Interior setup of a MES 30

cord · Jun 10, 2015

I've seen a few different notes here and there but I was wondering what everyone's interior setup is on their MES.

What are you doing with the water pan (sand/water/foil)?

Standard drip pan?

How do you protect your AMNPS from drippings?

What are you wrapping in foil and what are you leaving as is?

Thanks, i'm trying to make sure clean up is as painless as possible and the AMNPS keeps smoking.

tumbleweed1 · Jun 10, 2015

I wrap the water pan in foil, so I don't have to scrub it out after smoking, but I haven't filled it with anything since the first time I used it.

I do the same with the bottom grease pan as well.

Sorry, I don't use AMNPS, so can't help you there.

Other than those two pans, I don't use any foil anywhere else inside the smoker.

TW

bmaddox · Jun 10, 2015

I wrap everything on the bottom with foil so I don't have to scrub off the drippings. I leave my water pan empty with foil in it (again so I don't have to clean it). My AMNPS is in a mailbox mod so I don't have the drippings issue.

dr k · Jun 10, 2015

cord said:
I've seen a few different notes here and there but I was wondering what everyone's interior setup is on their MES.

What are you doing with the water pan (sand/water/foil)?

Standard drip pan?

How do you protect your AMNPS from drippings?

What are you wrapping in foil and what are you leaving as is?

Thanks, i'm trying to make sure clean up is as painless as possible and the AMNPS keeps smoking.

I have the 12" AMNTS on the lower left rails of my MES 40" GEN 1. I cut the lip off a 9x13 foil pan. Then cut it in half down the middle of the 13" side. You may need to measure to find the depth of the MES 30. I flipped one of the racks upside down so the back bevel of the rack is facing down out of the way and put it on the lower level. I turned half of the pan upside down and butt the open end (cut side of the pan) up against the left side rack holders, leaving 1/4 to 1/2" opening on the left wall of the smoker for the smoke to rise through. The other half of the pan is on the right side of the rack to kick a little more heat toward the center.

ATT_1433966390367_CAM00549.jpg

dr k
Jun 10, 2015

-Kurt

jted · Jun 10, 2015

I have a 20070910 30"Master built. I foil the water pan and put it on top of the chip tray I wrap the element cover and wrap the face of the tray. I often keep the tray pulled out a inch or so to help keep a draft on my pellets. I also do as others and foil the bottom pan. I don't use the grease pan in fact it is stored with my chip tube. I use a riverat damper.

DSCN2547.JPG

jted
Aug 24, 2014

DSCN2815.JPG

jted
Mar 4, 2015

DSCN2812.JPG

jted
Mar 4, 2015

My drip pan is a Weber aluminum tray that was 13x9 and I shortened it by 2 inches. I foil it and I expect to get at least a dozen uses out of it I also use Weber grate cleaner since I don't have a automatic dishwasher. I spray the grates and get after them with a Brillo pad.

daricksta · Jun 11, 2015

I have the same smoker as jted. I keep it all simple. I keep the water pan empty but foiled over. I lay foil on top of the wood chip holder cover unless I forget. I always lay foil down on the drip pan. I at first tented the AMNPS with foil but I haven't had much problems with grease dripping down on top of it. When it does, it's minor. Using jted's photo of the interior of the MES 30, I place the AMNPS on the two rails to the left of the wood chip holder (inside of which is where the heating element is located). I insert the AMNPS lit end first since I feel the airflow is better towards the rear of the smoker.

Since I've had my MES 30 for 3 years, it looks a lot the inside of jted's smoker. I put very little time and effort into cleaning it. I wipe down with damp paper towels wherever grease and deposits are a bit too much for my liking; I wipe down the ceiling because carbon deposits tend to build up there. Before every smoke I always clean out the two temperature sensors on the rear wall; the one on the left is round and the one on the right looks like a toggle switch. I also wipe out any grease I find in the grease tray in back of the smoker.

dr k · Jun 11, 2015

daRicksta said:
I have the same smoker as jted. I keep it all simple. I keep the water pan empty but foiled over. I lay foil on top of the wood chip holder cover unless I forget. I always lay foil down on the drip pan. I at first tented the AMNPS with foil but I haven't had much problems with grease dripping down on top of it. When it does, it's minor. Using jted's photo of the interior of the MES 30, I place the AMNPS on the two rails to the left of the wood chip holder (inside of which is where the heating element is located). I insert the AMNPS lit end first since I feel the airflow is better towards the rear of the smoker.

