Finally Decided to Get a 40" Bluetooth Yesterday

daRicksta said:

 
Bear, I assume you know exactly how much smoke is generated by the AMNPS at various points because of your R&D days with Todd. As for me, I can tell you how much smoke I see wafting out of the top vent and I can tell you how it looks when I open the smoker door to do whatever has to be done. It always looks the same to me and that's a nice flow but not an overflow of smoke. But then I spend my time during the smokes inside the house on the computer or watching TV with my trusty ET-733 Receiver right beside me!

I thought I had a problem two smokes ago with lighting the AMNPS. I couldn't seem to get it to stay lit. Only later on did I figure out that on that nice, bright sunny day, during the 20 minute burn before sticking it inside the MES, the AMNPS was producing light but textbook TBS which I couldn't see in the bright sunlight. I was used to heavier amounts of smoke to start off with. Once I figured that out, I inserted the AMNPS into the smoker and it performed flawlessly to the end of the cook.

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Actually I can tell the light smoke by looking at what comes out of the top vent, but when it gets heavier I can only tell how heavy by looking through the glass in my door, probably because that's what I've been going by for 5 years.

At the beginning of my first Winter of smoking I was fooled by the smoke coming out of the top vent. It looked like TBS, but it was the same thing coming from my breath hitting the cold air.

I looked through the glass, and there was no smoke in the smoker. My AMNPS had stopped smoking (Cherry pellets!!!).

Bear

Bearcarver said:

 
Actually I can tell the light smoke by looking at what comes out of the top vent, but when it gets heavier I can only tell how heavy by looking through the glass in my door, probably because that's what I've been going by for 5 years.

At the beginning of my first Winter of smoking I was fooled by the smoke coming out of the top vent. It looked like TBS, but it was the same thing coming from my breath hitting the cold air.

I looked through the glass, and there was no smoke in the smoker. My AMNPS had stopped smoking (Cherry pellets!!!).

Bear

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That's a funny story! But you just taught me something about the AMNPS, which is why you're my mentor. I assumed that the AMNPS but out nothing but TBS but there have been a few times the smoke output from the top vent was heavier and I thought there might be something wrong. I don't smoke in cold weather so all the smoke exiting the MES is just smoke. But I think that different woods burn differently; some burn faster and produce more smoke while other burn more slowly and produce primarily TBS. I think that Pitmaster's Choice (which includes cherry) burns more slowly than red oak wood pellets. Here's where it would be nice to keep a journal--which I don't--but I think that hickory and mesquite are also slow burning. I've got other types of wood pellets but not enough experience with them to judge the rate they burn at.

Can you guys maybe post a vid so I know what to look for?  Something just doesnt feel right.

mummel said:

 
Can you guys maybe post a vid so I know what to look for?  Something just doesnt feel right.

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Mummel, this video doesn't show a MES but it does a great of showing TBS and thick, bitter smoke (the wrong kind of TBS).



Are you using your AMNPS? You've got the MES 40 Bluetooth--right?

daRicksta said:

 
Mummel, this video doesn't show a MES but it does a great of showing TBS and thick, bitter smoke (the wrong kind of TBS).



Are you using your AMNPS? You've got the MES 40 Bluetooth--right?

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Thats right Rick, check this thread: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/203357/going-to-try-my-first-butt-tomorrow/40#post_1395222

daRicksta said:

 
Mummel, this video doesn't show a MES but it does a great of showing TBS and thick, bitter smoke (the wrong kind of TBS).



Are you using your AMNPS? You've got the MES 40 Bluetooth--right?

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Great Video Rick !!

Keep that handy for Newbies & others.

Some people think that thick heavy smoke is good, but it's not good on anything, and that video shows the difference!!

Bear

Brickguy221 said:

 
Rick, the Hasty Bake Grills are made in Tulsa, OK with the first one being made in 1948, I think it is, so they have been around a long time. Mine is this one ...

http://shop.hastybake.com/collectio...-bake-legacy-131-powder-coated-charcoal-grill

It is approx 8+ years old. I think I paid around $800 for it. They smoke really-really great and once you get the coals right, they hold the temp really well for a long period of time. You just have to learn thru experience with it when to add charcoal bisques or if using charcoaled wood to maintain that temp ... usually about once an hr at most.

I used mine up until approx 2 years ago at which time I bought the MES 40" Generation 2.0 Smoker and found it easier to smoke with the MES, so I pretty much quit using the Hasty Bake except for Hamburgers now and then and I have even smoked Hamburgers with good results in the MES. 

