2012 Masterbuilt Smokers - NEW 30" & 40" Models!

[tjohnson]

Pillpusher

The new 2012 MES does not draft as well as the older versions, so placing the AMNPS on the floor does not seem to work very well

You need to raise it off the floor, or place it on top the drip pan

Use a disposable foil pan on the floor to catch the drippings

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• tjohnson
• Jan 10, 2013

Plenty of Smoke!

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• tjohnson
• Jan 10, 2013

 

[smokeone]

Trying my 2gen and the AMNPS now with a loin and a steak! Set up as Todd Suggested.

 

[tjohnson]

Trying my 2gen and the AMNPS now with a loin and a steak! Set up as Todd Suggested.

Keep me posted

Mine is going strong

Very Nice TBS!!!

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• tjohnson
• Jan 10, 2013

 

[pillpusher]

Thanks Todd... I'm looking forward to using your product. Would you recommend fashioning some sort of aluminum foil tent over the AMNPS to keep dripping from falling on it? Too bad all this negative info on the new MES didn't start to come out on here until the day AFTER I ordered mine.

 

[tjohnson]

Thanks Todd... I'm looking forward to using your product. Would you recommend fashioning some sort of aluminum foil tent over the AMNPS to keep dripping from falling on it? Too bad all this negative info on the new MES didn't start to come out on here until the day AFTER I ordered mine.

Lets Say, I'm not a huge fan of the new 2012 MES 40.....

So, what do we do with them?

Same things we did with the previous models

We play with them and figure out modifications, that make them work better

For under $300 it's a pretty darn good deal

The new MES runs "HOT"

Knowing that, you have to adjust accordingly.  I'll set mine around 205° - 210° to maintain 225° in my smoker.

I would not worry about a foil tent.  There's just not enough room

Use a foil pan above the AMNPS on the shelf, or just wrap the portion of the shelf, directly above the AMNPS with foil.

I always place a disposable foil pan under the meat I'm smoking, to catch the drippings.  It's easier to clean up your smoker and you can reuse the juice if you want.

Just tryin' to make lemonade out of lemons!!!

Todd

 

[msp2]

you ever find out what the black liquid was?  I built a stand for mine with wheels on the back side so i could move it around easier and i noticed the same thing on the wood after about 2 uses.

 

[pillpusher]

Lets Say, I'm not a huge fan of the new 2012 MES 40.....

So, what do we do with them?

Same things we did with the previous models

We play with them and figure out modifications, that make them work better

For under $300 it's a pretty darn good deal

The new MES runs "HOT"

Knowing that, you have to adjust accordingly.  I'll set mine around 205° - 210° to maintain 225° in my smoker.

I would not worry about a foil tent.  There's just not enough room

Use a foil pan above the AMNPS on the shelf, or just wrap the portion of the shelf, directly above the AMNPS with foil.

I always place a disposable foil pan under the meat I'm smoking, to catch the drippings.  It's easier to clean up your smoker and you can reuse the juice if you want.

Just tryin' to make lemonade out of lemons!!!

Todd

The main thing that that concerns me is the uneven temperature from one side of the smoker to the other, even on the same rack. That's just not acceptable, unless you plan on only eating half of the food you cook. I've ordered a couple more thermometers to see how big of an issue it is with mine. I'm also worried about my dogs (or kids, if I had any) brushing up against the glass and burning themselves. The glass on this thing gets insanely hot. It doesn't seem to radiate much heat, so you don't have any idea how hot it is until you actually touch it. I know there was a heat shield on the 1st gen to protect the door. Did that make much of a difference? Also, was the light on the 1st gen actually inside the unit, or was it also as useless as this one?

 

[smokeone]

msp2 The black liquid was from my 311 model. Never did figure it out. I took it back to try the 512. MB CS said to not use the MES with the vent closed that the liquid could have been from condensation in the case. I used the 512 today and no problems with the black liquid but also no legs screwed into the front of the 512.

My 512 meat probe is 20* high from the other probes I used. Verified later in a bowl of hot water.

I was having to set the temp to 245 to maintain 225/230. The temp was all over the place but I was opening the door to work with the AMNPS so further testing to do. 

