30" MES smoker is not smoking, 20070910.

[steveo90290]

Damaged one is smoking now!  :)  Dry chips this time, as other suggested.  I never had that problem before with soaked chips, but hey whatever makes it work.  I guess you guys that always go dry in the MES are right, since the chips are not going on a direct fire like in a stick burner, soaking is not needed.

My back up is breaking in now just in case, but from the video link posted in this thread it looks like it does need the retrofit.  I hope i can pull off this smoke with the old one so I can retro before I actually smoke in it.  

Cheers

SteveO

 

[vernski]

Ok I don't mean to sound helpless, but how do you pm the masterbuilt tech at smoking meat forums. I will not ever go near facebook as they supply your personal info to the Government....Vernski

 

[johnvh]

Masterbuilt on here has never gotten back to me, just call masterbuilt and be done. 

 

[thejester]

I too received a 20070910 for Christmas.  Unfortunately, it has the wrong chip tray.

I have a large party that I am expected to smoke food at coming on December 31.  In the past, I have been basically non-existant at this party because up until now, I have used El Cheapo Brinkman.  I am hoping that the MES will solve this problem.

Since I do not believe that MES can get me a new smoke kit before my party, can someone outline the mods to the unit to get it to smoke?  I see in this e-mail there is a recommendation to remove the bottom plate from the current chip holder.  I imagine I can do that with tin snips.  Is there anything else that I should consider trying?

Thanks,

The Jester

 

[hkeiner]

 
Since I do not believe that MES can get me a new smoke kit before my party, can someone outline the mods to the unit to get it to smoke?  I see in this e-mail there is a recommendation to remove the bottom plate from the current chip holder.  I imagine I can do that with tin snips.  Is there anything else that I should consider trying?

Click on the below link.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/fo...rade-kit-inspired-mod-with-q-view#post_575716

 

[johnvh]

Check this thread, pics of my mod here too.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/101649/mes-30-cooking

I too received a 20070910 for Christmas.  Unfortunately, it has the wrong chip tray.

I have a large party that I am expected to smoke food at coming on December 31.  In the past, I have been basically non-existant at this party because up until now, I have used El Cheapo Brinkman.  I am hoping that the MES will solve this problem.

Since I do not believe that MES can get me a new smoke kit before my party, can someone outline the mods to the unit to get it to smoke?  I see in this e-mail there is a recommendation to remove the bottom plate from the current chip holder.  I imagine I can do that with tin snips.  Is there anything else that I should consider trying?

Thanks,

The Jester

 

[thejester]

Thanks, I will implement the changes today.

 

[johnvh]

Itll help until the new stuff arrives, also, do not soak the chips! I soaked some of mine about 10 seconds, then dumped the water out of the chips, just to slow it down for experimenting. But if you soak them for 30 minutes like it says, you wont get any smoke.

 

[low-n-slow]

Hey Guys,

I have one of the MES Analog Smokers (not the MES digital), it is this model:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/products/masterbuilt-model-20070210-30-electric-smokehouse

I reviewed it with a couple of updates.  It still works well and I have had no issues with it.  I think it has a much broader heat range than the digital but no digital controls.  I'm also going to add one of these to it now:

http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=14&zenid=72d45834fdd61a5416b7d9b0ee11e4df

We keep the electric smoker at our lake house and I have a WSM at home which I am using today to smoke a butt.

 

[flyweed]

I just talked to Darryl today at Masterbuilt..he has been on vacation.....so those waiting to hear from MBTechguy..should hear from him soon, now that he's back.  Just thought I'd let you know.

Dan

 

[leonwb]

how do you know which smoker the problem is, my smoker doesn't smoke #2007021 just purchased it a week ago and i cannot get any smoke

 

[tjohnson]

how do you know which smoker the problem is, my smoker doesn't smoke #2007021 just purchased it a week ago and i cannot get any smoke

We need a little more info

Temp of your smoker?

Chips or Chunks in the pan?

Smoker get to set temp?

TJ

 

[Bearcarver]

We need a little more info

Temp of your smoker?

Chips or Chunks in the pan?

Smoker get to set temp?

TJ

What Todd said.

Try this:

Put some chips in the pan----Just a few small ones, or one small chunk (dry).

Now turn your smoker on & set it for 200˚.

Let us know if and when it starts smoking. 

If it doesn't smoke all the way to 200˚, it's one of the bad ones.

