Disappointed with amount of smoke; bought a master built electric 40" added updated part sent by mas

[tennsmoker]

I am a newbie at smoking and cooking.  Studied most of the smoking units available including the MES 30 and MES 40.  Read most of the comments made about the MES.

What comes to mind is why the heck do people buy this piece of junk!  Paying hundreds of dollars then modifying it - going through all the frustrations of seeking out components

to upgrade and still can't maintain consistent temperature control and still not enough smoke!

I found a solution;  large Costco tissue box, 1 AMNS unit, 1 broom stick for hanging meat and a thermometer, an electrical hot plate, a pie pan,  a couple of small vent holes on top and your done.

The MES and all other smokers available for home smoking are "toys", and "gadgetry".

This is just my summation and opinion from all I've read.

If I missed something, please correct me.  Hey delie, sounds like a great plan you have there with the "large Costco tissue box".  I am always looking for cost effective ways to support my various hobbies, smoke and BBQ being one one of them. 

All yea, you ask did you miss anything, well yes you did !!  The Q-Views of your working model of your "large Costco tissue box" I think from all the posts numerous forum members would like to see it,

thanks,

al

Delie here

 

[greaser4641]

My wife gave me a Masterbuilt 40" for Christmas and I came to this forum to get some needed advise about using it. Well the advise was great and I knew that I wanted  the longer time between filling the smoke bow , so I puurchased the AMNPS 6x8 sawdust burner and then I read somemore on the hot smoking and that I would be better off with the pellet burner, so I kicked for it. I make sausage and the dust burner will do a great job for curing, and I also like good smoked meat, and I have found the pellet is great with long smoke times and nice blue smoke, I"ve done a couple of pork butts and a meat loaf so far and all came out extra good. I also own a Hopped up Bradley electric smoker with a pid controller and two 500 watters, It works but the size of the 40 makes a hold a lot more product.

 

[chef jimmyj]

I doubt there is a Smoker on the market that is perfect, set it and for get it for 10 hours and does it all from generating smoke at Ambient temps to 325*F, at least not that I can find...However for $299 for my MES and another $39 for the AMNPS and I can do most of what I described, though not Perfect. There was a 20* variation between the set temp and actual temp and a replacement Controller fixed that. And the MES only goes to abot 275*F... What you expect from Made in China...JJ

BTW...It 2* outside today in PA...I would have ZERO issues Smoking a Pork Butt to 200*F to pull...Can your Tissue Box and Hot Plate get that done?

 

[smokingrk]

must agree with Chef JJ, damn cold here too, although about +20. I also bought a new 40 MES and having temp control issues waiting on new controller, but do enjoy what it can make as is, all in all I'm happy with it.

 

[Dutch]

I am a newbie at smoking and cooking.  Studied most of the smoking units available including the MES 30 and MES 40.  Read most of the comments made about the MES.

What comes to mind is why the heck do people buy this piece of junk!  Paying hundreds of dollars then modifying it - going through all the frustrations of seeking out components

to upgrade and still can't maintain consistent temperature control and still not enough smoke!

I found a solution;  large Costco tissue box, 1 AMNS unit, 1 broom stick for hanging meat and a thermometer, an electrical hot plate, a pie pan,  a couple of small vent holes on top and your done.

The MES and all other smokers available for home smoking are "toys", and "gadgetry".

This is just my summation and opinion from all I've read.

If I missed something, please correct me.

Delie here

Hey, I saw that episode of Alton Brown too! Nice move on replacing the hot plate with an AMNS unit!

 

[jwsailor]

Love my MES 40, used it for a few years now. Of course I have an A-Maze-N smoker. Thanks to Todd I enjoy great smoke. I use these two for sausage, and anything else that will smoke. I have seen a few homemade rigs that looked great but this MES 40 and the A-Maze-N works great for me.

 

[russg]

Smoking B.

If you are using an Amnps for the quantity of smoke you require, what is the purpose of the MES 30?

Your experience with the MES 30 is obviously good but what I have been reading is negative.

I do not relish the thought of upgrading an MES 40 when it is brand new.  Why not buy one with all

the bells & whistles you desire (properly functioning).