I had the AMNPS sitting on the deflector over where the water bowl would be and also on the rack above. With the chip loader normal, pulled a couple inches and fully removed not much smoke and had to light 4 times. When I pulled everything off the smoker the AMNPS seemed to start working like I would expect but not before.  I'll have to test this more while not cooking so I can just work on getting the mechanics down.

I am hoping the dryer vent mod will help with air flow for the AMNPS and just in general. Todd how did you attach the vent to the side? Did you remove the air damper? I will look back through threads but I think what I have seen was the vent mounted only on the older top vented units. I think it was a 3" hot water heater elbow.

The Pork Loin and steak were tasty, juicy and tender but still need more smoke for my taste. I think I can get it with some practice. A little more time will tell.

 

[geerock]

Keep me posted

Mine is going strong

Very Nice TBS!!!

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• tjohnson
• Jan 10, 2013

Hey Todd,

I got a kick out of the Waste Management dumpster in the background of your photo.  If I had one nearby the other day thats exactly where the smoker would have ended up.  Didn't get a response from email to MB customer service so I called and got a nice girl who said to send back the manufacturers plates and cut the power cord.  They are going to send me a new cabinet without the door and I will need to swap the door from the old unit to the new.  However after the heat issue the door or the cabinet had warped a bit and the door has a couple of good sized gaps where it's supposed to seal.  I guess we'll see when it gets here.  Just hope it works correctly. 

 

[tjohnson]

3" Aluminum Gas Vent just slips perfectly over exhaust vent

No need to remove anything

I trimmed about 1" off my elbow, so it would fit a little closer to the side of the smoker

Using the MES drip pan blocks all the air, so you need to take it out and use a drip pan on the floor of your MES

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• tjohnson
• Jan 10, 2013

 

[smokeone]

Drip pan was removed at the start based on your earlier post. Will try again soon.

 

[arnie]

I just checked their site   http://www.masterbuilt.com/index.ph...ec-smokehouse-40-bsw-w-window-rf-2nd-gen.html

Elec Smokehouse 40" BSW w/window and RF (2nd Gen)

MODEL: #20070512     $449

    Scroll to the bottom an look on the  Specifications tab

Watts:  1200

 

So I'd say 650 watt is a typo   

 

[pillpusher]

Well, I'm trying my first rack of baby backs right now, and I'm definitely not liking what I'm seeing so far. I didn't bother with the AMNPS since I'm only using 2 or 2 1/2 hours of smoke, and I wanted to try the system "as intended". I had it set to 210 to target 225 since everyone says it runs hot... Yeah, I'll say. Both my 3rd party thermometers read 240-250. So, I turned it down to 200 and finally got it stable around 225... Until each time I added more wood chips, which caused it to immediately shoot back up to 245 or so. We'll see how they turn out, but so far, this just isn't going to cut the mustard. If I wanted something this high maintenance, I would have bought a pit.

 

[foragefish]

On my 2012 MES40, I take out the chip loader entirely, and baffle about 1/2 of the hole (with aluminum foil). The AMNPS sits on the floor, the vent is

wide open, and it hasn't failed yet to burn all the pellets. I like a light smoke, so I've only been filling it about 1/2 way, and get about 3.5hrs of smoke with Todd's oak pellets.

I tried a cold smoke for the 1st stage of smoking fish, same config as above, air temp about 50F. The entire box gradually filled up with smoke, I'm thinking because the draft was very weak, but the pellets kept going. After an hour or so I turned on the main heater to 170F, and the box cleared up, so the draft seems temperature dependent. All the pellets (apple) eventually burned.

Mike

 

[tjohnson]

I guess a guy could remove the chip pan...Why Not?

There's no heat shied for the door

Now you got me thinking.....

More Testing Tomorrow

TJ

 

[geerock]

Todd thinks he has found a fix for the heat variation issue.  That's great. Problem is the public shouldn't have to be the R&D division for a device that has been on the market for several years...... at least not for free! I still say the last generation of these things was pretty close to being spot on. Just required a few changes. Why they would make all these design changes and then just throw it on the market is beyond me. I mean look at what we have to deal with and try to fix. Exhaust stacks, chip loader removal, foil up the inlet, change the design of the drip tray, meat temp variation, fire safety issues, electronics way off or just fail, no heat shield on the glass making it real hot and a serious burn issue for the unsuspecting, lousy door hinge system, chips igniting, etc. etc. Wait until spring time when they have a lot more of these things sold and more people are smoking in the cold regions and trying out their Xmas present that will then be out of warranty. I guarantee the forums will be filled with complaints and returns. Hell, they should have just put the thing out in kit form for $99 and had you buy other parts at the local hardware store.

