My man. Great job tuning in on that all wood cook. I love the Masterbuilt and what it brings to the backyard. Its an awesome unit for someone who wants a tad more them what a pellet can deliver. Ill have to run it hotter and see what happens. Great job and thanks fo9r the shout out!!
I’ve been burning wood splits in my hopper for 3 years now. Layer of charcoal, stand up splits and pour a bit more charcoal around the splits. Run at 275° or hotter and you get thin blue smoke for at least 6 hours. Under 275° gives dirty smoke. Factory temperature controller has no problem controlling the temperature.
@@abc-ed1nr it’s as close to stick burner as you can get without using a stick burner! It’s really really great! Added bonus is it uses hardly any charcoal. Great when you have access to lots of good wood.
I think something you can try also is to do all wood for the first couple hours of the cook to really impart the smoke flavor then switch to a mix of charcoal and wood which will allow you to set and forget it for the rest of the cook.
Great video, I have been using my masterbuilt for about 2 years now, almost every weekend. I have tons of dried fruit would chunks and have great success with filling the hipper with 60/40 fruit wood and charcoal. Set it and forget it all day, while still getting that authentic offset flavor. Try it, you won't regret it. Even lower Temps around 225.
I had this idea when I first found out about the masterbuilt! You gotta do a head to head brisket with an offset and the masterbuilt using this method! 👍👍👍
Thank you and This a great vid for showing how to get the most 'good' smoke from the Masterbuilt. I have been using the MB 800 for going on three years now and agree that 'short fill' of the stack with wood is the way to go. I was using a lower end offset before and getting some decent results. Here are some random additional thoughts. -I cant recommend enough to go out and get the Fireboard plus wire adaptor to get maximum control and convenience out of the MB. The Fireboard and I end up using as the onboard battery back up also address's one of the issues noted by Smoking Dad when he talks about power going out. Yes its expensive. The improved (I find) connection, history/time stamp of smokes and interface , for me, easily made up for it. -Charcoal Matters. Lump vs Briquette matters. I find that using the single source Jealous Devil to help when extend the hopper refill time (when needed) is a good choice. I think you get some better smoke flavor from their Quebracho Blanco lump bag. Not all their bags are. -I do recommend the elevated grate for the ash bin and placing a wood chunk on it at start of smoke -speaking of chunks, I personally have found using the 'fist size' chunks is my go-to. That said, if I am looking to lay down a second type of wood, or more, wood smoke flavor I will also have some of the 'tiny pizza oven wood' on hand. Overall I don't think I am exceeding the product that comes from a quality off-set run by somebody who knows how to use it (and that is not me ) but I do think the vast majority of folks would not be able to tell much of a difference. And I get the bonus of actually being part of the party for more time then tending the offset. thanks for reading this far
You've managed to get an amazing result out of a gravity type smoker. Congratulations, this is a game changer. I would next consider using this method for the first 3 1/2 hours or so, then add charcoal and wood chunks to let it operate as set and forget it mode, perhaps at a somewhat reduced temperature, then see if it is smoky enough.
Why do you find that result amazing (Curiosity here) , if the gravity's had better controllers, no one would buy a pellet grill, A gravity feed is the closet you are going to get to an offset, and I find it hard to tell the difference between a bread box with a rocket stove attached to it and my offset, unless you just want restaurant flavor, a gas grill or a pellet grill can give you that, if you want the flavor of your father's BBQ, that is not happening with a pellet cooker, you have to have charcoal and wood for that and sometimes only charcoal and even with Royal Oak Charcoal pellets you can still tell the difference , Its just the way the pellet cooker works , it's to darn efficient, it burns way too clean
@@MrJunglebear1 The amazing part is that he was able to run all wood, and get smoke flavor comparable to offset smokers, which he could not attain with the charcoal mix. What he did, to a certain extent, it mimics what KBQ pit does, in what they call "Inverted Flame" technology. That is a hand on smoker though.
@@CoolJay77 , I have run straight wood in my 1150 , for a short cook it's great , and yes the Master builds are the closet thing to an offset you can get , It's a bread box with a rocket stove attached to it , my thing is this , can we make the Master built have the same flavor or better than an offset
I gave kamodo/egg grills my best effort (having been gifted a joe jr) and ended up getting a masterbuilt 800 a few months ago and love it. it's a bit of a charcoal hog but it's very easy and gives me what I need and has versatility in options for a griddle, rotisserie, and pizza oven (the one i'm looking forward to bc i'm a big homemade pizza guy). glad to see more than just eggs on this channel.
Love it, will have to try it. Ive found the LSS ash box mod a bit of a revolution for adding extra smoke. 3-4 chunks at a time. Down side is you have to keep adding, but for overnight I still put additional wood in with the charcoal. Best tip I have is weber bricketts. Double the cook time and control.
I find using splits of wood and charcoal is the best. Stand the splits up vertically in the hopper corners and fill the center with coals. I aim for 60% wood splits 40% charcoal
@@lynndollar1013 How do you like the 560? They have it on sale for $350 so I’m considering it. Currently I have a Pit Boss Pro. Adding a smoke tube has helped with smoke flavor, but still looking for more.
@@Atekcs Love it as a smoker, don't like it as a grill. Would rather use Kettle to grill. The 560 is small and I'm upgrading. But it sold me on gravity feed, so much so, that I bought an Assassin 17. The problem with the 560 is its size. Its small and I don't use the bottom grate for smoking which cuts the size down in half. The bottom grate gets a lot of radiant heat from the manifold. Before buying the Assasin, I was going to upgrade to the 1050, which I would strongly recommend. If you buy the 560, it won't be long you'll be wishing you had the 1050.
I had good results putting large chunks of wood (with a few smaller chunks to get it going) in the ash catcher. Gave me extra clean smoke in that early critical part of the smoking process.
