Anyone use wood pellets in their MES?

[Bearcarver]

 
Jim, how would seasoning flake upwards? 

LOL-----I think he's using the word "Seasoning" in a meat smoking kind of a way, such as when we "Season" our smokers.

That's the seasoning that can bubble up & fall onto the food.

Bear

 

[daricksta]

 
LOL-----I think he's using the word "Seasoning" in a meat smoking kind of a way, such as when we "Season" our smokers.

That's the seasoning that can bubble up & fall onto the food.

Bear

That makes sense. However I still think that that debris is carbon-based because it was black and crumbly; a tad bit heavier than powder. It didn't affect the taste of the cheeses it fell onto at all.

 

[jted]

 
LOL-----I think he's using the word "Seasoning" in a meat smoking kind of a way, such as when we "Season" our smokers.

That's the seasoning that can bubble up & fall onto the food.

Bear

 
That makes sense. However I still think that that debris is carbon-based because it was black and crumbly; a tad bit heavier than powder. It didn't affect the taste of the cheeses it fell onto at all.

Hi guys, I don't know what flakes and falls. Is it carbon,I don't know. It flakes off from the sides back and top from time to time.

DSCN2534.JPG

• jted
• Aug 24, 2014

I  knock it off and then use the Mighty pro because it is there. It will knock off any I missed and then clean up around the smoker. Rick I drop a few pellets from time to time. I use to pick them up but being old fat and crippled I find it easier to turn on the little blower. However I do this prior to liting the pellets to make sure I don't roll one of them where It should not be. I keep a red fire bucket under the amps when I lite it to catch any loose ones. Ha I know you are laughing but it is red.

 

[Bearcarver]

OK Guys,

Here is what I do to keep from dropping pellets & things all over the place.

I have a wrapped Fire Brick in a foil pan.

Then I set the AMNPS on the brick & fill it.

Anything that falls out of the AMNPS stays in the foil pan.

The brick keeps the porch rail from getting too hot, and it keeps the foil pan from blowing off the rail cap.

I also keep a teaspoon handy to save unburned pellets after the smoke is over.

Bear

image.jpeg

• smokin monkey
• Feb 12, 2016

 

[daricksta]

 
Hi guys, I don't know what flakes and falls. Is it carbon,I don't know. It flakes off from the sides back and top from time to time.

DSCN2534.JPG

• jted
• Aug 24, 2014

I  knock it off and then use the Mighty pro because it is there. It will knock off any I missed and then clean up around the smoker. Rick I drop a few pellets from time to time. I use to pick them up but being old fat and crippled I find it easier to turn on the little blower. However I do this prior to liting the pellets to make sure I don't roll one of them where It should not be. I keep a red fire bucket under the amps when I lite it to catch any loose ones. Ha I know you are laughing but it is red.

A-HA, Jim! Picking up them dropped pellets is what keeps me from being old fat and crippled...kind of.

When it comes to loading the AMNPS I'm down on the ground anyway because that's where I place it after lighting it. We have pea gravel in our backyard and just plain dirt in most areas in our front yard. There;s no danger of starting a range fire or something in either spot. I feel that as long as I'm down there I might as well pick up the pellets as long as the don't get lost among the gravel.

A red fire bucket? Yes, it is to laugh...

 

[jted]

Rick, It really is RED. It is red mostly to keep guests from putting paper items in it (old paper towels, candy wrappers or anything that can burn).  Jted​

DSCN2557.JPG

• jted
• Aug 24, 2014

 

[daricksta]

 

Rick, It really is RED. It is red mostly to keep guests from putting paper items in it (old paper towels, candy wrappers or anything that can burn).  Jted​

DSCN2557.JPG

• jted
• Aug 24, 2014

Oh, I believed it was really red without this visual proof. I agreed that it's a funny bit. But what I think is even funnier is the makeshift stand you concocted for your MES. Tell me more about that. It' looks like two melamine-like panels separated by a Lucerne milk crate (I had a blue Knudsen one years ago) with the bucket leaning against the crate. Knowing you I have to think it's very sturdy.

 

[jmposing]

 
The controller on the MES Gen 1 by design will swing up and down around the set point. It's been explained to me why that is but I can't specifically recall the reason; has to do with how the controller heating cycles. 

I would think it does it this way so the heat unit stays on long enough to keep the chips smoking. If it was only coming on for short bursts to maintain an exact temp they probably wouldn't burn right. Just a guess.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
I would think it does it this way so the heat unit stays on long enough to keep the chips smoking. If it was only coming on for short bursts to maintain an exact temp they probably wouldn't burn right. Just a guess.

Actually my MES 40 when set at 230° comes on at 228° and shuts off at 230°.

