New Smoker

[imnukensc]

I've had a couple of smokers over the years but they've always been the charcoal type.  When I started looking for a new one, I knew I didn't want another charcoal, but didn't know if I wanted electric or gas.  After talking with a couple friends with electric ones, I decided on their recommendation to go with gas.  After some research/Googling, the Masterbilt Thermotemp is what I decided on.  I really like this smoker!  The built in temperature probe is pretty accurate according to the oven thermometer I checked it against.  I checked it at 3 different temperature settings according to the dial on the smoker and my oven thermometer read about 10 degrees lower at each setting.  That's close enough for me.  I like that it has double doors so that I can replenish wood chips or add water to the water pan without all of the heat escaping from the smoker.  They make an even larger one than this, but since I'm not feeding an Army this one suits my needs quite well and I certainly don't feel undergunned.

Being in the heart of pulled pork BBQ country, the first thing I smoked was a bone in Boston Butt.  Smoked for about 9 hours.  The meat thermometer read 197 when I took it out of the smoker.  I generally like to get them up to 200-205, but I got a little bit of a late start getting things going.  Didn't matter, the meat was tender, juicy, falling off the bone, and I had no trouble pulling the pork/shredding the meat with just my hands.  No meat claws or knives required.

Link to Youtube vid of the smoker: 

And a few pics:









Now, any of you fellas got a good smoker recipe for salmon?

[wsdstan]

I have an electric about the size of your gas unit.  I smoke a lot of venison in it at 235 degrees and take the internal meat temperature to about 165 F.  Takes about 4 hours.  I use water and a few chips but don't renew them when the original batch is gone.  The meat is tender and tastes very good.  My charcoal smoker did a good job but required a bit more maintenance than I was willing to put into it. 

I would like to try a pork butt but have not done so yet.

[Mannlicher]

what is the gas usage on that thing? 

[imnukensc]

Not sure, ML.  I've read (somewhere, but don't remember where) you could get three, 12 hour cooks out of a full 20 lb cylinder with the smoker set at about 225.  I smoked that butt for about 11 hours starting with a full cylinder and the gauge shows it still well within the green.  (Note:  this was with a full 20 lb cylinder and not one of those exchange cylinders that only have 15 lbs in them.)

[madmax]

Now you have me thinking about one of those gas smokers.

[Yellowyak]

Now, any of you fellas got a good smoker recipe for salmon?

I smoke a lot of salmon in a Weber Charcoal Smoker, using apple wood for the smoke. I usually get a skin on filet and smoke it skin side down on a piece of oiled aluminum foil. I put it on the rack closest to the water pan. Smoke at 200-225 F for about 1.5 - 2.0 hours. After smoking I sprinkle on a little rub mix and a little fresh lemon juice, nothing fancy, but good eats.

[wolfy]

Bill, my old deer hunting buddy from Yuma, has an electric Masterbuilt smoker that he really loves.  He told me to go with electric.      Your friends voted for gas......so, now I'm wondering why they said to go with the LP gas model instead of the electric?

[imnukensc]

The one fellow occasionally seems to have trouble with settings on his to the point that he has to completely turn it off and restart it.  Maybe due to electric spikes/fluctuations or bad electronics?  The other has lost power during a cook due to thunderstorms.

The only bad reviews/problems I've seen with this model seems to be self induced by people not installing the flame sensor properly and couldn't keep it lit.  Others have said the temperature probe is off by as much as 50 degrees.  Haven't had either of those problems, but I haven't tried smoking anything when it was 40 degrees outside.  We'll see how it does this fall/winter.  So far, so good.  I may replace the wood chip holder with a #5 cast iron skillet since it seems kind of thin to me, but I haven't decided yet whether I'll even bother with that. 

[wolfy]

Thanks for the info, Nuke......it makes sense.  I didn't know they even made LP gas units because all the ones I've seen for sale in Sioux City have been electric models.  This bears more scrutiny on my part......maybe they have gas models they're hiding in the back room. 

[Spyder1958]

Congrats on your new smoker Nuke, looks like a dandy. That pork butt got my mouth watering. I'd go with the iron skillet if it was me. all I've ever used.

[Old Philosopher]

....  I may replace the wood chip holder with a #5 cast iron skillet since it seems kind of thin to me, but I haven't decided yet whether I'll even bother with that.

I'd like to suggest you go with wood pellets, instead of "chips". I was a distributor for Western Oregon Wood Product's "Lil' Devils" smoking chips for several years. I can't say enough good about pellets over chips/sawdust. After testing them out, one of my customers in Montana that has been producing smoked products for 49 years, switched to pellets.
IMO, Traeger's product is inferior to Lil' Devils, but they have the corner on the market and are still good pellets.
My 2-cents, anyway.

[imnukensc]

If I can find'em locally I'll give'em a try.

[Old Philosopher]

If I can find'em locally I'll give'em a try.

WalMart, Home Depot, Lowe's, ACE Hardware.....

[NoseWarmer]

Now, any of you fellas got a good smoker recipe for salmon?

As a matter of fact I do... I make a simple brine to begin with;

Mix up 1-and-1/2 cups salt and 1-and-3/4 cups brown sugar into one gallon of cold water.

I soak the fillets in the refrigerator anywhere from 12-18 hours, rinse in cold water, let them air dry until they are tacky(2-3 hours), sprinkle a little black pepper or red pepper flake on them and smoke at 220 for 4-6 hours, depending on how you like the flesh.

I use Alder wood, seems to be more subtle for the fish flavor.

[imnukensc]

I'll give that a shot!

[Old Philosopher]

Alder has been the wood of choice of the Puget Sound N.A. tribes for a few hundred years when it comes to salmon. I always differ to the experts.