# Just ordered a smoker -UPDATE



## lovedr79 (Jul 10, 2017)

Well my birthday is coming up soon. so i went ahead and bought myself an electric smoker. the same one my buddy has had for years, masterbuilt 30" electric. who has any tips or tricks or anything i should know before firing this thing up this weekend, assuming it arrives in time for me to season it. Thanks!


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## Johnny (Jul 10, 2017)

if you bought it new, it will include an instruction book and maybe a recipe book too.

I would suggest burning the smoking material (wood chips) in the smoker for at least 6-8 hours
before you actually put food in it to smoke.
this will help season it as well as get all the manufacturing junk smell out of it.

*HAPPY SMOKIN' !!!*


oh - you will need TWO smokers - - - one for fish, one for meat.
(never smoke mullet in your cooker unless that is all you will ever use it for in the future).

*Safety Tip:* after cooking, leave the door open for a few hours to evacuate all the moisture.
this is especially important if you don't plan to use it for awhile.
Why you ask ?? if closed up tight with moisture trapped inside, you are creating an environment
for all kinds of mold and bacteria to grow which not only looks disgusting, but could
lead to health issues down the road.

and those "nay-sayers" that always say don't use wet wood chips to create your smoke.
they spoil the party for everyone !! (just pay them no mind). if wet chips are good enough
for Emeril Lagasse and Alton Brown, they are good enough for me !!
yeah yeah yeah, I know - - - "Experts suggest that you place dry chips in a foil packet 
and then poke holes in it to release the smoke. This method not only prevents the chips 
from catching fire, but it also improves the quality of the smoke". YOUR grill = YOUR call !!





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## lovedr79 (Jul 10, 2017)

Thank you! It is indeed new. I will definitely be using wet chips. I have helped my buddy smoke stuff over the years, he uses wet chips. Seems to work good. Leaving the door open is a great idea. I downloaded the manual this morning to see what the seasoning procedure is, should be simple enough. I am itching to toss a deer roast in this weekend if it gets here before Friday.


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## Johnny (Jul 10, 2017)

I have also soaked the wood chips in beer, white wine and apple juice (separately).
but, honestly, I could not tell the difference in the taste of the meat.
but - the smoke smelled AWESOME !!!

Wrap the deer roast in bacon so it won't dry out. (cheap thin sliced - hickory smoked)
(avoid that maple flavored bacon with wild game) . . . or else you will be very disappointed
at the dry crispy final product. and keep the drip pan filled with liquid: water, fruit juice, Jack Daniels, etc.
research YouTube on smoking venison.

jus my Dos Centavos

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## lovedr79 (Jul 10, 2017)

Thanks Johnny!


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## FormerParatrooper (Jul 10, 2017)

I have never used an electric smoker, does it taste the same as using charcoal and hardwood?


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## Johnny (Jul 10, 2017)

in my very personal opinion - it is not the type of fuel used - it is the skill of the chef.
proper temperature, correct fuel to heat ratio, correct air inflow and outflow.
and yes, it _IS_ a science !!!


_and: if you are a lookin - it ain't a cookin !!_

(that means - keep the door closed).

Edit: forgot to mention. a good probe thermometer is essential to turning out a good product
as well as keeping everyone safe from eating undercooked meat. especially pork, chicken and wild game.
it doesn't have to be fancy or expensive. just so you know the correct internal temperature for that meat.






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## lovedr79 (Jul 11, 2017)

from what i can tell they taste the same. new meat thermometer is already on the shopping list. cant wait to start smoking. my neighbors will be jealous. LOL!


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## ppine (Jul 11, 2017)

I like using a smoker especially for fish. Brining over night is the first step with salt and sugar. You can invent all sorts of stuff to add in the brine. It is important to let the fish rest after it comes out of brine for about an hour. Dry it off. This helps a lot. I like the Big Chief electric smoker because it is does have to be tended and stays at the right temperature (low temperature). I lot of people cook fish with smoke on a Bar BQ but that is a different process. A couple of pan fulls of wood chips works fine. You do not need smoke that whole time. For fish I really like red alder. All the fruit woods are good for nearly everything. Apple, cherry, pear, etc. I use some from out of my yard.


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## Jim (Jul 11, 2017)

oh man, cant wait to see some pics!


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## lovedr79 (Jul 11, 2017)

Jim said:


> oh man, cant wait to see some pics!



Me either! LOL!


