Tips for MES Owners

[smell smoke]

My clean up usually is just the racks. I foil the two trays at the bottom and the water pan. So when things cool down I rip the foil off, wash the racks in a tub I have with dawn and I'm done. A couple of times I've wiped the inside and outside down with a course rag dipped into a 50-50 solution of water and vinegar. So far so good.



U Smell Smoke?

 

[rgautheir20420]

OK I need some help. A friend is making pizza and bringing it over tonight for me to add some smoke flavor to it, but he needs to know the interior dimensions of the MES30 G1 rack in order to make then fit. Does anyone have that info available or can maybe measure theirs?

 

[smell smoke]

14 5/8 W x 12 3/8 D is what someone posted before. I have a 40" so I can't be much help.

 

[lesk]

Hello,

 Glad to see a fellow Texan here on the site..I live just outside of Fort Worth and I have a question for you..before you started cleaning the inside walls of your MES, did you start having temperature issues? When I first got my Smoker the internal temps were spot on to what I had set for the smoking temp..after a while, I noticed it took longer to cook ribs and brisket so I checked the internal temp and it was a consistent 20 degrees lower than the "Set" temp..could this be caused by the build up on the walls.. I am a newbie of the smoking world and I got a 40 MES for xmas..

Thanks

Les

 

[holyfeld]

With what do you measure the inside temperature?

If you're using the built in probe on the back panel of the MES for control, you might want to clean that area. As a rule of thumb, I don't clean the inside of my smoker. At least, not either of the two I've had so far.

 

[lesk]

I used a analog oven temp in each of the 4 racks center position.. I let the MES get to set temperature and then set the temp guage..I allowed for 30 minutes at each position and it was pretty consistent..If i set the MES to 225 degrees it read 205..240 degrees was 220..I have adjusted my set Temp to accomodate the lower temps but I think this will limit me from smoking at a higher temp if i need to..setting the MES to 270 which is max temp and only getting 250 kinda bites..Oh well..I shall adjust..LOL

 

[Bearcarver]

 
With what do you measure the inside temperature?

If you're using the built in probe on the back panel of the MES for control, you might want to clean that area. As a rule of thumb, I don't clean the inside of my smoker. At least, not either of the two I've had so far.

Exactly!!

I clean both of the built in sensors on the back wall after about every 4 or 5 smokes.

I clean those two sensors & the area around them just by twisting the rag around them.

Bear

 

[james95014]

I gotta ask, do you clean the insides of your weber charcoal kettles or gas grills?

I think of the smoker in the same vein and treat it the same.  Just wipe off the

grease, scrape off the char.  I do put the racks in the dishwasher since they're

removable.  I would worry about the residual cleaning chemicals being left behind

in the quest to get it all bright and shiny.  I'd rather take my chances with anything

the meat left behind, it's all dried, dead and smoked to death.  The worst Q in the

world comes out of anyplace with a bright shiny smoker.

 

[cayotica]

Never mix ammonia and bleach that forms chlorine gas and will kill you in a heartbeat, , I fact Poison Control says never mix any cleaning liquids including dishwashing liquid just incase they contain an acidic compound(which forms the gas). As for Dawn dishwashing liquid specifically, they could not answer not having the ingredients list on hand.

 

[ndwildbill]

Tried something different cleaning the racks on my MES30 last night.  I'd smoked up a pastrami as well as some chicken thighs, and the racks were a mess.  I had also used my weber gas burner grill, and wanted to clean the grates on that as well.  I put the dirty greasy racks from the MES into the weber, and left all burners on high for about 45 minutes (while I fed my face some pastrami!), then used a wire grill cleaning brush to polish them while still hot.  Worked like a charm, better than the dishwasher, and you don't leave the dishwasher smelling like old smoke.  I've found that using the cleaning cycle in the oven works well also....now, the cost of electricity cleaning the oven vs the cost of propane in the weber...hmmmm, have to give that some thought.  Also, the only cleaning I do on the inside of the MES is to wipe the sensors every 3-4 smokes.

 

[tjdcorona]

To clarify - it is not the DAWN - it is the Clorox - Bleach. The bleach can not be breathed in large amounts for obvious reasons. The other thing about bleach is that you have to  be careful how to discard - the bleach causes spontaneous combustion when mixed with woods, rags etc....

 

[bambam2009]

Has anyone drilled holes in the side of their MES30 electric smoker to feed temp probes thru? I know i can put them thru the door and seal would be fine was just curios. I bought the MES30 last weekend did 5lbs of chicken wings after seasoning it checked the digital thermometer with 3 other thermometers all within 2 degrees

 

[james95014]

I haven't drilled a hole through the side but took one apart to fix it and have a pretty good idea how they're put together.  All the wiring runs lazily down the backside so drilling through the sides should be safe.  The sides are filled with a foam insulation so be prepared to drill 1-1/2" to reach the other side.  You'll have flecks of insulation coming off every time you push the probe through unless the hole is sealed or a metal tube is inserted.

 

[bambam2009]

Thanks i was going to insert a gromet and seal it up when not in use or just seal the probe wire thru the side

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Has anyone drilled holes in the side of their MES30 electric smoker to feed temp probes thru? I know i can put them thru the door and seal would be fine was just curios. I bought the MES30 last weekend did 5lbs of chicken wings after seasoning it checked the digital thermometer with 3 other thermometers all within 2 degrees

I just drop mine through the top vent---Works Great.

I thought all MES users do that.

Bear

 

[bdskelly]

I just drop mine through the top vent---Works Great.

I thought all MES users do that.


Bear

Thats what I do. B

 

[tjdcorona]

Don't cut holes when theres already holes