Great video! Wasn’t sure if the fire would die out fast because of the size of the wood chunks. Glad to see it worked well. Definitely want to see/hear about Oklahoma Joe with all the tricks vs the Masterbuilt Gravity Series!
Actually I prefer the current quality to price point (The Masterbuilt 800 was on sale at Walmart for only $200 at one point). Since the technology in these can change dramatically, it is nice to be able to upgrade every few years at a low cost.
@@SmokingDadBBQ you don't think it would last because this grill wasn't intended for run 100% wood or for what you mentioned in the video of this grill having moving parts?
@@__-ul7cc Eric Rowley (TheBBQHQ) has expressed a poor opinion of Masterbuilt's durability, electronics and customer service. He's a pellet guy, but I hear the same sentiment in comments from long-time owners. *shrug* Just hearsay, but it's enough for me.
@@blipblap614 thanks, it's good to be aware that some have experienced durability issues with this type of grill. Maybe it's worth to spend a little more in an offset smoker since it will last a lot more. But I have to admit it is appealing the possibility to run the masterbuilt as an offset and also have the other benefits of this series.
I run a masterbuilt, I highly recommend getting a fireboard drive 2. With this you are able to control the masterbuilt even more precisely, run the fan from the controller which is battery powered. Can easily handle a full 18 hour cook on one charge… or can be run plugged in also.
I have my pellet grill plugged into a back up battery pack that auto kicks on if power goes out. It has saved me twice. One time the back up lasted 5 hours to finish cook.
Best thing I ever did for my MB560 was getting the iGreely USB cable in the US. It connects to any USB power bank. I did a 5-6 hour smoke on mine on a 30,000mAh battery bank and it used 10% of the power. That maps out to about 2 full days off the battery. Seriously. Solves the power outage problem completely. The wifi can be a little hit and miss. I've had connection issue with the app, but always manage to resolve them. Seriously great smokers.
Awesome video. I tried this yesterday. Started with some b&b hickory lump in the bottom. I let it get up to temp and then added a few descent size hickory splits. Set the temp to 275 and let the smoke stabilize. Oh my, they were the best wings I’ve ever had. I didn’t add any wood and maintained 275 for 2 hours.
So I have a masterbuilt 800 I had it for about 5 months and I smoked several things on there. Pork butts, I've round pork chops breast. And when I'm smoking with the 800 I put charcoal In the tunnel with a little bit of wood but I put the wood in the Pan underneath and I get great smoke from it. There's even a guy that sells a piece that raises up the wood. But I've never had a problem with the wood burning and smok change. I like Peacan, like cherry and hickory. So for an overnight 200° brisket put a bunch of wood in that bottom ash catch pan. And you can also add a little wood in with the charcoal. That's the best way to smoke with wood, I'm in the 800.
I rather see the Masterbuilt vs the Huron or other good offset. I think having to add wood to both of the offsets in a similar time frame and comparing the flavor would be a great video.
This was awesome! The video earned a subscription from me! I am totally sold on this, however, my primary concern is the build quality. It is a MasterBuilt after all!
@@FOGOcharcoal hey fogo kamados are so efficient you would be burning bad smoke, I tried this many times can only get away with burning a small log doing a clean burn no way you put to or more log’s burning at the same time you will ruin your food and destroy the egg, in the small firebox, The best method have tried is a bed of charcoal and a small like 1/2 split log burning with a small flame and meat raised on the Eggspander extender, you will have to have the dome a little cracked open for more air , otherwise you will lose flame and log will be burning bad,
I have a masterbuilt 800 I find it’s a really good all rounder tbh it’s easy for beginners and it’s something experienced people can play with to help with there cooking experience
I may try this on my pork steak cook today. Typically, I put a bed of lump then stand up a split then surround the split with lump, then put chunks in the ash pan. I also wired up my fireboard 2 drive to run the fan on my masterbuilt 1050
I've done very similar to what you did several times on my Chargriller. I put down a little bit of lump and then I used a full split and it burnt well for ribs and a butt. That's the only way I'll run it anymore. Knowing the smoker I understand that mine needs at least 250 to run clean but I run at 275 so it was a nice pleasant experience on both occasions. Btw, get a nice rechargeable battery pack and an adapter plug and you can easily run a pretty lengthy cook depending on your Ah pack. I no longer run a cord to an outlet.
Great video - just what I need. As far as the power goes, it runs off a battery pack and they last 20+ hours. I can send you what I bought. Also, I bypassed the safety switches because they go bad. I hard wired a toggle switch to manually turn on/off the fan and it has been a game changer. I like the Masterbuilt for the price. It's a box store build. Imagine if Lonestar or another premium offset manufacturer built a gravity fed like this! Thank you for perfecting the wood only cook. I have learned a lot between Tom, Tommy and you. Can't wait to try.
@@SmokingDadBBQ Anytime. It really make the pit more mobile and to me a little more bullet proof. I would recommend the toggle switch on one of the hopper buttons over the lid.
Could you do another experiment with filling up the entire hopper with all wood and doing a set it and forget it type cook as the masterbuilt was intended to be used for. Thank you kindly
Hey, big question here. How full was the hopper? Were you dropping the wood onto a roaring fire or on to unlit coals? Or smoldering wood? What was the base of the fire?
I think part of the thing that helped is the small chunks you used. As I think even with the OKJ people think they can run it like a real deal offset smoker and unfortunately it’s not in my opinion. It’s a scaled down thin version of a real deal offset
What about running it normally except with additional wood chunks added to the ash bucket via a shelf (LSS and Klotes both make one)? If the idea is to get a similar amount of smoke as an offset, it seems that would also work.
