Model #2 vs. Weber Smokey Mountain 14

[hiendtime]

Hello, used my Model 2 for first time today. Have to say I'm disappointed but I'm open to the possibility I did something wrong. My only frame of reference is my Weber Smokey Mtn 14, which to this day has never disappointed. In the Weber I typically smoke a 3-4 lb brisket for 10-12 hrs with absolutely perfect results. I feed coal to keep the temp steady at 225. Setting the Model 2 at 225 with 8 oz of hickory in the basket the brisket looked totally charred and dried out after 4 hrs? Only thing I can think of is the temp ran much hotter than what it was set for. It was also way too dry. Wonder if you can put a small stainless steel bowl of water in with the meat? That's an obvious difference with the Weber as the Smokey Mtn has a large water bowl that sits right above the coal chamber, so whatever you smoke comes out juicy and not dried out. Should I try a lower temp next time? Had such high hopes with this smoker. First experience was definitely a bummer. Last but not least, google searches indicated this smoker was Made in USA. Almost threw up when I saw Made in China stamped on the inner carton. Only reason I justified paying double the price over a Masterbuilt was the belief it was Made in USA. Not to takeaway from the build quality as it seems really well built, but a huge disappointment nonetheless. Hope to try another approach next time. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

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[old sarge]

Sorry to hear about your bad first experience.

1.  You can indeed use a small pan of water in the smoker.  While I have a 3D, I have, on occasion, used a small aluminum loaf pan filled with water.

2.  Your #2 will have temp swings per the FAQ section of the main site.  15 -20 degrees high and low is not uncommon.  The unit cycles on and off and the temp averages out to your set temp. This is similar to the way a home oven or HVAC system works. You may want to get a remote thermometer so you can monitor your smoker temp.

3. You said the meat "looked totally charred and dried out".  Was it?  That char may have been bark.  Also, how did it taste? If bitter, cut down on the wood. If dry, you could try injecting with broth. I smoke fat cap down, insulates the meat from the heating element and when possible, I use the center shelf.

4.  If you can provide links to the google sites claiming the smokers are made in USA, I am sure Steve would like to see them. 

5.  Welcome to the forum from SE Arizona.

[LarryD]

I tend to use more wood than a lot of folks, but I wouldn't use more than 4-5 oz. for such a small chunk of meat.

That you know what it looked like at 4 hours tells me you opened the door at least once...  how many times did you open it?  With these smokers you not only CAN set it and forget it, you really NEED to set it and forget it.  Every time you open the door you let out smoke, heat, and moisture and compromise one of the strongest features of these smokers.  Don't spritz, don't mop, don't wrap...  just leave it alone.    Also... if you're measuring the chamber temperature, don't.  There is exactly zero need to do so and it'll only distract and tempt you.

What was the internal temp of the brisket when you took it out and how long was it in for total?  I wouldn't expect that chunk to take more than about 1.5 hours per pound which means it should be done in ~6 hours.  Keep in mind that time and internal temperature are strictly there to help you known when to even think about opening the door again.  When its done a probe should run through it like butter and it should be nice and jiggly like a bowl of jello.  I wouldn't even think about checking it until it hit an internal temp of 195.

Was it a piece of the flat or a piece of the point?  How was it trimmed?  Did you brine?  Which shelf did you put it on?  Was it fat cap up or down?    Try to keep a good 1/4" or slightly thicker fat cap and put it cap down as high in the smoker as you can go.  Points are more forgiving than flats, but you should be able to do both with ease.  I always wet brine.  I've also always done much larger full packer briskets of 12-18 pounds.

You can absolutely stick a water source in the smoker.  Put it in something metal and sit on the floor of the smoker right next to the fire box.  Brisket is pretty much the only thing I do this with.

I would be very surprised if the parts that go into Masterbuilt smokers are made in the U.S.  I would also be surprised if very many people know the owner of Masterbuilt by their first name.  I'd be even more surprised if it's the owner of Masterbuilt who answers the phone and emails when customers have problems.  Yeah, Steve has the Smokin-It's built overseas, but that's really kind of the way things work in a global economy.  Steve takes excellent care of his customers.  If a part should fail on your #2, which has a 3 year warranty, Steve will have a replacement out to you in no time.  It may not be fabricated here, but you're truly supporting a small, U.S. business when you buy a Smokin-It.

Unlike a lot of (most of?) the Masterbuilt smokers there is no glass to break, seals to wear out, and the smoker isn't going to rust.  You can also use the Smokin-It in pretty much any climate and weather without modifying it.  The Smokin-It is superior to the Masterbuilt in pretty much every possible way.

Hang in there... another thing that you might not have gotten with an MES is this community.  We treat each other like family here and will gladly help you figure out what's going wrong when it does go wrong.  Since we're family now, can we call you by name?

[barelfly]

Great advice above from Larry and Old Sarge.

But like they said, 8oz of wood for 3lbs of meat could be overwhelming. everyone has different tastes, but that’s an amount of wood I’d use for a packer from Costco. Maybe cut it back by half, but just an option if the taste was off.

For your next cook, try a couple racks of ribs or a pork butt for your next cook. These, as I’m sure you know given your experience with the Weber, are a bit more forgiving. But they will turn out great results.

I’ve had my 3D for over three years. I’ve had great results with it. These are great machines and the best part is knowing that if I ever needed to call for help with it, I’d most likely get the guy who designed these on the phone to trouble shoot the issue. I didn’t realize that when I bought it, but knowing that know is nice.

I hope the best for you with your 2. let us know what else we can do to help you get good results.

