Pellets in the Great White North

[mlk18]

I am overthinking smokers to the extreme, so even though I am not sold on pellets - I am not automatically ruling them out either. My biggest concern is the electronics. I live where 30 degrees means you put the coat and gloves away and throw on some shorts. I started my smoking life with a Masterbuilt electric, which did not survive the winter outdoors even though it was covered and under an awning (no space in the garage and no shed...yet). During the 3 or so months when I went from smoking to just grilling (aka the Polar Vortex) the computer component died. MB would not replace it so I purchased a new module. The internet told me the first was a fluke and to get back to smoking. Months later those -30's arrived again and once again the computer component died. MB was again as helpful as a teenage employee at Home Depot. At the exact same time a guy I know had the computer/electronics/whatever in a Charbroil electric smoker give up the ghost over the winter months sitting inside his garage. This caused a life experience that tells me that these components are as weak as a pre-election political promise. My point is can these things sit outside with a cover and survive the snowpocalypse? Will I have to remove the electronics every winter and storing them indoors? Can I easily remove the electronics to do just that? I am thinking something in the $750-1,000 range if that makes a difference.

 

[Choppper01]

I am overthinking smokers to the extreme, so even though I am not sold on pellets - I am not automatically ruling them out either. My biggest concern is the electronics. I live where 30 degrees means you put the coat and gloves away and throw on some shorts. I started my smoking life with a Masterbuilt electric, which did not survive the winter outdoors even though it was covered and under an awning (no space in the garage and no shed...yet). During the 3 or so months when I went from smoking to just grilling (aka the Polar Vortex) the computer component died. MB would not replace it so I purchased a new module. The internet told me the first was a fluke and to get back to smoking. Months later those -30's arrived again and once again the computer component died. MB was again as helpful as a teenage employee at Home Depot. At the exact same time a guy I know had the computer/electronics/whatever in a Charbroil electric smoker give up the ghost over the winter months sitting inside his garage. This caused a life experience that tells me that these components are as weak as a pre-election political promise. My point is can these things sit outside with a cover and survive the snowpocalypse? Will I have to remove the electronics every winter and storing them indoors? Can I easily remove the electronics to do just that? I am thinking something in the $750-1,000 range if that makes a difference.

I'm up in the great white north as well (just south of Lake Simcoe). I have the Pit Boss Rancher XL pellet smoker. I use it all winter with no concerns about the electronics. I know with this unit there is a 5 year warranty. They are very helpful when it comes to replacing components as well - should something go awry.
My electronic display was damaged when I had purchased it - unbeknownst to me at the time. They got me a new one right away, and I haven't looked back.

 

[tallbm]

I am overthinking smokers to the extreme, so even though I am not sold on pellets - I am not automatically ruling them out either. My biggest concern is the electronics. I live where 30 degrees means you put the coat and gloves away and throw on some shorts. I started my smoking life with a Masterbuilt electric, which did not survive the winter outdoors even though it was covered and under an awning (no space in the garage and no shed...yet). During the 3 or so months when I went from smoking to just grilling (aka the Polar Vortex) the computer component died. MB would not replace it so I purchased a new module. The internet told me the first was a fluke and to get back to smoking. Months later those -30's arrived again and once again the computer component died. MB was again as helpful as a teenage employee at Home Depot. At the exact same time a guy I know had the computer/electronics/whatever in a Charbroil electric smoker give up the ghost over the winter months sitting inside his garage. This caused a life experience that tells me that these components are as weak as a pre-election political promise. My point is can these things sit outside with a cover and survive the snowpocalypse? Will I have to remove the electronics every winter and storing them indoors? Can I easily remove the electronics to do just that? I am thinking something in the $750-1,000 range if that makes a difference.

Hi there and welcome!

You are correct about Masterbuilt components being crappy for sure.
I can't speak to any of the pellet grill but you see a real life example in your area so I would go with what you know.

Now do you still have your Masterbuilt electric smoker (MES)???

If so I have good news for you that should solve your issues IF you still have that MES with you.

1. For about $175 total you can upgrade your MES to have electrical spade connectors that should survive your temp issues and not corrode all to hell AND have a removable electronic controller that you just bring inside when you aren't using it to smoke thereby keeping all the electronics needed in your temp controlled home :)
   
   
2. This is accomplished by doing a simple rewire of your old MES where you cut the ends off 4 wires and then splice/wirenut to make 2 wires. This rewire bypasses all onboard electronics so the plug feeds power to the heating element. With replaced all weather spade connectors you have very little that will fail on you.
   
   
3. If you buy an Auber PID Controller ($150 list price) you would now simply plug the rewired MES into the Auber PID Controller, plug the controller into the wall, and put the controller temp probe inside the smoker. You punch in your desired set temp into the controller and now the controller feeds power from the outlet to the plug of your MES which was rewired to send power straight to the heating element!
   When the controller gets close to or hits the set temp (remember it has a thermometer u drop inside the MES) the controller will cut power on/off to hit and hold the set temp within 1-3 degrees!
   
   
4. You will now need to use use something like the A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker (AMNPS) tray or tube and wood pellets to generate smoke but all of us electric guys do that anyways since you can go 1-12 hours of perfect hassle free smoke with the AMNPS tray and up to 3 hours with the tube so it's a no brainer to do this. Plus a bag of pellets lasts foreverrrrrrrr.
   
   
5. When you are done you unplug the MES from the controller and bring the controller inside to never freeze up or have the weather tear it up. You will still want to cover your MES to protect from humidity and water so the element and other parts don't just straight rust but there will be no electronics outside to fail, only hard physical items like wiring, heating element, wire connectors, and the safety rollout limit switch (which you can wire around if need be).

This may sound like a lot but honestly it is pretty simple to where guys on here who have had zero electrical knowledge and a lot of apprehension have done it.
Everyone one of us that moves to a PID Controller of some type with our MES get's blown away about how our MES performs like 10X better and is almost bullet proof from that poitn on, so just ask around :)

I hope this info helps :)

 

[normanaj]

tallbm has you covered.

 

[mlk18]

Now do you still have your Masterbuilt electric smoker (MES)???

I do not. I gave it to my oldest boy who did just what you suggested and replaced the controller and did a few other mods. I am more of the just be mad and hate MB for the rest of my life sort of guys.

 

[retfr8flyr]

I have had my Traeger Timberline 1300 for several years now and it sits outside, under a Traeger cover, year round. I am in central VA, so it doesn't get as cold as your area but it still gets very cold at times. I have cooked on my 1300 when it was 3 degrees outside, as well as other times in cold temps and the electronics have never giving me any problems. I can just turn it on, fire it up and it just does it's job as intended. If you buy a quality grill you shouldn't have any problems with the electronics, as they can afford to use better parts in production.