How To Use A Masterbuilt Gravity Series Smoke

A Masterbuilt Gravity Series smoker is probably one of the easiest ways to get proper charcoal flavour without spending your whole weekend babysitting a firebox. You still get real charcoal smoke, real bark, and proper live-fire flavour, but the digital fan system does a lot of the hard work for you.

That said, they still behave like a charcoal smoker. Which means airflow matters. Fuel quality matters. And if you overload it with cheap charcoal and greasy wood chunks, it'll still cook like rubbish.

A lot of beginners think these smokers are basically pellet grills that run on charcoal. Not really.

They're more like a charcoal smoker with training wheels. In a good way.

If you learn how the airflow and gravity feed system works properly, these things can cook excellent brisket, ribs, wings, and even steaks at surprisingly high heat.

How Do Masterbuilt Gravity Smokers Work?

A Masterbuilt Gravity Series smoker uses a charcoal hopper that slowly feeds fuel down into a small firebox at the bottom of the unit.

A digital controller and fan manage the airflow to maintain your set cooking temperature.

You:

1. Light the charcoal

2. Fill the hopper

3. Set the temperature

4. Let the fan control the fire

The smoker can run low and slow around 105°C for brisket or crank up hot enough for steaks and burgers.

The advantage here is that you still get real charcoal and wood smoke flavour without constantly tending to the fire every 20 minutes.

What Makes Gravity Feed Smokers Different?

Traditional offset smokers need constant fire management.

You're adjusting vents. Adding wood splits. Watching the smoke quality. Managing airflow constantly.

A gravity smoker simplifies a lot of that.

The charcoal hopper feeds fuel downward naturally as the lower charcoal burns away. The fan pushes oxygen through the fire and keeps temperatures surprisingly stable.

Honestly, they're one of the better beginner smokers around because you can focus more on learning cooking and less on fighting the fire all day.

This doesn't make them completely foolproof, though.

If airflow gets restricted from ash build-up or greasy residue, temperatures can start fluctuating all over the place during longer cooks, especially overnight!

Step 1: Start With Good Charcoal

This matters more than people realise.

Cheap charcoal creates:

• Excess ash

• Dirty smoke

• Poor airflow

• Temperature instability

• Faster hopper choking

Gravity smokers rely heavily on consistent airflow through the fuel column. Bad charcoal can absolutely ruin that.

Dense hardwood lump charcoal usually works best.

Smaller crumbly charcoal pieces tend to collapse and restrict airflow once ash starts building underneath. You'll notice the smoker struggling to maintain temperatures properly.

That's one thing a lot of YouTube videos don't mention.

Good charcoal makes these smokers run beautifully. Bad charcoal makes them frustrating.

If you're learning charcoal behaviour properly, our beginner guide to smoking and low and slow BBQ explains clean smoke, airflow, and fuel management in more detail.

Step 2: Lighting The Gravity Hopper Properly

Lighting a Masterbuilt properly is simple once you've done it a few times.

Basic Startup

• Fill the hopper with charcoal

• Add a firelighter underneath

• Light from the bottom access area

• Leave the slides open initially

• Let the fire burn for several minutes

• Turn the controller on

• Set your target temp

Don't rush this part.

One of the most common beginner mistakes is turning the fan on too early before the charcoal is burning properly.

That can create thick, dirty smoke early in the cook, which sticks to the meat fast.

You want the fire burning clean before loading food in.

Thin smoke cooks better than heavy white smoke every single time.

Adding Wood Chunks For Better Smoke Flavour

You can absolutely use wood chunks in a Masterbuilt.

And you should.

Otherwise, you're mostly just cooking over charcoal heat.

A few chunks mixed through the hopper works well, but don't completely overload it with wood.

Too much timber creates:

• Thick bitter smoke

• Temperature spikes

• Dirty combustion

• Creosote flavour

Especially early in the cook while the fire stabilises.

Personally, I think chunks work better than chips in these smokers because they burn slower and cleaner.

Good Wood Pairings

• Ironbark with beef

• Apple wood with chicken

• Hickory with pork

• Cherry for colour on ribs

Just don't chase massive smoke clouds.

A lot of beginners think visible smoke means better BBQ.

Usually the opposite.

Setting Cooking Temperatures

This is where Masterbuilt smokers become ridiculously easy to use.

You set the temp digitally, and the fan controls airflow automatically.

Typical Temperature Ranges

• 105°C–120°C for brisket and ribs

• 135°C for chicken

• 150°C+ for crispier skin

• 200°C+ for roasting

• 350°C+ for steaks and direct grilling

The nice thing is how quickly they recover after opening the lid compared to a lot of charcoal smokers.

Still… don't stand there opening the lid every five minutes.

Every lid opening dumps heat and messes with airflow. The fan then overcompensates, trying to recover temperature, which can create swings during longer cooks.

