Thread title is a little dramatic, but it was still a fire hazard.

I have a masterbuilt electric smoker that my dad gave me about 5 years ago. Well, I smoked a brisket and some chicken for 4th of July and it held temp great for the brisket, but start fluctuating like crazy with the chicken. I made due by checking it every 30 minutes until the food was done. When I went to unplug it, the cord was extremely hot and had melted/fused to the extension cord. Needless to say, I am using that as an excuse to upgrade my smoker.

I have a few questions for the board. I have searched these forums but they seem to talk in circles between what is better for one person versus another, etc. Everyone has what they like/want, and it isn't always what is best for someone else. I get that, but I have narrowed down my search to either a Green Mountain Grills Jim Bowie or a decent off set for $800-1000.

What I will use it for:
1. Smoking brisket
2. Smoking chicken/turkey

I have read that the pellet grills do a great job but don't necessarily give a decent bark or smoke ring. That is one thing I am wanting to achieve. I did not like my vertical smoker too much for brisket. It tasted like it was cooked in the oven and could not obtain bark or a smoke ring. Can anyone with a pellet smoker speak to this? I have read that they produce a great flavor.

Any recommendations for off set smokers in that price range? How difficult are they to maintain 225 degrees over night? I don't mind staying up with it (I actually enjoy it), but don't want to have to fight with it every 45 minutes to an hour because the temp is fluctuating.

Edit to say that weight of the smoker does matter. I am in the Navy and have moved 9 times in 13 years. I need something that doesn't weigh 700 pounds, but will hold up decently.

I have used a pellet smoker before and able to get decent ribs/turkey/chicken. Brisket was always a struggle. I don't remebwr the brand.

I now use a PBC (pit barrel cooker) and love it. Cooks everything just as well as an offset and better than the pellet.

I have the GMG Bowie that you are looking at. It turns out a great brisket BUT the bark is lighter than is desirable for most people. I don't mind it that way, but I'm not sure there is any way to improve this with a pellet smoker.

Edit to say I think the smoke ring is fine, the bark is the main issue imo.

I have a Jim Bowie I've had for about 2.5 years now that I am looking to sell for $300. Located in Houston

tmaggie50 said:

---

I have a Jim Bowie I've had for about 2.5 years now that I am looking to sell for $300. Located in Houston

---

Unfortunately I am in Jacksonville, Florida.

Our last electric smoker did something similar and then blew our gfci outlet that the freezer was on. I walked out and saw the light off in freezer full of meat. That was the last time we used that sucker.

I've got a masterbuilt that says that and an electric pressure washer that says the same thing.
"Use a dedicated non-GFCI circuit when in operation"

Things like that draw too much power and draw it in non-even bursts so gfci outlets think something is wrong and will always trip.

Milwaukees Best Light said:

---

I am betting op used some sissy extension cord that couldn't handle the draw adequately. Use a thick heavy gauge cord if you must, and use an outlet that has the option of a sideways blade if uou have one available. That is a higher amp outlet and should run the smoker better.

---

Actually, it was a heavy duty outdoor extension cord...

Hmmm. You might want to consider switching out your breaker switch. They are cheap and can be done really easy. Probably it is fine, but it is cheap peace of mind.

Yea I was about to reply to that regarding the fact we were outside and obviously going to have to use a gfci but just let it go.....to the OP- We get about 2-3 years of use out of each electric smoker before the just go to crap and have to be replaced. We've had 3 over the years and that's not heavy use.

After replacing the element in my masterbuilt 3 times, they decided to stop giving me a free replacement. It's going to the curb next Wednesday. There's a short somewhere but I can't find it so I'm done trying to fix it only to have it to the breaker and not heat up

I bought an Akorn Kamado from HD and it's been really nice getting back to charcoal/wood smoking.

OhAggie98 said:

---

Anybody who says you can't get a decent bark on a pellet grill isn't doing something right. I did this brisket last night on the GMG Jim Bowie grill you're looking at. 13lb packer from Costco, on the JB for 14.5 hours.

---

Represent brother! Just like a bad golf shot- it MUST be the club...

learn how to use it properly, experiment with its capabilities and limitations (all grills/smokers have both), and you can learn to produce a great slab of meat to your liking.

A lot of people add a "pellet tube" on their pellet smoker to help with the smoke ring. I have never personally, but would like to try one and see what it does. I put my brisket on a cold smoker, and let the warm up phase add some extra smoke. Ring and bark are good to my personal liking.

I've never used a smoke tube. I ran the brisket at 225 until it reached a range of 178-190 in different parts of the brisket, then raised it to 250. Total time at 225 was about 10 hours....10 hours of non-stop smoke billowing out the smoker. I really don't know why a smoke tube would be needed.

I don't either. Some pellet smokers don't churn out as good of smoke as others (just like some offsets are better). I'm also sure that some people don't know how to adjust their setting properly (if their pellet has them). On mine, I can get it to just about a smokeless grill, do a pillowy cold smoke. I like my briskets to have a thin whisp of constant smoke. A little harder to nail down since moving to CO- not sure if it's the temps or altitude. But I'm getting there!

I'm interested to try one of the tubes more for cold smoking some cheese, or adding some different flavors to salmon I like to smoke.

