Can Masterbuilt's New Sub $500 Grill Smoke Ribs With REAL Wood Splits?

I Ran A Wood ONLY Fire In The NEW Masterbuilt Autoignite 545 Series To Make Some St. Louis Smoked Ribs to find out how far I can push this grill into legitimate smoker territory.
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#SMOKINGDADBBQ #masterbuilt #porkribs
@Masterbuilt

[@ChrisG9978]

I picked up the 545 just a few days ago. Assembled it in the morning, did the pre-seasoning, and fired it up to grill some pork tenderloins later that afternoon. The 545 excels for evenly cooking meats because of how precisely this grill holds temp, when using lump charcoal or briquettes. Some may not like the fact that there's less charcoal flavor for grilling burgers, etc. because of the offset location of the coals. Throwing in a wood split or two is a fantastic way to enhance flavor beyond what charcoal provides when burned in the 545. Ditched the gas grill for the 545 and won't be looking back...will likely be selling my smoker as well.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

So cool that you can produce such great results on an inexpensive cooker! I think I wish you could get to the firebox without going into the cook chamber, but that’s apparently a small price to pay (see what I did there?)

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Haha love it

[@JustGrillingandChilling.]

Great idea….Like James said, for $500.00, this can be a great option…. I hope there will be more tests on this grill….👍🏼👍🏼

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

More to come! Brisket is next

[@williamwilson2624]

That turned out much better than I expected. Those were some tasty looking ribs. Great video, James.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

If I didn’t have the gravity series experience I would be skeptical but i was optimistic knowing what a surprise those were

[@freedomofnow]

I get the masterbuilt xt on Monday, would love to see your thoughts on it 🤩

[@jeoffbenzos4959]

I was literally just searching for this exact thing and you happened to post this 20 minutes before lol.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Haha perfect

[@BrisketMedic]

Awesome little cooker. Great job making that work

[@remyrousseau2601]

Nice video as always. Let us know if it keeps its temperature when it’s really cold outside. I would love to see a winter brisket to compare with my Classic Joe.😮😜

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

coming up

[@JoeAnshien]

I load all the wood into my MB800 as it is a sealed fire chamber on top and only the bottom wood will burn. Also the wood not burning pre-heats and gives you the clean burn you are talking about.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Every time I did that on the 1050 it started an inferno and the top pieces were dry charcoal by the time they got down the bottom. I also noticed the high heat melted the finish on the hoper sleeve so I went back to more manageable fires but maybe the 800 can get away with it sounds like which is nice

[@JoeAnshien]

@@SmokingDadBBQ Interesting... I have noticed some of the leftover splits that start looking like lump charcoal left in the hopper. I am pretty sure that happens at the end of cook when I put the slides back in and the wood smolders in the lack of O2. I just save it for next time. I do usually have a mix of charcoal and splits as I like the combined flavor. The only damage I see in 1.5 years is the usual burn through at the bottom of the firebox. I am about to buy some 304 SS Klotes Mods to replace them as even though MB says it is OK I don't like the thought of those fibers in my food.

[@peterlai9018]

@@SmokingDadBBQ Have you modified the 1050 with LSS?

[@peterlai9018]

@@JoeAnshien Is Klotes still in business?

[@knuxson]

I just got one of these and I am liking it so far. It is very different from my Weber Performer as, obviously, the Masterbuilt uses indirect heat instead of grilling directly over the coals. With that, I have noticed way less charcoal flavor than I am used to. I am interested to see if maybe adding some wood chips or something in the hopper with the coals could get some more coal/smoke flavor even on quicker cooks like burgers or steaks.

[@ChrisG9978]

Adding some split wood will definitely help. Get your coals going first...when the grill is up to temp, throw one or two small pieces of your favorite split wood into the hopper and add your burgers or steaks shortly thereafter.

[@TheMattstaub]

I can't wait for this grill to show up at my local Home Depot

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I may not be thrilled with the cost saving measures compared to some premium high end models I am privileged to work with … but if you wanted to impress a guest with quality barbecue you’d be crazy to not consider cooking them something on these. It’s remarkable how well they do

[@way8497]

Thanks for the doing this experiment! Always enjoy you videos. Can the 545 do a mixture of briquettes and wood like the other gravity smokers?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

yes it works the same

[@red2lucas]

Sometimes I go for a walk with the dog and put your videos on without even looking at the screen. Just listen. Keeps me company.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Thanks for the walk

[@samacc2536]

This is awesome! I noticed a wood fired Joetisserie cook. Will there be a video on that 😅

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

here is the video from that clip - kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHvElIN3arWWi7M

[@dres-bbq3569]

Real smoke fire is the best :-) Love how this turned out

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

100% agree

[@CoolJay77]

Nice hack. Do you feel you got better result in smoke flavor, compared to the filling the MB 1050 with splits? You have sort of mimicked the operating principle of the Karubecue smoker.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

i think the 1050 moves a little more air given its size... not that memory is the best for head to head but it might have a slight advantage being larger but these were darn good. i have no complaints

[@martinlorensen2220]

You have to review the Masterbuilt 1050 XT new version 😃

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I hope to later this year

[@avihack2063]

Is the door for the Firestarter left open on purpose?