Since I've had my MES 30 for 3 years, it looks a lot the inside of jted's smoker. I put very little time and effort into cleaning it. I wipe down with damp paper towels wherever grease and deposits are a bit too much for my liking; I wipe down the ceiling because carbon deposits tend to build up there. Before every smoke I always clean out the two temperature sensors on the rear wall; the one on the left is round and the one on the right looks like a toggle switch. I also wipe out any grease I find in the grease tray in back of the smoker.

I foiled pretty much everything including the grease trap in the back (a foil boat.) I'm not going to foil the wood chip housing. I did flip the bottom rack upside down to get the beveled back edge out of the way to have a flat surface for the drip deflector/smoke diffuser. I don't foresee using the bottom rack for food. I did use Todd's Idea and removed the top vent damper and put a family sized soup can over the vent as a chimney to help keep smoke off the rear controller next to the vent. Wally world has 30" dia.x25" covers for kettle grills for $8. They come down to the chip loader hole. I want it to breath so I don't pull the draw strings tight. I remove the chip loader (easier to move the smoker around) and cover the opening and the opening of the top vent with huge refrigerator magnets before covering.

-Kurt

daricksta · Jun 11, 2015

Dr K said:
I foiled pretty much everything including the grease trap in the back (a foil boat.) I'm not going to foil the wood chip housing. I did flip the bottom rack upside down to get the beveled back edge out of the way to have a flat surface for the drip deflector/smoke diffuser. I don't foresee using the bottom rack for food. I did use Todd's Idea and removed the top vent damper and put a family sized soup can over the vent as a chimney to help keep smoke off the rear controller next to the vent. Wally world has 30" dia.x25" covers for kettle grills for $8. They come down to the chip loader hole. I want it to breath so I don't pull the draw strings tight. I remove the chip loader (easier to move the smoker around) and cover the opening and the opening of the top vent with huge refrigerator magnets before covering.

-Kurt

Do you have a photo of this mod, Kurt? Maybe it's because it's 4:15 pm but I can't even imagine what it looks like. And did Todd advise this for all MES models or just for certain generations?

dr k · Jun 11, 2015

daRicksta said:
Do you have a photo of this mod, Kurt? Maybe it's because it's 4:15 pm but I can't even imagine what it looks like. And did Todd advise this for all MES models or just for certain generations?

The pics below go with post 4 and 7 of this thread.

Todd's can chimney idea to keep the controller less greasy. I think it's primarily for Gen 1 models with the controller next to the top vent in the back. Regular magnets on the side of the can keep the wind from blowing it off.

CAM00556.jpg

dr k
Jun 11, 2015

Refrigerator magnets to cover openings.

CAM00554.jpg

dr k
Jun 11, 2015

Wally world $8 cover.

CAM00553.jpg

dr k
Jun 11, 2015

I use an umbrella infront of my sliding glass door as an awning to keep the house cooler. It also shades the MES. I wonder how the controller fares covered in direct summer sun without shade? It's a lot hotter covered in the sun than when the smoker is operating.

CAM00552.jpg

dr k
Jun 11, 2015

-Kurt

daricksta · Jun 12, 2015

Dr K said:
The pics below go with post 4 and 7 of this thread.

Todd's can chimney idea to keep the controller less greasy. I think it's primarily for Gen 1 models with the controller next to the top vent in the back. Regular magnets on the side of the can keep the wind from blowing it off.

CAM00556.jpg

dr k

Jun 11, 2015

Refrigerator magnets to cover openings.

CAM00554.jpg

dr k

Jun 11, 2015

Wally world $8 cover.

CAM00553.jpg

dr k

Jun 11, 2015

I use an umbrella infront of my sliding glass door as an awning to keep the house cooler. It also shades the MES. I wonder how the controller fares covered in direct summer sun without shade? It's a lot hotter covered in the sun than when the smoker is operating.

CAM00552.jpg

dr k

Jun 11, 2015

-Kurt

You've got a nice deck there. I see that old offset smoker of yours there by the railing. I don't have any decks at my house, just porches. A rear patio made of outdoor tiles is on the wish list. I would hope that MB factored in outdoor summer heat and the smoker cover when they designed the controller and the rest of the MES.

As for grease potentially yuckifying the controller, that's never been a problem for me. I've yet to see any grease on the top controller of my MES 30 Gen 1 after any smoke. I also leave the wood chip loader where it is because...why not? The cooking temps have remained fairly stable during the last couple of smokes and there's adequate airflow inside the smoker to keep the AMNPS lit.

Yours is the smoker I would've bought had I had the money. If I was in the market for a new one and still on a budget I'd be seriously looking at the new Bluetooth models tho I wouldn't be using the BT functions. But I think MB has released or will release a non-BT version of that same new design.

Interior setup of a MES 30

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