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  1. phil brown

    Cannot keep my A-Maze-mn 5X8 lit..

    Mine has a slight recess around the damper, so I wedge a pipe in there. It's not quite airtight, but it does the job. The taller the better, BTW.
  2. phil brown

    Cannot keep my A-Maze-mn 5X8 lit..

    I had to do a lot of fiddling before I figured out how to get my AMNPS and my MES to get along. This is what I do: I load up the AMNPS with 15 oz. of pellets and stick it in the oven at 300F while I'm getting the smoker ready. It usually spends 20-30 minutes in there. Then I pull it out and...
  3. phil brown

    Breakfast

    Did you bag the eggs or cook them directly in the water?  I found that the amount of white that sticks and cooks is reduced when I put them directly in the water bath. BTW, this method makes Eggs Benny a snap.
  4. phil brown

    Making pulled pork ahead of time

    +1 on the finishing sauce.  I call it "after-brining" because the effects are similar.  Also, leaving a bit more fat in the mix when you pull the pork will help ensure it doesn't dry out when reheating. One bonus to doing it ahead of time is that smoke flavor intensifies and spreads evenly...
  5. phil brown

    Mississippi Roast

    I was born and raised in Mississippi, but I had never heard of these until I saw a recipe on the internet. The idea of making one in the smoker is much more interesting to me than the crock pot, though.  I may have to try it.  Personally, I'd put it directly on the rack with a pan underneath to...
  6. phil brown

    Cut up pork shoulder

    I used to use a Weber kettle for everything. The results were great, but the effort was Herculean. I often resorted to foiling it and throwing it in the oven after several hours. There's plenty of debate as to what temperature you should do this. I'd say 170°F if you can wait that long, but I've...
  7. phil brown

    What size is your favorite butt?

    With all the threads about rubbing and injecting you pick this one to slip into the gutter? Seriously? Anyway, I said 9 and up, because the bigger ones tend to be the ones that have less of the fat cap trimmed off. It's important when you smoke cap-down.
  8. phil brown

    Size of wood chips?

    Check out the MES Hot Mods thread for several different DIY smoke generators: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=87723 Personally, I think the best way to smoke poultry is upright, at high temp (275 for the MES). Everybody loves crispy skin, and you'll have no problem keeping a...
  9. phil brown

    How Many Mes Owners Here?

    I think he's saying it's not a "real" smoker because it's not a stick burner. I humbly disagree. I had to wait a week and a half for dry enough weather to fire up my new MES, and the results were fantastic. I can get good flavor, good texture, and yes, even a smoke ring with it - it's real...
  10. phil brown

    All Terrain MES?

    That is simultaneously the coolest and funniest mod yet.
  11. phil brown

    My First Pastrami

    Great job! The results speak for themselves. Pastrami is one of my two favorite deli meats (prosciutto is the other), and it God's gift to sandwiches. I myself love a pastrami reuben (which your sandwich is close to). As a suggestion for your corned beef experiments, make sure there is juniper...
  12. phil brown

    Poll do you foil your ribs & butts???

    I foil everything but poultry (gotta have that crispy skin). I didn't always. It isn't essential, but it sure helps in the moisture department. It can really hurt your bark if you do it too early, though.
  13. phil brown

    How Many Pounds?!?

    As others are saying, 50% raw weight is probably a good place to start; your efficiency will often be better (especially if you inject or braise in juices), but it's better to end up with extra than run out. With Boston butts I actually tend to run ~60%, but that's beside the point. When you...
  14. phil brown

    Where do I get Turbinado Sugar

    Turbinado is surprisingly easy to find these days. I've seen it in all the grocery stores I frequent now. The difference between "raw" sugar and brown sugar is in the processing. Raw sugars are simply less refined, i.e., they retain more of the character of sugar cane, namely the molasses...
  15. phil brown

    Doing an overnight smoke tonight? Dont forget the time change!

    Good point. It could be an unpleasant surprise for somebody hoping to catch an hour nap after the smoke. Man, do I hate going back to DST. I wouldn't have a problem with DST if it was year-round. But time changes are a terrible idea. There was a study in 1998 that concluded there was a 17%...
  16. phil brown

    Miami Roll?

    Ingenuity and thrift working together. +1 on bigger pics, not to mention a little more detail on assembly. I've never heard of a Miami Roll before, and I suspect they just made it up; probably just using up stuff they weren't sure what to do with! BTW, when I first read the title, I thought...
  17. phil brown

    Kroger has Pork Butts whole 88 cents a lb

    One of the other grocery chains must have mafia connections or something, because there's not a Kroger anywhere in sight. In Memphis, I couldn't walk ten paces without tripping over one... Enjoy cookin' your 88¢ butts, while I watch my $1.28 butts...
  18. phil brown

    40" MES 800 watt heating element MOD

    I'm not an EE, but I play one on the interweb... A rheostat that can handle that kind of power will be huge, and you won't be saving any electricity; in effect, you're just moving some of the heat outside the smoker. A better option would be a variac, which you can usually find on eBay, but...
  19. phil brown

    40" MES 800 watt heating element MOD

    Anybody whose warranty is long gone could open it up and snap some pictures... just sayin'. The MES uses bang-bang control, right? If so, it probably comes down to finding the thinnest wire or capacitor with the highest ESR and replacing it with something beefier. Or maybe just pay the piper...
  20. phil brown

    40" MES 800 watt heating element MOD

    Even if nobody has done it yet, maybe we can figure out if it's safe before hooking it up. I know there are a few people out there with both smokers; are the control boxes the same? Remember, the new unit is consuming ~3 amps more than the old. I don't want to see anybody melt their control...
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