I've never used one and don't have a manual. How do you set up the grills and the pan to smoke something ? Thanks, Bob

It could be it just needs a clean bottom tray under burners could need cleaning

No, the water pan is just for water. The pre-soaked wood chips go in the charcoal bowl on top of the heated charcoal. Putting the wood chips in the water bowl with water in it, would serve no purpose as far as adding a smokey flavor is concerned. If you desire a smokey flavor, do not wrap the **** in anything.

In case you have misplaced your owner's Manual, I have included a link to it that you can download and print for future reference. http://images.brinkmann.net/docs/pdf/810-5301-C.pdf

I hope this helps you, to further your enjoyment of using a smoker. Thanks for choosing FixYa.

Easy! From this pdf page:
http://docs.barbecues.com/PE-Links/Brinkmann/Brinkmann-815-3060-4-manual.pdf
It is the real instruction manual!

By cuing, they mean burning it for an hour or 2, before using it to grill or smoke food. Coat the grill grates with a light coating of vegetable oil, before firing up the charcoal. Maintain a temperature of 325 - 350 degrees F for half an hour with the hood closed and a half hour with the hood raised.. After that, the grilling part of the grill - smoker should be cured. The smoker part, other than cleaning, doesn't need much curing. As the temps for smoking don't exceed 225 degrees F.

Hope this helped you and Happy Grilling!!

It depends on whether your trying to smoke the meat or grill the meat. You can't do both at once.
If you want to grill the meat, don't even fool with the smoker part. Put the charcoal in the grill side, light it and allow it to get white hot, before putting the meat on to sear it on both sides first, before moving it to a cooler part of the grill to finish cooking to your likeness.

If you're trying to smoke meat or whatever, you use only the smoker side for heat and smoke. By, usually using some type of hardwood, like Oak, Mesquite , Pecan. etc. However, the meat or whatever you want to smoke, goes on the grill side (No charcoal required under it), because smoking is a low heat (200 - 225 degrees F) slow process. Any where from a couple of hours up top 8 hours, depending on what and how much you're smoking. It's often referred to, as "Low & Slow."

Hope this helped you to better understand how a combination grill-smoker works. Once you do a little receipe research and get the hang of it, you'll really enjoy it.

Hi, I understand your frustration, the manual supplied is next to useless! The 'obvious' settings appear NOT to work (as the grill remains on full heat setting all the time). The only way we've managed is to lower the food away from the grill..... not ideal I know - but also we don't use it for toast.
I suppose Hoover would be the next best port of call for assistance, oh for a proper manual, not a horrible generic one that attmpts to cover every model they produce - AND FAILS.
This is purchasers main complaint about buying Hoover ovens it seems.
I'll come back to see if anyone can supply a solution to our problem.... and hope it's not a fault in manufacture.

Most of the time, it's not how much charcoal you use, it's how and where you place the charcoal pan for grilling and searing, as opposed to smoking food. The higher the charcoal pan in the grill, the more air it gets and the charcoal gets hotter. To illustrate this I have included a link to your Owners Manual (in case you have misplaced yours), to you can download and print for future reference. Pay particular attention to page # 9 - Grilling and Searing.

http://images.brinkmann.net/docs/pdf/810-5301-C.pdf

I would add to what your Owners Manual says about what type of charcoal to use, by suggesting that you use all natuarl lump charcoal, instead of briquette type charcoal. It the all natural lump charcoal is easier to light, without starter fluid. Plus, it burns cleaner and hotter than briquette type charcoal.

This should help you solve the issue you're having Happy Grilling!!

Debbie, unless you listed the wrong model number for your Masterbuilt Electric Smoker ... Electric Smokers don't use charcoal at all. They use wood chips, that are placed on the wood chip tray, just above the burner. The smoldering wood chips generate the smoke.

In case you've misplaced your Owners Manual. Here's a link to it that you can download and print for future reference. http://www.masterbuilt.com/pdf/manuals/07092010%2020070910%20Manual.pdf

Hope this helps you to enjoy your smoker.

Somtimes using a charcoal grill can be tricky...are your charcoal briquetts fully lit and ashed over before yo start cooking...if so..the next trick is to get a good "draw" so the grill operates properly...you have to get air in the grill thru the botom vent and out te grill thru the lid vent at just the right rate to get a nice stream of smoke thru the lid vent without flaming up under the food.You have to make sure that you have the bottom vent partially opened to allow air to flow thru...remember air in thru the bottom and out thru the top....also try to use a good quality charcoal such as "Kingsford" because they burn longer than any I've ever used....It's a trial and error thing.....PS....don't try to relight by squirting starter fluid...This is very dangerous.... hope this was helpful..

Whether it is electric or charcoal it really makes no diff. This is a sweet machine!. Your fire is on bottom your water pan is above that. you meat is at the top. This makes the heat be indirect on the meat. You pour in some liquid smoke into your water pan. Rum your meat good. Low and slow is the theme here. Oh yeah you can set it up to grill away. The heat source pan and grill can all be rearranged but this baby is built to smoke! Low and slow.
Smoking Meat- How to Smoke Meat Guide

If you need further help, reach me via phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/dan_73bbd84fe1d95b61