Problems and solutions with masterbuilt smokers

[Jonok]

So I have been smoking enthusiastically for 15 years or so, and about 10 years ago I got my first Masterbuilt (and fortunately also bought the Sam’s Club 3 year extended warranty).

I’m currently on smoker #3, and still going strong, all for the original $250 plus a few bucks for price increases between models.

The first two ultimately failed in the same way: The cabinet rusted out around the chip loader hole, and one lead to the element ultimately burned off.

I was never happy with the amount of smoke produced with a “load” of chips (as compared to my side stick burner), which necessitated multiple trips outside to put in another handful in order to get a decent amount of smoke on the meat before it heated up enough that it wouldn’t take anymore.

The grease from even a couple of good-sized butts would overflow the drip pan and run all over my driveway, and dumping out the oval water pan ruined at least a couple pairs of jeans.

I found, early on, that taking the water pan out, and replacing the bottom rack with a disposable foil pan helped, but it didn’t solve the paucity of smoke issue.

Several friends and I recently went in on a new one that we keep down at the shop, and, prior to our first cook, we decided to solve as many of these problems as we could.

We removed the smoke-generating apparatus entirely, insulated and blocked the hole with metal covers.

I fabricated a stainless frame that fits within the base drip pan, about 1/4” above the element, and supports a stainless, covered pan with limited ventilation that sits atop the frame, and will hold either commercially bought chunks, or better yet, fresh cut green smoking wood.

I modified a stainless steam table pan to fit the bottom rack slot, and act as both a catch/water pan, and a second layer of insulation to obviate the difficulties with a “hot spot” over the element.

To say it is a success is a marked understatement.

The smoke pan produces ample smoke with a single fill of wood for an entire cook.

The creasote is largely contained within the pan, and most of what does make it out condenses on the bottom of the water pan.

Blue smoke, nice bark, excellent smoke ring, even cooking, and no bitterness.

I also suspect this will solve the rust-out and burning issues as there aren’t chips spilling out of a cheesy sheet metal chip pan and burning under and around the element.

This is as close to set it and forget it barbecue as I have come

 

[Tex1911]

Nice write up. I'm curious if the modded smoke pan effects the heat. Have you checked the temp in different places to see if the heat is constant? Or if there are "cold spots"? I like the added wood pan, makes sense.

 

[Jonok]

It really doesn’t seem to. The temperature seems at least as stable as it ever is with a Masterbuilt, and, since the wood isn’t freely burning, it doesn’t start a fire in the bottom of the smoker which, in my experience, tends to lead to large temperature excursions.

As you are no doubt aware, the built-in meat probe is all but useless. I have a wireless thermometer that I have used fairly extensively, and the temps don’t really vary more than a few degrees side to side or up and down.

 

[Tex1911]

Informative. And now I can blame you for my future tinkering! Ha. I like the idea of adding a bigger enclosed pan for wood chips. I do have the "mailbox" mod with the tray and use it every time. I dont even use the original chip tray anymore. But I think I will try to mod/locate a pan like that.

Just when I thought I was done you come along with this!!!! LOL. A tinker'ers job is never done right?

 

[indaswamp]

I'd be concerned about the draft through the smoker with that big water pan. How much of a gap do you have all the way around it for air flow?

 

[Jonok]

It’s about 3/8” all the way around. If I clean the glass, and watch the smoke with a flashlight, there is nothing that resembles laminar flow, everything is turbulent. I also seem to get plenty of smoke on the meat, regardless of the position in the smoker (which probably has something to do with the ventilation being marginal in Masterbuilt smokers to begin with, and also with the fact that there is even less thru-ventilation now that I have blocked off the smoke generator hole).
I assume it is drawing through the bottom drain vent, as everything else on the exterior is more or less airtight, and that the multiple layers of stainless between the wood and the meat seem to be doing a good job of stirring things up.
There isn’t really any remnant condensation accumulation in the drip pan or the grease tray.

Of course I don’t need to add water, and if I toss a pan of beans in the bottom to catch drippings for extra goodness, I need to keep the vent fully open or there will be water running down the sides....

 

[Tex1911]

What Indaswamp says is what I was worried about as well. I have a large stainless cookie pan that anytime I put in the MES, it messes with the temps swings. Yours may have a little more room on the sides than mine so I think the key is finding that perfect size. Sounds like you have nailed it.

 

[dr k]

With the PID sensor up at my go to food rack (2nd from top) a large drip pan doesn't block heat to it and air/smoke will find its way up. Two 11x15 disposable baking sheets sandwiched together with a third one ontop is a great insulated drip pan to keep vaporizing grease down with the exposed flipped element. Keeps drips off of the element that can ultimately get in the jacket seam and short to ground. Even temps left to right.

Cut the bead off of one pan so it lays on the flange of the other.

 

[Jonok]

That’s a nice idea. I didn’t flip the element, because my vent is on the left and I like the crossflow.

I have, as I stated above, in the past, used a full-sized foil pan on the bottom rack, and I occasionally put an insulated cookie sheet (rimless, double layered) under it to keep the drippings from burning. (My wife gave me hell about wrecking her cookie sheet, though)

Even though the foil pan was in contact with all four sides of the smoker, (I had to bend in the sides to make it fit), it never seemed to limit the smoke, and I was happy with the overall results.

My current mod doesn’t involve drilling any holes in the smoker, and adds about six pounds of stainless between the element and the food, as a heat diffuser/sink and I hope that if ithe unit goes south, I can put the original parts back in and still have plausible deniability from a warranty standpoint...