cast iron pan directly on element to create smoke

[gort]

Can I put a small cast iron pan directly on the element to create the smoke.  The little wood cup on the Masterbuilt 30 inch smoker is so small it doesnt create much smoke. 

 

[dirtsailor2003]

You probably could, but at higher temps you may find that the chips will ignite and burn which isn't a good thing.

Most use the AMNPS maze burner for dust or pellets from Todd at AmazeN Smokers. Do a search for MES and Amnps. You'll get a ton of info.

 

[daricksta]

 
Can I put a small cast iron pan directly on the element to create the smoke.  The little wood cup on the Masterbuilt 30 inch smoker is so small it doesnt create much smoke. 

I've got a MES 30 Gen 1 and have never had any trouble getting wood chips to smoke, even at temps below 200°. You didn't give much info as to how much in wood chips you loaded, the cooking temp, or which model MES 30 you own. Anyway, I don't advise placing even a small cast iron pan on the heating element for several reasons, the first being I don't think it the element was designed to handle the weight or the heat from the pan so there's the possibility of breaking it.

I use the A-MAZE-N Pellet Smoker (AMNPS) and wood pellets exclusively to generate smoke. Wood chips were just too much hassle for me. Todd Johnson, who invented that pellet smoker, also has other pellet and Dust smokers that work in in all versions of MES models. But if you want to continue using wood chips they should work fine. If not, please give the info I mentioned in my first paragraph.

 

[mountain-worm]

I bought the mes coldsmoker attachment, and that is all I use to create smoke. Put a handful of chips in for a short smoke or load it up for longer smoke times. I have it on a mes 30,and it works great! There should be some info on it if you do a search. Good luck!