cleaning your mes 30?

[SmokinAl]

Yup---I also scrape up the little piles of dried up fat in the bottom, and on the chip burner shield, so they don't catch fire.

One time I looked in there, and it looked like a whole Boyscout troop moved in----There were little camp fires burning all over the place in there!!!   

Bear

I like all those little fires!

It adds to the flavor!

          

 

[fire393]

windex wont give off any smell when smoking??

 

[Bearcarver]

windex wont give off any smell when smoking??

None that I ever noticed.

Don't forget, I open the door as far as it opens. Then I only spray the glass, and wipe it ALL off.

If the wind is blowing in the wrong direction, you can spray it right on the paper towels, so it can't blow into the smoker.

Bear

 

[SmokinAl]

I use rubbing alcohol. I think it works as good as Windex with no residue or worries that it will get in the smoker. Just saturate a paper towel & wipe the glass off then follow with a clean paper towel to get the rest off.

 

[15ft smoker]

I clean my rig , right after each time i cook on it, it keeps the grease from building up in the bottom, i found a good food grade cleaner, is best, and the health department , loves this . I have found good care provides a good food product, and all my customers are happy, i love this group, there is so much one can learn

 

[billyj571]

windex really ???? I use a 50/50 mix of   Isopropyl Alcohol and water . It works great that what we use to clean the window shields of the planes also don't streak either.  that's just my 2 cents

 

[coconuts]

If anyone is smoking in foil pans instead of directly on the grates in your MES there is a way to make cleaning the grates VERY easy!

Just put a light coating of dish soap (Dawn) on the grates before your smoke. The smoke will wash off super easy with some hot water. FYI

Obviously you do not want to do this if you are putting your meat directly on the grates.

 

[domapoi]

If anyone is smoking in foil pans instead of directly on the grates in your MES there is a way to make cleaning the grates VERY easy!

Just put a light coating of dish soap (Dawn) on the grates before your smoke. The smoke will wash off super easy with some hot water. FYI

Obviously you do not want to do this if you are putting your meat directly on the grates.

I try to not use foil on my grates if at all possible! The foil prevents all sides of my food from being exposed to smoke. If it is something really fine that would fall through the grates I will use one of several products sold that have a finer mesh made for such purpose. The only time I will use foil is for stuff like coarse sea salt or fine herbs that I smoke, and then I will stir them a few times during smoking so that all sides of what I am smoking get exposed.

All I do to clean my MES is fill my sink with some hot soapy water and soak my racks and water tray in there for about a half hour and then use a sponge that has that green ScotchBright pad on one side. Then wipe out the inside with the MES with a terry towel dipped in and wrung out with a mixture of hot water and vinegar. Then wipe out with clean water on a towel. Works for me.
 

 

[texdav]

Like any smoker you need to get the cresote buildup off the insiode cabinet cleaned or eventuall you'll see it on and taste it in your smoked meats.Just follow the instrcutions provided. The staining of the metal is not important but the greasy cresote buidup is. Nothing worse than meat with a greasy coating of this that eventually will occur.

 

[allen]

I have the MES 40" 800 watt and I would pick up a credit card size ice scraper from an Auto parts store and scrape the inside out withg that, no worries on metal slivers and it keeps the inside fairly clean.

 

[rabbithutch]

I don't have an MES (but I'm considering getting one); so I don't know if this is feasible.

Could you clean out the insides with one of those little steamers that has a wand?  Or would that make a mess or damage the innards?

 

[SmokinAl]

I don't understand why anyone would want to clean all that beautiful mojo off the walls of your smoker. Unless it's so thick that pieces are falling off on the food, then why not leave it alone. Yes, clean the grates, water pan, drip pan, and dump the ashes. But leave the walls alone. That's just me though, I guess that there are a lot of you that want a clean smoker, walls and all. And I do admit the MES that I use for just sausage & bacon is nice & clean, but that's all that has ever been in there and that's what I bought it for.

 

[bigfish98]

I don't understand why anyone would want to clean all that beautiful mojo off the walls of your smoker. Unless it's so thick that pieces are falling off on the food, then why not leave it alone. Yes, clean the grates, water pan, drip pan, and dump the ashes. But leave the walls alone. That's just me though, I guess that there are a lot of you that want a clean smoker, walls and all. And I do admit the MES that I use for just sausage & bacon is nice & clean, but that's all that has ever been in there and that's what I bought it for.

I am with Al on this one. IMHO, a smoker is like a good cast iron pan. It works best when well seaoned.

Bigfish

 

[15ft smoker]

a good smoker is well used and the seasoning are easy to smell, when you open the doors, yes cleaning one is important, but remember you need it seasoned from use, as with any cook iron skillet, i made a great honey glazed rub for my ribs, but it has to be cut with a good hot sauce,

 

[captturbo]

I like the idea of using a plastic ice scraper on the ceiling and walls to remove the curling bits of carbon so they don't flake off and get on the meats. My MES does make  bit of that stuff much like the inside lid for my Weber Genesis gas grill.

 

[jc1947]

I clean the window of my MES with Windex and the bottom, top, and drip pan with KrudKutter. The racks go in the dishwasher and I foil the water pan and heat deflector.

JC1947

 

[meatman3000]

 
O.K.!  My turn. First; here is why I now have an MES 30 analog and CLEAN the unit after every use and will NEVER again have LP gas.

I always see macho "city" fellas, trailering their ATVs back home, caked in mud, like it's a badge or medal but the same guys wash and polish their cars and will break your face if you touch it. My wife cleans her house oven, so what's the diff' with her's and mine outside? Nada!

Considering the lengthy prep' time for a smoke, what's another half hour after you have devoured the presentation? Nada!

Take it from a non-macho man who is still having his home rebuilt after eleven months.

"Once burnt; twice shy".

Here are the simple tools needed for a safely and reasonably cleaned MES analog 30.

The SS scrubs are dipped in hot water to scrub the walls. The #4 SW polishes and cleans the rails and thermometer. Clean the thermometer as well as the probes if you want an accurate reading. Crud insulates. The screw driver simply removes the 2 bolts that hold the element. The spatula, scrapes the bottom and scoops out the crappola.

BTW: Once you know how much your door's thermometer is consistantly in error (mine is 31 degrees), I simply add that to what it reads and I am in business. 

As you can see, I am not completely anal but the rig is quite presentable AND SAFE TO USE.

The grates do not take anything much to clean. Simple dish detergent, a nylon scrub brush, a laundry tub and a 20 minute soak, while you are cleaning the cabinet.

Thanks!  I have a MES 30" Analog myself and I was wondering if that element was easy to remove.  I'm going to take mine out and go nuts cleaning the bottom of the smoker,

 

[muck man]

I spray my racks and drip pan with PAM before starting.  Rinse off better when finished.  After 7 years I have only cleaned the racks and pan.  If short smoke and most comes off I put in dishwasher.  For longer smokes I use steel wool on both, works great!

 

[masterfader]

Does anyone line the bottom of their MES 30" analog with foil, punching a hole in the bottom of course?

 

[Bearcarver]

Does anyone line the bottom of their MES 30" analog with foil, punching a hole in the bottom of course?

I would guess most MES 30 and MES 40 owners cover their bottom Drip Pan with foil.

I actually removed my bottom drip pan & just put a sheet of foil on the floor of the smoker.

I would imagine MES Analog owners would do similar things.

Bear