[@MarioGarcia-qw6dd]

Hey James, how close to an offset would you say the flavor was? Thanks for doing this as always!

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Oh gosh without side by side… maybe 60-70% of an offset. 80 tops. It’s by far the closest as anything remotely priced like this has come but I’d be lying to say it’s on par. But for the ease of use I think that’s an amazing result

[@jamesorr1200]

I was wondering this, too. How would you compare it to double indirect with wood chips in the ash drawer?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

@@jamesorr1200 it’s pretty close. These might even have a very small advantage. I think my experiments with the DoJoe are ahead thing as that has better directional control of the air flow like a mini offset

[@curtisrogers4190]

Hello fellow brand ambassador, Can you tell me if there is anytype of shutdown available? If you use a hopper of lump and finish your cook before the hopper is burned out, is there anyway to save that hopper of lump for future cooks or do you have to just let it burn itself out?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

There is a draft door like a Kamado that can be closed to kill the airflow and the grill can be powered down helping save some left over coal for the next day. That being said it’s not air tight and doing a late night smoke the next morning I saw glowing embers so it didn’t 100% save maximum fuel even though plenty was left t

[@darknessblades]

Do you have any spice/rub suggestions for porkbelly-ribs? Gonna get some myself from a local butcher. to grill/smoke.

[@tomthewombat]

Is your wood getting wedged in the hopper? That is my #1 issue with my Masterbuilt 560. In fact the steel walls of my hopper have not burned away. Instead they warped inward resulting in further buildup. Hopefully Masterbuilt can establish themselves as high end and durable because their historic price/quality is not good. Having cooked a lot on a 560, I can recommend a major temperature issue that must ring true for newer and newest models. The temperature probe location is in a hotter part of the grill. Especially when BBQing, you are not seeing this temp in the middle (perhaps even on a higher rack). That is probably why your butt took so long on the 1050.

[@Sheps246]

I would love to see a brisket, the grill area looks a little small. Would it fit or would one end be to close to the gravity heat section and over cook?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

it comes out soon

[@davo912]

Of course it would fit.. It's not too small..I've cooked a brisket on their portable version

[@ld71d96]

Isnt there a built-in fan shut off swtch when you open the fuel door? Although most have disabled switches on offset as i have, seems like there should be a swith on thos model from the factory 🤔

[@TheSlyRipper]

You can press the power button to pause/resume the fan

[@MotoMedicine904]

How exactly does the shutdown work on this. Does it burn every bit of coal put into it or will it choke off the fire and put it out.

[@matthewbyrnes2879]

Hey James, somewhat of an unrelated question. I'm not far from you in Buffalo, NY. Where are you sourcing your wood?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I using furtado farms. Unfortunately the boarder is a nightmare for getting wood from either country across the boarder with shipping. The back of the truck is another story I won’t incriminate myself in writing 😂

[@davo912]

You think wood is special ? it's not...buy what you can find..Walmart carries the wood splits and chunks as well as all the brand name charcoal

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

@@davo912look for naturally seasoned vs kiln dried. Less flavour and burn time on kiln

[@brendanconnelly1835]

Can you do a mix of Charcoal and mini wood splits in the hopper on a gravity smoker and fill it higher? Or will the wood just turn into charcoal in 2 hours or so?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Yes you can. 4-5 hrs on a mixed load

[@luker78]

So I know you have both grills. I am in the market for a second BBQ. I am still stuck between both the Masterbuilt and the big Joe 3. I know there is a huge difference in price point but is there one you prefer?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Oh gosh. The big Joe is better at pizza and steaks and has rotisserie options which I love so i lean that way even for a series one. But this effortlessly makes amazing flavour where you have to work a little harder in the Kamado

[@kevincrouch54]

How does this compare to the results you can get from smoking with your Kamado?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

It’s not air tight which promotes a cleaner burning fire and it has a fan forcing that smoke around so it’s probably got a small advantage if not tie to my double indirect ribs. I think the DoJoe method i have been experimenting with is ahead based on top down airflow control

[@wadegordon]

Where do you get all your wood splits from??? Are they Flavoured? Curious, from Hamilton Ontario ☺️

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

These are furtsdo farms

[@mrsuri33]

wondering how this compares to the gravity fed 560

[@mattsnyder4754]

Haven’t gotten hands on with the new one yet, but just from walking past both of them at Home Depot it’s *miles* better. The 800 & 1050 gravity were significant quality improvements over the 560, and this looks a bit better than those two from my eye. It’s at least comparable to the bigger ones

[@loefflercm]

How much ash gets onto the food? Looks like thats going to be a concern for every cook.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

That’s because of the live fire like what an offset does. It’s no issue with smoking wood added to charcoal left alone

[@ShaonS]

What are thoughts about the ash kicking up and landing on the food when you open the charcoal bin? Should I be bothered by this?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I picked them off. My offset has ash occasionally fly by and the Campchef woodwind did it too

[@davo912]

listen up...This guy didn't use his head...that grill wasn't make to use all wood...but he SHOULD HAVE TURNED OFF THE FAN before he opened the hopper but oh no, he would rather see ash flying lol

[@kmbbmj5857]

Getting ready to purchase an upgrade from my Weber kettle. Trying to decide between a pellet grill vs the Masterbilt vs a kamado. Mainly looking for an almost set it and forget it type operation so I'm not having to tend the fire constantly. Being able to go to town and not have babysit during hours long cooks is my goal. Do you have a suggestion on which way is best?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I am getting a comparably priced pellet grill to do side by side test

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Check out my Konnected Joe review in the meantime

[@kmbbmj5857]

@@SmokingDadBBQ Great. Thankyou for such a quick response.

