Hi there! Regarding your question about whether to keep the vent open or closed when smoking with your Masterbuilt smoker—this really depends on the texture you want on your smoked meat.

If you want a moist texture on the outside of the meat, you would keep the vent mostly closed to retain humidity inside the smoker. On the other hand, if you prefer a drier texture with a crisper bark, then keeping the vent open allows more airflow and smoke to escape, which helps dry the exterior.

For Masterbuilt electric smokers specifically, many users recommend leaving the exhaust vent fully open to prevent stale smoke and creosote buildup on the meat. This helps keep the smoke flavor clean and prevents bitterness1.

So, a good rule of thumb:
1. For moister meat, close or partially close the vent.
2. For dryer bark and clearer smoke flavor, keep the vent open.

Would you like me to guide you on how to adjust this properly on your specific model? Or do you want tips on maintaining temperature along with vent positioning?

I am smoking salmon, open vent?

Thanks for clarifying that you’re smoking salmon! For smoking salmon in a Masterbuilt smoker, the general recommendation is to keep the vent fully open or at least 50-100% open. This allows proper airflow and prevents excess moisture buildup, helping you avoid a bitter or overly smoky flavor on the delicate fish. Keeping the vent open also enables consistent temperature control, which is important when smoking salmon at lower temperatures like around 225-250°F1.

If you are using the Masterbuilt app to control your smoker, while it doesn’t specifically set vent positions (since vents are manual adjustments), the app can help you maintain accurate temperature and cooking time for smoking salmon perfectly. For the vent, simply keep it open as much as possible—this gives the smoke a way to flow over the salmon without trapping moisture.

Here’s a quick step-by-step:

1. Preheat your Masterbuilt smoker to about 225-250°F using the app or manual controls.
2. Fill the water pan to maintain humidity inside but don’t rely on the vent for moisture control.
3. Set the vent on top to be fully or mostly open to ensure airflow.
4. Place your salmon on the racks, and monitor the internal temperature until it reaches about 140°F for safe, moist, and smoked salmon.
5. Use the app to keep track of your smoker’s temp and adjust heat as needed.

Would you like help with app setup for temperature control or tips on seasoning and preparing the salmon before smoking?

I also have the water tray in smoker, is it necessary

Great question about the water tray! When smoking salmon or any other meat in your Masterbuilt smoker, using the water tray (or water pan) is not strictly necessary, but it can be very helpful depending on what you want to achieve.

Here’s the rundown:

1. The water tray adds humidity inside the smoker, which helps keep the meat moist during longer smoking sessions. This can be beneficial for delicate items like salmon, as it prevents them from drying out.

2. It also helps regulate temperature fluctuations by acting as a heat buffer, which can lead to a more consistent smoking environment.

3. However, if you prefer a drier, firmer bark on your smoked salmon or if you're smoking for shorter periods, you might choose to leave the water tray empty or out.

4. Some Masterbuilt users fill the water tray with alternatives like sand or leave it empty to stabilize heat without adding humidity.

So for smoking salmon, I recommend keeping the water tray filled with water to maintain moisture and a gentle smoking environment. Just be sure to check the water level every hour or so, especially on longer smokes, and refill as needed.

If you prefer, you can experiment both ways—smoking with and without water in the tray—to see what texture and flavor profiles you like best.

Would you like help with tips on water tray placement or maintenance during smoking? Or maybe some advice on how to monitor and refill the tray efficiently?

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Thank you

Hi! You're interested in the features and user reviews of the Masterbuilt app—great topic! I’ve looked into the latest information for you.

The Masterbuilt app is designed to give you remote control over your Masterbuilt smokers and grills, right from your smartphone. Key features include:
- Setting and adjusting cooking temperature and time remotely.
- Monitoring meat probes to keep track of internal meat temperature.
- Viewing your cooking history to learn from past sessions.
- Controlling multiple Masterbuilt devices from a single app.

The app is available for both iOS (including your Mac OS X device via iOS apps if you use an iPhone or iPad) and Android devices. It has a high rating on the Apple App Store—about 4.7 stars out of 5 from over 10,000 users, which suggests many users appreciate its functionality and ease of use2.

That said, user reviews are mixed in some other places—such as Reddit—where some users report connectivity and stability issues, especially with Wi-Fi dropping. Some users mention these problems can require troubleshooting or resetting connections frequently3.

There is also another separate app called "Masterbuilt Classic" that has significantly lower ratings, around 1.4 stars on Google Play. So make sure you download the official Masterbuilt app (orange icon) to get the best experience1.

Overall, if you want the convenience of monitoring and controlling your smoker remotely, the app is quite useful with a generally positive reception, but a stable Wi-Fi connection is important to keep it running smoothly.

Would you like help with setting up the app on your device or tips on improving connectivity during your smoking sessions?