Best electronic outdoor smoker for the money

[huntnfish]

The GFCI's in my garage will pop if I plug my compressor in while its turned on. If I have it off and plug it in and then turn it on it works fine. If there's an on/off switch on your smoker try plugging it in with it off and then turning it on.

[Hoffer]

Sorry I havent responded for awhile. Been gone.

First...last Sunday when I smoked it was like -20 outside at night and the smoker worked perfectly.

Thats the good part. The bad part...the ribs were TERRIBLE!!

1. The rub. Smelled great and looked great. However it was super overpowering. I made up a batch that was probably meant for 5 pounds or more of ribs but I only smoked 2 racks and put the whole rub on them.

2. They were tough. So, do you guys pre-cook yours? like "braise" them? Maybe that was the issue? I didnt pre-cook. But from what I read nobody said much about pre-cooking.

3. They were baby-back ribs and I read that they might not be the best for smoking.

4. The taste. i used mainly apple chips. Then at the end added apple and mesquite. Have you ever tasted meat grilled on a charcoal grill when someone used lighter fluid to start the coals? The taste was kind of like that. Almost like a lighter fluid type taste. very weird!

Could I have possibly added too many chips? I just kept adding some to the burner every hour or so....figured the more the better the smoke flavor.

So in summary I was left with ribs that were overpowered by the rub, were tough and tasted like lighter fluid.

Very strange.

The one positive...I loved the smoker. It worked like a charm and is nicely built. Very happy with that part of it.

[picksbigwagon]

Hoffer, i do the 3 -2 - 1 method. Smoke low for 3 hours, wrap in foil with apple jucie and worchestershire sauce, and put back in for 2 hours, raising the temp a bit, then I urwrap them, baste them in a thin sauce and then grill for an hour.

Had the meat pulled back from the ribs at all? That is usually my tell tail sign to wrap in foil and bump the heat....

[eyeguy 54]

you don't need much rub. I do the 2-2-1 on babybacks and 3-2-1 on st louis style ribs. maybe not hot enough if tough. first time I did rbs they were tough cuz I did not go at 225. lottsa good tips online. just google 3 2 1 method for ribs. did you take the membrane off? google that also. Or bring a couple racks over here and some beer. good luck dude and don't be bummed.

[vister]

you don't need much rub. I do the 2-2-1 on babybacks and 3-2-1 on st louis style ribs. maybe not hot enough if tough. first time I did rbs they were tough cuz I did not go at 225. lottsa good tips online. just google 3 2 1 method for ribs. did you take the membrane off? google that also. Or bring a couple racks over here and some beer. good luck dude and don't be bummed.

Agree on the 221 method. And the membrane on baby backs, a must to remove. Once u get a corner started, it peels off. Is it possible the lighter fluid taste was from over smoking, as that will make stuff taste rancid. Believe it or not. Maybe it was from the mesquite. I think mesquite is too overwhelming

[Leaky]

I'm a little late to the party, but I'm on the 3rd winter of my masterbuilt Digital. I use a heavy guage extension cord. Have not had a single issue with it, even below zero temps. I use it on average twice a month, more in the summer. The grates and water pan clean up easily after a quick soak with Dawn dish soap. Nothing else in the smoker gets cleaned. Its seasoned nicley.

Yersterday I smoked a cured tenderion into canadain bacon. At 32 degrees, the smoker was at 200 in a half hour. Held that temp till I bumped it to 225 for the last hour.

I wouldn't have rated it highly after a year - not a big enough sample size. I do now, though.

[Hoffer]

This is what I did:

Put a rub on them the night before. For sure...too much rub for that little of ribs. Thats easy to compensate for.

The I simply smoked them for 5 hours at 225.

I didnt do any tinfoil or move them to the grill. Simply smoked them and added in more wood chips about each hour.

