Electric Smoker - Masterbuilt from Cabelas

[wyoutdoors]

Just rec'd an electric smoker from Cabelas, a gift from the in-laws. I'm a down-home boy and never used an electric smoker. Barrel smokers, pipe smokers and even one made out of an old freezer and a 55g drum for a burn box were my training grounds.

Right now it's assembled and out back burning out for the first time. tossed a handful of hickory chips in there and the scent brings me back home to some earlier days!

Anyone else have one of these units? Looking for any tips and/or advice in fine tuning it. I'm thinking of possibly smoking some walleye fillets with apple or cherry wood. Should I go with or without a brine? Any family secret brine recipes would be appreciated lol! Skin on or off? I'm a pork butt, rib, whole hog smoking guy with an occasional deer and turkey thrown in.

Thanks. Hope to keep this thread updated too.



- G

[cold_feet]

Brine the fish but try this method it works great for any fish. Times of smoking might vary due to temps so use you instructions for fish cooking time.



  Re:smoking northern pike
« Reply #2 on: Jan 04, 2004, 07:08 PM »     

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You got it right but I weigh the filets just to set a time for the whole process. My brine starts with a Gal of spring water so their is no taste of chlorine or other impurities. Add enough salt to float a egg or potatoe. I do add 1/2 lb brown sugar,Black strap molasas about 1/2 bottle A half cup lemon juice, cut up 1 onion or use onion powder.If you are doing Salmon or Trout add Dill. Mix the brine in a non metal container and use to imerse fish in Scale the fish and wipe it off with a solution of 4 parts water to 1 part vinigar this will remove the fish slime. then rinse in cold water. Imerse the fish in the brine and weigh it down with a plate or something but be carefull not to put a air pocket next to the fish Keep the brine cold about 35deg put ice in a plastic bag so as not to dilute the brine. Now here is why you weigh the fish. Each piece should be close to the same weight and do not use a total weight of the fish only the pieces. Say you have a Pike that weighs 15 lbs cleaned well it might be to big for the smoker so you cut it in quaters. Now you have 2 side with the weight of 71/2 lbs each cut again in quaters that makes each piece 3 3/4 lbs apiece. The brineing time for 3 3/4 lbs is 4hrs.  I'll put down the weight to time.
Under 1/4 lb 30 min
1/4 to1/2 45 min
1/2 to 1 lb 1 hr
1 to 2 lb  2 hrs
2 to 3 lbs 3 hrs
3 to 4 lbs 4 hrs
4 to 5 lbs 5 hrs
 This scale of time of brineing worked great for me for yrs never to salty and the fish has a great flavore and hold up great for at least 3 to 4 wks in the fridge. After you finish brineing rinse the fish again under cold water  the put on a wire rack to dry What I do is put it next to a small fan to allow air to circulate around the fish. It must dry to form the Pellical . The pellical is a gloss that forms on the meat of the fish kind of like a varnish.Leave it under the fan untill the fish is dry the longer the better. Remember to keep the fish cool. Now put the fish in the smoker if you are useing racks oil the racks so the skin doesnt stick . Pike because it does not have a lot of oil in the flesh you can baste the fish with oil to keep it from drying out too much The time of smokeing their are no set rules to follow but if you push on it with a fork and it flakes you are done or a thermometer reading of 140 deg in the center of the flesh. If by some dumb chance you see a white liquid on the flesh when you are smokeing the fish it is caused by not drying he fish enough to form the pellical It will not hurt the taste or hurt you eating it just remember the time you used to dry the fish and add more time to the drying prosses. One more thing Cool the fish before eating it tastes better.
If anyone wants to know anymore just IM me
Cold Feet 

[BlueDuck]

I have had a Masterbuilt smoker for three years now.  I use it mostly for fish but do turkeys in it now and then.  I like it and it has always worked well.  Only thing I have found that I don't like is that on the higher heat it can scorch meat on the first row or so above the heat sorce.  (the right hand side just above the chip holder, on the first rack).  This only happens when I need 200 degrees or more for turkeys, or bear sausage.  I put a 6x10 inch piece of 1/4 inch thick plate metal right over the chip holder, and it seems to difuse the heat so it dosen't get so hot in that spot.  Other then that its seems like a great smoker.

[wyoutdoors]

Decided to toss a fresh ham in there this afternoon. But the controller kept showing the following error message 'EAAF' in the controller window. After some research - customer service only Mon-Fri 9-5, I found out the thermostat won't fire up the heating element when it's around 20 degrees or colder.

Pulled the controller off, took it inside and placed on a heating vent in the floor to warm up. Still had the 'EAAF' show... Then took Mrs G's hair blower out to the smoker - she didn't know LOL  - and heated the thermostat which is a dime sized protrusion in the upper left side of the unit and it fired right up.

[er-e-is]

Try some of these...

http://www.thesmokering.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=657

[wyoutdoors]

Ran a quick cook with a 10lb bone-in ham. 5 hrs @ 275 and internal temp hit 165. Used hickory chips three times once when the ham was put in, then once an hour two more times. I'll run a low-n-slow next time when I have more time (we went to friends for the UFC 124 St. Pierre vs Koscheck fight. GSP pwned.)

Results were pretty lipsmacking even at the higher temps.

[wyoutdoors]

Try some of these...

http://www.thesmokering.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=657

I've done Buffalo Turds in the past! Good stuff Maynard! They're certainly on the agenda! 

[appleye]

I have the same smoke but gas. Love it. Did Turkey today long and slow. Man was it good. Apple wood.

[rks-icer]

Decided to toss a fresh ham in there this afternoon. But the controller kept showing the following error message 'EAAF' in the controller window. After some research - customer service only Mon-Fri 9-5, I found out the thermostat won't fire up the heating element when it's around 20 degrees or colder.

Pulled the controller off, took it inside and placed on a heating vent in the floor to warm up. Still had the 'EAAF' show... Then took Mrs G's hair blower out to the smoker - she didn't know LOL  - and heated the thermostat which is a dime sized protrusion in the upper left side of the unit and it fired right up.

I have had the same problem with mine in colder temps. I have started preheating the thermostat with a lighter and it takes off every time. Not a real big deal once you know what the problem is. I do have to say I really like this smoker and use it frequently. I just did a batch of rainbow fillets last night and they turned out awesome.

[icejunky]

looks great, nice job. I did not get to use my smoker as much as I would like this past season. But that ham makes me want to pull it out today

[wyoutdoors]

Did a rack of babybacks, couple of chicken halves and threw ins some sausage for good measure. The wine wasn't smoked! 

May go with a jerky session for hardwater treats, but some good pulled pork sammies topped with homemade slaw is calling me hard too!