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qutius posted:The Smoke blows the Maverick out of the water. So glad I upgraded. Can you give me a couple highlights of the comparison? My main gripes with the maverick 1) Probes (obviously) 2) Probes 3) Trying to set the high/low limits is not exactly intuitive and I usually have to resort to the manual. 4) For some drat reason the remote never syncs with the base unit unless I manually do it. Not a big deal, but it should work like how designed.
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Dec 29, 2017 20:59
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C-Bangin' it 
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Thanks for the feedback. I thought the remote would be more useful and I thought I definitely wouldn't need the 40. No window 40 it is, thank you!
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Dec 29, 2017 21:03
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Hmm... Seems like the black model with no window doesn't come in a 40 inch version?
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Dec 29, 2017 21:23
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Colostomy Bag posted:My main gripes with the maverick the maverick defender has logged in 1, 2) What's your issue with the probes? 3) Agreed that it is not intuitive if you're new with it, but after 3.5 years with this thing I've become a pro I guess 4) You are turning the remote on before you turn the base unit on, right? You must do it in that order or it won't automatically sync.
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Dec 29, 2017 21:46
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Colostomy Bag posted:Can you give me a couple highlights of the comparison? The probes feel like quite the upgrade, I've only done one or two cooks with the new gear, but so far they seem a lot more substantial. Hopefully that leads to a longer lifespan and less fussing around with them. Seeing high/low limits, turning alarms on/off, and just the general operation is exactly what you'd expect. No need for a drat manual, its easy, intuitive, and can be done at the crack of dawn before you've had your coffee but need to get things rolling on the smoker. Simple. The pairing/sync is easy, just turn them on within 30 seconds of each other I think it is. The remote is a little quick to alert when it loses sync or communication, which can be both good and bad. This review/comparison did it for me
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Dec 29, 2017 21:48
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i got an analog electric smoker for christmas - and ive reached the difficult decision of what to smoke first. what would be easiest but still be awesome? help goons!
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Dec 29, 2017 21:57
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CoolHandMat posted:i got an analog electric smoker for christmas - and ive reached the difficult decision of what to smoke first. Pork shoulder, always.
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Dec 29, 2017 22:32
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CoolHandMat posted:i got an analog electric smoker for christmas - and ive reached the difficult decision of what to smoke first. Ribs are nice and easy
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Dec 29, 2017 22:38
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VERTiG0 posted:the maverick defender has logged in Appreciate your feedback. Well the most common complaint that everyone else has with the probes: They seem to let you down at the worst possible time. And yeah, I treat the meat one with kid gloves. They've been replaced a couple times. With that said, the grill one (which looks like the cigarette butt) has been going strong. As for the sync, yeah, I know the order. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Like I said, not a big deal to hold the resync button a few seconds to make it happy. That was a minor nitpick and who knows it could be operator error when you're hustling around a tad getting everything ready to go. So probably unjustified. Just for laughs (back to the probe) I just fired up the maverick and plugged the probe in to test the sync. Reads "LLL". That pretty much settles the purchase decision. Probably will go for the smoke works, and order a replacement probe for the maverick as a backup. Not that I could even trust it in that capacity. Don't get me wrong, I think at its pricepoint it is a decent product for the money and has definitely helped thousands of people (like myself) crank out good stuff. Has a great range for the remote. But man...it does frustrate me when the rubber meats (stupid joke) the road sometimes. And of course what makes this a hobby is everything is anecdotal. Makes the world go around.