If the red light is on, showing the element is heating, for the first 6 or 8 minutes, without smoke, it's a bad one.

Even a bad one will sometimes smoke at high heat (over 180˚), but not consistently.

Bear
 

 

[leonwb]

ok i will try this tomorrow on the 20070210 i talked to someone at masterbuilt today and said to put a  temp guage inside and turn it to high and see if the outside guage and inside guage are the same temp at 350 degrees they read identical. i assume that the element is working ok. i did some country style ribs today and they were falling apart and did get some smoke at about 250 degrees but not like i thought you should. i will test at 200 degrees tomorrow following you advice and see what happens. thanks guys

 

[Bearcarver]

ok i will try this tomorrow on the 20070210 i talked to someone at masterbuilt today and said to put a  temp guage inside and turn it to high and see if the outside guage and inside guage are the same temp at 350 degrees they read identical. i assume that the element is working ok. i did some country style ribs today and they were falling apart and did get some smoke at about 250 degrees but not like i thought you should. i will test at 200 degrees tomorrow following you advice and see what happens. thanks guys

Wait a minute---MES only go to 275˚.

Sometimes one will coast up to 300˚, but never 350˚. How'd you get 350˚?

Bear

 

[leonwb]

ok here is the results of the 10 minute test at 200 degrees , nothing no smoke chips didn't even turn black see attachment smoker is a 20070210 as previously stated and the heat did reach 350 degrees on high.

 

[domapoi]

What's with the aluminum foil? You don't line your chip tray with aluminum foil! Aluminum foil dissipates heat too fast, you need to leave the chip tray bare. If that is what you have been doing all this time I can see why it would not smoke. Not only does the foil dissipate heat but there is an air gap between the foil and the pan and a lot of the heat is escaping out around the foil instead of being applied directly to the chips.

As far as the 350* F temp, where are you putting the thermometer? Are you just sticking it just inside the top vent. If so, that is a know hotspot on the MES. You need to put the thermometer somewhere near the middle of the smoker. Middle meaning, front to back, left to right and up and down.

 

[leonwb]

aluminum foil was used as i couldn't get a good enough picture was not used in the cook test. we could be talking about different smokers this is a model 20070210 i stated this in the beginning and is a three rack 30" 1500 watt heat element analog and there is no adjustible vent there is however a small circular vent in upper right hand corner looking inside the smoker, or settings for like 200 degrees it has low med and high settings with a thermometer on the front. i sat the thermometer in the exact midde of the second rack. The chip box has a lid that closes over the box, and i was wondering if you would fix the lid to where it didn't close all the way if it would help? just wondering if your cooking at 250 degrees i can get a very light smoke not much i have never had the chips burn down to ashes of any kind just get black thats it with really no kind of ring on the meat but at 250 degrees everything cooks to quick. thanks for any kind of help

 

[Bearcarver]

aluminum foil was used as i couldn't get a good enough picture was not used in the cook test. we could be talking about different smokers this is a model 20070210 i stated this in the beginning and is a three rack 30" 1500 watt heat element analog and there is no adjustible vent there is however a small circular vent in upper right hand corner looking inside the smoker, or settings for like 200 degrees it has low med and high settings with a thermometer on the front. i sat the thermometer in the exact midde of the second rack. The chip box has a lid that closes over the box, and i was wondering if you would fix the lid to where it didn't close all the way if it would help? just wondering if your cooking at 250 degrees i can get a very light smoke not much i have never had the chips burn down to ashes of any kind just get black thats it with really no kind of ring on the meat but at 250 degrees everything cooks to quick. thanks for any kind of help

Now I understand.

I don't understand what the problem is, but I understand why we've been so confused.

You didn't say until now that you had the analog MES. You gave a model number in your first post, and another one in the second post. I think the first one was a mistype, but there are so many model numbers, I'm not in the habit of looking them up, to see which smoker the guy has, when he asks a question. 

I have no idea what the inside of an analog MES looks like, and I didn't even know they went up to 350˚.

Perhaps you could put a few good pictures of your MES, inside & out. Either that or another guy with an analog MES can help you better than I have.

With your 1500 watt element taking it to 200˚ in 10 minutes, you should have had smoke, and your chips shouldn't be untouched like they are in your pic.

Sorry,

Bear

 

[leonwb]

thanks anyway for your trouble