How much it goes down below 228° or above 230° depends on a number of things:

1--Ambient air temp (see below).

2--How far it traveled to get to that point (see below)

1---So in the Winter, after the element shuts off, it will rise above 230° less than in the Summer, and in the Summer, after starting up, it will drop below 228° less than in the Winter.

2---Also If your smoker is currently at 100°, and you change the setting to 230°, it will rise farther after the element shuts off than if your current heat is 225°, and you change your setting to 230°.

And the opposite holds true when lowering your settings.

Hoping I explained this so that others understand it.

Bear

 

[jted]

 
Oh, I believed it was really red without this visual proof. I agreed that it's a funny bit. But what I think is even funnier is the makeshift stand you concocted for your MES. Tell me more about that. It' looks like two melamine-like panels separated by a Lucerne milk crate (I had a blue Knudsen one years ago) with the bucket leaning against the crate. Knowing you I have to think it's very sturdy.

Rick, It did sit on the milk crate for awhile. I went from one height extreme to another. Here is my currant set up.

DSCN2817.JPG

• jted
• Jan 17, 2015

DSCN2818.JPG

• jted
• Jan 17, 2015

DSCN2821.JPG

• jted
• Jan 17, 2015

Now it sits about 32"  almost to tall but I will deal with it.

Yesterday was a decent day to smoke so I took advantage of the 50 degree temps.   Jted

 

[daricksta]

 
I would think it does it this way so the heat unit stays on long enough to keep the chips smoking. If it was only coming on for short bursts to maintain an exact temp they probably wouldn't burn right. Just a guess.

Yes, it has to do with maintaining the set point temp. A lot of guys--and I've been one of them--have complained about the temp swings but just from an empirical standpoint it looks to be that for all that swinging it averages out to a relatively constant temp. Now, the temp displayed on the control panel may not be accurate which is why I use the Maverick ET-733. I could further check it by using a Maverick Laser Surface Thermometer I bought for my Weber kettle charcoal grill but I don't want to get anal about it.

 

[daricksta]

 
Rick, It did sit on the milk crate for awhile. I went from one height extreme to another. Here is my currant set up.

DSCN2817.JPG

• jted
• Jan 17, 2015

DSCN2818.JPG

• jted
• Jan 17, 2015

DSCN2821.JPG

• jted
• Jan 17, 2015

Now it sits about 32"  almost to tall but I will deal with it.

Yesterday was a decent day to smoke so I took advantage of the 50 degree temps.   Jted

Jim, why is the smoker sitting on top of that can? But you place it on that wooden table to smoke? That table looks perfect. Do you have an awning or something over that spot?

Is that a little tool pouch of some kind sitting on the table? Looks like the kind you keep screwdrivers and socket drives in. If so, I've got one of those for the former and another one for my computer-repair tools.

I'll have to post a pic of my MES 30 on the table I use. It's in the 40s here but it's raining and I don't have a covered place to set up in outside. Running a vent hose from my smoker inside a garage out a window just isn't an option.

 

[jted]

 
Jim, why is the smoker sitting on top of that can? But you place it on that wooden table to smoke? That table looks perfect. Do you have an awning or something over that spot?

Is that a little tool pouch of some kind sitting on the table? Looks like the kind you keep screwdrivers and socket drives in. If so, I've got one of those for the former and another one for my computer-repair tools.

I'll have to post a pic of my MES 30 on the table I use. It's in the 40s here but it's raining and I don't have a covered place to set up in outside. Running a vent hose from my smoker inside a garage out a window just isn't an option

 Mostly because it was handy. It is not on the table top because the top is only 15 inches wide. the foot print of the smoker is a little wider. It's also too talll on the table top. But someday. Yes I would like one of those nifty metal carts from Sams but it would just rust. The trash can is over 25 years old and is S / S. It won't rust. But someday.  Jted

 

[daricksta]

 
 Mostly because it was handy. It is not on the table top because the top is only 15 inches wide. the foot print of the smoker is a little wider. It's also too talll on the table top. But someday. Yes I would like one of those nifty metal carts from Sams but it would just rust. The trash can is over 25 years old and is S / S. It won't rust. But someday.  Jted

I'm going to keep my current setup of storing my MES 30 strapped to a small hand truck. If/when the kids' table I use as a stand wears out I'll haunt Goodwill and other 2nd hand stores for a replacement.

 

[chef jimmyj]

 
Actually my MES 40 when set at 230° comes on at 228° and shuts off at 230°.

How much it goes down below 228° or above 230° depends on a number of things:

1--Ambient air temp (see below).

2--How far it traveled to get to that point (see below)

1---So in the Winter, after the element shuts off, it will rise above 230° less than in the Summer, and in the Summer, after starting up, it will drop below 228° less than in the Winter.