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Dec 29, 2017 23:23
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Internet Explorer posted:Hmm... Seems like the black model with no window doesn't come in a 40 inch version? It's easy for us to spend other people's (meaning yours) money. So browsed the 30 vs 40 stainless with window on Amazon. $80 difference. With the 40 obviously bigger. 40 gives you 1200 watts (more on this later) vs 800. I have a 30/stainless/window/with remote that is roughly I'd say 6 years old. Last year the element croaked. A call to Masterbuilt and they shipped out a replacement element, new grommets, connectors, leads, detailed instructions for $30 bucks and asked me how it failed. From the questioning they obviously have a quality management program in place. In short, outstanding customer service. With that said the newer ones have made several changes over the old. Control panel is integrated into the front. On mine it looks like it was tacked on the top with some goofball connector that gets tucked inside the housing. Newer one has the drip pan neatly stowed away in the front. On mine, some weird goofy plastic tray that breaks off from a metal tube out the back. Probably new one is worthless as well but cleaner packaging. I ride mine hard and put it away somewhat wet so to speak. My control panel and remote works for the most part, but has an odd bug where if I try to adjust the temps with the remote it will shut the unit off. Only way to get it going again is with the control panel. Again, I've worked it hard in shall we say harsh conditions and the newer design looks better. I don't fault the unit. As for the element, 1200 watts is about tops for a 15 AMP circuit. You'd be surprised what the outside outlets are tied to depending on the age of your house. Don't be surprised if you trip a breaker when someone else tries to make coffee or use a vacuum cleaner. Been there done that. In that scenario 800 vs 1200 won't make much of a difference. 1200 will heat faster and keep up in colder conditions. At then end of the day, your money and what it is worth to you.
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Dec 30, 2017 00:12
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I'm on vacation so I decided to do a brisket on Wednesday. I broke down a full packer and did about 6-7lbs of flat for 14 hours, at which point I had to pull it so folks could eat.      I'm not super happy with how it came out. The bark was excellent and the flavor was great, but the meat was much drier than I was expecting it would be. I'm trying to think about where I went wrong. I did a rub the night before then put it on at 225 at 5:40AM. I did 2 loads of hickory and 2 loads of pecan (chips, I'm using an MES 30) until it hit the stall around 160. At that point I crutched it, then ran it to 200. Once it hit, I unwrapped it and let it cook a little longer to firm up the bark. The meat dropped 30 degrees and struggled to get back up to even 180. I bumped it to 250 and eventually 275 but the timing of it didn't seem to work out right. It only got a 30 minutes rest and it didn't seem like there was any residual cooking while it was wrapped up after I pulled it. I made sure to cut the meat against the grain when slicing as I've heard cutting with the grain can cause the meat to drain a ton of juice. Any thoughts? e: forgot to mention it ranged from -2 to 9F outside during the smoke. Blinkz0rz fucked around with this message at 00:39 on Dec 30, 2017 |
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Dec 30, 2017 00:37
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Blinkz0rz posted:
Honestly it looks like the brisket you did was really lacking in fat - I destroyed the first one I made and then did a bunch of reading here and bought Aaron Franklin's book, which mentions needing about a 1/4 inch fat cap turned to the hot side of your smoker (so in my case, as in his, cook it fat side up) until the brisket it all the way through the stall, at which point he wraps it in pink butcher paper (not foil) and brings it up to around 210-ish, or until it feels jiggly in your hands. Been doing it this way for awhile and all subsequent briskets have turned out amazing. In regards to the fat cap thing, always look for prime grade or equivalent brisket - Aaron's book has a ton of stuff about meat quality and the choice poo poo you get at the grocery stores just doesn't cut it. I get mine either from my local butcher (wayyy out of the city and out where they actually raise the cattle) and tell them how I want it cut and have also had a lot of good luck with the Prime whole packers (not the more expensive Choice grade Flats) from Costco (at only $2.99 a lb - PBUC).
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Dec 30, 2017 02:35
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Blinkz0rz posted:I'm not super happy with how it came out. The bark was excellent and the flavor was great, but the meat was much drier than I was expecting it would be.
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Dec 30, 2017 02:39
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Infinite Karma posted:Sounds like you overcooked it, especially if it was just the flat. I'd have pulled it at 188-190 and unwrapped it (195 tops), if I were planning on crisping up the bark at the end. Seconding this.
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Dec 30, 2017 03:00
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Colostomy Bag posted:It's easy for us to spend other people's (meaning yours) money. Just wanted to say I appreciate you taking the time for such a detailed response. Something to think on, I guess. Hopefully I can make a decision and post about all the delicious meat I'm making soon!
