and the smoke and excess moisture out the top vent and you got it right.

Welcome again to a fellow Masterbuilt'r and go introduce yourself

BTW throw out your books instructions on wood consumption...Its way to much.....Read these posts from the guys who have been there and start using only 2 to 5 chips every 30 minutes or so...you wont be sorry!!!
 
mod over Christmass vacation. I've done salmon and skinless, bonless chicken breasts since then and both came out great. It looks the control will be good. Open for foods that cook out a lot of water and chocked down for ones that don't or long smokes where drying is a concern. The weather has been kind for smoking here!
a4725b3e_vbattach11597.jpg

7de85e6d_vbattach11448.jpg

8f18d3a5_vbattach11313.jpg

249244f1_vbattach11171.jpg
 
Sorry. I've somehow lost track of the image software that will re-size.
7841da05_vbattach11598.jpg

f89d6678_vbattach11449.jpg

4aadce7d_vbattach11314.jpg

8f4799e8_vbattach11172.jpg
 
well since I have the new 2007 model I've not needed any mod's, however I have modded my luhr jensen big cheif to be a cold smoker unit feeding off of the masterbuilt......check it out....
 
hello hello,

yo go fish,
do you load --then turn tube 180 *--
to dump chips on element?????

yo smoked in washington,
does big chief have to be set higher -for smoke to go UP tube???
 
my test run the smoke ran fine....however I am thinking of raising the big chief up higher for better flow.....I think it will be a much better use of the old smoker then just sitting on the side in a pile in the garage anymore....just think of the cheeses and so forth :) One thing is I also had to stiffen up the door alot using some doublers up along the side, them big cheifs like to bend in the middle when putting the door on!!!!!!
 
well I decided to fire up and make some fatties last night...errr really early this morning, so I hooked up the big chief as the cold box and decided to smoke some chedder and re-smoke some cheap bacon we bought that needed more flavor......here is the rig in action....
 
smoked: That's a real clever innovation using the MB as a smoke generator for a cold smoke!....What is the temp inside the big chief when you do this?....Not being familiar with the big chief, is it insulated, or could this be done with any box a person might have?

I assume the flex tubing is aluminum and not galvanized...correct?

Does my heart good to see how innovative the Masterbuilt team is becoming.

Keep up the work guys!
 
The Big Chief is not insulated at all.....one reason why I ended up going with the masterbuilt unit :) I have not checked the temp inside, but it stays cold even with the masterbuilt pumping at 225 so I can safely say it's well below the 100 degree level but I'll have to run a temp probe in there one of these times. The flex tubing is regular alum hvac stuff and yes you could do this with any box you have.....and here I had been racking my brain on how to cold smoke in the masterbuilt (of which I've noticed that it's hard to get it to generate smoke below 200 degrees, at least with chips.....might have to try the sawdust routine for doing chipoltle's from now on......)
 
smoked:...on the peppers try...top vent wide open...wood tray open (pulled out) about 3/8"...get the air flowing through the smoker then set the temp you want.....this all results in the heater being on more to sustain the set temp and viola the chips will do their thing....

Just my 2cts

Works better when the ambient temp is lower of course!
 
yea I tried that method basically.....results were mixed, I did pick up some of the much smaller chips...almost sawdust, you know the stuff luhr jensen puts out for their units....so I'll see if those work better, I figure at lower temp they should......
 
well I'm running the setup again....mostly because the boy got into the fridge and ate all the fatties I smoked the other morning....little jerk!!! so I'm running it again to double smoke some bacon and some more cheese along with fatties in the masterbuilt (sage and an italian). masterbuilt is running at 225, outside ambient temp is ~45 and temp at the top of the cold box is running ~ 58...........

I also just got done modifying the big chief by mounting a temp sensor at the top....now I can see how hot that box ever got to begin with!!!
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky