Masterbuilt Smokers (Bear’s Thoughts & Findings)

[brickguy221]

TALK ABOUT GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE,

Last Thursday I told bear in this thread that my Maveric smoker probe constantly read 30 degrees less than what I set my smoker temp for. And because of that, I couldn't cook at much above 245. He suggested I call Masterbuilt because it sounded like I had a bad controller. I said I would. Friday morning I got a private message from Darryl at Masterbuilt, asking for my full name and address so he could send me a new controller. I answered imeadately, and within 30 minutes I got another message saying he get one shipped that day.

Today it arrived! It took some struggling to get the old controller to pop out of the frame, but the new one practally fell into place. A quick test showed it work g much better. I'll know more tomorrow as I'm smoking two large butts. I'll let y'all know how it goes!

Thanks Darryl!
 

I anxiously await your findings as my shelf temperature runs 15* and sometimes 20* less than what the controller says.

 

[daricksta]

 
Watched a couple reruns the other week--Happy Days, Combat, and guess what Program is the first ever date I ever saw Leno????

Give up??-------Laverne & Shirley----Leno was Laverne's Date.  Goofy program, but I had to see where Leno got his start---At least I think that was his start.

Bear

I never watched a lot of Laverne & Shirley. Somewhere along the line I found out about him because by the time he voiced a small part in 1993's "We're Back" I knew who he was because he'd taken over The Tonight Show.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
I anxiously await your findings as my shelf temperature runs 15* and sometimes 20* less than what the controller says.

LOL---That could just be the difference in placement---Not the control.

Plus the owners manual says +/- 15°.

15° off is closer than my GE oven in my Kitchen.

That's a lot different than the problem Steve was having.

Bear

 

[brickguy221]

 
LOL---That could just be the difference in placement---Not the control.

Plus the owners manual says +/- 15°.

15° off is closer than my GE oven in my Kitchen.

That's a lot different than the problem Steve was having.

Bear

Gottcha ... Thanks Bear ... It looks like I need to go back and read the manual. When you get to be 78, ya miss a lot ya know... 

 

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Gottcha ... Thanks Bear ... It looks like I need to go back and read the manual. When you get to be 78, ya miss a lot ya know... 

 

No Biggy---I miss plenty at 66!!

Wanta have some fun---Stick a Maverick in your Kitchen Oven & see how close it is. No wind in the kitchen, and no vent to let excess smoke out. A little more insulation in the oven too.

The biggest thing is where you place the Maverick probe in your smoker.

So far my new one is about 15° different at 230°, and much closer at 200°. Nothing wrong with that---I just adjust the MES to get the Mavericks to read what I want. I love it !!

Bear

 

[floridasteve]

No Biggy---I miss plenty at 66!!

Wanta have some fun---Stick a Maverick in your Kitchen Oven & see how close it is. No wind in the kitchen, and no vent to let excess smoke out. A little more insulation in the oven too.

The biggest thing is where you place the Maverick probe in your smoker.

So far my new one is about 15° different at 230°, and much closer at 200°. Nothing wrong with that---I just adjust the MES to get the Mavericks to read what I want. I love it !!


Bear

Right now I'm cooking two butts, one on rack one and the other on rack two. On rack one I have two probes, one on each side of my butt. The left one averages 10 degrees lower than the right. So if I'm wanting to cook something at 230, should I place my Maveric probe on the left side and set the smoker to whatever setting it takes to make the Maveric probe react 230 + 5, or 235?

Or perhaps it not really all that critical?? Does 5 or 10 degrees really make all that much difference? I was all ready to order one of those $100 BT thermoters that have four probes and allows you to print out graphs so I could tell exactly what easy side of each rack was doing. But is that necessary? I'm beginning to feel like I'm spending all my energy pushing around tiny problems until I get them piled up into a mountain of worry, that really isn't necessary.

 

[Bearcarver]

Right now I'm cooking two butts, one on rack one and the other on rack two. On rack one I have two probes, one on each side of my butt. The left one averages 10 degrees lower than the right. So if I'm wanting to cook something at 230, should I place my Maveric probe on the left side and set the smoker to whatever setting it takes to make the Maveric probe react 230 + 5, or 235?

Or perhaps it not really all that critical?? Does 5 or 10 degrees really make all that much difference? I was all ready to order one of those $100 BT thermoters that have four probes and allows you to print out graphs so I could tell exactly what easy side of each rack was doing. But is that necessary? I'm beginning to feel like I'm spending all my energy pushing around tiny problems until I get them piled up into a mountain of worry, that really isn't necessary.

5 or 10 degrees doesn't mean diddly. You can adjust it, or not---It doesn't matter.  You could make an adjustment, and later in the Smoke it'll change the other way around.

The main reason I get mine as close as possible is because I make all those Step by Steps, and when I tell people my Smoker was at 230°, i don't want it to mean it was set at 230°, but the actual temp was 220° or 240°.

That 30° off you were before, with your old controller was just too much, especially when it limited you to a 245° Max.

Sounds like your new controller works much better.

Bear

 

[floridasteve]

I was hoping you'd say that! :biggrin: The new controller is working great! SO much better that before. It really is a set and forget cooker now. It wasn't before.

I did have a problem today with too much smoke -- for the first time. I used a different manufacturer's product and they really took off. Might be something for those having problem to try. Will report on that in a thread in the appropriate place.

 

[daricksta]

Right now I'm cooking two butts, one on rack one and the other on rack two. On rack one I have two probes, one on each side of my butt. The left one averages 10 degrees lower than the right. So if I'm wanting to cook something at 230, should I place my Maveric probe on the left side and set the smoker to whatever setting it takes to make the Maveric probe react 230 + 5, or 235?

Or perhaps it not really all that critical?? Does 5 or 10 degrees really make all that much difference? I was all ready to order one of those $100 BT thermoters that have four probes and allows you to print out graphs so I could tell exactly what easy side of each rack was doing. But is that necessary? I'm beginning to feel like I'm spending all my energy pushing around tiny problems until I get them piled up into a mountain of worry, that really isn't necessary.

The temp display on the Maverick depends on where the probes are placed in the MES: left side, right side, rack 1, rack 2, rack 3, toward the front or near the rear wall. I must have ADHD because in no way can I deal with that. With so many variables I just want to take out the Weber kettle grill and slap whatever I was going to smoke over hot charcoal.

So, what I've done is to designate where I clip the probes inside my MES 30. I typically use rack #2 when smoking one hunk o' meat. The BARBECUE probe is always clipped on the left side of rack #2 near where the side and rear walls meet. I do that because the left side typically doesn't get as hot as the right side (with some exceptions) so I want to make sure the left side is at least at or around the set point instead of being too far below it after I adjust the overall controller temp. The FOOD probe goes inside the hunk o' meat, of course from the right side. 

When smoking 2 racks of pork ribs, I clip the BARBECUE probe again to the left side of rack #2 and the FOOD probe to the right side of rack #3 because I like to observe the temp differences between the two MES racks and sides. and adjust the controller so that the (cooler) left side is at or slightly below the set point while the right side is typically dead on.

Since both probes have been calibrated and by clipping them to the same spots I've now been able to get temp readings that are consistently a certain number of degrees separated from the readings on the MES controller screen. In fact, I just use the temp display on the controller screen as a point of reference. Anyway, this is my system and it works for me. My personal mountains of worry reside in other regions of my life.

 

[brickguy221]

 
 With so many variables I just want to take out the Weber kettle grill and slap whatever I was going to smoke over hot charcoal.

Rick, this reminded me how I once did Tri-Tips on my Weber Kettle 8 years or so ago, taught to me by my Son in Cal. who had a Weber Kettle.

I would fill the Weber Chimney with Charcoal, light it, and then dump into the Weber Kettle when ready. Next, I would put the Tri-Tip (s) on with the fattest side down and shut the lid with vents wide open for about 5 minutes and let it burn some of the fat off. Next, I would flip the Tri-Tip over, shut the lid again, close all vents,  and go off and forget it for another 40-50 minutes, then come back and take lid off and Tri-Tip would be done. 40 minutes back for small Tri-Tip and 50 minutes back for larger Tri-Tip. 

Shortly after that, I bought a Hasty Bake Grill and a Weber Wireless Probe and started using it on the Tri-Tips, but still used the same fat side down first method that I used on the Weber Kettle.

 

[floridasteve]

Originally Posted by daRicksta  


<snip>


So, what I've done is to designate where I clip the probes inside my MES 30.


<snip>

That's basically how I cook.  On this smoke I went the extra step of placing the two food probed on each side of Rack 1 just to get a better idea of who the new Controller was working.  After four hours I stuck them into the two butts.

 

[daricksta]

 
That's basically how I cook.  One this smoke I went the extra step of placing the two food probed on each side of Rack 1 just to get a better idea of who the new Controller was working.  After four hours I stuck them into the two butts.

Great idea. I think I might just buy a 2nd ET-733. I'd like the flexibility of having 4 probes for some smokes. I just watched part of a video where the guy was smoking a 7 lb. boneless USDA Prime ribeye roast in his Kamado Joe grill. He had something other than a Maverick but he place a probe at both ends of the roast. I think that's a good idea. Having 4 probes would enable me to insert them either in one big roast or in 2 briskets and still be able to clip them to 2 separate racks.  

 

[daricksta]

 
Rick, this reminded me how I once did Tri-Tips on my Weber Kettle 8 years or so ago, taught to me by my Son in Cal. who had a Weber Kettle.

I would fill the Weber Chimney with Charcoal, light it, and then dump into the Weber Kettle when ready. Next, I would put the Tri-Tip (s) on with the fattest side down and shut the lid with vents wide open for about 5 minutes and let it burn some of the fat off. Next, I would flip the Tri-Tip over, shut the lid again and go off and forget it for another 40-50 minutes, then come back and take lid off and Tri-Tip would be done. 40 minutes back for small Tri-Tip and 50 minutes back for larger Tri-Tip. 

Shortly after that, I bought a Hasty Bake Grill and a Weber Wireless Probe and started using it on the Tri-Tips, but still used the same fat side down first method that I used on the Weber Kettle.

Grilling a Tri-Tip on my Weber kettle grill is my favorite way to cook it. I used to grill Tri-Tip steaks a lot. How large a roast do you usually grill? Do you cook it over direct heat or do you use zones? I smoked one in my MES 30 using mesquite pellets and it was delicious.

 

[brickguy221]

 
Grilling a Tri-Tip on my Weber kettle grill is my favorite way to cook it. I used to grill Tri-Tip steaks a lot. How large a roast do you usually grill? Do you cook it over direct heat or do you use zones? I smoked one in my MES 30 using mesquite pellets and it was delicious.

When I used a Weber Kettle, I cooked it over direct heat. Ditto when I did it on my Hasty Bake Grill. However, I have done all of them in my Smoker for the past 2 1/2 years. I gave my Weber Kettle to my next to oldest Son 8 years or so ago when I bought the Hasty Bake Grill. I recently sold the Hasty Bake Grill and gave my old 40" Gen 2.0 MES to one of my Grand Daughters and her husband, so all I have left at the moment is my new 40" BT.... However, I am planning to buy another 22 1/2" Weber Kettle for Hamburgers and such things.

Rick, I re-read my post about doing the Tri-Tips on the Weber and I left out part of what I did. It should have read ... "  I would put the Tri-Tip (s) on with the fattest side down and shut the lid with vents wide open for about 5 minutes and let it burn some of the fat off. Next, I would flip the Tri-Tip over, shut the lid again, close all vents,  and go off and forget it for another 40-50 minutes," ... as you will note, I left out the.... "close all vents".... in my original post.

 

[Bearcarver]

Moving back to the subject of Masterbuilt:

I did some more testing on my MES 40 Gen #2.5, and it performed Beautifully.

Here it is in Action:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/236101/double-smoked-ham-bear-style

Bear

 

[brickguy221]

 
Moving back to the subject of Masterbuilt:

I did some more testing on my MES 40 Gen #2.5, and it performed Beautifully.

Here it is in Action:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/236101/double-smoked-ham-bear-style

Bear

Thanks for posting Bear. Those are really great pictures as well as delicious pictures. I am going to have to try placing my Maze on the bottom rack like you did. I note you had your ham in a pan, so there was no danger of drippings getting on the Maze. On meats placed on the rack with no protection for the Maze from drips since it would be above the water pan, I would have to figure a way to protect it though. A couple of questions ...

1. I assume you smoked with the Chip loader fully in place....?

2. Where did you get the rack you have inside the pan for the ham to sit on.

I definitely need to do a ham and follow your instructions as you make it easy to understand and follow.

 

[brickguy221]

I missed this post .... 

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/236101/double-smoked-ham-bear-style

Where was it located as I still don't see it with out clicking on this link........

 

[smokingearl]

I missed this post .... 

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/236101/double-smoked-ham-bear-style

Where was it located as I still don't see it with out clicking on this link........

It's under pork
"Double smoked ham (bear style)"

 

[daricksta]

 
When I used a Weber Kettle, I cooked it over direct heat. Ditto when I did it on my Hasty Bake Grill. However, I have done all of them in my Smoker for the past 2 1/2 years. I gave my Weber Kettle to my next to oldest Son 8 years or so ago when I bought the Hasty Bake Grill. I recently sold the Hasty Bake Grill and gave my old 40" Gen 2.0 MES to one of my Grand Daughters and her husband, so all I have left at the moment is my new 40" BT.... However, I am planning to buy another 22 1/2" Weber Kettle for Hamburgers and such things.

Rick, I re-read my post about doing the Tri-Tips on the Weber and I left out part of what I did. It should have read ... "  I would put the Tri-Tip (s) on with the fattest side down and shut the lid with vents wide open for about 5 minutes and let it burn some of the fat off. Next, I would flip the Tri-Tip over, shut the lid again, close all vents,  and go off and forget it for another 40-50 minutes," ... as you will note, I left out the.... "close all vents".... in my original post.

Jim, I thought some info was missing. So, you cook it over direct heat and allow the closed vents to slowly kill the coals so the meat doesn't overcook? I've never cooked anything on my Weber where I closed all the vents. I only close them after I'm done when I want to snuff out the charcoal.

 

[brickguy221]

 
Jim, I thought some info was missing. So, you cook it over direct heat and allow the closed vents to slowly kill the coals so the meat doesn't overcook? I've never cooked anything on my Weber where I closed all the vents. I only close them after I'm done when I want to snuff out the charcoal.

Rick, that is how we did it back then on the Weber Kettle. Haven't tried it that way for 8+ years though. Without a wireless probe, you had to do a first one to see how long to leave it in after the first 5 minutes or so. A 2 to 2 1/2 lb one would be 40-45 minutes. A 3 to 3 1/2 lb one would be 50-55 minutes. However with a wireless probe, you can just watch your Maverick to see when to take it out. When I buy another Weber 22 1/2 inch Kettle, I might try that method again and see what happens.