For wood chips in the MES, I have been using Hickory-Apple mixed 2/3-1/3 and  also Jack Daniels more than the Hickory-Apple Mix on ribs, pork loins, etc. ... Mesquite on Tri-Tips rubbed with a rub called Pappys  . Also use Mesquite on Steaks. Cherry or Apple on some Chicken and Pecan on some chicken, depending what I am fixing. Peach on pork tenderloin coated with maple syrup and a home made rub and a home made sauce. I haven't tried brisket yet nor pulled pork nor cheese.

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Right now the Hasty Bake site isn't accessible so I'll check it later. Hickory/Apple is an interesting mix that would work really well with pork. Yep, ya gotta use mesquite on tri-tip if you're gonna do it right. That's my preferred wood. For Daddy's Day, my daughter requested grilled ribeye steaks so that I could use the meat rub she bought me (it looks outstanding) and who am I to say no to grilling steaks on my day? I'm smoking the ribeyes in my MES over mesquite wood pellets to about 130-135° IT and then I'll finish them on my Weber charcoal kettle grill over high heat for the sear. I'll the steaks for me and my boy to about 140° but the wimmensfolk like theirs well done so I have to ruin their steaks (I should just buy them chuck steak and be done with it!).

I'm not familiar with Pappy's but I already have commercial rubs and when I'm feeling industrious I make my own rubs and BBQ sauces from recipes in my various BBQ/grilling cookbooks--just like you do.

Tomorrow will mark the day of my first smoked pulled pork. I plan to smoke it over pecan and apple wood pellets. I've smoked beef brisket twice, with this last time being the best I've ever produced. I've smoked cheeses twice--very easy to do but but you have to still control the interior heat buildup inside the smoker even while cold smoking. The smoking pellets produce enough heat to soften and even partially melt the cheeses.

Bearcarver said:

 
Great Video Rick !!

Keep that handy for Newbies & others.

Some people think that thick heavy smoke is good, but it's not good on anything, and that video shows the difference!!

Bear

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Thanks, Bear. But that means I gotta go back and save that link. So be it.

Brickguy221 said:

 
Rick, I have a Son that lives in CA. He taught me the Mesquite - Pappys thing  a few years ago as it seems that is one of the favorites in CA. I have heard the Tri-Tips originated and CA and became so popular that they began moving East, true or not, I have no idea.

We have been smoking our steaks with Mesquite in the MES for the 2+ years we have had this Smoker. Love it that way as they come out so perfect every time. More perfect than on the charcoal grill.

I haven't smoked Beef Briscut yet, mostly because you can't buy one that weighs less than 10-12 lbs and up around here. I want one like 4# and they don't have them that small here, so that should it turn out bad or I don't like it, Yeah, I could cut one in half and freeze the other half, but if I didn't want to do it again, then I would be stiuck with a piece I didn't want. I am not out all that much. When I decide to try Briscut, I will be seeking your and Bear's advice on how to do it.

Haven't tried Cheese yet either as I have no idea how-where to start ... sigh

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BG,

Brisket is NOT one of my Specialties. All I ever did was a few small flats, because my Son does the Full Packers.

If you ever want to make a Brisket, I would check with "Gary S". In my opinion, he is the Brisket goto guy.

Bear

°

Brickguy221 said:

 
Rick, I have a Son that lives in CA. He taught me the Mesquite - Pappys thing  a few years ago as it seems that is one of the favorites in CA. I have heard the Tri-Tips originated and CA and became so popular that they began moving East, true or not, I have no idea.

We have been smoking our steaks with Mesquite in the MES for the 2+ years we have had this Smoker. Love it that way as they come out so perfect every time. More perfect than on the charcoal grill.

I haven't smoked Beef Briscut yet, mostly because you can't buy one that weighs less than 10-12 lbs and up around here. I want one like 4# and they don't have them that small here, so that should it turn out bad or I don't like it, Yeah, I could cut one in half and freeze the other half, but if I didn't want to do it again, then I would be stiuck with a piece I didn't want. I am not out all that much. When I decide to try Briscut, I will be seeking your and Bear's advice on how to do it.

Haven't tried Cheese yet either as I have no idea how-where to start ... sigh

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Brickguy, in central California there's a beautiful town called Santa Maria. It used to be a small town but like almost all things California it's a LOT bigger than when I first drove past it some 50 years ago. If you ever read about Santa Maria Tri-Tip it started here over mesquite wood. Steven Raichlen has a recipe for it but it appears you've already got it down on your own.

I've never smoked a steak in my life so, on Father's Day I'm going to try it and risk losing the love of my daughter if I screw it up.

