My First Electric Smoker - Masterbuilt 40" or Cookshack Clone?

[scott am]

I picked up a new Amerique for Christmas and so far not too impressed . setting temperature at 275 for seasoning had temperature swings from 235 to 286. Getting alot of smoke through the right and left upper door. Looks like the welds there are not smooth. 

When I ordered they didn't have any in their warehouse so not sure if this was a rush job, previously returned unit  or whatnot. In any case I am not planning on smoking anything in it , calling them Monday and likely sending it back and going with another brand. Likely the smokin tex. 

Should have gone with a clone to begin with. 

 

[scott am]

  The first time I seasoned it I did it empty and didn't notice the temperature problems until a could hours into the seasoning, I let it finish.

 I actually considered the load issue and ran it again with a pot of water in there , l did notice that it held  very close to the 275 for about 45 minutes then it started its temp drops to the 240's.  

 I could potentially deal with the smoke issue with some rtv if it doesn't fix itself but there is no excuse for an electric smoker to be under temperature by 40 degrees .  I'll talk to the people at cookshack on Monday.  If they want to send me out replacement parts I'll give it a shot. Otherwise I'll take the shipping hit and dump it while I can.

 

[old sarge]

Instead of water, I would substitute a pan of moist sand. A loaf pan should do. My Amerique is stable.  I did check it against a Williams-Sonoma (Maverick) last year out of shear boredom after reading about the significant differences with the maverick and other smokers and there were some differences.  I attached the remote probe adjacent to the sensor in the Amerique. However, I was getting great food so I put the Maverick away and ceased my worries. On my first butt, when it was at 195 degrees internal, I checked it with a thermapen and was within 1 or 2 degrees of what the on board system read. And I probed it in a couple of areas.  Overall, very satisfied.   Something else to consider is the way the Amerique and the Maverick (or any sensor) processes the temperature.  Is it taking a reading or several and processing an average through a built in algorithm? 

Smoke leakage:  it will eventually seal up. Maybe not 100% but it will diminish over time. Whether it exits the vent or at a corner or top of the door, it has to go somewhere. An inexpensive set of brass gauges should show you the gap and if you feel the need, some 3M high temp stainless steel tape cut to size will lessen or eliminate the gap.

I tell a lot of people two things: 1- nothing made by man will be 100% perfect and 2- if the food is good and on time, results trump all else.

The folks at CS will be able to help, and some of the forum members may have some thoughts on this issue.

Good luck.

 

[cool mo d]

How do I tell a Gen1 MES from a 2?

 

[geerock]

Gen 1 has controller in thr back top and top vent. Gen 2 has front controller and left side vent. There are other differences but you can tell from this.
Now.... the next generation of mes is just coming into stores now and it looks like a pretty nice unit. Bass Pro has them and others will after the first of the year.

 

[daricksta]

I wouldn't a brand new smoker leaking smoke, but I saw a show where the guy who sells his smoked meats professionally was standing by a huge homemade cabinet-type smoker and smoke was leaking out from all around the doors. That showed that he didn't care. But then, smoke leaking out from the doors of a huge smoker is vastly different from it leaking out from a much smaller CS or a MES.

 

[scott am]

Called CS today and the nice lady who answered placed me on support hold. On hold for an hour before I hung up and called back .  They expedited me this time and I talked to bill. They are sending me out a new controller .. 

 

[mr t 59874]

Smoke leakage:  it will eventually seal up. Maybe not 100% but it will diminish over time. Whether it exits the vent or at a corner or top of the door, it has to go somewhere. An inexpensive set of brass gauges should show you the gap and if you feel the need, some 3M high temp stainless steel tape cut to size will lessen or eliminate the gap.

I tell a lot of people two things: 1- nothing made by man will be 100% perfect and 2- if the food is good and on time, results trump all else.

The folks at CS will be able to help, and some of the forum members may have some thoughts on this issue.

Good luck.

I agree with sarge,  I have two Cookshacks and they both leak a little smoke around the doors at times.  What the heck, they are smokers.  If there was not smoke escaping every place it possibly could on any smoker, I would be concerned of too much draft.

Tom

 

[old sarge]

Let's see if the controller solves the problem. I cannot recall seeing any more than a couple of controller problems here or at the CS forum.  And one was just a loose connector. 

 

[old sarge]

Good catch on the wiring.