OhAggie98 said:

---

I've never used a smoke tube. I ran the brisket at 225 until it reached a range of 178-190 in different parts of the brisket, then raised it to 250. Total time at 225 was about 10 hours....10 hours of non-stop smoke billowing out the smoker. I really don't know why a smoke tube would be needed.

---

This is exactly what I do on my rec tec. My briskets will match most stick smoked briskets every time.

The key to bark/ring is low temp and NO WRAPING with anything. Just let it go until you get the desired internal temp or tenderness.

OnlyForNow said:

---

I've got a masterbuilt that says that and an electric pressure washer that says the same thing.
"Use a dedicated non-GFCI circuit when in operation"

Things like that draw too much power and draw it in non-even bursts so gfci outlets think something is wrong and will always trip.

---

This is correct, but you won't run into an electrical fire because the circuit is protected. You run into electrical fires on unprotected circuits or extension cords that aren't sized for the amps you need. Sounds like OP should have had a shorter, lower gauge cord.

Also, as mentioned in a different comment, an outlet that takes a flat blade and flat or L blade plug should be on a 30 amp circuit. Being on this circuit won't help with the extension cord though. The circuit is only as strong as the weakest link, and an extension cord only capable of carrying 20 amps over its length will fail if you draw 25. Remember, extension cords with the same gauge will handle different amperages over different lengths because shorter cords have lower overall resistance.

Just want to point out, even though the cord is stupidly short, it says on my Masterbuilt DO NOT PLUG INTO AN EXTENSION CORD.

Glad nothing more serious happened.

To this I would add smoker must be level so grease can escape smoker into the drip pan..

OneNightW said:

---

The key to bark/ring is low temp and NO WRAPING with anything. Just let it go until you get the desired internal temp or tenderness.

---

Just for the pellet smoker? I've seen great results from people with offsets and just saw a video of a PBC with great results, and all were wrapped with peach butcher paper after reaching 160 degrees.

OneNightW said:

---

OhAggie98 said:

---

I've never used a smoke tube. I ran the brisket at 225 until it reached a range of 178-190 in different parts of the brisket, then raised it to 250. Total time at 225 was about 10 hours....10 hours of non-stop smoke billowing out the smoker. I really don't know why a smoke tube would be needed.

---

This is exactly what I do on my rec tec. My briskets will match most stick smoked briskets every time.

The key to bark/ring is low temp and NO WRAPING with anything. Just let it go until you get the desired internal temp or tenderness.

---

Wrapping with peach paper wont prevent bark

Seriously, id like to bend your ear on this if you don't mind.

What did you do to bark it up like this?

I have never been able to get that result and I have he exact same smoker

agfan2013 said:

---

zip04 said:

---

OneNightW said:

---

The key to bark/ring is low temp and NO WRAPING with anything. Just let it go until you get the desired internal temp or tenderness.

---

Just for the pellet smoker? I've seen great results from people with offsets and just saw a video of a PBC with great results, and all were wrapped with peach butcher paper after reaching 160 degrees.

---

For better bark, you can still wrap, just needs to be later in the cook (and in paper not foil). Most people wrap to power through the stall, but your bark still isn't done forming at 140-160 when a lot of people wrap. Wrap after the stall if you can (usually 170 internal or higher for me) and you can still have great bark.

I also did some smoking yesterday (on a stick burner). 12 pound, choice grade, that took 11 hrs & 45 minutes. Almost perfect bark for what I'm looking for, and wrapping keeps it plenty juicy on the inside. Tons of moisture was pouring out when I sliced it.

---

This looks awesome!

TresPuertas said:

---

Seriously, id like to bend your ear on this if you don't mind.

What did you do to bark it up like this?

I have never been able to get that result and I have he exact same smoker

---

Below were my steps (not saying they all contributed to the bark):

- Season brisket (13 1/2 lb prime packer from Costco) the night before with rub (Used this rub - TAMU BBQ Brisket rub recipe ) It was the first time using this rub, and it was a little salty for me. I'm going to cut the salt in half next time.
- Started brisket in smoker at 225deg F at 7:30PM Friday night.
- Spritzed with apple cider vinegar and apple juice (1:2 ratio) every hour until 1AM. (That's when I decided to get some sleep). Checked it at 5AM, spritzed it, and started every hour again at 7:30AM.
- Once internal temp readings reached the lowest of 178 (I was targeting anything above 175) and varied up to 190 in other parts, I raised the temp up to 250deg F (Around the 10 1/2 hour mark). I would have wrapped with pink butcher paper (have never tried it before, but wanted to), however I didn't have any. So I chose to not wrap it at all.
- Once internal temp reached 200deg I checked it for feel. Once it felt like the temp probe was going into hot butter I removed it from the smoker (around 14 1/2 hour mark), wrapped it in foil and a towel, then let it rest in a soft sided RTIC cooler for about 2 1/2 hours.

Sliced and melted in your mouth. The tips were very tough due to being all bark, but it was kind of like eating beef jerky. The wife loved those parts.

I plan on ordering pink butcher paper and trying that next time to help hold even more moisture.

Franklins trimming video he cuts the "tip" portion off. Says it gets too dry but they eat it in KC. No big loss.