[hiendtime]

Below is link. Just happened to be top link when I searched USA made smokers.

US-Made Electric Smokers Available in the Market in 2019-2020 - BBQ, Grill

https://bbqbarbecuegrill.com/electric-smoker/electric-smoker-made-in-usa/

[hiendtime]

Appreciate all the responses. No doubt the Model 2 is built better than cheaper electric smokers.

To answer some of the questions, I only opened the smoker once. I opened when the suggested cook time had elapsed, approx. 4 hrs. The pork ribs were fully withdrawn from the bone which never happened with the Weber. Again, I suspect 225 was simply too high and the lack of water caused it to dry out. Both the brisket and the ribs were dry. Something I never experienced with the Weber which holds a gallon of water. After 10-12 hrs the water in the Weber is nearly completely evaporated. That much water has to make a difference with the moisture of the meat.

I cook brisket fat side up. Admittedly, this particular brisket was not the best. It only had a bit of fat. Won't send the wife to pick out a brisket ever again

I will definitely use the stainless steel water bowl next time. I bought the Model 2 to set and forget. With the Weber, I have to add a few lumps of coal and wood chips every two hours, which means I have to be home to use it. But the results are amazing and it's almost impossible to screw up with the Weber. Also, clean up with the Weber is so much easier than the Model 2. Dump the ash, brush the shelf and wipe down the porcelain. The inside of the Model 2 looked like a crime scene after my first smoke. Clean up was tedious.

I'll keep at it until I get the results I'm looking for. Thanks again for all the input.

[barelfly]

For easy clean up, use foil on the bottom of the smoker box and on top of the wood box, makes it so easy to clean. You may need a simple wipe down of the bottom of the box when you pull the foil out when done cooking.

I use to use throw away aluminum trays with liquid but stopped doing that. Just what I have done, but it’s nice to just be able to throw them away rather than have to clean the stainless bowl. Just a thought. And if you do use liquid, it has been suggest to place it right next to the wood box on the bottom.

[LarryD]

Below is link. Just happened to be top link when I searched USA made smokers.

Yeah, unfortunately, that article is just wrong...  makes you wonder which other ones they are wrong about.  Again, keep in mind that some places buy all the parts foreign and then assemble them here so they can say made in the US.

It would probably be difficult to impossible to make an affordable smoker in the US that uses as much stainless steel as the Smokin-It.

[LarryD]

I always do brisket and ribs at ~230, so your 225 shouldn't be a problem.  Was your brisket rock hard or was it tough/chewy?  I would generally expect both ribs and brisket (of the size you mention) to take closer to 6 hours and honestly wonder if they were under-done.

As for cleanup...  I put a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of the smoker and a piece over the top of the fire box.  After a smoke I let everything cool off and then I can just pull the foil out/off and throw it away leaving only the rack(s) to worry about.  I don't ever mess with the sides of the smoker at all unless it builds up enough to be flaky... that might be after 10 smokes.  Anything no flaking off is just seasoning.    When needed, I use a putty knife to knock off any loose stuff onto the foil and throw it out with the foil.  I don't change the foil every smoke... just depends on how messy it gets.  For the firebox, I have next to zero ash... I just end up with lumps of charcoal which I throw in my charcoal bin to use in my grill. 

If you're getting piles of ash instead of lumps of charcoal that would suggest your wood is catching on fire and burning up instead of just smoking.  This can cause your temperature to climb quite a bit higher than set and possibly cause a flavor change.  I put a double thick piece of heavy aluminum foil in the bottom of my fire box and poke smaller skewer size holes in it.  This restricts the airflow more and keeps it from igniting.

[hiendtime]

Brisket was just dry. I did another recently and it was slightly better, but not great. I used a stainless water bowl placed on the bottom rack right above the wood bin.

I found that very little (if any) water had actually evaporated, so didn't do much. Observation, I do not think 225 is hot enough to evaporate the water with the limited amount of air flow. The Weber has way more ventilation and the coals are right up against the water bowl, so the entire gallon of water evaporates and makes the meat fall apart. To be honest, I just don't think the Model 2 can produce a smoked brisket (or ribs) the way the Weber can. So, I switched gears a bit and have been smoking vegetables instead. Smoked jalapeno poppers. Scoop out the seeds, stuff with cheddar and wrap with bacon. Using apple wood chips (approx. 3 oz) and smoke at 225 for 1hr 45min (about 30 min longer that online recipes indicate). Results have been fantastic! Also smoked corn and asparagus with good results. Threw in some Sabrett natural casing hot dogs for 1hr 15min that came out great. However, I will likely stick with the Weber for brisket, ribs, etc.

One question about cleaning, I'm using aluminum foil but will want to strip the coating off the inside occasionally. Has anyone tried an over cleaner or something to dissolve the coating? Thinking it would be nice if it were possible to spray the inside down with something to dissolve the buildup and just wash it out every so often (unplugged of course). Suggestions?

[old sarge]

I had rodents crawl in my old Cookshack through the grease drain. Stripped it with easy off. No damage.

The only cleaning I currentldo besides the racks is to brush off the seasoning coating when it starts to peel or aligator. Just the loose stuff.

Any grease that gets under the foil I cleanup.

[Lonzinomaker]

I have used Easy Off for a DEEP clean on a used Cookshack to get rid of some seriously thick fish gunk.  Came out fine, did a couple of vinegar rinses, then plain water and finally re-seasoned with hickory. 
But for normal cleaning I wait until buildup starts to flake off.  Then I use a stainless steel drywall 2 in knife (flexible) to scrape off the walls, ceiling, floor and door. The rack holders I put in the dishwasher.