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## FormerParatrooper (Jul 11, 2017)

Johnny said:


> in my very personal opinion - it is not the type of fuel used - it is the skill of the chef.
> proper temperature, correct fuel to heat ratio, correct air inflow and outflow.
> and yes, it _IS_ a science !!!
> 
> ...



I think I am going to have too check out an electric smoker as well. I was taught the art and science from my Grandfather who could literally take any critter and turn it into gourmet. My only fear is that electrics seem to be set the heat and wait, no tending and feeding which is an excuse to have a beer a two and staying outside away from the honeydo list.


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## stinkfoot (Jul 11, 2017)

FormerParatrooper said:


> I think I am going to have too check out an electric smoker as well. I was taught the art and science from my Grandfather who could literally take any critter and turn it into gourmet. My only fear is that electrics seem to be set the heat and wait, no tending and feeding which is an excuse to have a beer a two and staying outside away from the honeydo list.



She who must be obeyed does not 'need to know' that you don't have to be out there tending it.


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## Johnny (Jul 11, 2017)

for you guys in the Gallery that like smoked things,
here is one of my favorites that I always have on hand.

I love hickory smoke flavored sea salt as a garnish on just about everything.
garden salad, pizza, potato salad, blackeyed peas, green beans, broiled fish, everything.
use as a _garnish_ only - it adds zero smoke flavor to cooking as it dissipates so quickly.
first - find a suitable ornamental glass jar with an airtight lid. (the more ornate - the better).
fill it with Morton's Kosher coarse salt. get your smoker going with NO WATER in the drip pan.
it must be a totally dry smoke environment. place aluminum foil on the rack and pour the salt
onto it and spread thin. while stirring often, smoke it until the salt turns a dark leather tan color.
remove and let cool - place the salt in your pretty jar and keep it on the table for a quick garnish
of rich, crunchy, smokey goodness !!! it only takes a pinch so don't worry about your blood pressure. 
I get the small 8oz glass jars at the Goodwill or Salvation Army stores for about 50 cents each and
do the _Martha Stewart_ thing and give them as a gift to the less fortunates that don't have a smoker.
enjoy !!!





,


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## lovedr79 (Jul 12, 2017)

i like the idea of making smoked salt.


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## Johnny (Jul 18, 2017)

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*Got Smoke yet ??*




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## lovedr79 (Jul 20, 2017)

Not yet. I seasoned it last friday. I have been at the beach since last Saturday. When I get back home I will fire it up.


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## lovedr79 (Jul 24, 2017)

Ribs are in the smoka.


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## lovedr79 (Jul 24, 2017)

Smoked squash and zuchinni last night


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## lovedr79 (Jul 24, 2017)

lovedr79 said:


> Well my birthday is coming up soon. so i went ahead and bought myself an electric smoker. the same one my buddy has had for years, masterbuilt 30" electric. who has any tips or tricks or anything i should know before firing this thing up this weekend, assuming it arrives in time for me to season it. Thanks!


We HAVE SMOKE. I left two chunks plain for my girlfriend. I used Rudy's rub on one chunk and Dave's rub in the other. Tastes very good.


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## lovedr79 (Jul 24, 2017)

Here you go


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## Johnny (Jul 24, 2017)

I looked at yours at Home Depot last week and see that it has its own temperature probe.
for the price, I think it is just the right size for a small family or single person.
my last smoker/cooker was a 275 gallon oil drum converted to a mobile catering rig.
40 chickens, 12 slabs of ribs or a whole 96 pound HOG was the normal cookout for me LOL.
sold the cooker and all the equipment that went with it and now I'm really (I mean _REALLY_)
craving something smoked and dripping with sweet goodness !!!

congrats and Bon Appetit !!



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## lovedr79 (Jul 24, 2017)

Thanks Johnny! I love the digital temp and timer. Came out fantastic. Next I think will be a deer roast.


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## redbug (Aug 10, 2017)

you need to try a prime rib


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## lovedr79 (Aug 14, 2017)

i did a london broil last night. cooked it a little too long but it still tasted great!


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## Johnny (Aug 14, 2017)

woooo hoooo !!

did you use the probe thermometer ? one of the good points of it is to prevent overcooking.
once the internal temp is reached for the degree of doneness desired, it is DONE !!
bring the meat to room temperature prior to cooking - - - you will have more accurate probe numbers.