I see you live in Oklahoma. Do they have any Kroger or Kroger-owned stores or Safeway stores in OK City? In most supermarkets you can't find a brisket flat that weighs over 7 lbs. If I want a big, honking brisket with both the point and flat I go to Costco. Brisket's the easiest meat in the world to smoke in an MES. Apply the rub, choose the wood pellets to fill the AMNPS with, get everything started and go to town. Using a therm like the ET-733, your only job for about 6 hours is to monitor the smoker and IT temps. At about 6 hours or when the brisket IT is 160-175° you foil it with some foil juice and cook it to an IT of 200°. At that point I unfoil and mop it with BBQ sauce for about 30 minutes and you've got outstanding real deal BBQ brisket. I've sure you've read my multiple posts bragging about how well mine turned out. I cooked it 11 hours but it may have been done an hour sooner.

As for cheese, once again the AMNPS is your friend. You can fill it with hickory or apple wood or whatever you want in whatever combo you want but those are the two classic smoking woods for cheese. What Todd recommended--and what I do--is fill a couple of half gallon plastic milk jugs with water ( I fill them 1/2 to 3/4 full) and stick them in the freezer. Even with cold smoking the pellets will generate enough heat to soften or partially melt the cheeses. This past winter I bought a couple of Qmatz from Todd which will prevent the cheeses from sinking through the racks. I've tended to smoke the cheese a couple of hours too long.  By then the ice had melted back into water and was no longer good for keeping the temp down. Anyway, I fill the three top racks of my MES 30 with cheeses. All I've smoked up to now has been mozzarella (not the fresh stuff) and sharp cheddar. Next time I'm going for Gouda, Edam, Jarlsberg, and Provolone. You can produce smoked cheese in a MES that's as good as anything you can buy in a supermarket.

Yes, when you're ready to try brisket and cheeses Mr. Bear and I will be happy to help. As in most things with my MES, I know what to do and what not to do.

Thought I'd furnish the Illustration for my good friend Rick.

This is an old picture, as you can see it was in my MES 30.

The Jug is filled about 3/4 full & frozen.

This is how we keep our MES cool:

View media item 379555

Bearcarver said:

 
Thought I'd furnish the Illustration for my good friend Rick.

This is an old picture, as you can see it was in my MES 30.

The Jug is filled about 3/4 full & frozen.

This is how we keep our MES cool:

View media item 379555

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This is very interesting. What I did was place two 1/2 gallon jugs lengthwise (facing front to back) on the 4th rack just above the water pan. That way I had use of all 3 top racks. I didn't use an aluminum baking pan; I just laid them right on the rack. Just goes to show there are a lot of routes to get to the same destination.

daRicksta said:

 
This is very interesting. What I did was place two 1/2 gallon jugs lengthwise (facing front to back) on the 4th rack just above the water pan. That way I had use of all 3 top racks. I didn't use an aluminum baking pan; I just laid them right on the rack. Just goes to show there are a lot of routes to get to the same destination.

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Yup,

In this case I only needed the top two racks, and if you look close I was using my AMNS instead of my AMNPS.

The AMNS uses Dust and it doesn't put out as much heat as the AMNPS with pellets.

Bear

Bearcarver said:

 
Yup,

In this case I only needed the top two racks, and if you look close I was using my AMNS instead of my AMNPS.

The AMNS uses Dust and it doesn't put out as much heat as the AMNPS with pellets.

Bear

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I looked closely--for me, anyway--and I thought it was the AMNPS with, I guess very tiny and compact pellets. OK, I didn't look that close. I had distractions all around me.

Brickguy221 said:

 
Rick, I tried the Weber Spray on my Rib Rack Sunday and it worked really well. Waaayyyy better than Pam. When done smoking, by wife wiped-rinsed it off in the sink, then put it in dishwasher and it came out of dishwasher sparkling clean. Also sprayed the racks to my Bluetooth Smoker and they too cleaned up very easy. Treated them same as the rib rack in that she wiped-rinsed them off in the sink and put in dish wsher and they came out looking brand new. That Weber Spray is great stuff.  

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I bought the Pam grilling spray to save money in addition to my already having the Weber. Well, you get what you don't pay for. Even though the Pam has a cottonseed oil base it flames up just like canola oil does. That BBQ instructor I've talked about recommended spray a cooking grill over hot coals with canola spray since the flame up would burn off all the meat and stuff stuck to the cooking grate and make brushing it clean easier. He demo'd it on both a Traeger and a BGE and it worked. I've tried it on my Weber One Touch Silver but the flames didn't last nearly long enough. With that idiot Pam spray the flame follows the line of spray almost back to the can! I'm now just using the Pam (two cans, unfortunately) as a cooking grate cleaner just to use up the cans. But you're right; the Weber is the best out there and it doesn't flame up that much. I always let the grate heat up over the charcoal, brush it off since that's when it's easiest to brush clean, and then I spray it with the Weber.