Masterbuilt 30" Electric Smokehouse

[cathy l]

I started out with a Traeger Junior Elite and It's proving to be a good little companion, but isn't up to some of the tasks I want to use it for.  I have been looking at the Masterbuilt 30" Electric Smokehouse to add to what may prove to be a growing arsenal of outdoor cooking devices.  My question to you all is, would this be a good first addition if I wanted to move on to bacon (so it can be hung), snack sticks (so they can also be hung) and for cold smoking cheese...by this one I mean can I put my amazen inside to get the smoke without turning it on and getting the heat.  Thanks for any guidance.

 

[s2k9k]

You can put the AMNPS inside just about anything and cold smoke, a cardboard box will even work.

I would think and research long and hard before I made a purchase for a smoker to do what you are wanting it for. Think about how much bacon or snack sticks you will want to do at one time. Think about is this going to lead to bigger things like sausage and summer sausage. I'm just thinking that the MES 30 is a little small to hang very much in at a time. I have a GOSM widebody and I started off doing sticks and jerky in it and found it was just way too small for what I wanted to do and ended up building a smokehouse.

 

[smokinhusker]

You can put the AMNPS inside just about anything and cold smoke, a cardboard box will even work.

I would think and research long and hard before I made a purchase for a smoker to do what you are wanting it for. Think about how much bacon or snack sticks you will want to do at one time. Think about is this going to lead to bigger things like sausage and summer sausage. I'm just thinking that the MES 30 is a little small to hang very much in at a time. I have a GOSM widebody and I started off doing sticks and jerky in it and found it was just way too small for what I wanted to do and ended up building a smokehouse.

Dave is right! I have an MES 40 and while it's perfect for smoking snack sticks, Summer sausage, bacon, and jerky, even with the larger size, it has it's limitations. I have to measure and keep my sausages less than 18-20" long when hanging so they don't hit the where the heat source is, so I usually hang them all on the opposite side away from the element. 

I hang jerky on non stick metal skewers and suspend those from S hooks attached to the top rack and sometimes the 3rd rack (but gotta keep an eye on that element again). I can get 6 skewers of meat per rack and don't forget you can't load those skewers up because you have to leave room for smoke and air to circulate. 

 

[cathy l]

Thanks both of you.  Hmmm...build a smoke house huh??  I wonder if the husband will be receptive to the task... He did well when I wanted the chicken coop and run for fresh eggs.  He also did well when I wanted the in-ground fish pond in the back yard....  I am going to make him aware of all the extraordinary goodies he will have coming out of a smoke house..Hey, it's worth a shot, right?