Newbie getting a MES 30", ET-73 and a Cold Smoking Kit.

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lovespicyfood

Fire Starter
Original poster
Dec 7, 2014
71
18
Hey Everyone,

I've been wanting a smoker for awhile and got a great deal yesterday for this model for $129 plus tax delivered:


I know I nee to season it the first time before using it.  I'm curious, once it's ready to use, do any of you use a spray oil such as PAM to coat the racks/inside each time you use it to help in cleanup?

So this is technically going to be a bday present (Dec 16th) and I'm planning to also purchase the Maverick ET-73 and the Masterbuilt Cold Smoking Kit.  I know the AMPS is highly regarded, but I like the idea of using wood and I have quite a bit to choose from...I did see a mod using a dimmer switch to tone down the wattage on the cold smoker kit and I think I might eventually do that...

I've been scouring this forum for the past few days in anticipation of the arrival.  My plan is to smoke something for Xmas dinner as we are hosting.  However, the plan is to try something easy that will compliment the dinner my wife is making. 

Any recommendations on an "easy win" for a newbie on Xmas? 

TIA for your advice!

Pete
 
I personally never spray the racks on my MES 30, which is the same as yours, although that could be a good idea since I spray the cooking grate on my Weber kettle charcoal grill before using, but then the temps are higher there. But I'm a lazy smoker so the racks go unsprayed but I do wash them after each smoke.

I don't use any mods or dimming switches. If I want to cold smoke I leave the MES off and I use the AMNPS (I prefer pellets to wood chips, which is a personal preference based on working with both) for both hot and cold smoking. Since smoldering wood pellets still put out some heat I place two half gallon plastic jugs filled with frozen water inside the smoker above where I place the AMNPS. That keeps the temp down until the water thaws which takes a couple of hours or so. The frozen water was an idea I picked up in these forums.

What to smoke for Xmas dinner? You said you'd like it to be something to compliment what your wife is making but you didn't say what she'll be cooking. Who will be making the main course?

I own the ET-733. Overall I'm really glad I bought it. It's made monitoring smoking very easy.
 
I see this is your first post... would ya please stop by roll call so we can all give you the proper welcome.... glad to have you here ...

As for the Maverick ET-73.. I would suggest you step up a notch to at least the ET-732... the 73 was notorious for weak signal strength... the transmitter and receiver would lose connection when going through just one door.... It also would not let you know you lost connection.. so you would be sitting there staring at 225` reading for the last hour (yeaaaa.. my smokers running sweeeet)... only to go out and find it really running at 350` because you lost connection....
 
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Thanks for posting replies to my thread!

Turns out my wife is cooking a beef tenderloin as the main entrée so I was thinking of smoking a turkey.  My wife is not crazy about smoked food and I figure if I blow it, we still have the beef, right?  :)

Keith- thank you for post.  Darnit...I already got the ET73 delivered today.  That's okay, I'll use it for awhile and see how it goes...I can just set the temp on my MES 30" and not worry about temp, right?  ;)  Actually, I don't plan on trying to use the remote too far from the smoker...

I don't really understand the Roll Call part of this forum, but I'll take a look at it and comply.

Was thinking of getting a furniture dolly to move this thing around...It's a bit bigger than I thought and the plan is to store it in the garage when not in use.  Anyone do this with their MES 30?
 
If your going to smoke a turkey I would suggest a turkey breast, done many and I would only use some light wood like pecan or apple chips. The MES cold smoker does a good job even though a lot of people knock it. Set the MES for about 225-235 and leave it alone, a lot of people crank the temp up as they see a lower temp once they place the meat in, never to that!
One load in the cold smoke attachment will last an easy 4-6 hours. Vent on the MES wide open and you will get TBS
My take on turkey is to only wise the following, spray turkey breast with Pam, salt ans pepper and light garlic granules nothing more...smoke until 167-170 and pull it and wrap it in foil, for 30-40 min.
If you pm me I will give you a great granbeery reciepe that can't be beat.

:welcome1:
 
 
Thanks for posting replies to my thread!

Turns out my wife is cooking a beef tenderloin as the main entrée so I was thinking of smoking a turkey.  My wife is not crazy about smoked food and I figure if I blow it, we still have the beef, right?  :)

Keith- thank you for post.  Darnit...I already got the ET73 delivered today.  That's okay, I'll use it for awhile and see how it goes...I can just set the temp on my MES 30" and not worry about temp, right?  ;)  Actually, I don't plan on trying to use the remote too far from the smoker...

I don't really understand the Roll Call part of this forum, but I'll take a look at it and comply.

Was thinking of getting a furniture dolly to move this thing around...It's a bit bigger than I thought and the plan is to store it in the garage when not in use.  Anyone do this with their MES 30?
Check the packaging to see if it says ET-73 or ET-733. The ET-732 was a design upgrade from and replacement for the 73. The 733 is an upgrade from the 732. Yep, I'd return the 73 if that's what you bought and if you haven't used it yet. The 733 is light years better than the 73.

I bungee cord my MES 30 Gen 1 to a hand truck and keep it in my garage. Makes it super easy to wheel it out to the backyard and back in again. I also use an old small but sturdy card table to place it on when cooking.

You can't cook a very large turkey in the MES 30. I smoked a turkey breast and it turned out fabulous; tender, juicy and nicely smoked. I think I used wood pellets and I think they were apple wood.
 
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Okay, I saw the light on thermometers. Sent the ET-73 back today and an ET-733 is coming tomorrow!

Thank you for the advice on the hand truck...might do that or a furniture dolly I think...
 
Okay, I saw the light on thermometers. Sent the ET-73 back today and an ET-733 is coming tomorrow!

Thank you for the advice on the hand truck...might do that or a furniture dolly I think...
If you've got room for a furniture dolly it will indeed work. MB sells a stand on wheels for the MES which I don't need. There's a small hill between my garage and my house so that's where the hand truck comes in handy for getting it up and down.

You will not regret exchanging the 73 for the 733--there's just no comparison between the two. Many guys here still stand by their ET-732 therms but I went for the new and improved model. I really like the bigger display screen on the receiver unit.
 
Any recommendations on an "easy win" for a newbie on Xmas? 

TIA for your advice!

Pete
I don't know if this will fit into the dinner, but I have made some of the smoked four cheese mac n cheese from the Masterbuilt cookbook.  Just a tip, my family didn't like this recipe with wood chips in the smoker.  Instead, I just let the seasoning of the unit flavor the mac n cheese.

I've also used some recipes from one of my favorite BBQ cooking shows, Licence to Grill, which was a Canada-based show.  

Here's a link to the recipes: 

Four Cheese Mac N Cheese

http://recipes.masterbuilt.com/four-cheese-smoked-mac-n-cheese/

Licence To Grill

http://knight-tv.com/siteV3/ourshows/licencetogrill/index.html
 
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