[@jennifermatney865]

Do you prefer this one over the master built 560 or 800?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

i prefer more space, the 800 is what i would grab between the two if you can look past the price difference. the space and extra accessories make it even more versatile and the larger hopper is nice for longer cooks

[@DIYOrDieTrying]

How long did you wait before you put on foil

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

About 2hrs

[@markrvp]

What happened to the pizza oven?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I still have it. Got some jr videos coming up and wanted it in the studio for recording

[@igotJesus88]

Opening the grill every 30 min seems like a nuisance to me. My splits last an hour on my offset. I would say things would cook slower opening the main chamber every 30 min?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I am every hour in my offset as well. This isn’t an offset so you’re definitely making a compromise on a design not intended for live fire

[@remyrousseau2601]

I will definitely modify it as a reverse flame furnace to separate the combustion zone from the storage zone and make it airtight. This will allow it to be completely filled with wood.

[@peterlai9018]

@@remyrousseau2601 That will a project in itself. I really wish the combustion is separate and encased with ceramic linings, and the a chute with a trap door or something similar controls the number of chunks slide into the combustion chamber.

[@Ssurge04]

Is it good at searing a steak?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

So so. I got a passing grade the first attempt but just barely. Need to try again with more fuel

[@peterlai9018]

I am from the WSM camp. WSM is not known for really clean smoke but the food do taste smokey with a few chunks. I found this video where the content creator pimps his WSM with a blower and temperature controller in order to burn logs. You can see the very heavy bark and smoke. I asked him if the smoke is clean. He said yes. I guess the Masterbuilt operates similarly with a forced fan. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a56oYZWCfriafZo

[@mattman8569]

I love ash coated ribs!

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

i removed as much as i can, most offset smokers i've used you do see some ash fly by from time to time so its kinda part of the live fire trade offs

[@barrywilliams606]

What do you think of this grill?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I may not be thrilled with some of the more visible cost saving measures compared to some premium high end models I am privileged to work with … but if you wanted to impress a guest with quality barbecue you’d be crazy to not consider cooking them something on these. It’s remarkable how well they do

[@tvideo1189]

Um, the unique teste of wood ashes all over your meat. Really special.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Offsets have this as do pellet grills. I picked off anything that landed on them

[@kkce1111]

No desire to add wood every 20 minutes

[@dwalt6095]

The longevity of the masterbuilt grills is pathetic. Pure junk. Customer service is even worse. Switched to a komado with no moving parts and will never turn back. Maybe they improved the product but mine was shameful

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I have a personal bias against electronics in grills at any price point so for me personally I would opt for simplicity

[@rickcormier9160]

Sadly, the same applies to sister company Char-Griller.

[@davo912]

Guess what mr Pittmaster..Most home cooks don't want the BS of the Komado,,. Why do think so many pellet grills are sold?

[@dwalt6095]

@davo912 never claimed to be a pitmaster but what 900$ grill doesn't connect to wifi. Known issue. Fire box warps. Known issue. Gasket fails. Known issue. And the customer service isn't good.

[@jjwmacdo]

looks like you're getting ash all over your ribs...

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

like an offset you do have some ash if you drop in the wood too much like i did that you need to wipe off... none issue when using charcoal as intended

[@jjwmacdo]

@@SmokingDadBBQ does turning off the fan when you open the box help?

[@davo912]

Due to the fact he needed to turn OFF THE FAN before opening the hopper..COMMON SENSE?

[@StoGromova]

Hi, great video. Would you recommend this grill if I want something that can smoke the meat, ribs, chicken etc, and if I want something to make burgers, chops, steaks on. Also(for smoking) I need something that I can just leave there for couple of hours. Please don't tell me I have to hire a cook 😁

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I don't judge... for me I want the manual but i recognize that the mainstream wants more flexibility which is why I review things that I myself might not be the first person to buy including this grill. For $500 i haven't found an automatic grill with this much flavour ... last weeks video was on a $500 pellet grill which can not compete for flavour of these ribs, sear as well etc.

[@StoGromova]

@@SmokingDadBBQ Thank you so much for replying and sharing your knowledge.

[@MrJunglebear1]

Well I would say that after watching both vids , you will be up all night with a brisket,

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

i switched to charcoal after the bark was set and the computer took over.

[@MrJunglebear1]

@@SmokingDadBBQ so have you experimented with how long it will run on a single chimney or 2 chimneys of lump yep