Is this a good pairing?

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FreshGround

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Jan 13, 2022
88
101
I'm looking at electric smokers. I don't need anything big, as I rarely cook for more than 7. The largest quantity I would be smoking is about 15 lbs. of kielbasa at Christmas and Easter. And I would anticipate it being used for more modest amounts of other sausages at other times of the year, as well as the odd rack of ribs, chicken, etc

I want excellent quality, so I am looking at the Smokin-it #1 analog smoker. But since my primary application is smoking sausage I feel like I need more temp accuracy than their stated +/-30 degrees. So I've been looking at plug and play (I'm not one to fiddle with wiring) PIDs from Auber. I've been looking at their Model WS-1211H, whose description says it is made for Bradley and other electric smokers. At $139 the price seems right for me and it's features cover everything I think I need. What I can't quite get my head around is what distinctives does the Bradley entail and would those distinctives make it a poor match for a Smokin-it #1? The other PNP PID I've looked at is the Model WS-1510ELPM. It is described as a multi-purpose controller. It's $20 more than the first one, but I'm not sure what advantage it provides over the less expensive one.

So, if I go with the Smokin-it #1 which would be a better choice for the PID? And is there anything I'm missing that I should be aware of.

Thanks,

Rich
 
The other PNP PID I've looked at is the Model WS-1510ELPM. It is described as a multi-purpose controller. It's $20 more than the first one, but I'm not sure what advantage it provides over the less expensive one.
A lot of us use the 1510 . I have the multi use probe that can be used in liquid . They can also be used to control refrigeration .
I'm not sure of all the differences , but I like the 1510 .
 
I have a #1 and use their WSD-1200GPH which is also $20 more than the 1211H. The only thing I that I know of that relates to the Bradley smoker is that both have an extra outlet on the back for the Bradley smoke generator that in no way interferes with using it for the #1, it's just there. The original PID programming may be pre-programmed for a Bradley smoker but if that doesn't work for you, its easy enough to reprogram manually or autotune for your particular smoker. I went with the 1200 GPH because of the dual probes, one for the smoker internal temp and the other for the meat/food internal temp or not used at all. That second probe lets you control your smokes by actual food temp rather than a set time.

I went with the wall mount probe for smoker temp and permanently mounted it and installed a rocker switch to easily switch between using the Auber and the Smokin-It controller. If the Auber ever takes a dump, I can use the SI controller with a flick of the switch. Its easy to do, I am NOT an electrician and it took me 30-45 minutes. The hardest part is drilling a couple holes in the SS and thats actually pretty easy with sharp Carbide or Titanium bits. There's a lot of "How To" threads on the Smokin-It forum. I think I still have the wiring diagram if you plan on doing it.
 
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Smoking-it are good quality. If you're a pay once and be done type, did you look at their PID equipped smokers?
Unfortunately they don't offer a PID equipped version of the #1, and the jump from a #1 to a #2D is more than I want to go. If they did have a #1D I'd probably go for that, but alas.
 
The 1211H has a detachable power cord per the picture and is 12 amp, 1,440 watts. The 1510ELPM has a fixed power cord is 15 amp, 1,800 watts so with a 1,200 watt Mes 40 element the 1510ELPM can be on constantly without cycling and not over heat with it's heat sink and rating. If you want vertical space for hanging sausage or rope sausage the Mes 40 with 1510ELPM is what I use for fish and sausage (ramping), cold/warm/hot smoking cheese/cured meats/all other hot smokes. I found a free Mes 30 on FB marketplace I use for small smokes just for the two of us but prefer the 40 for the left to right space so no need to cut brisket or ribs to fit. With a plug and play PID I'll never buy a new smoker and have a back up element. The Mes 40 is a medium smoker to me and the Mes 30 is micro because the bottom rack has a rectangle drip pan on it and the top rack manages probes and cables so I'm just using the middle two racks 90%+ with both the 40 and 30.


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I'm looking at electric smokers. I don't need anything big, as I rarely cook for more than 7. The largest quantity I would be smoking is about 15 lbs. of kielbasa at Christmas and Easter. And I would anticipate it being used for more modest amounts of other sausages at other times of the year, as well as the odd rack of ribs, chicken, etc

I want excellent quality, so I am looking at the Smokin-it #1 analog smoker. But since my primary application is smoking sausage I feel like I need more temp accuracy than their stated +/-30 degrees. So I've been looking at plug and play (I'm not one to fiddle with wiring) PIDs from Auber. I've been looking at their Model WS-1211H, whose description says it is made for Bradley and other electric smokers. At $139 the price seems right for me and it's features cover everything I think I need. What I can't quite get my head around is what distinctives does the Bradley entail and would those distinctives make it a poor match for a Smokin-it #1? The other PNP PID I've looked at is the Model WS-1510ELPM. It is described as a multi-purpose controller. It's $20 more than the first one, but I'm not sure what advantage it provides over the less expensive one.

