Masterbuild XL Mods - Post your mods here!

[old fart]

Having the XL since Xmas, I have found the problems that everyone else has. I sealed the door with wood stove gasket from Lowes, added a bent plate to the door to keep the drippings from dripping out the bottom all over the deck, added a 4" steamer tray (hotel pan) for a water pan/drip tray and replaced the chip pan with a cast iron frying pan sitting on a gas range burner grate. The other thing that was bothering me was the height that the unit was sitting. I built a stand with side tables to make it more accessable, more mobile and more usable. The other thing is I connected it to our buried propane tank for the house, so I didnt have to worry about running out of gas during a smoke.
I have done several sets of ribs, chuckies, butts and a few chickens and all came out good.
Over all I think it is a good smoker for the money.

My Smoker 1.JPG

• gchild
• Feb 22, 2011

I love this idea,I'm going to get with a friend of mine and see if we can come up with something similar.

 

[petehalsted]

I am in the process of seasoning my XL right now. And have an issue with the temp being to high, please see my separate thread  

The mods I have done.

1. 12 inch Cast Iron skillet sitting directly on the stock chip pan. I did not mod the stock chip pan at all

2. Waterpan is restraunt style steam table pan. Has about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of clearance on each side.

3. Mounted it on a Harbor freight furniture mover. with a couple of 2 x 4's

In the photos you can see my ivation wireless thermometer and the sensor mounted on the 2nd shelf from the top.

I live in Biloxi, MS. So at sea level, and damn hot!!! 

Anyone got a cool holder or something for the transmitter? My leads are not long enough to feed through the back vent and reach over to side handle so that I could hang it off the side. What I am doing right now is I have it setting on a silicon pot holder.

smoker1.jpg

• petehalsted
• Jun 28, 2015

smoker2.jpg

• petehalsted
• Jun 28, 2015

 

[mcmillenjg]

Did you manufacture stand yourself or use an existing shelving unit?  Great mod!  Thanks!

 

[wa0auu]

WE did put a rotisserie in our masterbuilt electric smoker and we love it.  Just did a 12 pound prime rib on it and it was the best prime rib we have ever done !  WE did a 4 pound whole chicken on the rotisserie and mom said it was the best chicken she ever ate.

now let me see if I can remember how to put photos in here.......I am an old guy

LEW_2998.JPG

• wa0auu
• Sep 17, 2015

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• wa0auu
• Sep 17, 2015

WE used a rotisserie made by GRILLPRO ( wow are they ever good !)

their model 60090   www.grillpor.com

LEW_2984.JPG

• wa0auu
• Sep 17, 2015

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• wa0auu
• Sep 17, 2015

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• wa0auu
• Sep 17, 2015

LEW_2970 - Version 2.jpg

• wa0auu
• Sep 17, 2015

 I am an electronic engineer, this is the new electronic control i built for our Masterbuilt smoker.  The only change we made is I changed the 145 temp to 250.  SUre is handy to have some PRE SET temps !

If you have questions about doing this you may email me direct at   leewalt@powerbank.net

WIth the switch set to smoker,  the smoker works just like it came from the factory but flip the switch to modified and that is where the magic happens.  There is a lot of electronics in that box.  The new control box cost me more than the new smoker did !

 

[wa0auu]

LEW_2985.JPG

• wa0auu
• Sep 17, 2015

THe stand is a 6 foot long model made by Gorilla rack and is sold at places like...Home Depot, Menards and Lowes I think.   We did put castors under it.  The stand has no bolts !  it just taps together with a hammer.  IF we can do it anyone can, that easy.  We are going to add a " dorm room" size frig next to it to keep the beer cold

 

[chopjaw]

It's official.  You SUCK!     :)

Dude that is super cool.  I'll take the controller please.  Just tell me how much!

 

[wa0auu]

IF you really want a replacement control box like I built, I need to know if you are really interested because of the cost.  If yo u want one I suggest you email me direct at    leewalt@powerbank.net  There will be a little work you need to do when you get it because the output of the new control box gets wired direct to the heating element.  Or you can bring your smoker to Cresco iowa and we will be glad to do it all for you

I built the box with all number 10 wire, hard to work with but used it because there is around 10 amps current being used.  The wire that goes from the output of the control box to the heating element is number 10 >>teflon insulated because of the heat.

I was an electronic engineer in the Navy for 25 years, I know a little about it

 

[dwhite1031]

PeteHalsted
I dont have the Masterbuilt but I have the Char-Broil vertical LP smoker. I used one of those all-thread nipples used for table lamps from Home Depot. Package came with different lengths and got a package of the hex nuts for them too all for about 7 bucks. Drilled a hole in the side, installed the all thread nipple and I run my thermometer probes thru there. I also added a small expanded metal shelf on the same side and sit my transmitter there.