[eyeguy 54]

next time just use wood the first 2 hours. I dont use the chute on the side, I just fill the pan about 3/4s full. 1/2 apple and 1/2 mesquite. Love mesquite on the ribs. I thaw the ribs the day before smoking. Out of packaging and rinse real good the day of smoking. I peel the membrane off about 7 hours before I want to eat. Then I cut them in half and sprinkle the rub on. I make my own with no salt since the ribs a I get are cheap and have solution in the packaging. Water in the tray 1/2 full in smoker and turn it on to 225. Takes about 30 minutes usually. I bring the grates inside and lay the ribs on them. When smoker is hot I slide the grates in and slide the wood chip tray in. Wait 2 hours for babys and 3 hours for st louis. I prefer st louis cuz lotssa meat. Then I use a big cookie sheet and bring the ribs inside. On the tin foil I like about 1/8 cup of brown sugar and some sweet and zesty daves sauce. Lay the ribs bone side up and wrap. Then back in the smoker for 2 hours at 225. Take back inside, open the foil and check them. The bones should be exposed some now on the ends. Then I take them out of the foil and put back in the smoker. Most likely they are totally done but it firms them up a little. On this final stage I like to put some more bbq sauce on top. I don't use the thermometer on the ribs but I do use one on poultry or bigger pieces of meat. Maverick ET732 is a great one. Good luck on your next batch.

[Bagley]

I have had the Masterbuilt 40" for a few years now. The only thing that irritates me with it is controlling the smoke. The design has the chips so close to the burner that they burn up quick and it will produce a thick, smelly, yellow-white smoke. Not what you want! The only way to control that problem is to use small amounts of chips but then you have to sit and babysit the dam thing. I know there are smoker kits that you can buy like the "A-MAZE-N" products but they have mixed reviews due to not getting enough oxygen. Anyone buy the Masterbuilt cold smoker kit for theirs yet? Im wondering how it works. I was thinking about buying it and using it for hot and cold smokes.

[DonBo]

The only thing that irritates me with it is controlling the smoke. The design has the chips so close to the burner that they burn up quick

You say "chips" have you tried the larger "chunks" instead. I like them MUCH better.

[Hoffer]

JUst bought a rack of st louis style. Going to try again tomorrow.

So You guys dont braise or pre cool the ribs at all??

[Alagnak]

No way

[eyeguy 54]

bag, I have found the best results with the vent open 1/8 inch. I load the pan and have never seen yellow smoke.

[leechlake]

I prefer only using the smoker to do the ribs but have found that the majority of people like the meat falling off of the bone. In that case I smoke them for 3 hours and then bring them inside and put the sauce on and put them in a covered baking dish and cook for 1 hour at 300 in the oven. Put some apple juice or beer in so you introduce some moisture. 1/3 cup will do the trick.

This is a fail safe method.

[eyeguy 54]

too done for me that way. but still tasty

[Hoffer]

Eye guy

Going to throw a rack of st louis style on the smoker in an hour. If you gte this in time...tell me more about the brown sugar sauce/foil part.

Do you mix the brown sugar together with the sauce, then pour into tinfoil and then add the ribs? or do you layer the brown sugar and then add the sauce on top and then add ribs. I imagine either way it must "mix in" ...but just wondering.

Thanks!

[Hoffer]

Quick report back.

Ribs turned out excellent. I wouldnt say quite perfect yet. I would like to experiment more on the run and the sauce. But they were moist, not fall off the bone moist, but very close. I did the 3, 2, 1 method.

I think it was mentioned here that to get fall off the bone finish them on the grill. Why does that make a difference?

Anyway...thanks for the input. I was kind of expecting the famous daves type of rib taste. But after the first few bites kind of preferred these. Not as sweet. But very good smoky flavor. I am also thinking that maybe I am adding in too many chips? Maybe too much chips in this case is not better? I added chips at the beginning then again after I put them back in tinfoil and then again after I put them back for the last hour. Maybe too many chips? At least there was improvement...i also think choosing the st louis styl ribs over the baby back ribs this time helped out a lot. I will close with one thing. love the smoker....works like a charm...easy and fun!!

[eyeguy 54]

cool ! my advice is make them the way YOU like them. you are doing all the work. no need for wood chips when in the foil or the last stage. just the first 3 hours. on the foil I just squirt some bbq sauce and then sprinkle the brown sugar over the sauce then the ribs on the foils bones up. If you want them to fall off the bone maybe stretch the 2 ours out or turn the heat up a bit in stage 2. I dont want them to fall off. I never put them on the grill. I think that is to put a little more bark on the meat. third will know.