Im trying this as i write it, having a hell of a time keeping the smoke clean like you are. Using small chunks of well seasoned apple wood. Only trying because i ran out of charcoal last night and no stores near me have any on the shelves. Hopefully it works because its the one thing i miss from my side burner
Great video and thanks for mentioning the other vids. I have the 800 for almost a year and use a mix of charcoal and wood. I do like charcoal flavor. The grill has worked flawlessly so far. I love being able to sit in the basement and watch movies while I sit there and monitor my grill. I usually start off at 225° and work my way up in temp to get more smoke in the beginning. Works great for chicken that I end with a temp of 450 - 475 for crispy skin and smoke flavor all without going near the grill;-)
Soo glad you made this video. Been on the fence about keeping my master built or not. Was keeping the temperature around 275, and it burnt through a full hopper way too quick
Very intrigued if you benefitted from the gravity hopper at all. Others have mixed wood chunks in with charcoal to improve smoke quality. Still, the versatility of feeding wood like an offset is good to know for those times when you want to be a purist.
Thanks for the video...I think I will try this as well. I missed what kind of wood you used and did you start with a little charcoal to get it rolling?
Nice cook! Not exactly set it and forget it like it’s designed for but I’m sure it’s still easier to not be directly controlling the temp stability by adding splits as in the offset. Not exactly the same design but to some degree I think you turned it into a Karubecue
As someone who prefers to cook briskets and butts overnight and rest them in a warming oven (or in my case the lowest my oven will go) for 8-12 hours the following day, that's exactly the appeal of a "smart" cooker. But it's worth pointing out you can achieve the same thing with a Fireboard 2 Drive and a fan you can connect to your Kamado Joe.
James, great video! 👍 For a moment I was a bit nervous about what you would think of running it on wood alone, but was relieved to hear you like it, meaning I have been doing it right for the last year! 😂😂
So I have been researching smart grills the last year or so because running a stick burner can be a pain. I had a good friend tell me to run 50/50 with chips and broken up lump charcoal on the gravity feeds. It’s supposedly a good clean smoke, barks the meat up really well and can run at 250 and sustain a small flame. Not sure how accurate what I heard is, but every time I’ve had his brisket or ribs, it’s good and not bitter.
James, absolutely do a video of your offset vs the Masterbuilt! I own a KJ-Jr and a KJ3 because of your channel. And a Masterbuilt may very well be my next purchase 🤣 do a side by side!! (Offset/Masterbuilt)
thing is you can run that masterbuilt of a ryobi battery using a wall socket converter, other than the fan speed there is not much to control on this! How much wood would you expect to go through for a pulled pork or even a brisket? could it be loaded to the brim and left to do its thing?
Great video. How did you start it? Charcoal or splits from start to finish? When adding splits would you wait until the flamed up and then close the cover? This is a great idea as I want more flavour out if my 560.
hi. have you tried adding a grate towards the bottom of the ash bucket? and add extra wood chunks there (to add extra wood smoke)? I'd be curious to know your comparison. tia. 🙏🙌
Questions 1. Did you start with a small bed of charcoal? 2. You just kept adding 2-3 wood chunks or splits every 45min or so? I have noticed on my 800 that it likes to be around 275F also to get a cleaner wood smoke. 225F tends to get a little more dirty smoke and 250F hasn’t been the most consistent for clean smoke. My method has been bed of charcoal to get it started, 2-3 wood chunks depending on size a single layer of charcoal, 2-3 chunks of wood and repeat. I pretty much only use B&B Briquettes in the orange bag also.
I’d love your opinion on that Camp Chef pellet smoker that has the built in tray to add chunks of real wood. It’s supposed to add that offset smoke flavor with the convenience of a pellet
Great job on these videos. I've been using an Akorn for years and have it pretty well dialed in to get a consistent 225 for smoking, but im looking for something even eaiser and more cooking space to do larger briskets. Would love to hear your thoughts on the smoke flavor difference between the akorn and the masterbuilt gravity series.
So how much wood did u start off with what size wood and how often and how much did u add wood I'm getting a masterbuild soon and I wanna use smoke as u did
@@SmokingDadBBQ Awesome! I like that Masterbuilt is looks great for the money and offers a griddle (800 series). But, Komodo Joe seems undisputable where it excels.
You changed two variables from what the other guys did. They filled the hopper and used 225F. You fed in dribs and drabs and used 275F. It would be interesting to see what happened if you filled the hopper way up and used 275F. Again and again, I hear the Masterbuilt controller runs cooler than it is set to. A separate thermometer in the unit to check it would be good. Was it really 275? Well, my 800 is supposed to be here on the 10th and then I can play with these questions myself.
I hear that the first 6 hours is when your meat absorbs the most smoke. For a long low and slow brisket, what do you think about wood the first 6 hours and coals after?
Nice. I have one of these smokers and have experimented with splits in the hopper, but had lower temps than you, seems the secret is 275 👍. Looking forward to experimenting with a spatchcock chicken and some English oak splits this afternoon for dinner tonight 😋. Thanks for a great video.
I bought a usb cable adapter for my Masterbuilt and run it off a portable powerbank. Mostly due to now having a plug near where I wanted my grill. This obviously eliminates power outage concern.
Can you give a little more information on how you started/maintained the fire? 1. Did you start with a charcoal bed to ignite the initial wood chunks? 2. Did you keep the lid open or do anything specific before starting up the grill (to allow the fire to ignite more and get burning hot/clean)? 3. Did you wait a certain amount of time after allowing the grill to come up to temp (maybe to wait to see thin blue smoke?) 4. How did you know when to add more wood? Appreciate any other tips or insights you have on this! I've watched your and @theGalleryBBQ's videos on this multiple times, but I do not know if it is as simple as doing everything the same as you would with charcoal (besides adding the woodchunks piecemeal to minimize creosote), or if you are doing anything else in between. Thanks!
sure, start with a handful of charcoal to get a coal bed 1-2" covering the bottom... then drop in 2-3 hand sized splits as needed. dont need to do anything else, open, drop, close and continue
Great video. I tried all wood in my Masterbuilt 800, and it just turned ALL the wood in the hopper, into charcoal. I was not able to benefit from the smoke increase with wood cook, like on my offset. However, adding significantly more wood chunks with charcoal added more smoke. Also, the grease fires on my Masterbuilt is truly pronlematic, no matter how much i clean it. Any help? Last, all wood starting with a small bed of charcoal, WORKS phenomenally well in my Kamado Big Joe, Weber Smokey Mountain, and even the Weber Kettle. Great video, great education, thank you.
For the grease fire I don't know if you tried it but I used a cover for the heat inlet. They sell metal cover that seem nice but I just use aluminum wrap and change them at a regular interval
hey Solomon , how you run logs in your big joe?? kamados are so efficient you would be burning bad smoke, I tried this many times can only get away with burning a small log doing a clean burn no way you put to or more log’s burning at the same time you will ruin your food and destroy the egg, in the small firebox, The best method have tried is a bed of charcoal and a small like 1/2 split log burning with a small flame and meat raised on the Eggspander extender, you will have to have the dome a little cracked open for more air , otherwise you will lose flame and log will be burning bad,
Abbs74: that is EXACTLY what i do. Small bed of charcoal, and a wood split. I get clean, consistent smoke, for quite a bit of time due to the component that you outlined, the efficiency. I love that method, and love the results and ease of it. Still, nothing beats the flavor of my Weber Smokey Mountain.....only speaking about my experience, not anyone else's. But the diversity of grills and their differences keep the hobby interesting.
Hi James great cook, how does this all wood cook compare flavour wise to a double indirect cook on kamado joe with the wood in the ashtray?? kamados are so efficient you would be burning bad smoke, I tried this many times can only get away with burning a small log doing a clean burn no way you put to or more log’s burning at the same time you will ruin your food and destroy the egg, in the small firebox, The best method have tried is a bed of charcoal and a small like 1/2 split log burning with a small flame and meat raised on the Eggspander extender, you will have to have the dome a little cracked open for more air , otherwise you will lose flame and log will be burning bad,
It looks like a very capable smoker for getting the taste profile you want, but you sort of lose the "set and forget" functionality if you have to add splits every 45 minutes. Do you think there's a way to split the difference so you can leave it unattended longer and still achieve the taste you want?
What about smoking pellets to then use to smoke something else? Does it affect the flavor or too efficient flame to keep the pyrolysis flavors intact? Or smoking your wood, almost like kiln drying perhaps but adding compounds to them? you could soak them or wet them first so smoke adheres? I wonder if any of this would play a roll in dialing up the smoke in your masterbuilt or allow for some lower temps without the other issues.
Just started watching you enjoy your stuff I am a average back yard smoker have a collection that takes up more room than wife likes lol but more of a question than comment I recently got the masterbuilt always wanted a offset actually part time building one but that's another story question is did you get big temp swings on this cook i am trying this as I type and noticeing every time I add fuel I get big temp swings I expected 5 to 10 degrees but I am getting close to 20 to 25 degree swings any suggestions thanks
I thinking about getting a offset because of the flavor you rave about, but I need well built smaller one like 35 gal and built like your offsets. Any ideas on a small offset that is the quality of you 85 gal?
My man. Great job tuning in on that all wood cook. I love the Masterbuilt and what it brings to the backyard. Its an awesome unit for someone who wants a tad more them what a pellet can deliver. Ill have to run it hotter and see what happens. Great job and thanks fo9r the shout out!!
I’ve been burning wood splits in my hopper for 3 years now. Layer of charcoal, stand up splits and pour a bit more charcoal around the splits. Run at 275° or hotter and you get thin blue smoke for at least 6 hours. Under 275° gives dirty smoke. Factory temperature controller has no problem controlling the temperature.
@@sawzall9600 what kind of smoke flavor does that give you?
@@abc-ed1nr it’s as close to stick burner as you can get without using a stick burner! It’s really really great! Added bonus is it uses hardly any charcoal. Great when you have access to lots of good wood.
@@sawzall9600 heh..... you said "good wood" heh, heh.....
I think something you can try also is to do all wood for the first couple hours of the cook to really impart the smoke flavor then switch to a mix of charcoal and wood which will allow you to set and forget it for the rest of the cook.
Good call
I think this would be a great way to do it. The smoke ring develops in the early part of the cook so you get a better visual as well as flavor.
Great video, I have been using my masterbuilt for about 2 years now, almost every weekend. I have tons of dried fruit would chunks and have great success with filling the hipper with 60/40 fruit wood and charcoal. Set it and forget it all day, while still getting that authentic offset flavor. Try it, you won't regret it. Even lower Temps around 225.
Agree, have had my 560 for two years and have no problem using chunks in the ash bin and the hopper and getting close to stick burner flavor.
I had this idea when I first found out about the masterbuilt! You gotta do a head to head brisket with an offset and the masterbuilt using this method! 👍👍👍
Would love to see a brisket cook using this method
Thank you and This a great vid for showing how to get the most 'good' smoke from the Masterbuilt. I have been using the MB 800 for going on three years now and agree that 'short fill' of the stack with wood is the way to go. I was using a lower end offset before and getting some decent results. Here are some random additional thoughts.
-I cant recommend enough to go out and get the Fireboard plus wire adaptor to get maximum control and convenience out of the MB. The Fireboard and I end up using as the onboard battery back up also address's one of the issues noted by Smoking Dad when he talks about power going out. Yes its expensive. The improved (I find) connection, history/time stamp of smokes and interface , for me, easily made up for it.
-Charcoal Matters. Lump vs Briquette matters. I find that using the single source Jealous Devil to help when extend the hopper refill time (when needed) is a good choice. I think you get some better smoke flavor from their Quebracho Blanco lump bag. Not all their bags are.
-I do recommend the elevated grate for the ash bin and placing a wood chunk on it at start of smoke
-speaking of chunks, I personally have found using the 'fist size' chunks is my go-to. That said, if I am looking to lay down a second type of wood, or more, wood smoke flavor I will also have some of the 'tiny pizza oven wood' on hand.
Overall I don't think I am exceeding the product that comes from a quality off-set run by somebody who knows how to use it (and that is not me ) but I do think the vast majority of folks would not be able to tell much of a difference. And I get the bonus of actually being part of the party for more time then tending the offset.
thanks for reading this far
You've managed to get an amazing result out of a gravity type smoker. Congratulations, this is a game changer. I would next consider using this method for the first 3 1/2 hours or so, then add charcoal and wood chunks to let it operate as set and forget it mode, perhaps at a somewhat reduced temperature, then see if it is smoky enough.
Why do you find that result amazing (Curiosity here) , if the gravity's had better controllers, no one would buy a pellet grill, A gravity feed is the closet you are going to get to an offset, and I find it hard to tell the difference between a bread box with a rocket stove attached to it and my offset,
unless you just want restaurant flavor, a gas grill or a pellet grill can give you that,
if you want the flavor of your father's BBQ, that is not happening with a pellet cooker, you have to have charcoal and wood for that and sometimes only charcoal and even with Royal Oak Charcoal pellets you can still tell the difference , Its just the way the pellet cooker works , it's to darn efficient, it burns way too clean
@@MrJunglebear1 The amazing part is that he was able to run all wood, and get smoke flavor comparable to offset smokers, which he could not attain with the charcoal mix. What he did, to a certain extent, it mimics what KBQ pit does, in what they call "Inverted Flame" technology. That is a hand on smoker though.
@@CoolJay77 , I have run straight wood in my 1150 , for a short cook it's great , and yes the Master builds are the closet thing to an offset you can get , It's a bread box with a rocket stove attached to it , my thing is this , can we make the Master built have the same flavor or better than an offset
I gave kamodo/egg grills my best effort (having been gifted a joe jr) and ended up getting a masterbuilt 800 a few months ago and love it. it's a bit of a charcoal hog but it's very easy and gives me what I need and has versatility in options for a griddle, rotisserie, and pizza oven (the one i'm looking forward to bc i'm a big homemade pizza guy).
glad to see more than just eggs on this channel.
Love it, will have to try it. Ive found the LSS ash box mod a bit of a revolution for adding extra smoke. 3-4 chunks at a time. Down side is you have to keep adding, but for overnight I still put additional wood in with the charcoal. Best tip I have is weber bricketts. Double the cook time and control.
I find using splits of wood and charcoal is the best. Stand the splits up vertically in the hopper corners and fill the center with coals. I aim for 60% wood splits 40% charcoal
I agree, I don't have to run pure wood in my 560 to get good thin blue smoke and good flavor
Can you keep the temps lower this way?
@@lynndollar1013 How do you like the 560? They have it on sale for $350 so I’m considering it. Currently I have a Pit Boss Pro. Adding a smoke tube has helped with smoke flavor, but still looking for more.
@@Atekcs Love it as a smoker, don't like it as a grill. Would rather use Kettle to grill. The 560 is small and I'm upgrading. But it sold me on gravity feed, so much so, that I bought an Assassin 17. The problem with the 560 is its size. Its small and I don't use the bottom grate for smoking which cuts the size down in half. The bottom grate gets a lot of radiant heat from the manifold. Before buying the Assasin, I was going to upgrade to the 1050, which I would strongly recommend. If you buy the 560, it won't be long you'll be wishing you had the 1050.
I had good results putting large chunks of wood (with a few smaller chunks to get it going) in the ash catcher. Gave me extra clean smoke in that early critical part of the smoking process.
Another keeper video James…. Keep them coming!!
Cheers
Great video! Wasn’t sure if the fire would die out fast because of the size of the wood chunks. Glad to see it worked well. Definitely want to see/hear about Oklahoma Joe with all the tricks vs the Masterbuilt Gravity Series!
If that Masterbuilt was closer to a $1200 build quality, it would be a game changer.
100%. If I actually believed this would last it would be at the top of the list for people looking for a smart grill
Actually I prefer the current quality to price point (The Masterbuilt 800 was on sale at Walmart for only $200 at one point). Since the technology in these can change dramatically, it is nice to be able to upgrade every few years at a low cost.
@@SmokingDadBBQ you don't think it would last because this grill wasn't intended for run 100% wood or for what you mentioned in the video of this grill having moving parts?
@@__-ul7cc Eric Rowley (TheBBQHQ) has expressed a poor opinion of Masterbuilt's durability, electronics and customer service. He's a pellet guy, but I hear the same sentiment in comments from long-time owners.
*shrug* Just hearsay, but it's enough for me.
@@blipblap614 thanks, it's good to be aware that some have experienced durability issues with this type of grill. Maybe it's worth to spend a little more in an offset smoker since it will last a lot more. But I have to admit it is appealing the possibility to run the masterbuilt as an offset and also have the other benefits of this series.
I run a masterbuilt, I highly recommend getting a fireboard drive 2. With this you are able to control the masterbuilt even more precisely, run the fan from the controller which is battery powered. Can easily handle a full 18 hour cook on one charge… or can be run plugged in also.
I have my pellet grill plugged into a back up battery pack that auto kicks on if power goes out. It has saved me twice. One time the back up lasted 5 hours to finish cook.
Best thing I ever did for my MB560 was getting the iGreely USB cable in the US. It connects to any USB power bank. I did a 5-6 hour smoke on mine on a 30,000mAh battery bank and it used 10% of the power. That maps out to about 2 full days off the battery. Seriously. Solves the power outage problem completely. The wifi can be a little hit and miss. I've had connection issue with the app, but always manage to resolve them. Seriously great smokers.
Can you add a link to the cable?
Love this video with the masterbuilt experiment, nice job,
Nicely Done! Thanks for the mention!
Thanks Tom, thanks for the inspiration
Awesome video. I tried this yesterday. Started with some b&b hickory lump in the bottom. I let it get up to temp and then added a few descent size hickory splits. Set the temp to 275 and let the smoke stabilize. Oh my, they were the best wings I’ve ever had. I didn’t add any wood and maintained 275 for 2 hours.
Sounds great!
Would you say 275 is better than 225 for both wood chunks and charcoal together?
Should try some direct heat ribs. 275-300 for 2.5-3 hours. Don’t have to take the membrane off. Fast and easy but most of all tasty!
So I have a masterbuilt 800 I had it for about 5 months and I smoked several things on there. Pork butts, I've round pork chops breast. And when I'm smoking with the 800 I put charcoal In the tunnel with a little bit of wood but I put the wood in the Pan underneath and I get great smoke from it. There's even a guy that sells a piece that raises up the wood. But I've never had a problem with the wood burning and smok change. I like Peacan, like cherry and hickory.
So for an overnight 200° brisket put a bunch of wood in that bottom ash catch pan. And you can also add a little wood in with the charcoal.
That's the best way to smoke with wood, I'm in the 800.
I rather see the Masterbuilt vs the Huron or other good offset. I think having to add wood to both of the offsets in a similar time frame and comparing the flavor would be a great video.
This was awesome! The video earned a subscription from me! I am totally sold on this, however, my primary concern is the build quality. It is a MasterBuilt after all!
I love this idea. I’ve thought about trying that in a Kamado.
@FOGO Charcoal How or where, would you add wood every hour in your Kamado?
@@tomm9493 I’d start with it filled up and vents barely open. With the EGGspander, it’d be easy to add more if needed.
@@FOGOcharcoal Thanks
@@FOGOcharcoal hey fogo kamados are so efficient you would be burning bad smoke,
I tried this many times can only get away with burning a small log doing a clean burn no way you put to or more log’s burning at the same time you will ruin your food and destroy the egg, in the small firebox,
The best method have tried is a bed of charcoal and a small like 1/2 split log burning with a small flame and meat raised on the Eggspander extender, you will have to have the dome a little cracked open for more air , otherwise you will lose flame and log will be burning bad,
@@abbsabbs8610 That is exactly what I was curious about and I do believe that your hypothesis is correct.
I have a masterbuilt 800 I find it’s a really good all rounder tbh it’s easy for beginners and it’s something experienced people can play with to help with there cooking experience
It’s a good all rounder for sure
I may try this on my pork steak cook today. Typically, I put a bed of lump then stand up a split then surround the split with lump, then put chunks in the ash pan. I also wired up my fireboard 2 drive to run the fan on my masterbuilt 1050
I've done very similar to what you did several times on my Chargriller. I put down a little bit of lump and then I used a full split and it burnt well for ribs and a butt. That's the only way I'll run it anymore.
Knowing the smoker I understand that mine needs at least 250 to run clean but I run at 275 so it was a nice pleasant experience on both occasions. Btw, get a nice rechargeable battery pack and an adapter plug and you can easily run a pretty lengthy cook depending on your Ah pack. I no longer run a cord to an outlet.
Great video - just what I need. As far as the power goes, it runs off a battery pack and they last 20+ hours. I can send you what I bought. Also, I bypassed the safety switches because they go bad. I hard wired a toggle switch to manually turn on/off the fan and it has been a game changer. I like the Masterbuilt for the price. It's a box store build. Imagine if Lonestar or another premium offset manufacturer built a gravity fed like this! Thank you for perfecting the wood only cook. I have learned a lot between Tom, Tommy and you. Can't wait to try.
thanks, and good idea with the switch
@@SmokingDadBBQ Anytime. It really make the pit more mobile and to me a little more bullet proof. I would recommend the toggle switch on one of the hopper buttons over the lid.
I have a Masterbuilt as well…what type of battery pack you used? And where can I get it from
@@holymolibbq a lot of people use different methods but I got a solar battery pack from Amazon and a 12V USB to 5V cord. Works great.
@@lx2nv thanks for the reply
Could you do another experiment with filling up the entire hopper with all wood and doing a set it and forget it type cook as the masterbuilt was intended to be used for. Thank you kindly
Hey, big question here. How full was the hopper? Were you dropping the wood onto a roaring fire or on to unlit coals? Or smoldering wood? What was the base of the fire?
I think part of the thing that helped is the small chunks you used. As I think even with the OKJ people think they can run it like a real deal offset smoker and unfortunately it’s not in my opinion. It’s a scaled down thin version of a real deal offset
Did you say "Darg-Gone"?? Great Channel though... I love that you were a fellow Akorner!! 😁
Great vid mate, very informative. Definitely going to give this a try on my MB 800 with some Aussie woods. Cheers from Australia! 👍🏼🍺
What wood you going to try?
@@davidbates5663 I’ve used both yellow box and red gum to just pad out the charcoal at times without issue. Haven’t tried lower temp smoking as yet.
Best smoker, I rock mine 3-5 time a week since 4 years
finally! cant wait to watch this. not tried it in my masterbuilt yet but heard good things!
nice job James!!
Cheers,
Brad
Cheers
What about running it normally except with additional wood chunks added to the ash bucket via a shelf (LSS and Klotes both make one)? If the idea is to get a similar amount of smoke as an offset, it seems that would also work.
I always love watching your videos! So much great info!
Thanks Sylvia
Im trying this as i write it, having a hell of a time keeping the smoke clean like you are. Using small chunks of well seasoned apple wood. Only trying because i ran out of charcoal last night and no stores near me have any on the shelves.
Hopefully it works because its the one thing i miss from my side burner
These are naturally seasoned too and a few at a time should be burning open flames
Great video and thanks for mentioning the other vids. I have the 800 for almost a year and use a mix of charcoal and wood. I do like charcoal flavor. The grill has worked flawlessly so far. I love being able to sit in the basement and watch movies while I sit there and monitor my grill. I usually start off at 225° and work my way up in temp to get more smoke in the beginning. Works great for chicken that I end with a temp of 450 - 475 for crispy skin and smoke flavor all without going near the grill;-)
it is winning me over a little towards the benefits of app controlled temps
Appreciate your work. Thanks. The downside of this is you cant leave it and utilize the temperature control if your adding wood every so often.
yes you are getting closer to the offset day in the life where you can't be out and about
Soo glad you made this video. Been on the fence about keeping my master built or not. Was keeping the temperature around 275, and it burnt through a full hopper way too quick
It does use the fuel … which is a good thing for flavour but not for the pocket book
The wood you were using, was it kiln dried or seasoned wood? Thanks
Very intrigued if you benefitted from the gravity hopper at all. Others have mixed wood chunks in with charcoal to improve smoke quality.
Still, the versatility of feeding wood like an offset is good to know for those times when you want to be a purist.
Wow good results from that gravity fed.
Thanks
Awesome, we need more of this. Brisket next?
Thanks for the video...I think I will try this as well. I missed what kind of wood you used and did you start with a little charcoal to get it rolling?
Nice cook! Not exactly set it and forget it like it’s designed for but I’m sure it’s still easier to not be directly controlling the temp stability by adding splits as in the offset. Not exactly the same design but to some degree I think you turned it into a Karubecue
As someone who prefers to cook briskets and butts overnight and rest them in a warming oven (or in my case the lowest my oven will go) for 8-12 hours the following day, that's exactly the appeal of a "smart" cooker. But it's worth pointing out you can achieve the same thing with a Fireboard 2 Drive and a fan you can connect to your Kamado Joe.
Are you serious?? I’m going to try this today!!! BTW, what type of wood? Did you use any charcoal to start up? I’m so excited!!
Awesome! I'm going to try that with my Masterbuilt in the next couple of weeks! Please do a comparison versus a traditional offset.
What kind of wood do you use and where do you usually source it?
They look amazing.
Thanks
Wow that's impressive. 🍻
Always love your videos. OK so here comes the big question Kamado big Joe or the beast?
James, great video! 👍 For a moment I was a bit nervous about what you would think of running it on wood alone, but was relieved to hear you like it, meaning I have been doing it right for the last year! 😂😂
Hello James, do you think it is possible to do a brisket this way in this grill at 225 degrees Fahrenheit? Thanks for any info.
So I have been researching smart grills the last year or so because running a stick burner can be a pain. I had a good friend tell me to run 50/50 with chips and broken up lump charcoal on the gravity feeds. It’s supposedly a good clean smoke, barks the meat up really well and can run at 250 and sustain a small flame. Not sure how accurate what I heard is, but every time I’ve had his brisket or ribs, it’s good and not bitter.
James, absolutely do a video of your offset vs the Masterbuilt! I own a KJ-Jr and a KJ3 because of your channel. And a Masterbuilt may very well be my next purchase 🤣 do a side by side!! (Offset/Masterbuilt)
Great video James! I sense a masterbuilt vs offset blind taste test in the near future
Kinda scary how close it gets to the OKJ for the effort involved
thing is you can run that masterbuilt of a ryobi battery using a wall socket converter, other than the fan speed there is not much to control on this! How much wood would you expect to go through for a pulled pork or even a brisket? could it be loaded to the brim and left to do its thing?
Did you leave the smoke box open the whole time?
Would you recommend over a pellet type grill?
Do you have any videos that show how you got the fire started?
Great video. How did you start it? Charcoal or splits from start to finish? When adding splits would you wait until the flamed up and then close the cover? This is a great idea as I want more flavour out if my 560.
Have you ever cut the flat off the brisket and cooked the point and the flat separately? May be a good video test!
Fantastic result. I will have to give this a try on my masterbuilt.
What do you use for the spritz?
@SmokingDadBBQ Did you leave the top shoot door open the entire cook?
Have you ever done a side by side comparison of any type of cook between the masterbuilt vs the KJ?
hi. have you tried adding a grate towards the bottom of the ash bucket? and add extra wood chunks there (to add extra wood smoke)?
I'd be curious to know your comparison.
tia. 🙏🙌
Questions
1. Did you start with a small bed of charcoal?
2. You just kept adding 2-3 wood chunks or splits every 45min or so?
I have noticed on my 800 that it likes to be around 275F also to get a cleaner wood smoke. 225F tends to get a little more dirty smoke and 250F hasn’t been the most consistent for clean smoke. My method has been bed of charcoal to get it started, 2-3 wood chunks depending on size a single layer of charcoal, 2-3 chunks of wood and repeat. I pretty much only use B&B Briquettes in the orange bag also.
Good cook , if you don't want the Master built you can send my way 😂😂😂😂
I saw u sent a reply about a prize, but I couldn't it to pull up
I will try this on my next cook. Do you get them going with a wee bit of charcoal?
So as far as smoke flavor….. how’s it compare to your offset??
I’d love your opinion on that Camp Chef pellet smoker that has the built in tray to add chunks of real wood. It’s supposed to add that offset smoke flavor with the convenience of a pellet
Great job on these videos. I've been using an Akorn for years and have it pretty well dialed in to get a consistent 225 for smoking, but im looking for something even eaiser and more cooking space to do larger briskets. Would love to hear your thoughts on the smoke flavor difference between the akorn and the masterbuilt gravity series.
Great video id like to try this do you recommend around what size were the splits you used? Thanks in advance
So how much wood did u start off with what size wood and how often and how much did u add wood I'm getting a masterbuild soon and I wanna use smoke as u did
Did you use charcoal as a starter then add wood? Or did you just throw 100% wood in to start?
Great video! I would very appreciate Master Built bs Komodo Joe because I'm considering between two!
Coming out next week
@@SmokingDadBBQ Awesome! I like that Masterbuilt is looks great for the money and offers a griddle (800 series). But, Komodo Joe seems undisputable where it excels.
