Masterbuilt propane smokers

[cmayna]

Good luck. I bought a two door mb in june and so far so good. I've mainly smoked fish to this point. This site has been a lot of help.

Smoking fish with a propane?  Wow!   It isn't too hot?  What kind of fish?   I also have a 2door masterbuilt gasser mainly for hams, etc.  For fish, I find it way too hot to use, when I do my salmon.  Thus I use an electric smoker for fish.

 

[dcinstl]

Just bought a new Masterbuilt Pro 2 door propane/charcoal smoker. I assembled and have tried to season it. 3/4 tank of propane ran for an hour and it only got to 175 according to temp gauge on the door. It was shielded from the wind. It's 28 degrees F in STL this evening. Will this smoker not get any hotter than this in this outside cold temp? I bought to smoke turkey for TG. What should I do. Any help is appreciated.

 

[ozzy2]

Do you have wood in the tray?If you put chips in it will help make heat close the damper on top about half way .It should get up to at least 300.

 

[phxsmoking]

You should read some of the post about using this smoker from more experienced smokers. There are many  pages of information and suggestions relating to this brand of smoker. The first thing you want to do is check the accuracy of the door temp gauge, most on the forum find it to be off considerable. Test it in a pan of boiling water for accuracy. Water boils at 212 F. For smoking you will want to by a good  thermometer that measures both the  chamber and the meat at the same time.  Remember your looking for internal temperatures of the meat not how long you cook. A lot of folks use the Maverick 732 thermometer. Enjoy.

 

[smoking tony]

I bought a oven thermometer at bed bath beyond and put it next to the meat inside  work great 

 

[no peek n]

but then the only way you are going to see what the Temp is by "Opening The Door" all of the time, Which is a BAD thing....Just go get the Mav ET-732...PLEASE.!!!..Don't mess with the Oven gauge......Remember.!.!.!     

IF YUR LOOK'N, YOU AINT COOK'N....

 

[glennmc]

Hey JWH, I'm just a little bit away over in Baltimore County.

Might I swing by sometime and check out & chat about that smoker?

Glenn.

 

[jguzman]

I always use mine with charcoal, I just fill the fire pan, get it started and set the propane to low until I see the temp dropping. Then I will either add more charcoal or turn the propane up a little to regulate the heat. The charcoal is a good flare blocker for the wood chips or chunks. I use chunks to further reduce the flare ups and it will last longer than the chips.

 

[jguzman]

 
Smoking fish with a propane?  Wow!   It isn't too hot?  What kind of fish?   I also have a 2door masterbuilt gasser mainly for hams, etc.  For fish, I find it way too hot to use, when I do my salmon.  Thus I use an electric smoker for fish.

I have not found the propane smoker to be too hot for my fish, I like my salmon broiled anyways so setting it to about 250-275 will cook it in about 30 - 45 minutes. Frozen crab legs are great in it too, about 20 - 30 mins from frozen.

 

[cmayna]

Yes, it sounds more like you are baking the salmon with such high heats instead of smoking.  Even with that little bit of smoking time, I bet it tastes yummy.

 

[thatcho]

I cold smoke my salmon for 3 hours then gradually bring the heat. It turns out pretty tasty a non fish eater is converted. Hallelujah!

 

[cmayna]

 

 

[markusm]

*removed* 

 

[markusm]

 

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• cadillacman
• Mar 9, 2013

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• cadillacman
• Mar 9, 2013

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• cadillacman
• Mar 9, 2013

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• cadillacman
• Mar 9, 2013

Love my MB propane/charcoal.  I've searched this forum for mods and made some improvements.  Currently I am using the stock chip pan with lump charcoal and I hammered down the vents to stop flare ups, additionally I lined the water pan with foil and added some playground sand and foil on top with a smoker chip pan for flavored chips in the middle.  I added a disposable roasting pan for water but I sacrifice a shelf.  I've had fun smoking ribs, brisket, salmon and pork butt.  You definitely save on fuel because once the pan gets hot enough and the lump charcoal starts to burn hot and you can use them for heat and smoke,just add more from time to time. One last thing I should mention, when I need the smoker to get hotter with the propane running I found that lifting up the pan and putting one foot on the protruding bolts on the bottom allows more flame and the temp rises fast.

Could you tell me which model that smoker is? And would it be too much to ask of you to measure the diameter of the hole it sits over?  I'd like to replace the chip pan in my Masterbuilt gs40 propane smoker with the one from that model if it will fit over the hole. 

 

[cadillacman]

I'm away on business but will get you that information when I get back in a few days! The model number is 20050412 @ home Depot masterbuilt vertical charcoal/propane gas smoker!

 

[markusm]

Great thanks!

 

[markusm]

Actually... never mind. I opened the picture full size and it looks like yours had been modified to close up the three openings in the pan. I didn't notice that before. Thanks anyway though. 

 

[cmayna]

Though my Masterbuilt two door is strictly a propane unit the ring around the burner is 7" diameter. I also use a cast Iron skillet with adj legs.

But now Mr Gasser is using a AMNPS so the skillet is strictly a heat deflector. The legs reside on the outside of the ring.

 

[frank68]

hi 

   can you give me the CUREing RECIPE. or where can i get the recipe

thanks      frank68

                                                                                      

 

[markusm]

Man, that is a great idea! I've been setting my skillet on top of the factory chip pan. I ended up getting a bigger (11.5") skillet because of how hot the pan was getting when I smoked chicken breasts or Burger patties, at around 325 deg. Then I ran into the opposite problem when I finally decided to try some ribs on it. I could barely keep the smoke going while keeping the temp down around 225. Wood chips still smoke fairly well, but at the higher temps they kept burning up so quick I went out and bought 5 bags of various wood chunks, so I'd like to be able to use em. 

I was trying to figure out a way to get the skillet closer to the heat source and that looks like a great way to go about it. As for the holes... can you give any tips on placement? (or did you just guestimate and drill em as close to the edge as possible?) And approx how high above the ring does the skillet sit? I had contemplated just sitting the skillet directly on that ring but I wasn't sure if that would adversely affect the temp inside the smoker due to lack of air flow.