2012 Masterbuilt Smokers - NEW 30" & 40" Models!

[fuzzyfishin]

Pillpusher, Can't help you with that one.

  When I spoke and then e-mailed them. I specifacly stated that the temp setting aswell as the meat probe were not working properly. So I just have to wait till I gett the new unit. I hope they have worked out the bugs. As is, my unit is usless. With my gas smoker I had better control of the heat with less probes. Using it would make the wifie happy!

 

[pillpusher]

Once I rotated the brisket, racks 2 and 3 both showed 220-235 on both sides... Go figure. I guess since the point can cook faster, even though it's thicker, I should have put the flat on the right side to begin with. It will just take some tinkering each time to figure out what positionings work best. Also, my AMNPS flared up for the first time about an hour ago... That was interesting. Not sure what caused it. The wind has picked up a little bit this morning, and I had the chip loader partially open for airflow, so maybe that was the culprit. I'm just glad it happened this morning where I caught it relatively quickly, as opposed to overnight while I was sleeping.

Oh, I also removed the damper and added a 3" elbow vent. Works like magic. I highly recommend any other 2nd gen owners to do the same if you haven't already.

 

[geerock]

Pill,

Best of luck with that thing getting you through the Super Bowl smoke, you are one brave soul but hopefully you have a good unit and she'll stand you in good stead.  As for the brisket, don't worry about the end getting up in temp too much....thats where you can make your famous burnt ends.  Just worry about getting the main body of the meat to correct temp and wrapping it and letting it sit for at least an hour or more.  Sounds like you are right on track.  If you've never done a brisket before just don't get too impatient.  I wrapped at about 200 IT in my deceased model old MB and let here rest.  Came out great.  (wish I still had the old girl.)  Enjoy the game.

 

[pillpusher]

Thanks. Not my first brisket, just my first with a Masterbuilt after my Bradley caught fire a couple months ago. You wrap it at 200? Does it still firm enough to slice at that point? I've usually targeted the 185-190 range. I'm afraid if I let it go to 200 it'll be chopped brisket, rather than sliced. The flat is around 180 right now, and the point is at 195, things seemed to have evened out a bit. Pork butt is cruising along nicely at 185.

 

[runnerbl]

I plan on purchasing an MES but don't know what size to get or what generation.  How much meat can each one hold?f  It seems that most prefer the old gen over the new, is this a correct assessment?  Thanks in advance....

 

[geerock]

Pill
Yeah I pull at 200 because I've pulled too early when I first started smoking and got shoe leather. But this ain't your first time so do what works for you. No problem with slicing for me at 200 with an hour or so of double wrap. About everyone I know pulls anywhere from about 195 to 205. None below 190 that I recall.

 

[geerock]

I plan on purchasing an MES but don't know what size to get or what generation.  How much meat can each one hold?f  It seems that most prefer the old gen over the new, is this a correct assessment?  Thanks in advance....

Runnerbl,
Can't help with size although I have better luck with full racks of ribs on the 40 and larger briskets. Besides when you get popular with all the great food you'll be smoking you'll be surprised how many people come around so you may want to go large for the few extra bucks. If you can find the older models out there thats the way to go.....this comes from someone whos had both. All the best.

 

[jrp]

Over the weekend, I smoked two batches of venison summer sausage (30 pounds or 10  tubes each) and 24 pounds of venison brats in my 2nd gen 40. I have put an elbow and a stack on the vent and I left the chip loader open a bit. I got excellent smoke and everything seemed to work just as it should. I was concerned because of all the trouble folks have been having, but the elbow seems to have taken care of things for me.

 

[fuzzyfishin]

 I just recieved my new unit. Basically a new smoker. I just need to take off the loose items and go and smoke. I just hope that the remote will work properly. I have to give MB cudos ( my mb rep) to get this all taken care of. Thus far all looks good. Am not smokin yet. Will re-assemble this unit and hope to fire it up this weekend.

 Hope everyone-else gets theirs back to smokin soon. My fingers are crossed for mine and alls.

 

[smokeone]

Looking forward to hearing how your new smoker works out for you. It sounds like my replacement should not be far behind yours. I assume you just had to cut the 110 plug off the end of the cable and pop the data plate. I hear once they have my tracking number they can ship the new smoker my way, How long did the process take to have you a box arrive from MB?

I Don't really get the cutting the cord and plate thing. If you want to build out the old smoker should not be a big problem unless I am missing something.

SmokeOne

 

[water3man]

I purchased my MES40 for $299 at Sam's, but it was the model preceding this one.
 

 

[fuzzyfishin]

 Out of the box I fired it up both thur. anf fri. On thur. I set it to 275 for burn off. High temp was 325o low was 269. Avr. cycle temp +8 to -4 of setting. This was for 6 cycles. Turned it off to cool and restart as if I were to smoke. Unit probe and my meat probe side by side in potato had reading off 42 mine theirs 45 liveable. Turned unit on to 125o high temp to 145o and low 119o first cycle. Next 3 cycles +8/-4 of 125o. At 145o high temp 157 / 139. Next 3 cycles +8/-4. I smoke sausage at about 165o so set the temp to 160o to give me a closer avr to 165o. Let it cycle for 2hrs and all the readings were the same +8/-4. Same on fri. Works for me.

  Now to the probes. As the temps increased the difference also increased. First was only 3o. At 90o unit +12, 154o+16. I stopped at 170o and unit +32. On fri. I coppied from thur. and the readings were different. At 154 unit +25 at 170o unit +45. I teste both probes to see what ambient temp I would get. Temp of unit at 200o.My probe 195o unit 248o wire-tied together and hanging. Not so good.

  Where do I go from here?  (Being a contractor if client not happy I fix) 

 

[smokingrk]

Just recieved my replacement yesterday, both body kit and new controller installed, also.  Mine did  not work either, 40-50 degree diff from internal display to MAV probe.  I'm done

.

Next step for me, I'm leaning towards a pellet smoker....

 

[viskey]

Well, ive been following this thread since it started. Decided to finally get the Smoke Vault 24 instead, it is on the way.

I know masterbuilt is usually pretty good about replacing things and such but there are constantly too many issues with these smokers; the old and new model. I also like how wide the SM24 is, makes it easy to do full racks.

Good luck with everyone getting theirs running and to start smoking, i know i can't wait! :)

 

[jimmybh]

I never cared for plastic toys.

 

[squirrel]

I was just told by Masterbuilt that I would have to purchase a new body for mine because the controller I bought not too long ago wasn't the problem after all. Seems it's the body. I've used this thing maybe 15 times when the temp just kept rising and rising, catching my hotdogs on fire. Geez. So they tell me it's the controller and I buy a new one. The new one did the same thing and now it's the body and I'll have to buy that. No I don't. I'll never buy another Masterbuilt product again nor can I recommend one.

 

[smokingrk]

IF and a big if that is,  I just saw on AMAZON the OLD GEN 40" in stock for $335 - 

 

[jdmvette]

IF and a big if that is,  I just saw on AMAZON the OLD GEN 40" in stock for $335 - 

These things are $299 all day long at SAMs.    

 

[jdmvette]

IF and a big if that is,  I just saw on AMAZON the OLD GEN 40" in stock for $335 - 

These things are $299 all day at SAMs. 

 

[tjohnson]

These things are $299 all day at SAMs. 

Been to SAMS lately??

No MES 40's.....

The Manager at my local SAMS said he sent all his back, because every one of them were dented