Masterbuilt Smoker missing Flame Disk

Hey Sherv-

Don't know how I missed this earlier...hope I'm in time to do you some good. If it will fit in the rack, a small cast-iron skillet would work great for a chip pan in your propane smoker. Even a alloy pan (aluminum or steel, not non-stick coated) would work, but in either case, be sure to season the item with heat before using to smoke any food...don't want any nasty odors exposed to your meat on the first smoke. If the fit isn't quite right, you may be able to fashion some type of hanger or rack extension that may make it fit where you want it. It does need some clearance form the burner to allow the flame to just barley lick the bottom so the smoke tray/pan gets hot enough to ignite your smoke wood so it will smolder.

If you're having any issues getting little to no smoke, or heavy smoke throughout (chips smoldering too quickly, or just burning up) give a shout back and I'll help you fix that. Just remember that smoke wood + heat + oxygen = smoke...if there's too much heat or oxygen (when the heat is correct), there will be a lot of smoke and short smoke times from your wood. Too little heat or oxygen + little to no smoke...wood just lays there and does nothing. It's a balancing act, of sorts, but not difficult to achieve a good smoke once you understand the basics.

Also, white smoke when you add chips, or when the chips first start smoking, is perfectly normal...this should thin out after a short time, sometimes up to 20 minutes or more, but will diminish...thin smoke should ensue shortly afterwards, and this is the smoke that will make you chips last the longest...also is more forgiving in the flavor department, as a heavy white smoke for very long periods may be more than most of us can handle...then there's the die-hards who can handle just about anything for smoke, and burp smoke rings on demand...LOL!!!

Eric

 

Right on!!! Just try not to let the pan catch too much heat, especially if it's a thinner metal...could burn through earlier than you might think. Most of the smoke wood trays and boxes are a heavier gauge steel or cast iron, so they can handle the heat without deformation or erosion and total failure from the flame. Oh, being lighter weight, if in fact it is, you can keep it farther from the heat source to achieve the same results as a heavy-weight pan/tray can achieve, only the heavier ones just take longer to actually get hot enough to produce smoke.

High flame is where you'll see more smoke, or faster onset of smoke on start-up of the smoker, but also, high flame will be more likely to cause a failure of your smoke wood device if it's too light of construction.

Eric