Masterbuilt electric smoker question

[johnnie2130]

This will probably seem like a dumb question, but I'll ask anyway.

We were burning the new off our MES tonight. Once we heated up the inside for about 2 hours, we decided to drop the temp to about 220 and add a couple wood chunks. I ordered a few small bags. On the right of the smoker is the place to add wood chunks. When we tried to add one piece it was too big to go in the smoker. The wook chunk that wouldn't fit wasn't that big. The third piece barely fit.

Am I adding the wood right by using the piece on the right side and if so, what do I do with pieces that won't fit in the hole in the smoker? Chop them up in smaller pieces?

 

[smokintexan]

Newbie on here, but I have an MES and have been smoking a while. It sounds like you have chunks instead of chips. You need the chips with the MES. Chunks are for heat (as in a wood burner), chips are for smoke. I've chopped them up into little pieces myself, but they have to be fairly small so it can take a while. Watch your fingers!

 

[bbq bubba]

Don't have the MES but if you can make the chunk's smaller, go with that.
Chunk's last longer than chip's and give off the same amount of heat (theyr'e just smoldering, not burning!)

 

[bluegillman]

Johnnie - I used my new masterbuilt today and yesterday. I had small chips left over from my luhrjahnsen smoker. I soaked them and they did a beautiful job. You can buy them at Gander Mountain. They probably don't last as long as chips, but they put a beautiful smoke on what I did. I smoked a fresh Bambi ham and my own pastrami last night, and a Cured venison ham, a whole New York Strip and two pork tenderloins and I got rave reviews. I think it is an awsome smoker. Good luck!!

Ron

 

[johnnie2130]

I'll just chop up the chunks into smaller pieces since I have two bags of them. Some chunks fit without splitting them. Burned off the factory smell last night, then added two chunks of apple wood. The flavor was all over the neighborhood and smelled great.

I think I'll only cook one or two meats at most for my first smoke until I get used to it. I don't want to ruin anything!