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Dec 30, 2017 03:46
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I know the curious poster has probably already decided on the Thermoworks, but here’s my (frankly bizarre) story of why I switched from a maverick to the Smoke: One of the Maverick’s probes stopped reading correctly in both ports on the transmitter, so i ordered a new probe. The new probe also read out the exact same incorrect temperature (like 155* at room temp) as the other, used probe. Threw my hands up at that and ordered a Smoke on Black Friday. Also, the remote receiver is smaller, and has a lanyard. The base unit, where you set the temps, has a very sturdy magnet on the back. It’s much simpler to program than the Maverick, as well.
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Dec 30, 2017 08:15
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Benjamin Disraeli posted:Honestly it looks like the brisket you did was really lacking in fat - I destroyed the first one I made and then did a bunch of reading here and bought Aaron Franklin's book, which mentions needing about a 1/4 inch fat cap turned to the hot side of your smoker (so in my case, as in his, cook it fat side up) until the brisket it all the way through the stall, at which point he wraps it in pink butcher paper (not foil) and brings it up to around 210-ish, or until it feels jiggly in your hands. Been doing it this way for awhile and all subsequent briskets have turned out amazing. I should mention that I didn't trim much of the fat. I evened it down to around 1/2-1/4", erring on the side of leaving a little too much. Fat side was up while it was smoking. Infinite Karma posted:Sounds like you overcooked it, especially if it was just the flat. I'd have pulled it at 188-190 and unwrapped it (195 tops), if I were planning on crisping up the bark at the end. Interesting. Is that 205 target for whole packers rather than just the flat? I wasn't able to find a ton on what temp I should consider it done at. Also, beyond hope, prayer, and time is there anything I can do to counteract that massive drop in temp that I get when I unwrap?
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Dec 30, 2017 09:28
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Blinkz0rz posted:Interesting. Is that 205 target for whole packers rather than just the flat? I wasn't able to find a ton on what temp I should consider it done at. The point has a lot more fat and connective tissue than the flat, so there's more juice to give you a buffer for overcooking. It's hard to cook them both together and have them both be properly done - a point might be perfect at 205, but a flat will usually be too dry.
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Dec 30, 2017 17:34
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Costco had prime packers for 3.99 or so last week which made them around $45-$50 for a full packer. In retrospect should have grabbed one but spent enough on Christmas food and presents at the time I couldn't do it. Kicking myself now. And that is the problem with brisket. Screw up a pork shoulder (which you really have to try) you are out $12 bucks. Screwing up a brisket which is a lot easier to do is kind of ouchy in the wallet.
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Dec 30, 2017 17:49
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Lawnie posted:I know the curious poster has probably already decided on the Thermoworks, but here’s my (frankly bizarre) story of why I switched from a maverick to the Smoke: Thanks, not sure I care about the lanyard thing and I did find it a little odd they don't a have a kickstand like the maverick does. Not that I use it much. Most of the times I slip it a pocket or set it on the counter or end table and glance at it every so often. One more dumb question, are the thermoworks wires on the probe as kink prone as the mavericks?
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Dec 30, 2017 17:53
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Colostomy Bag posted:Costco had prime packers for 3.99 or so last week which made them around $45-$50 for a full packer. In retrospect should have grabbed one but spent enough on Christmas food and presents at the time I couldn't do it. Kicking myself now. FYI, that's pretty normal price for Costco prime brisket, at least in my neck of the woods. Totally with you on the riskiness of brisket though. That being said, even bad brisket is pretty drat good if you put it on a roll with some BBQ sauce. The main problem I have is that I want to smoke a whole packer way more often than I want to entertain 10-15 people to eat the drat thing.
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Dec 30, 2017 19:23
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Mikey Purp posted:FYI, that's pretty normal price for Costco prime brisket, at least in my neck of the woods. Same. It’s usually 3.99 when in season (here in Palm Springs that is October-April) and 2.99 if they get it in the summer (when the temps hit 110F+). They also stop carrying the frozen mahi mahi, but that’s for a different thread.
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Dec 30, 2017 19:34
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Mikey Purp posted:The main problem I have is that I want to smoke a whole packer way more often than I want to entertain 10-15 people to eat the drat thing. Ain't that the truth. Been eating a 10 lb (after trimming) packer for the last week. Still, no regrets. I usually just pull mine at 203, but the last one was a little dry for the flat. I don't inject though, which may have helped. Also didn't have much time to brine this one like I usually do.