So, if I go with the Smokin-it #1 which would be a better choice for the PID? And is there anything I'm missing that I should be aware of.

Thanks,

Rich
Hi there and welcome!
Answering your questions.

Answer to Question1:
Bradley has an extra gadget to feed wood wafers that needs power. I think the Auber PID built for it has an extra out let for that plug to hook into the PID just to make transferring power to it easy not to regulate anything. Also the PID supports the wattage and amperage for a Bradley smoker (800 watt element).
That PID would support a Smokin-It 1 even though it's not a Bradley.

Answer to Question2:
The Model WS-1510ELPM can support a 1200watt element no problem as it has a max range of 1800watts so constant operating wattage is enough over 1200 watts to be rock solid!
If you have a PID controller that can support a constant 1200watt smoker then you never have to buy another controller should you decide to upgrade to a larger electric smoker (which is a very real thing).

Answer to Question3:
In my opinion for $20 more the Model WS-1510ELPM is the better option, it will handle the electrical load easily and not meltdown on you.
It cover's all bases for the Smokin-It #1-3, Bradley smokers, Masterbuilt digital and analogue smokers, etc. etc. Any smoker with a 1400watt or lower element.

Answer to Question4:
Things you may be missing. The Smokin-It #1 is tiny. I highly doubt it can practically hold the amount of food it claims, not that they are lying but like most items out there that boast the volume it handles, it's like the max max max of it's limits.
I suggest getting out to an Academy Sports store or any store that has a floor model Masterbuilt 30 inch smoker and that you put your hands and eyeballs on its outside and inside size. Why? The MES 30 is right at 2x the size of the Smokin-It #1.
Smokin-It #1 internal dimentions are:
  • Internal: 12-1/2" W x 13-1/2" D x 16" H
You don't get all of that as usable space because there are rack holders, elements, chip holders, etc. so even if you did get all of that as usable area you could barely fit a 12 inch ruler inside the thing!

An MES 30's internal dimensions are:
  • Internal: 15" W x 13" D x 26-1/2" H
So Smokin-It #1 is 1.56 cubic feet of internal volume and MES 30 is 2.99 cubic feet of internal volume.

What does all this mean? It means that if you go in person and look at floor unit of an MES 30 and think " this is perfect" or think "this is small" you will SURELY know how much size you are getting in comparison with a Smokin-It #1.

This may make you think "I should probably go with a Smokin-It #2 since its 2.60 cubic feet of space and that is closer to the MES 30 which works better in size".

So getting your eyeballs on size is a big deal.
Finally, every time you may upgrade in size, you also have to consider the increase in heating element wattage and amperage the next larger size pulls!
This is why the Auber Model WS-1510ELPM PID is one size fits all and a good option.
Smokin-It#1 is 400watt, #2 is 800 watt, and #3 is 1200 watt. MES 30 is 800watt and MES 40 is 1200 watt.

This song and dance in size is real. You wont fit a whole rack of ribs in a Smokin-It #2 much less a Smokin-It #1 and that could be a deal breaker, forcing you to consider buying buying a Smokin-It #3 which can fit a rack of ribs. MES 30's cannot fit a full rack of ribs either or a brisket and that causes so many people to upgrade to the MES 40. It is a real thing.

I've rambled on a ton but I wanted to make sure I answered your questions and helped you buy once, cry once. I hope this info helps :)
 
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I found a free dead MES40 on craigslist way back then. Connected a powercord directly to the heating element. Now it is plugged into a WS-1510ELPM PID. Have never looked back.

So you might consider looking at your local Craigslist. Yes the Masterbuilts are much larger that Smokin-it.
 
I found a free dead MES40 on craigslist way back then. Connected a powercord directly to the heating element. Now it is plugged into a WS-1510ELPM PID. Have never looked back.

So you might consider looking at your local Craigslist. Yes the Masterbuilts are much larger that Smokin-it.
IMO best electric smoker is a free or super cheap MES40 with the rewire and PID. You know this firsthand though :D
 
Agree with tallbm's response. I have a #1 that I take camping, it will hold 3 racks of ribs cut in half. My SI #2 equivalent (Smokin Tex 1400) has twice as much room.
Since you want to sausages and I'm assuming you will hang them, you probably would be disappointed with the #1. The #2 would be a much better choice.
As an aside, the best ribs I have ever made came out of my SI #1 while I was camping last year.
 
Smokin-it smokers are very well built. However, I would think that the #1 would be a bit small for hanging sausages, but if you are smoking them coiled, you will be fine.
 