 

[fishorelse]

The best modification for my master bill was selling it

 

[wa0auu]

THis is what our 12 pound prime rib looked like when done

LEW_3097.JPG

• wa0auu
• Sep 18, 2015

 

[sbpaducah]

I have had 2 MB 40's for over a year and I still have the same problem with both of them.  Tell me, in the new ones, will the temp get up to set temp and hold it within 5-10 degrees of set or like both of mine that fluctuate 30 degrees on either side?  This means if you set the temp on 225 that you get 195 degrees on the low side and then 155 on the high side.  It's hard for me to cook like this when the low side seems to creosote up the meat.  I have recently bought a Kamado style grill and the results seem to be far superior to my MB's.  I would be interested to hear if MB has fixed this problem.  I saw them being sold on some TV channel yesterday and they reported selling around 30,000 of these 30 inch units.  I would hate to be on the phone with them trying to resolve warranty problems during the next few months!

 

[wa0auu]

You are right, we set ours for 250 and it never gets there even on a warm day.  About the best it can do is 245.  i think the heating element is a little small.  That will be the next thing I work on

WAØAUU in iowa

 

[msuiceman]

mine is propane, so it gets to whatever I set it. fluctuations in ambient air temp/sunlight/wind will affect temp as well as the meat heating. I have put sand in the water pan to gain a larger heat sink, but I think I may need more thermal mass to really help with the temp. its not a huge problem, but it will help when I have to open the door to do something.

 

[j4165y]

Unfortunately the XL Masterbuilt after 3 years becomes a complete throwaway piece of junk. I truly enjoyed the first two years of service it performed very well. But after the second season it started to rust severely and needed a new burner. Also the door warped to where I had to remove and have repent and weld stiffeners. Yes the smoker is very cheap but only expect three years of service maximum. Don't get me wrong it worked perfectly fine for 2 solid years but going into 3 years it started having issues.. now also take into consideration I used it roughly about 125 times

 

[msuiceman]

Unfortunately the XL Masterbuilt after 3 years becomes a complete throwaway piece of junk. I truly enjoyed the first two years of service it performed very well. But after the second season it started to rust severely and needed a new burner. Also the door warped to where I had to remove and have repent and weld stiffeners. Yes the smoker is very cheap but only expect three years of service maximum. Don't get me wrong it worked perfectly fine for 2 solid years but going into 3 years it started having issues.. now also take into consideration I used it roughly about 125 times

did you keep a cover on it? I've had mine for 4 years I think now, keep it outside, and so far so good (though I had a hose go bad, but replaced it when I added the needle valve). burner is still original, cabinet is not rusting nearly at all anywhere. I keep mine under the charbroil vinyl cover when not in use.

 

[wa0auu]

Our next mod is to put in an infra red LP gas burner behind the rotisserie.  We will only use it about 15 or 20 minutes to get the outside of a prime rib a little more crisp.  Has anyone ever put an IR burner in a masterbuilt ?  If you have all ready done this please email me photos and your ideas to    leewalt@powerbank.net

thanks

WAØAUU

 

[wa0auu]

The novice guys in north east iowa are working on their next mod, I have a LP gas infra red burner on order and will put it in right behind the rotisserie.  plan to use it only about 15 minutes at the start.  We removed the drip tray and water pan and tossed it out in the trash and now have installed the new control box we built for it.  Works GREAT !  No more ditzen around with pushing buttons, just flip one switch and done

WAØAUU

 

[krazykanuck]

This is going to probably sound like a silly question - but with the needle valve, where did you guys find the necessary fittings to adapt it onto your existing regulators?

 

[msuiceman]

 
This is going to probably sound like a silly question - but with the needle valve, where did you guys find the necessary fittings to adapt it onto your existing regulators?

I used a complete replacement. it was as simple as taking off the original hose assembly and regulator, and replace it with this. they both screwed onto the same fitting behind the front/bottom panel.

 

[jamesfbc]

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• jamesfbc
• Dec 3, 2015

The newest mod I've done was put a side smoker on my box. Went one really easy. Had to cut the side holes and custom make some brackets to handle the weight but it came out good. Total it all cost me about 45 bucks. Having a little bit of a problem getting it over 250. Tried chunks and charcoal going for logs next and putting on a chimney vent to try to get more air movement.

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• jamesfbc
• Dec 3, 2015

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• jamesfbc
• Dec 3, 2015