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Dec 30, 2017 22:20
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Curing my smoker tonight for tomorrow's ribs. So happy.
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Jan 1, 2018 02:01
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Ok, being able to use big chunks of wood instead of chips is a game changer. I foresee a lot of smoked goods in my future.
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Jan 1, 2018 18:43
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H*ck yeah dude
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Jan 1, 2018 19:01
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I can't get it to stay at 250-300. It wants to hover at 200, probably because it's 19 degrees out. I hope these wings and ribs turn out. I guess they'll just take longer? E: Dammit. Wings got burned to poo poo. They were over my water bowl, which is supposed to be cooler. Burned anyway. 
briefcasefullof fucked around with this message at 21:14 on Jan 1, 2018 |
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Jan 1, 2018 20:15
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Turkey on the PBC. Didn't see much point in buying their turkey hanger accessory when halving it and doing it like a chicken seemed like it'd work just fine.
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Jan 1, 2018 20:42
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 gently caress the wings, ribs turned out awesome.
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Jan 1, 2018 22:12
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Just over 3 hours on the PBC, in ~28F weather. Not a bad way to start the new year. 
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Jan 2, 2018 02:42
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QuarkMartial posted:Ok, being able to use big chunks of wood instead of chips is a game changer. I foresee a lot of smoked goods in my future.  Seriously, not having to open things up to add chips frequently is a great improvement. Bonus points for being able to stage your chunks over unlit coals...
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Jan 2, 2018 08:46
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I smoked another pork shoulder for pulled pork and it was great. I also did baked potatoes on the grill by the amazingribs method and they were so loving phenomenal. Highly recommended.
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Jan 2, 2018 14:19
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Anybody else have experience with using smokers of multiple types? I currently use a propane smoker which I decided upon because I didn't want to rely on having an outlet nearby. I ended up placing it right beside one and have never moved it.  I'm asking because when reading about different types it said that propane smoked meats can have a sort of ham flavor to them, which I've found quite often when smoking stuff (not always) and it's a bit off putting on something like a brisket. I'm considering getting an electric but heard you get less smoke flavor with them. Anybody have some thoughts between the two types? I'd be getting a MES 40" because it's another lazy type of smoker where I don't have to adjust vents and poo poo constantly, even though it probably won't have the flavor of a proper charcoal smoker.
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Jan 2, 2018 15:51
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Pair the MES with an AMZN smoker maze/tube.
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Jan 2, 2018 16:50
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Just put a shoulder on the WSM  
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Jan 7, 2018 17:59
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Ended up getting the 30 inch MES. Put a 6 LB pork shoulder in at 5am today. Wanted to be sure I wasn't dealing with that tonight if it took longer than expected, being my first smoking and all. Pretty sure I just hit "the stall" so I wrapped it in aluminum foil and put it back on. Looks and smells delicious already. Can't wait to try it.
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Jan 7, 2018 18:53
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I believe I am on the stall now.
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Jan 7, 2018 22:40
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Mine hit about 160 and was stuck for some time. This seems to be a good enough explanation for me, so I tried the foil bit. As soon as I wrapped it it started increasing at a similar speed to what it was before the stall. The entire process took about 8 hours on my 6 LB pork shoulder. Super happy with it.
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Jan 8, 2018 00:08
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Pulled on the left and money muscle sliced on the right. Goddamn that was tasty. 
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Jan 8, 2018 01:05
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I had a 9lb picnic yesterday but due to the goddamn -25 Celsius temps I didn't smoke it. I did it in the oven (I know, sacrilege) at 250 for 9 hours, then a quick rest, then blasted at 500 for 20 minutes to crisp up and blister the skin, a la Kenji's technique. It was fantastic, same texture as a typical smoke but without the flavour. Definitely a nice alternative when the weather sucks, but rest assured that as soon as it's 'warm' enough to get outside for any period of time it'll be done on one of my charcoal cookers.
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Jan 8, 2018 03:03
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