So now you guys have me thinking about an analog Masterbuilt 30. The size point is telling. Besides, it's half the price (new) and twice the size as the Smokin-it #1. I'm sure the #1 is higher quality, but I don't know that it is enough to overcome the cost/size aspects of the MES30. I would still pair it with a pid, probably the Auber WS-1510ELPM. That would put me in the 350-400 total cost range, less than the #1, sans controller, by itself. So it would save me money, with the chance of saving more if I see something great on Craigslist, which I haven't, so far.

Anything I'm missing or overlooking?

Thanks.

Rich
 
So now you guys have me thinking about an analog Masterbuilt 30. The size point is telling. Besides, it's half the price (new) and twice the size as the Smokin-it #1. I'm sure the #1 is higher quality, but I don't know that it is enough to overcome the cost/size aspects of the MES30. I would still pair it with a pid, probably the Auber WS-1510ELPM. That would put me in the 350-400 total cost range, less than the #1, sans controller, by itself. So it would save me money, with the chance of saving more if I see something great on Craigslist, which I haven't, so far.

Anything I'm missing or overlooking?

Thanks.

Rich
I think cost wise and size wise that is good for your plans.
The Analogue MES units are not insulated so people like to buy welding blankets or something like this and make a custom insulation wrap for the smoker with some duct or flue tape:

Other than that, I can't think of anything major for you to consider.
Again, if you can get to a store and put your eyeballs on a floor model you can see if there are any size concerns that are a deal breaker.
Also, craigslist and facebook may have these MES analogue models available more often than a smokin-it unit.

I hope this info helps :)
 
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I think cost wise and size wise that is good for your plans.
The Analogue MES units are not insulated so people like to buy welding blankets or something like this and make a custom insulation wrap for the smoker with some duct or flue tape:

Other than that, I can't think of anything major for you to consider.
Again, if you can get to a store and put your eyeballs on a floor model you can see if there are any size concerns that are a deal breaker.
Also, craigslist and facebook may have these MES analogue models available more often than a smokin-it unit.

I hope this info helps :)
I live in AZ so I'm not too worried about insulation. If it becomes an issue I know there are smoker blankets I can get, like you mentioned. I'm hoping to get to see an MES30 before I pull the trigger, but I can't imagine going bigger. I know avoiding cutting ribs or briskets in half is an issue for serious smokers, but I'm fine with it. I convinced myself the #1 was too small my mocking up some cardboard to it's listed size.
My local craigslist has a bunch of MES30's for a $100 average. Sounds like a winner, winner, chicken dinnah! Now if only Rich (OP) lived nearby.......
To be honest, I can get a new one for about $176, so even if I had a bunch of them for $100 on my local Craigslist I'd go with a new one. I'm already going to be saving a bunch by switching from the #1 to the MES30, and except when it comes to cars I'm a buy it new kind of guy. But I absolutely appreciate your input.
 
I live in AZ so I'm not too worried about insulation. If it becomes an issue I know there are smoker blankets I can get, like you mentioned. I'm hoping to get to see an MES30 before I pull the trigger, but I can't imagine going bigger. I know avoiding cutting ribs or briskets in half is an issue for serious smokers, but I'm fine with it. I convinced myself the #1 was too small my mocking up some cardboard to it's listed size.

To be honest, I can get a new one for about $176, so even if I had a bunch of them for $100 on my local Craigslist I'd go with a new one. I'm already going to be saving a bunch by switching from the #1 to the MES30, and except when it comes to cars I'm a buy it new kind of guy. But I absolutely appreciate your input.

Yeah the #1 is just tiny. Glad you mocked it out.
Good to know you are narrowing things down. The Masterbuilt Analogues are plug and play with an Auber PID.
The Masterbuilt Digital smokers would need the ends clipped off 4 wires and 2 wire nuts used to make 2 whole wires out of those ends so that it works wtih an Auber PID.

Just be sure you don't buy the wrong Masterbuilt but I think both versions of the 30 inch are about the same size so seeing either Masterbuilt 30 inch in person should give you a good reference for what you are getting :)
 
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It's a done deal. I ordered this one from Amazon:

Link

which will arrive tomorrow and the Auber 1510ELPM, which will arrive Tuesday.

Now I need to go look for instructions on 'seasoning' the smoker to get it ready for work.

Once again, thanks to everyone who helped me see different sides of things, gave me feedback on specific products, and alerted me to things I had overlooked.

Once I've started doing some smoking I'm sure I'll have lots more questions.

Rich
 
It's a done deal. I ordered this one from Amazon:

Link

which will arrive tomorrow and the Auber 1510ELPM, which will arrive Tuesday.

Now I need to go look for instructions on 'seasoning' the smoker to get it ready for work.

Once again, thanks to everyone who helped me see different sides of things, gave me feedback on specific products, and alerted me to things I had overlooked.

Once I've started doing some smoking I'm sure I'll have lots more questions.

Rich
Glad you are getting there! I look forward to seeing what you make! :D
 
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