Am I able to use smoker as designed?

[johnny42]

I just got a MES 30b. I've been pouring over the forums looking to see if I can use it without modifications. Apparently I can't. I see folks putting sand into the water tray. I see folks using an Amazen thing-a-ma-jig. I've seen folks using a mailbox thing. I've seen folks using a device to move smoke from the right side to the left side. I've seen foil used to advance from the "stall". I've seen all these and more.

Did I get a device that won't work as designed and presented?

What I would like to see are posts where someone got a new unit, heated the unit, placed protein inside the unit, smoked the protein, and gave their impressions on the results.

Where can I find those posts?

 

[smokin peachey]

Welcome to SMF have you tried the search function here? I have no experience with this type of smoker. I think one of the mods chef jimmyj has a smoker like this maybe he can help.

 

[jcam222]

My first smoker was an MES40. I turned out excellent smoked meats for the first 2 years with zero mods. I didn’t use a smoke tube, tray or mailbox mod. All I did was make sure to regularly fill the chip tray to keep blue smoke rolling. Fire it up and just do that and you will have great Q. I also always ran water or broth in my pan.

 

[whistlepig]

Welcome to SMF. I have used a MES30 for several years without sand, water pan, or AMNPS. It was/is my first smoker and this is smoker that got me addicted to smoking.

Season the smoker and then put some wood chips in the tray. It is that easy.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Hi and welcome to SMF.
To answer some of your questions, let's start with the water pan.
Firstly, these little electric smokers are are tight and do not have a volume of air exchanges. So the internal humidity is higher than say what a typical stick burner would have. Most users do not even fill the water pan with water due to this. However, users will fill the water pan with clean sand to add thermal mass which when done properly helps to even out out temperature swings and aids in clean up.
Now about those mods, there are folks who run mailbox mods primarily for cold smoking things like salmon or cheese for example. Yet, they can still use the mailbox mod for hot smoking.

As for the A-Maze-N tray, folks like those because that tray allows for longer smokes without needing to add chips every 45 minutes or so.
What a PITA that can be especially for during an overnighter!

Hang tight as I am sure other MES users will chime in here with even more insight than you have already received.

With that said, I don't have nor do I use an MES smoker, but I know folks who do and they love 'em especially with the A-Mazen-N tray mod.

Also, do a search for all of Bearcarver MES posts.
He is our resident MES expert and all around good guy for info and how to's.

 

[whistlepig]

Starting out in smoking, even though not that difficult, has a lot of different things to learn. Keep the smoker operation as simple as possible because trying to learn the basics of smoking while trying to mod your smoker at the same time makes it hard to track the progress.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Starting out in smoking, even though not that difficult, has a lot of different things to learn. Keep the smoker operation as simple as possible because trying to learn the basics of smoking while trying to mod your smoker at the same time makes it hard to track the progress.

Absolutely nothing wrong with keeping it simple as most of the time that is the best.

 

[chef jimmyj]

The MES works fine as designed. I actually won an AMNPS Maze and pellets in a contest here. It is WONDERFUL! The down side of many models of the MES is having to add Chip every 30 to 40 minutes. That really gets old on 16 hour, overnight cook. The AMNPS gives 10 to 12 hours of perfect smoke, making the MES truly set and forget. The reason for other mods are covered well above.

You can run the MES as is...But, look at it this way...
A Bone Stock '70 Chevelle is pretty and fast...But, Super Wide Tires on on some sweet rims, a Chrome 671 Blower, on top of that LS-6 454, a Loopy Cam and Timing Set, a set of Headers to a 4" Dual Exhaust and a Dana Posi stuffed with 4.11 Gears and you got a Street Beast!

 

[whistlepig]

The smoker does two things. It generates heat and smoke. Granted there are some smokers that do this a little better than others but the basic concept is the same. Some may have better advise otherwise but I have found that meat preparation and smoking methods (rubs, brine's, foiling, smoking times/temps) have contributed far more to my smoking flavor.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

And gray primer automatically increases BHP by 20!

Edit: this a reply to JJ.

 

[johnny42]

Thanks all!! The more I read, the more intimidated I get. But, I will keep it simple and use no mods my first time out. But again, it's hard to find a post where someone did that. I'll keep searching. The funny thing is, all the posts referring to mods are interesting. Maybe down the line after a few successes, I'll try some of those ideas. Need to finish a few leftovers before I smoke something, but I did cure it this weekend, per the instructions, per the owners manual.

