Hello! I recently joined the forums because I've been referencing it very frequently over the last few months. I thought it was about time to actually contribute.
For a couple years now I've been considering getting a smoker, but it seemed like a bit of a risk not knowing if I'd really get into it or not. Luckily, my next door neighbors moved out about five months ago and left their ancient Char Broil barrel smoker at the street for bulk trash. Before it was picked up, I snagged it and dragged it to the back yard. A month later, after a ton of research, I finally tried it out.
My first smoke went very well. I used lump charcoal, got the smoker up to 225, then threw on two 7.5 lb. pork shoulders from Costco that I'd covered in rub 24 hours earlier. It turned out amazing.
As interesting as that experience was, it was a total pain in the ass. It took nearly 13 hours, and while I was able to monitor the ambient and internal temperatures with a Maverick thermometer I'd purchased, I still had to frequently add charcoal, make adjustments to air intake, and add wood chips (hickory, natch!). Needless to say, I used the smoker only once and then passed it on to someone who wanted it. I needed something simpler.
A few weeks ago I purchased an original model MES 40 (20070311) for $265 from a seller on Craigslist. It was new, but it was sold out of the box. Other than a couple scratches, it appeared to be just fine -- I could tell it was new because the interior was spotless and it made those "new appliance" smells when I did the initial burn at 275.
I've used it several times since with good success (also employing an AMNPS, which I highly recommend), but my unit does have a few quirks. First, any meat placed on the right finishes sooner; others have encountered this and have used some hacks. Second, only occasionally the unit shuts off for no reason at all, or the controller beeps and blinks rapidly when it is first turned on. I've seen a dude on YouTube who recorded the same problem with his. As long as I monitor it, this isn't too much of a problem, but it's still a pain. Third, I have to set the temperature 10-20 degrees higher sometimes to get the smoker to the desired temperature. Generally it's not a problem, since once I get it where I want it, it pretty much stays there. I don't even use the built-in probe; I bought a second Maverick, which gives me two probes for ambient temperature and two for internal.
One last thing -- after a few smokes at 225 that went forever (over 2 hours per pound), I'm trying higher temperatures. Today I tried 250, and I liked the results.
Thanks for reading!
For a couple years now I've been considering getting a smoker, but it seemed like a bit of a risk not knowing if I'd really get into it or not. Luckily, my next door neighbors moved out about five months ago and left their ancient Char Broil barrel smoker at the street for bulk trash. Before it was picked up, I snagged it and dragged it to the back yard. A month later, after a ton of research, I finally tried it out.
My first smoke went very well. I used lump charcoal, got the smoker up to 225, then threw on two 7.5 lb. pork shoulders from Costco that I'd covered in rub 24 hours earlier. It turned out amazing.
As interesting as that experience was, it was a total pain in the ass. It took nearly 13 hours, and while I was able to monitor the ambient and internal temperatures with a Maverick thermometer I'd purchased, I still had to frequently add charcoal, make adjustments to air intake, and add wood chips (hickory, natch!). Needless to say, I used the smoker only once and then passed it on to someone who wanted it. I needed something simpler.
A few weeks ago I purchased an original model MES 40 (20070311) for $265 from a seller on Craigslist. It was new, but it was sold out of the box. Other than a couple scratches, it appeared to be just fine -- I could tell it was new because the interior was spotless and it made those "new appliance" smells when I did the initial burn at 275.
I've used it several times since with good success (also employing an AMNPS, which I highly recommend), but my unit does have a few quirks. First, any meat placed on the right finishes sooner; others have encountered this and have used some hacks. Second, only occasionally the unit shuts off for no reason at all, or the controller beeps and blinks rapidly when it is first turned on. I've seen a dude on YouTube who recorded the same problem with his. As long as I monitor it, this isn't too much of a problem, but it's still a pain. Third, I have to set the temperature 10-20 degrees higher sometimes to get the smoker to the desired temperature. Generally it's not a problem, since once I get it where I want it, it pretty much stays there. I don't even use the built-in probe; I bought a second Maverick, which gives me two probes for ambient temperature and two for internal.
One last thing -- after a few smokes at 225 that went forever (over 2 hours per pound), I'm trying higher temperatures. Today I tried 250, and I liked the results.
Thanks for reading!