2---Also If your smoker is currently at 100°, and you change the setting to 230°, it will rise farther after the element shuts off than if your current heat is 225°, and you change your setting to 230°.

And the opposite holds true when lowering your settings.

Hoping I explained this so that others understand it.

Bear

 
Yes, it has to do with maintaining the set point temp. A lot of guys--and I've been one of them--have complained about the temp swings but just from an empirical standpoint it looks to be that for all that swinging it averages out to a relatively constant temp. Now, the temp displayed on the control panel may not be accurate which is why I use the Maverick ET-733. I could further check it by using a Maverick Laser Surface Thermometer I bought for my Weber kettle charcoal grill but I don't want to get anal about it.

Both true, I just wanted to add the coil heats to a light cherry red, this is somewhere around 1600°F. The chip pan etc over the coil heats up as well, around 600°F to get the wood smoking. Once the sensor sees the set point is reached or at least getting close, depending on the design of the controller, the coil shuts off. There is an awful lot of heat there that will be conducted away as the metal cools. This energy will continue to cause the air in the smoker to rise anywhere from a few degrees to several depending on where you are measuring it at. This is also the reason when going in a cooler, you need to pull meat out of the smoker about 5 to 10°F lower than your desired finished temp. The center of the meat is 195 to 200 but the surface is whatever temp you smoked the meat at, as high as 350°F. Some of that energy will warm the Towels but the bulk is reflected back at the meat by the foil and is then conducted into the meat continuing to raise the internal temp and cook the meat. It will easily get to 205° and possibly higher. If you Foil and go in the cooler at an IT of 205°F the pork can easily heat to 215°F and then take a LONG time to get below 160°F where the Collagen stops breaking down. This is like cooking the meat, already at your desired 205°, an extra hour or more depending on how long the meat stays in the cooler. You end up with mushy meat...JJ

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Both true, I just wanted to add the coil heats to a light cherry red, this is somewhere around 1600°F. The chip pan etc over the coil heats up as well, around 600°F to get the wood smoking. Once the sensor sees the set point is reached or at least getting close, depending on the design of the controller, the coil shuts off. There is an awful lot of heat there that will be conducted away as the metal cools. This energy will continue to cause the air in the smoker to rise anywhere from a few degrees to several depending on where you are measuring it at. This is also the reason when going in a cooler, you need to pull meat out of the smoker about 5 to 10°F lower than your desired finished temp. The center of the meat is 195 to 200 but the surface is whatever temp you smoked the meat at, as high as 350°F. Some of that energy will warm the Towels but the bulk is reflected back at the meat by the foil and is then conducted into the meat continuing to raise the internal temp and cook the meat. It will easily get to 205° and possibly higher. If you Foil and go in the cooler at an IT of 205°F the pork can easily heat to 215°F and then take a LONG time to get below 160°F where the Collagen stops breaking down. This is like cooking the meat, already at your desired 205°, an extra hour or more depending on how long the meat stays in the cooler. You end up with mushy meat...JJ

Yup----Exactly!!-----Good addition!!

Bear

 

[kennyp1114]

Todd is great about including a 2 lb. bag of his Pitmaster's Choice with every AMNPS. I buy my wood pellets only from Todd because they also have no filler and he offers outstanding customer service. I got an Xmas email with a photo of him and his family. Now I have faces to match with the business, and I believe in supporting small businesses that deserve it. So, I buy exclusively from Todd.

It's no different than an oven, portable heater,and a.c. etc.

 

[gary s]

Got my AMNPS and pellets last week, smoked cheese

gary

 

[daricksta]

It's no different than an oven, portable heater,and a.c. etc.

From what I've seen, wood pellets for heating are just sold as wood pellets. It's not specified (because it doesn't matter) which wood they were manufactured from if the packing states they're 100% wood with no additives. All wood pellets I've seen which are manufactured for smoking food are identified by the wood type because it does matter. I want to know if I'm buying oak, hickory, apple, a custom blend, etc.

 

[kennyp1114]

From what I've seen, wood pellets for heating are just sold as wood pellets. It's not specified (because it doesn't matter) which wood they were manufactured from if the packing states they're 100% wood with no additives. All wood pellets I've seen which are manufactured for smoking food are identified by the wood type because it does matter. I want to know if I'm buying oak, hickory, apple, a custom blend, etc.

I thought was was replying to a meesage about the thermostat on a Masterbuilt. as far as pellets i use hickory and for cheeses apple. I have hickory tress all around me and a lot of oaks. I've never tried oak, but i'm sure it's good. the pellets i like to get as much percentage of the wood to be hickory or apple.