Especially on windy days.

Don't Ignore Airflow & Ash Build-Up

This is probably the biggest real-world issue with gravity smokers.

Ash.

Long cooks slowly create ash underneath the burn area, which can restrict oxygen flow through the charcoal.

Once airflow gets restricted:

• Temps become unstable

• Smoke gets dirtier

• Charcoal burns poorly

• Recovery times get slower

You'll sometimes see people blaming the controller when the real problem is airflow restriction.

A quick ash cleanout before long cooks makes a massive difference.

Same with grease build-up.

Greasy smokers produce nasty smoke once the residue starts reheating repeatedly.

Masterbuilt Smokers Run Hotter Than People Expect

One thing beginners often struggle with is how aggressive these smokers can become once the fan really kicks up airflow through the charcoal.

They can absolutely sear.

Which surprises people coming from pellet smokers.

Steaks, wings, and burgers cook brilliantly on them if you run a proper hot charcoal setup.

But lean meats can dry out fast if you blast them too aggressively.

Chicken wings are a good example.

Low-temp wings can go rubbery. Too hot and the fat flares hard underneath.

Usually, around 150°C–175°C gives the best balance for crispy skin without greasy smoke.

Weather Still Affects Them

Even with the fan system, the weather still changes how these smokers behave.

Wind especially.

Strong wind increases combustion and fuel burn rate surprisingly fast. Cold weather also forces the smoker to work harder to maintain the temperature.

Rain and humidity can affect charcoal ignition, too.

People assume digital control means perfect conditions automatically.

Not really.

It still behaves like a live charcoal fire underneath.

You still need to pay attention to:

• Smoke quality

• Fuel levels

• Ash build-up

• Grease accumulation

• Wind direction

• Charcoal condition

That's just charcoal cooking.

Best Foods To Cook On A Masterbuilt Gravity Smoker

These smokers are seriously versatile.

They work brilliantly for:

• Brisket

• Pork shoulder

• Beef ribs

• Chicken wings

• Whole chickens

• Lamb shoulder

• Reverse seared steaks

• Burgers

• Sausages

Honestly, they're excellent for people who want both smoking and grilling from one setup.

Especially if you're not interested in managing an offset fire all day.

If you want to improve your charcoal smoking skills further, it's also worth reading up on:

• clean smoke

• charcoal airflow

• reverse searing

• smoker thermometers

• lump charcoal vs briquettes

• fire management basics

Those fundamentals matter on every charcoal cooker. Not just gravity smokers.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Overloading the Hopper With Wood. More smoke does not mean better flavour. Too much wood creates dirty, bitter smoke quickly.

Using cheap charcoal usually produces more ash and unstable heat. Gravity smokers hate bad airflow.

Constantly Opening The Lid. Every lid opening changes airflow and temperature behaviour.

Ignoring Grease Build-Up: Greasy residue creates a horrible smoke flavour over time.

Chasing Exact Temperatures: A smoker fluctuating slightly is completely normal. Don't panic every time it moves a few degrees.

Useful Accessories For Masterbuilt Gravity Smokers

A few things genuinely help:

• Meat thermometers

• Wireless probes

• BBQ gloves

• Lump charcoal

• Smoking wood chunks

• Charcoal baskets

• Grill brushes

• Ash tools

A proper digital meat thermometer is probably the biggest upgrade, honestly.

Cooking by feel takes years.

Thermometers remove a lot of beginner frustration.

You can also check out our range of charcoal smokers, smoking woods, lump charcoal, BBQ thermometers, and smoking accessories if you're setting up your first proper low and slow setup.

FAQs

Are Masterbuilt Gravity smokers good for beginners? 

Yes. They're one of the easier ways to learn charcoal smoking because the fan system handles most of the airflow management automatically. You still learn real fire cooking fundamentals without constantly fighting the smoker.

Can you use briquettes in a Masterbuilt Gravity smoker? 

You can, but dense lump charcoal usually performs better. Briquettes often create more ash, which can restrict airflow during long cooks.

Why is my Masterbuilt producing thick white smoke? 

Usually, because the fire hasn't stabilised properly yet, or there's too much wood loaded into the hopper. Restricted airflow and greasy build-up can also create dirty smoke.

How often should I clean ash out of a gravity smoker? 

Ash build-up is one of the biggest causes of unstable temperatures and poor airflow, so I personally clean it out before every cook

Can a Masterbuilt Gravity smoker sear steaks properly? 

Absolutely. These smokers can run surprisingly hot and work really well for reverse searing steaks, burgers, and wings.

What wood chunks work best in a gravity smoker? 

Hardwood chunks like ironbark, hickory, apple, and cherry all work well, depending on the meat you're cooking. Chunks generally burn cleaner and slower than chips.