I hate bashing a company that I have had such good luck with in the past and they are sending me a new cabinet for the burned up 2 month old one.  All  I have to do is change out the door.  But I don't have much faith it will be any different.  And awful lot of complaints here and on a couple other forums,  Like I said, I believe MB should hire extra customer service reps for the near future and stores may just drop the gen 2 line when they find themselves taking these things back and potentially becoming liable for fire or burn injuries.

 

[old sarge]

Not to start an argument but why not buy another brand of smoker rather than put up with add-ons, mods, burned wiring, etc. Knowing there are problems in quality, why continue to deal with a company that while sending out parts and components under warranty seems to be blind to the basic problem of design and quality control? Just asking.

 

[garyinmd]

I have used my New Gen  MES40 a half dozen times now with no huge issues, yes the temps read off but so did most of the old models, will have to go back and look at notes for temps across the grates I guess.  I could never get the pellets to burn right in my old MES30 so I went back to using dust in the AMNPS pellet smoker.  I have been doing the same thing in the new model MES just  using dust in the AMNPS and have never had it go out yet, even on higher temp runs.  I just put it on the floor below the drip pan.

Todd, while your testing the new one it would be a good experiment to use dust for comparison, maybe I am just getting lucky for a change.

Gary

 

[geerock]

Not to start an argument but why not buy another brand of smoker rather than put up with add-ons, mods, burned wiring, etc. Knowing there are problems in quality, why continue to deal with a company that while sending out parts and components under warranty seems to be blind to the basic problem of design and quality control? Just asking.

First of all, this unit was a replacement for an MB 40 I had for 3 years that I got a lot of miles out of.  With an AMAZN smoker box in it it was truly a set it and forget water smoker that put out great product.  When I needed another one I saw wheels, 1200 watt element, and remote and figured why not, especially since Cabelas actually sold me the thing for $299 thinking it was the Gen 1.  I had no idea that they had changed the design so much with the venting, that the electronics were bad, and that the thing was intent on self immolation.  They are replacing it with a new cabinet and I'll hope that I just have a lemon and with a little tinkering and getting used to, she'll be good to go.  Doesn't cost me anything to try and if she doesn't work this time I'll simply pack it up back to Cabelas for a refund and look for something else.  The real issue that out there and has been told by others with the same unit is the fire hazard.  I'm not the first one that has had the element refuse to turn off or to have the chip box ignite.  Someone is going to get hurt or burn their house, barn, or shed down.  Irritation from not enough draft is one thing....... catching something, or someone, on fire is another.

All the best.

 

[pillpusher]

First of all, this unit was a replacement for an MB 40 I had for 3 years that I got a lot of miles out of.  With an AMAZN smoker box in it it was truly a set it and forget water smoker that put out great product.  When I needed another one I saw wheels, 1200 watt element, and remote and figured why not, especially since Cabelas actually sold me the thing for $299 thinking it was the Gen 1.  I had no idea that they had changed the design so much with the venting, that the electronics were bad, and that the thing was intent on self immolation.  They are replacing it with a new cabinet and I'll hope that I just have a lemon and with a little tinkering and getting used to, she'll be good to go.  Doesn't cost me anything to try and if she doesn't work this time I'll simply pack it up back to Cabelas for a refund and look for something else.  The real issue that out there and has been told by others with the same unit is the fire hazard.  I'm not the first one that has had the element refuse to turn off or to have the chip box ignite.  Someone is going to get hurt or burn their house, barn, or shed down.  Irritation from not enough draft is one thing....... catching something, or someone, on fire is another.

All the best.

I'm not gonna lie... I just looked up "immolation"...lol.  

Well, my ribs actually turned out pretty dang good last night. When I was done adding smoke, I ended up setting the MES at 195 (aiming for 225), and watched the actual temp swing from 214 to 235 every time the element turned on and off (and yes, I had the thermometer positioned around the same height as the MES's sensor). Obviously not ideal, but as long as it averages out, I guess that's ok? My spare thermometers came in today, so I'll have to do some checking to test mine's side to side and rack to rack variances.