Smoke

Smoke

Smoking

So, I got an electric smoker for free a few weeks ago...

The Find

The smoker was going to be thrown out because it would not hold temperature or even get up to 200 degrees at times; looks like the perfect opportunity. I have been trying to learn how to smoke with a charcoal bullet smoker for a little while now with mixed results.  The problem is that I was trying to learn smoking & charcoal cooking at the same time, not to mention the gap in the lid. Too many variables.

Master Forge Smoker

This new smoker is a fairly nice piece; vertical design with 3 meat racks and a dual water/wood chip tray.  The first day I played with it was meant to be a dry run with no food but with a little tinkering I found the cause of the trouble: the connectors did not fully seat on the element. So I decided to pull some peppers from the garden and give it a trial by fire. It worked ok but the connection needed to be monitored as it would occasionally slip and need adjusting. It did work well enough for me to toss in some chicken breasts & hot dogs though as they cook rather quickly.

Continued Testing

The following weekend I did some more tinkering and got the connectors to hold. Can you say exciting?! It was time for the real test: 4lbs of pork butt!

Pork Butt - Before

The smoker worked perfectly! 200 degrees steady for eight hours! I think my temp was a little low and I think my smoker's thermometer is a little off but the pork was delicious. I also spent some time that day making a new top rack for it.

While smoking the peppers I needed to use foil with holes poked in it to hold them so they did not fall. My wife found this wonderful pan in the kitchen that does not get used with slits in it for draining grease. It fit perfectly in the rack holder but was too wide to let the door close. A quick trim with the angle grinder and a little clean up with the Dremel & a file... looks like it was made for it!

I will try it out next time I get outside to do some cooking!

This post contains affiliate links. :)