So a lot of you know I scored a floor model MB560 from HD for $300.00.
I thank the smoking gods that i did not have to put it together, and hoped who ever did, did it correctly. Being a stroke victim I would happily pay a qualified assembler to weed thru the picture graphics to assemble it. So, Plugged it in and turned it on. NO FAN.... read about how the safety switches were an issue. my ash box safety switch would not fully depress with the assembled door closed and latched.
Fan worked fine when i depressed the switch with my thumb. so, my new 560 has NASCAR tape on the lower corner of the door to fully depress the switch. I can see, down the road, that I may bypass/ said switch. I put about a 1/2 bag of walmart lump in and lit a starter in the appropriate area. Let it burn and then shut her up. Fan worked as expected and temp started climbing. For those not familiar with the unit there is a place on the control box to attach a meat probe to monitor meat temp. (4 inputs) They give you one. I attached the one and put grid level like I would with my inkbird with my offset stick burner to monitor grid temp. about 10 minutes later got an ALARM.... Error 5 on readout. Got the book out and it said error 5 was for when the aux temp probes exceeds 300 degrees. So, you cannot use said probe to monitor grid level temps. not THAT big of a thing as i would normally use my inkbird if i wanted to check grid level temps like on my stick burner.. Just something to keep in mind. I know if used as a MEAT probe you'll never hit 300 but it is what it is. Gave it an hour set on 400 degrees to cook off the chinese gunk inside. Shut it down and slid in the air intake sliders to snuff the coals. So, it worked. I hope it works that well 250 because i got a slab of st louis to do on it tomorrow. still a little concern on where to introduce wood for smoke. u-tube says put them in the charcoal chute, or put in ash box. I can see the ash
box working on a 3+ hour cook, but maybe not enough smoke on a quicky bacon/belly cook.
that's all for now. so so wordy.
Will be measuring fuel efficiency with lump, to get an idea on what it will take to do a 12 hour brisket, or 8 hour butt.
Ribs tomorrow.
I thank the smoking gods that i did not have to put it together, and hoped who ever did, did it correctly. Being a stroke victim I would happily pay a qualified assembler to weed thru the picture graphics to assemble it. So, Plugged it in and turned it on. NO FAN.... read about how the safety switches were an issue. my ash box safety switch would not fully depress with the assembled door closed and latched.
Fan worked fine when i depressed the switch with my thumb. so, my new 560 has NASCAR tape on the lower corner of the door to fully depress the switch. I can see, down the road, that I may bypass/ said switch. I put about a 1/2 bag of walmart lump in and lit a starter in the appropriate area. Let it burn and then shut her up. Fan worked as expected and temp started climbing. For those not familiar with the unit there is a place on the control box to attach a meat probe to monitor meat temp. (4 inputs) They give you one. I attached the one and put grid level like I would with my inkbird with my offset stick burner to monitor grid temp. about 10 minutes later got an ALARM.... Error 5 on readout. Got the book out and it said error 5 was for when the aux temp probes exceeds 300 degrees. So, you cannot use said probe to monitor grid level temps. not THAT big of a thing as i would normally use my inkbird if i wanted to check grid level temps like on my stick burner.. Just something to keep in mind. I know if used as a MEAT probe you'll never hit 300 but it is what it is. Gave it an hour set on 400 degrees to cook off the chinese gunk inside. Shut it down and slid in the air intake sliders to snuff the coals. So, it worked. I hope it works that well 250 because i got a slab of st louis to do on it tomorrow. still a little concern on where to introduce wood for smoke. u-tube says put them in the charcoal chute, or put in ash box. I can see the ash
box working on a 3+ hour cook, but maybe not enough smoke on a quicky bacon/belly cook.
that's all for now. so so wordy.
Will be measuring fuel efficiency with lump, to get an idea on what it will take to do a 12 hour brisket, or 8 hour butt.
Ribs tomorrow.
