Since July 2020, approximately 20 million grills, like the Masterbuilt Charcoal Bullet Smoker, have been purchased. The Bullet is an extremely versatile, portable, and durable device, perfect for taking to social events or gatherings or for small smoke jobs at home. But it does require some preparation.
If you recently purchased or are considering buying the Masterbuilt Bullet, you may be curious about how easy (or hard) it is to assemble and season. This article below provides that information, as well as some basic advice about the functions of the Bullet.
How to Assemble the Masterbuilt Bullet?
The Masterbuilt Charcoal Bullet smoker is very easy to put together. The process only requires a few steps. You only need a Phillips head screwdriver or an impact driver to complete the entire project, which should take about 15 or 20 minutes.
Attach Legs and Grate Supports
Remove all the parts from the box. You should have two grill grates and two pans (one deep and another more shallow). You can set those aside for the moment.
First, attach the three legs to the bottom of the main barrel. They each require two screws that go through the barrel into the legs. Next, attach the three grate supports to the inside of the barrel, using the same method and screws as with the legs.
Attach Door and Side Handles
The door of the smoker can be slid into place. Next, slide the bolts attached to the side handles into the pre-drilled holes on the smoker. Add the four lock washers, flat washers, and M6x1 wing nuts (in that order) to each of the screws to secure them to the side handles.
Attach Lid Handle and Temperature Gauge
Find the lid handle and perform the same operation as the two side handles. Add a locking washer, flat washer, and the two remaining (M8x1.25) wing nuts to each screw to secure the lid.
Finally, install the smoker temperature gauge into the hole in the lid. Once you have completed these steps, you are ready to season your grill.
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How to Season the Masterbuilt Charcoal Bullet Smoker?
The process of seasoning–sometimes called “curing”– involves adding oil to a metal surface and baking it. This initiates a chemical reaction called polymerization. It forms a natural protective cooking layer that prevents moisture from interacting with the metal and causing rust.
The process for curing your Masterbuilt Bullet is similar to other forms of seasoning. You may be familiar with seasoning cast iron pans (which are particularly susceptible to corrosion). While the Bullet is made of stainless steel, no metal is indestructible–this process will provide an added layer of protection.
Clean
First, give the smoker a thorough cleaning. Water with a mild dish soap will suffice. You simply want to remove any dust or other contaminants from the surface that may have accumulated during production, packaging, or shipping.
Coat
Next, coat the entire metal surface with oil. This includes the barrel of the smoker, as well as the grates and their hangers. Also, coat the outsides of the charcoal and water pans.
You should avoid oils that smoke too quickly when heated. These include canola, coconut, and olive oil. Good alternatives with low burn points are vegetable, peanut, or grapeseed oil.
Vegetable oil spray is the easiest way to apply the oil, but you can wipe the oil on with a rag if that is what you have available. Lightly spray all the inside surfaces of the smoker, skipping the inside of the fire bowl.
Let the oil set up for five minutes and then spray and second light coat to the inside of the lid. The second coat on the lid will reduce the possibility of things falling onto your food and make it easy to wipe out with a paper towel.
When using a rag, dip it in a bit of oil to apply an even layer. You do not want a thick coat–only enough to evenly cover the surface. Let the oil soak for at least 10 minutes.
Heat
The final step in seasoning the Masterbuilt Charcoal Bullet Smoker is to slowly bring it to a high temperature. For this reason, you may want to avoid using a chimney, and then dumping the coals into the smoker. This change in temperature could be too abrupt.
Instead, light the coal in the pan. Heat it to a higher temperature than you will be cooking at (approximately 300 – 350 degrees). Hold that temperature for about two to four hours.
Tip: after two hours, ad a few small wood chunks or a cup of large wood chips to add a smokey coating to the inside of the smoker.
How to Use the Masterbuilt Bullet?
Now that your charcoal smoker is cleaned and seasoned, you are ready to cook. Follow these steps to get it fired up.
Coals and Water Pan
First, heat up the coals in either a chimney or the charcoal pan, using whatever method you prefer. Once the coals are heated, add the water to the water pan if you prefer.
A lot of people feel that it helps retain moisture in whatever you are cooking, but most meats are moist enough, so this may be unnecessary. It also can cause smoke to cling to the meat too quickly, which can be undesirable for most dishes.
Regardless of whether you go with water, you should leave this bowl in there. It will provide more indirect heat to the food, which lets it cook slower and keeps it from burning. It also will catch drippings from the meat, which would otherwise cause flare-ups.
Bring It To Temperature
Use the top vent to adjust the temperature of the smoker. Opening encourages oxygen to flow, increasing the heat. Closing it causes the heat to stabilize or lower (note that you should not close it all the way, which would stifle the oxygen and cause your coals to go out).
Add Wood
Either just before or after you put your food on the grill, add some pieces of wood to the coals through the side door. There are almost endless options, but popular ones include cherry, oak, hickory, maple, pecan, mesquite, and apple. You can find wood chips, but chunks are better and no more expensive than chips (at most stores).
You may have heard about some people soaking wood or wood chips. Never soak your wood! Wet wood will steam before it can smoke, creating an off taste. The smokiness from the wood is all you are looking for.
Add Food
Add the food to the grill and cook it to the desired internal temperature. Remember that you can always add more charcoal or wood to extend cooking time or add more smokiness to your dish.
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Learn More About the Masterbuilt Charcoal Bullet Smoker
Now that you know how to assemble, season, and use your Masterbuilt Charcoal Bullet smoker, you are ready to start smoking (or grilling). We at Pioneer Smoke House hope you found this information useful. If so, be sure to take a look at some of our other reviews, recipes, and tips on cooking meat.