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## redbug (Aug 15, 2017)

I stopped cooking by time it is strictly temp for me I pull the prime rib at 132 double wrap it in foil for 15 mins
and omg cut with a fork tender and med rare


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## lovedr79 (Sep 4, 2017)

Johnny, thank you for the temp color guide. I used it today while cooking a deer roast. 2.5# @216 for 5 hours. I was shooting for 250 pull temp. Pulled at 260. Tastes great and tender. I will laminate your temp guide tomorrow at work.


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## Jim (Sep 12, 2017)

awesome! Love this post! :LOL2:


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## lovedr79 (Sep 12, 2017)

Jim said:


> awesome! Love this post! :LOL2:



i love the food it makes. made another drunken chicken last night. my grill is starting to get jealous. i have only used it twice since i got the smoker.


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## handyandy (Nov 14, 2017)

everyone will give me crap, but my smoker is the old stove out of my kitchen. I replaced it as it looked rough probably 20 years old at least, two burners on top you either got stone cold or red hot. So it was just sitting with my to be scrapped stuff behind the shop, until one day I was looking at smokers in home depot or somewhere. When I got to looking at them I thought these are just 110v ovens, with a wood/water tray right over the heating element to get the chips smoking. I thought you know what I have an old over already, wonder if it still works. Well went home wired a cord on it plugged it into the shop to see if it still worked after sitting out a few months, sure enough oven came up to temp just fine. I found an old stainless pan at goodwill that sat on top of the oven heating element just right. I took it home threw some chips in it turned the oven on 220, had to leave the door cracked just slightly to make the heating element come on enough to smoke the chips. It may look redneck, but you know what it works great and holds temp even in the coldest conditions. I smoked a turkey around Christmas when the high only got to 25, something I know guys I work with who have little electric ones have had problems with. As from what I've heard they have a hard time holding temp in cold weather. Anyways that old oven is great smoker even has two burners on top for simmering my home made bbq sauce when I have a pork butt, or ribs in it. Although the fiance is now pressuring me to get rid of it for a real smoker, since we have been living together the past few months she doesn't care for the looks of it. I can't blame her I'll admit it does just look like an old stove sitting under the awning in front of my shop :LOL2: Rack full of chicken quarters and paddlefish


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## Johnny (Nov 14, 2017)

good job Andy !!

please don't feel bad using any kind of box for a smoker.
my father took a new metal trash can and cut a hole in the bottom
big enough for the electric cord and put a hot plate in the bottom
with wood chips and made a grate and smoked all kinds of stuff in it !!!!
(and now you can actually get directions on the ole innerweb: https://cruftbox.com/cruft/docs/elecsmoker.html)
After I left home, I carried on the trash can tradition for years until
I finally found an aluminum warming box that a resteraunt threw away
complete with shelves !! made a small propane burner in the bottom
and it worked for years until I moved and gave it away.
so you can make a smoker out of just about anything that will hold smoke.

remember - *to "cook" in a smoker, pull the meat out at the correct "internal probe"
temperature; not the temperature of the box.*



*of course if you want the "suggested" cooking temperatures,
you can go directly to the USDA website and make your own decisions.*
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/safe-minimum-internal-temperature-chart/ct_index


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## .Mike (Nov 14, 2017)

handyandy said:


> everyone will give me crap, but my smoker is the old stove out of my kitchen.


Seems like a fine smoker to me. Down here in coastal south Georgia, I've seen people repurpose old refrigerators as smokers, as well as stoves.

I have a decent offset smoker that I use to smoke mostly pork shoulder/butt, and ribs. I really enjoy it, but it is hard to justify the time and effort when there are at least a dozen excellent barbecue places within a few miles of here. I pass by this place [link] every morning on my way downtown. They always have all three of their smokers going, with the smoke wafting across the road. It smells soooooo good.


Also, it is worth noting that the temperatures in the graphic above are pretty far off of what most people consider the proper temperatures for cooking meat. Rare at 140 is ridiculous, and their target of 155 is not medium, it is well. Rare is in the 120-130 range. Look up the old numbers.


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## handyandy (Nov 14, 2017)

Johnny said:


> good job Andy !!
> 
> please don't feel bad using any kind of box for a smoker.
> my father took a new metal trash can and cut a hole in the bottom
> ...



Well I might finally get a commercially made smoker as the women isn't too found of having the old stove smoker sitting on the back deck of the house we are living in together now. It's still sitting at my old house under the awning in front of my old shop. Might have to make an awning behind the new shop building to hide it out of her view. But she still wants to have a smoker as she has enjoyed some meals out of the ole smokey stove, so it's an excuse to get a new toy for me. I've been thinking about one of those masterbuilt ones like the op got affordable they seem to work well what more can you ask for.