 

[CFLJOHN512]

I use a bone stock MES130. Any of my posts were done without one modification. Mine hold a steady temp, great smoke, great food The one thing I recommend is checking the meat probe calibration. Mine was off 4-5 degrees, but other than that, it turns out some really good food.

 

[jcam222]

I use a bone stock MES130. Any of my posts were done without one modification. Mine hold a steady temp, great smoke, great food The one thing I recommend is checking the meat probe calibration. Mine was off 4-5 degrees, but other than that, it turns out some really good food.

Good point John. Mine was off more than that at times. A quality remote thermometer to measure meat and pot temp is a great investment.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Thanks all!! The more I read, the more intimidated I get. But, I will keep it simple and use no mods my first time out. But again, it's hard to find a post where someone did that. I'll keep searching. The funny thing is, all the posts referring to mods are interesting. Maybe down the line after a few successes, I'll try some of those ideas. Need to finish a few leftovers before I smoke something, but I did cure it this weekend, per the instructions, per the owners manual.

There is A LOT to learn here. I been here 9 years and these guys show or teach something new, or build a better Mouse Trap, Daily!
Don't be intimidated. Smoke some Chicken, 2-3 hours, and some Pork Ribs, 5-6 hours, and get a Feel for how your MES runs. Try smoking with and without water in the pan and see what YOU like. We are here to help and anyone that says, " YOU MUST do this! " Is full of Bologna!
Read, ask questions and PLAY with your new Toy. The rest comes along with time...JJ

 

[pops6927]

No one EVER said that you cannot run your unit as directed per the manual. PLEASE DO! If you desire any modification, PLEASE ACCEPT any advice offered, OR DON'T. That choice is ENTIRELY up to YOU!

 

[chopsaw]

My advice is to always use as is to start off . No matter what smoker / grill it is .
That way if you decide to do some mods , you will know if it improved or not .

 

[Bearcarver]

I just got a MES 30b. I've been pouring over the forums looking to see if I can use it without modifications. Apparently I can't. I see folks putting sand into the water tray. I see folks using an Amazen thing-a-ma-jig. I've seen folks using a mailbox thing. I've seen folks using a device to move smoke from the right side to the left side. I've seen foil used to advance from the "stall". I've seen all these and more.

Did I get a device that won't work as designed and presented?

What I would like to see are posts where someone got a new unit, heated the unit, placed protein inside the unit, smoked the protein, and gave their impressions on the results.

Where can I find those posts?

I haven't read all of the other posts on this thread, so I'll give you my opinions:
#1. You should try everything as is first, so you can have some of the same headaches we had before we realized there were better ways.
#2. You can use the built in chip burner to get smoke, like I did the first year, before Todd invented the AMNPS more than 9 years ago. Been using my AMNPS ever since.
#3. You can put water, or beer, or fruit juices in the water pan until you realize you won't get any beer flavor, or fruit flavor, and all the water will do is add to an already too humid Smoker, because the MES is insulated too good to need water added to the water pan.
#4. If you use an AMNPS, I would recommend you try it right inside your MES before you bother with a mailbox, because it sure is nice to not need the extra junk in your smoking area, and another thing you have to cover up when not in use.
#5. If you want to try new things, go to the bottom of any of my posts, and---
Just click on "Bear's Step by Steps".
You don't have to do anything "My Way", but you may get some handy Tips there.

Bear

 

[normanaj]

Always great advice to learn a product out of the box.

I used my MES as is for several months and turned out some really decent grub.Eventually added a good quality dual probe thermometer and then later was turned onto the A-maze-n line of products.That pretty much sums up my last 3yrs of smoking with the MES.

Get smokin and post up what ya done!

 

[Winterrider]

I agree whole heartly on the digital thermometer inside so you know "exactly" what your actual cooking temps are. The MES thermometers are about the only downfall of the smoker.
MES 40 owner. Eventually did the mods so I had a set it and forget it smoker.

 

[smokerjim]

I started with a mes 30 6-7 years ago, the first year I ran it stock, works great, the only thing I added to mine eventually was a amnps tray with the mailbox mod, glad I did, great for smoking cheese and longer smokes. I also use a inkbird 4 probe thermometer to verify temps. I didn't add these things to complicate things I did it to make it easier.