Thread: Mak 1 Star vs 2 Star

A couple of you guys posted that the smoke flavor on the Mak was cleaner, more focused etc. from a WSM... Well I am a WSM user and I hate the fiddle set PITA... On a different forum on guy said the smoke flavor on a Mak was much lesser than a WSM. I found that somewhat hard to believe. The Mak 2 have seen running was pushing out good consistent smoke.

Any further discussion on converting from WSM to Mak would be appreciated.

Originally Posted by sandyut

A couple of you guys posted that the smoke flavor on the Mak was cleaner, more focused etc. from a WSM... Well I am a WSM user and I hate the fiddle set PITA... On a different forum on guy said the smoke flavor on a Mak was much lesser than a WSM. I found that somewhat hard to believe. The Mak 2 have seen running was pushing out good consistent smoke.

Any further discussion on converting from WSM to Mak would be appreciated.

I think one of the MAIN differences, IMHO, having once been a total WSM guy, who became a pellet addict in 1991, is the fact that pellet grills burn at a higher rate of efficiency Vs charcoal or stick cookers. So you are getting purer wood smoke, Vs creosote laced smoke, which happens when wood does not burn completely or efficiently.

The creosote adds a bitter, greasy aftertaste to meat.

It's also been my experience that you get the best smoke flavor by doing 2 things: Smoke first, cook second. And if you can, once you cook the meat, refrigerate it over night, then warm-up and enjoy the next day. It seems that refrigeration helps the smoke "stick" to the meat. Also, smoking for a longer amount of time---like 7 hours for ribs---does result in a smokier flavor. At least that has been my experience.

One of the things I really like with my MAK is the fact that you can set-it and forget-it. The grill does all the heavy lifting. I dont have to adjust the airflow or exhaust. I dont have to add fuel or water. it frees me to do other things while cooking on the MAK. And the fact that the food is always fabulous. Once you go pellet, you dont want to cook on anything else.

Looking a the MAK website the 1 Star seems to have the pellet dump, yes/no?

Thanks again!

The smoke on a MAK will be cleaner because the grill burns wood @ 98% efficiency factor. This reduces creosote from contaminating the smoke on the meat, which leaves a bitter aftertaste. Usually stick cookers or charcoal/wood cookers will have creosote intermixed with the smoke. Not so on a MAK.