What do I need to know about using an electric smoker?

On a bit of a whim I bought an electric smoker.  It is a Masterbuilt, has three racks, a chip cup, water tray, etc.  Seems pretty standard.  A friend has one and we have had some delicious food so when I saw this on sale on Woot I picked it up. 

Any guidance you all can provide on usage tips would be appreciated.  Where/what sort of chips or pellets have you used with success?  Any particular dishes that have turned out really well to share?  I'm going to season it with some old mesquite chips I have around in the next few days, hoping to make something tasty this weekend.  I read that getting a proper thermometer is worthwhile, so I'll do that.  

I've used a couple of Masterbuilts and plan on smoking a spatchcock turkey for Thanksgiving in one.  First thing I'd do is get a digital thermometer with a remote probe to measure the smoker temp.  The set temp on mine was about 30 degrees off.  I borrowed a fireboard 6 channel web connected temp monitoring system and was really impressed.  Real time temps of the meat, plus a channel for the smoker, and temp vs time graphs on the web so you could watch the stall and have it archived for future reference.

There's a ton of smoking info on the web to dig through so I won't rehash the basics, but we particularly like smoked brats - finely ground, fairly lean raw pork brats from our local farmers market.  Spatchcock chicken is really good.  Good brisket is hard to do, but rewarding once you get it right.  I recommend the Texas Crutch for brisket and pork shoulder, especially when you're trying to figure out using a smoker.

Got Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto for xmas a while back and it's been my reference.

Edit:  404's post made me question whether pork shoulder or butt.  It's butt for smoking:  Pork butt and pork shoulder both come from the shoulder of the pig. Pork butt (also called Boston Butt) comes from above the shoulder blades, while pork shoulder meat extends down to the pig’s front hoofs. Pork butt contains more fat and marbling, which makes it better suited to barbecue smoking.

Pork. Butt. 

Pulled or chopped, Western or Lexington or Eastern style sauce are all good options. Then you just need some slaw and potato buns and you're all set. Leftovers for Lexington stew. 

I also like to smoke cream cheese for dips or pepper poppers. I'll take the smoked cream cheese and mix it with ranch powder and some diced sweet peppers, then use it to fill jalapenos and more sweet peppers. Throw those in an oven to get to know each other and make the whole place smell amazing. 

You could probably also contrive a smoked tofu, for anyone who partakes.  I may have to ponder that one, prices being what they are.

I've had several smokers; wood fired, electric, charcoal.  Never had a gas smoker but I'm tempted to build a multi-fuel smoker out of a huge industrial bladder/surge tank I scavenged.

There is some voodoo involved with rubs, seasonings, braising steps, searing steps, and other processes that affect the outcome, but the smoker itself is a no-brainer.  There really isn't anything you have to do except add wood chips and wait.

When you're cooking low and slow, always inform your dinner guests that dinner will be anywhere from 4pm to 7pm.  I've gotten pretty good at hitting targets with some maths, but every piece of meat is different.  This 10 lb brisket might cook faster than the 9 lber beside it.

It's such a shame that briskets are a fad now.  I used to buy them for 99 cents a pound but that was 15 years ago.  Briskets are hard to screw up.  Season the snot out of them, put them in, and wait for the temp probe to tell you it reached 195.  Don't worry about trimming fat caps.  90% of the fat will render out and drip off.  Seasoned pros have discovered that very little of the fat in the blubber on top actually goes INTO the meat.  Trimming the fat should really only be done so that you have an easier cleanup.... or if you have guests that like eating crusty fat, which I do.

Myths:  Searing (reverse or otherwise) seals in juices?  It does not.  It adds flavor
Resting isn't necessary?  It totally is.  When it comes off the heat, the juice is hot and looking for a way out.  Cutting it to early will just leave all the juice on the plate and not in the meat.  Don't underestimate how long.  You can let a brisket rest for an hour and it will still be hot enough to serve.
You want a deep smoke ring?  You do not.  You'll get a ring of some sort, but a big smoke ring means your meat probably tastes like just smoke.  Less is more.  For a 15 lb brisket I'll make up 4-5 foil packets with a palm-full of chips.  I'll put two in to start, then two more after a couple hours, so the smoke part is done before the halfway point.

Tips:  Put chips in a foil packet and poke it with a fork.  This keeps oxygen away from the chips and forces them to smoke.  If you just put soaked chunks or chips on the burner, they will steam first, smoke for a little, and then just catch fire and flame doesn't make smoke.

Use the smoker for the whole meal.  Stuff some peppers with bacon, cheese, and cream cheese and put them in for the last hour.  Slice some beets and lay them on a rack for a bit.  Smoke a head of cabbage and make some slaw.  I once tossed a slice of carrot cake in.  Aside from the complete mess the icing made, it was pretty good.

Do keep water in the pan.  Smoking without that humidity can dry the meat much faster.  It also mitigates and re-directs heat.  If you don't, the radiant heat from the burner will overcook the bottom.  The water also stabilizes the temps, so if you have to open the door to check something or add chips, the big pan of water is like a heat storage device and it will recover faster.

Anticipate the stall.  If your smoker is 220 degrees, you can imagine how it will work.  The meat will warm up quickly at first and give you the impression that it's going to get done too fast, but as the meat approaches the temp inside the smoker, it slows way down because the temperature difference between the meat and the smoker is much smaller.  Don't stress about it or crank up the heat, just wait.  Beer or Whiskey makes this anticipation more enjoyable.

Watch youtube videos and reels.  They'll walk you through some fun tips, like finishing your brisket in a braise sealed in foil, or injecting a turkey with orange juice.  I started watching some reels on FB and every time I got to a BBQ reel, I interacted with it so FB would show me more.

Read up on different woods and how they pair with meats.  Mesquite is great for beef, hickory goes well with pork and poultry, fruit woods often go with fish.  You can also switch woods in the middle.  Last summer I did a brisket and some big salmon fillets.  I used a mix of Mesquite and Hickory in the beginning of the smoke, then I wrapped the brisket to braise it and threw on the salmon.  I went to the far end of the farm where I knew there was a crabapple tree and ripped off a dead branch to use for smoke on the salmon.  But, just like with any other cooking, there aren't any rules.  If you like mesquite with your smoked scallops, do it.  It's your mouth.

My go-to smoker is electric. No fuss, no muss, no babysitting. I can set it up first thing in the morning and other than a check every couple of hours it pretty much runs itself. Get a decent thermometer for the smoker and the meat. 

As for wood, I use a little bit of everything. IIRC the last smoke I did was using oak off the wood stack on a Boston butt. My preference is pecan or apple. Try them all but don't go overboard with it. One smoke box full is about 1.5 hours of smoke on my electric. That's usually plenty. Like Curtis said, too much smoke makes the meat taste bitter. 

Just about everything tastes better after a run through the smoker. I went through a spell where I was smoking meals 3-4 times a week. A cheap roast is surprisingly good after smoking and can be done in a couple of hours.   

I had a gas Masterbuilt that I got rid off and now use my Weber Kettle. I usually use hickory chunks.

I smoke everything from fish to pork butts to brisket and veggies.

- Its almost impossible to mess up a pork butt, so practice with this. Usually wrap with butcher paper at 162 and let it run to 203.
- ALWAYS let meat rest for a couple of hours. Get a cheap cooler and some throw away towels and place it in there for a couple of hours. The stuff will wreak of smoke afterwards so save them just for that.
- Get a good thermometer with a couple of probes at least. I use a ThermoPro from Amazon.
- There is such thing as too much smoke taste. Chicken, for me, is tought to get right.
- Practice ... the more you smoke, the better you will get at it.