my masterbuilt 2nd gen 40 in smoker

[smitty091101]

I have a problem with the smoke turning bitter after I smoke the meat..am I doing something wrong by using to much smoke or to little smoke or not letting it cross the meat fast enough any ideas or help would be appreciated!

 

[old sarge]

smitty,

The only thing wrong is that it is a Gen 2 smoker,  They are rather notorious (see all the MES posts). A Gen 1 is less problematic.  Regarding smoke for the Masterbuilt, it seems most folks buy an ANMPS or some such thing for burning chips and or sawdust in order to get the proper smoke consistency. Some also add additional holes to the smoker, a smoke stack, or use what is called a mailbox mod. All to get the smoker to do what it was supposed to do in the first place. At the top of this page, under Sponsors, look for amaz-n-products.  The fellow who owns this developed an accessory that will help you salvage your smoker investment.  And no, it is not free. But it works.

An alternative is to buy a different smoker such as a  Masterbuilt Gen 1, or a Smokin-it or Cookshack.  n the last two, check out their website and their forums.  It is all on line ordering, so there is no way to look at them in a store. And no temptation for a quick purchase because it is within arms reach.

Back to the MES. There are hundreds of pages with the MES being the subject.  And there are fixes. Hopefully some folks with the MES will pop up and help you out.  As for me, I have a Cookshack and have never had a problem with smoke except once when I had 3/4 lb of wood in the box.  An early mistake.  I now use a 3 ounce or 2 ounce chunk at the beginning and get great food. I also do not use any big box store wood.  

Good luck to you.

Dave

 

[addertooth]

I have the windowless MES 40, Gen II.  I use the mailbox mod to provide constant smoke of the right type.  No more refilling the chipfeeder and guessing how much is right for a proper smoke.

 

[geerock]

Sounds like you're making a common newbie mistake...you're laying on too much smoke. Keep it light and try using small chunks. Too little smoke is still ok and food is good to eat. You can adjust next time. Too much smoke is inedible and wasted food.