You changed two variables from what the other guys did. They filled the hopper and used 225F. You fed in dribs and drabs and used 275F. It would be interesting to see what happened if you filled the hopper way up and used 275F. Again and again, I hear the Masterbuilt controller runs cooler than it is set to. A separate thermometer in the unit to check it would be good. Was it really 275? Well, my 800 is supposed to be here on the 10th and then I can play with these questions myself.
Interested in your findings! Report back if you have time. I am on the fence between Masterbuilt and Chargriller Auto Kamado
@@eskimofo9i6 I got the MasterBuilt 800 and am very happy with it a month later. Your mileage may vary.
I hear that the first 6 hours is when your meat absorbs the most smoke. For a long low and slow brisket, what do you think about wood the first 6 hours and coals after?
Whats the point of it if you still have to add wood every hour the same as an offset smoker?
What about alternating a layer of wood chips between charcoal layer's
Or in the ash bin. They burn there too
Nice. I have one of these smokers and have experimented with splits in the hopper, but had lower temps than you, seems the secret is 275 👍. Looking forward to experimenting with a spatchcock chicken and some English oak splits this afternoon for dinner tonight 😋.
Thanks for a great video.
Thanks. Let me know what you think
I bought a usb cable adapter for my Masterbuilt and run it off a portable powerbank. Mostly due to now having a plug near where I wanted my grill. This obviously eliminates power outage concern.
Can you give a little more information on how you started/maintained the fire?
1. Did you start with a charcoal bed to ignite the initial wood chunks?
2. Did you keep the lid open or do anything specific before starting up the grill (to allow the fire to ignite more and get burning hot/clean)?
3. Did you wait a certain amount of time after allowing the grill to come up to temp (maybe to wait to see thin blue smoke?)
4. How did you know when to add more wood?
Appreciate any other tips or insights you have on this! I've watched your and @theGalleryBBQ's videos on this multiple times, but I do not know if it is as simple as doing everything the same as you would with charcoal (besides adding the woodchunks piecemeal to minimize creosote), or if you are doing anything else in between.
Thanks!
sure, start with a handful of charcoal to get a coal bed 1-2" covering the bottom... then drop in 2-3 hand sized splits as needed. dont need to do anything else, open, drop, close and continue
First time viewing you and very professional presentation and am thinking you speak to groups for a living 🤷♂️
Great video. I tried all wood in my Masterbuilt 800, and it just turned ALL the wood in the hopper, into charcoal. I was not able to benefit from the smoke increase with wood cook, like on my offset. However, adding significantly more wood chunks with charcoal added more smoke. Also, the grease fires on my Masterbuilt is truly pronlematic, no matter how much i clean it. Any help?
Last, all wood starting with a small bed of charcoal, WORKS phenomenally well in my Kamado Big Joe, Weber Smokey Mountain, and even the Weber Kettle.
Great video, great education, thank you.
For the grease fire I don't know if you tried it but I used a cover for the heat inlet. They sell metal cover that seem nice but I just use aluminum wrap and change them at a regular interval
Thank you much!!
hey Solomon , how you run logs in your big joe?? kamados are so efficient you would be burning bad smoke,
I tried this many times can only get away with burning a small log doing a clean burn no way you put to or more log’s burning at the same time you will ruin your food and destroy the egg, in the small firebox,
The best method have tried is a bed of charcoal and a small like 1/2 split log burning with a small flame and meat raised on the Eggspander extender, you will have to have the dome a little cracked open for more air , otherwise you will lose flame and log will be burning bad,
Abbs74: that is EXACTLY what i do. Small bed of charcoal, and a wood split. I get clean, consistent smoke, for quite a bit of time due to the component that you outlined, the efficiency.
I love that method, and love the results and ease of it. Still, nothing beats the flavor of my Weber Smokey Mountain.....only speaking about my experience, not anyone else's. But the diversity of grills and their differences keep the hobby interesting.
Do you still have one of the smokers left to sell?
ive been trying the same thing but i was using charcoal and wood. all wood is next weekend
Hi James great cook, how does this all wood cook compare flavour wise to a double indirect cook on kamado joe with the wood in the ashtray??
kamados are so efficient you would be burning bad smoke,
I tried this many times can only get away with burning a small log doing a clean burn no way you put to or more log’s burning at the same time you will ruin your food and destroy the egg, in the small firebox,
The best method have tried is a bed of charcoal and a small like 1/2 split log burning with a small flame and meat raised on the Eggspander extender, you will have to have the dome a little cracked open for more air , otherwise you will lose flame and log will be burning bad,
Cool video!
I love my 1050 to smoke or turn up the heat and cook a steak or burgers.
💯
It looks like a very capable smoker for getting the taste profile you want, but you sort of lose the "set and forget" functionality if you have to add splits every 45 minutes. Do you think there's a way to split the difference so you can leave it unattended longer and still achieve the taste you want?
Yes while it’s easier than the OKJ to manage you’re not spending the day out doing other things. Not sure how you could without going to more charcoal
What about smoking pellets to then use to smoke something else? Does it affect the flavor or too efficient flame to keep the pyrolysis flavors intact? Or smoking your wood, almost like kiln drying perhaps but adding compounds to them? you could soak them or wet them first so smoke adheres? I wonder if any of this would play a roll in dialing up the smoke in your masterbuilt or allow for some lower temps without the other issues.
Just started watching you enjoy your stuff I am a average back yard smoker have a collection that takes up more room than wife likes lol but more of a question than comment I recently got the masterbuilt always wanted a offset actually part time building one but that's another story question is did you get big temp swings on this cook i am trying this as I type and noticeing every time I add fuel I get big temp swings I expected 5 to 10 degrees but I am getting close to 20 to 25 degree swings any suggestions thanks
I thinking about getting a offset because of the flavor you rave about, but I need well built smaller one like 35 gal and built like your offsets. Any ideas on a small offset that is the quality of you 85 gal?
Great video. What kind of wood did you use?
This was oak
@@SmokingDadBBQ great cook.