So, I guess low and slow WITH smoke is not an option with this MES 40" I just got. I'm very disappointed. Masterbuilt was absolutely no help! I can't get dry wood chips to burn unless I set it to 275. Any suggestions?
So I'm a relative newbie also, but I'll give you what I've learned in 16 months with my MES 30. Since I have been clueless and ignorant, I'll have to start from the basics.
I want to clarify something you said first, specifically "I can't get dry wood chips to burn..." That makes me worry that you expect to see flames. So just in case...
In the MES, wood does not "burn" - it smoulders. If you see flame, that is bad and damaging to the smoker. An electric smoker is essentially anaerobic. It severely limits air intake to prevent outright combustion. The net result is that your chips are reduced to a neat pile of ashes.
Another thing you should know is that
you do not want thick white billowy smoke. I made this mistake several times in my first few months and my family got pretty soured on my new hobby. There's a 'good flavor' to smoke and a 'bad flavor' which is bitter and acrid and tinged with creosote. The billowy smoke, although it looks white, actually gives the latter, bitter smoke flavor. Minimize it.
You will see a lot in this site about "TBS," which stands for "thin blue smoke." This is the 'good flavor' smoke, the ideal. I have a glass front 30" and in
my most delicious smokes I have been able to see clear through to the back of the smoker with only a little bit of haze. Similarly, the smoke exiting the vent should ideally be, well, thin and bluish. On a calm day the smoker will have an aroma of everything you like about smoke flavor, without the acrid nastiness. Now, whenever you open the door, the smoke will billow - no getting around that.
Another thing is that
you do not need to apply smoke nonstop for six hours in most cases. It's often better to think of the MES not as a slightly odd grill that doesn't get hot, but instead as a roaster in which you generate smoke. If you load the chip tray, depending on various conditions, the chips will "burn" through to ash in 35-60 minutes and when the
Masterbuilt recipe says that's enough, it really is enough. Someone here pointed out 'you can add smoke flavor, but you can't take it out.'
This is also why it is not really a problem that the smoke is only generated when the heating element is on. First of all, the smouldering continues after it shuts off, and the second is that, again, you really don't need or often want constant smoke.
So what about those many of us MES users who do want a longer smoke? There are certainly legitimate circumstances for a long near-continuous smoke, and no one wants to be feeding the chip loader every 45 minutes. Many MES owners report wonderful results with the
A-MAZE-N pellet smoke generator or similar things. This operates on actual combustion and, from what I have read, you often have to remove the chip loader entirely to provide enough oxygen for them to burn. It does generate heat which you may need to manage.
Myself, I use
Masterbuilt's "Cold Smoker Attachment." Properly cleaned, the cold smoker will go through a large stack of chips gradually for 8 hours or more. It also barely adds any heat to the chamber, allowing, well, a "cold smoke," e.g. for cheese or bacon. I got mine for bacon and cheese, but now I use it for many of my 'cook' 'hot' smokes as well. This has given me some really fabulous pulled pork and ribs.
Anyway, I know this is four months later but I hope that this helps you.
- Andrew Wolfe