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## handyandy (Nov 14, 2017)

I might use that hot plate idea to make a smoke box to attache to the side for cold smoking.


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## .Mike (Nov 14, 2017)

handyandy said:


> I might use that hot plate idea to make a smoke box to attache to the side for cold smoking.


Be prepared to rewire the hotplate. Modern hotplates contain a thermistor in the control circuit that turns them off when they get too hot.

One of my previous (temporary) smokers was based on a hot plate. Every time it got hot enough to generate smoke, the hot plate turned off. I bypassed the thermistor, and the whole thing melted down.


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## handyandy (Nov 15, 2017)

huh, good to know I have couple old block heaters for diesel engines that just plug in and get red hot might use those instead rigged on a timer to cycle them.


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## lovedr79 (Nov 20, 2017)

Ace hardware and wal Mart have the masterbuilt on sale this week.


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## Johnny (Nov 20, 2017)

.


*THANKS MAN !!!*


my antique Bradley smoker died last year and have been looking for another one.
I just ordered the *Masterbuilt 30" Electric Smokehouse* smoker
from Wal-Mart and it will be delivered (free) Wednesday...... (over 700 positive reviews).
I have smoked many a turkey but this year the turkey will go in the oven
and after the smoker is fully broken in and all smoked up, I will try a brisket and see how that goes.
I really, _REALLY_ miss my smoked meats !!!

I have learned one thing over the years - - - - if you ever smoke MULLET in your smoker,
you will never get that smell out..... and everything after that will have that lingering mullet taste.
other fish such as salmon, snapper, bass, etc are fine to do. but mullet is a big no-no.


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## Johnny (Nov 20, 2017)

Andy - I have some friends that do "cold smoking" and what they did
was build wood boxes the size of an outhouse out of oak lumber with room to hang big pieces
of meat and wire racks for smaller items. pretty nifty setup.
used oak lumber can usually be found just about anywhere these days. (or cedar or other wood of your choice).
no need to purchase new wood from the Big Box Stores at a hefty price.
if you google "wood smokehouse" you will find hundreds of excellent examples and great ideas.
https://www.pinterest.com/explore/smokehouse/?lp=true
and then you can get rid of your old stove LOL.



I guess it goes without saying as to DO NOT put a GAS heat source inside the wooden box ???
I see many on the innerweb that do just that - and to me - that is just asking for trouble.




.


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## .Mike (Nov 20, 2017)

handyandy said:


> huh, good to know I have couple old block heaters for diesel engines that just plug in and get red hot might use those instead rigged on a timer to cycle them.


Exactly how handy are you, Andy? Heh! I made this temperature controlled outlet that I used to use for my smoker. I currently use it to make stock (2016 Thanksgiving shown), for sous vide, and to turn the lights on to keep my lime tree warm on the rare occasion that the temperature drops into the low-30s.




It's one of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005T5EGC4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-All-Purpose-Temperature-Controller-Fahrenheit/dp/B00OXPE8U6/ref=sr_1_2?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1511199703&sr=8-2&keywords=digital+temperature+controller&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011 (mine is a different brand, but they're all the same)

And then all you need is a standard outlet socket (scavenged mine from a battery backup), some flexible house wiring and wire nuts (Home Depot), and an IEC jack and cord (scavenged from an old computer power supply). The whole thing is wired up with wire nuts, so no soldering. Replacement sensors are $4.50 for 5 on Ebay [link].

It's a handy little device to have. Set your temperature, and stick the probe somewhere. When the probe goes below the set temperature, power is applied to the outlet. It made it very easy to cycle the hotplate to keep the right temperature. It is also very easy to read from a distance, and in the dark.


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## lovedr79 (Nov 21, 2017)

Doing a butt in the smoker now. 5lbs of jwrkyin yhe dehydrator


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## handyandy (Nov 21, 2017)

That is awesome on the temp controlled outlet that's some high class redneck engineering. I might have to make one I will probably solder the connections doesn't really bother me soldering. I always hate household wiring wire nutting everything then trying to jam the stiff solid wiring into a little junction box. I only mention that as I have been doing a lot of wiring in a new to me garage lately. It's almost done then before I know it the attached garaged will be done and I will get to wire it as well can't wait :roll: The butt and jerky looks good nice work


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