With an AMNPS in hand - all that is necessary to smoke according to recipe is ;   temperature for a required length of time,

and accurate control of temperature.  What are you smoking, at what temperature and for how long?

So many MES 40 owners are complaining about their units that I am fearful of buying one.  I'll stick with the cardboard box

until I find a unit with accurate temp control.  That is first and foremost to me.  Making smoldering wood, I've found, is the

easy part.

Delie here

Delie,
I just bought the MES 40 after having the MES 30.  The only "Mod" I have is I use the AMNPS.  To me this combination is hard to beat.

I think the majority here would agree with this.  Todd was a lifesaver with the invention of the AMNPS.  His device made the MES over the top in my opinion.

I am surprised the MB has not bought it from him.

Shut my mouth!

 

[daricksta]

I have the MES 30 and if anything my complaint has been that I get TOO MUCH smoke. I've used both wood chips, and I've used the A-MAZE-N Pellet Smoker. I vastly prefer the AMNPS since I'm not loading in wood chips every 20 mintues--but twice the pellet smoker has gone out without my knowledge. So in my own case, I'm still working on how to get a more subtle smoke flavor that isn't so harsh from oversmoking.

I have the generation of the MES 30 that was sold last year before the brand-spankin' new ones came out. I greatly prefer mine.

 

[daricksta]

I strongly disagree that the MES is a "piece of junk". Sure, any product can have bad or defective units. My MES 30 has performed like a champ and I'm very happy that I get such results from a smoker I paid $180--because I sure can't afford to shell out $300 or more for the fancier or offset models. From what I've read, many users have gotten great customer service from Masterbuilt as well. In every forum I've read or participated in, there is always a percentage of people who absolutely hate something, and a percentage who love it to pieces. I'm a Masterbuilt fan based on the smoker I bought and enjoy using.

 

[badbob]

My MES 40 had an "issue" when I first got it. Masterbuilt fixed me up right away. I've never used the chip tray for smoke just an AMNPS. The only time that it went out before it burned all of the pellets was when I had forgotten to open the chip tray to let air in...oooops, my bad!

 

[chef jimmyj]

I strongly disagree that the MES is a "piece of junk". Sure, any product can have bad or defective units. My MES 30 has performed like a champ and I'm very happy that I get such results from a smoker I paid $180--because I sure can't afford to shell out $300 or more for the fancier or offset models. From what I've read, many users have gotten great customer service from Masterbuilt as well. In every forum I've read or participated in, there is always a percentage of people who absolutely hate something, and a percentage who love it to pieces. I'm a Masterbuilt fan based on the smoker I bought and enjoy using.

I agree... Look we are paying $200 to $300 dollars for what is a great smoker but at that price and it being made in China there is going to be issues! You want next to Perfect out of the box, spend the $1500 for the comparable size and featured, American made, Cookshack......IF I had that kind of money I'd make faces at the bank and wonder what the poor people were doing...

...JJ

 

[jaked]

If you are using an Amnps for the quantity of smoke you require, what is the purpose of the MES 30?

Your experience with the MES 30 is obviously good but what I have been reading is negative.

I do not relish the thought of upgrading an MES 40 when it is brand new. Why not buy one with all

the bells & whistles you desire (properly functioning).

Delie,

   Good Luck with that!! Bring your checkbook.

Every smoker that I ever had, had to be modified one way or another. I don't have an electric or gas smoker but I do use the AMNPS for cold smoking cheese and fish. I am really thinking about the MES though as the years pile on, tired of the hassle of the charcoal and wood.

  Jake

     Smokin in SC

 

[mnzman]

Sounds like some are getting a little touchy.  Hey what ever works for you great, but for those looking for some help let us know what works and doesn't. I came to the forum because I over smoked some salmon in my MES30 and generated the evil creosote. Because of what I read in the forum I purchased the AMNPS.  I followed the directions for lighting it and smoked up some lake trout and salmon a week ago. The outside temp was 0 but I was able to maintain temp with the propane fuel source. The TBL was great as was the fish = Thanks AKhap. So now let's all play nice together and learn and have fun.
 

 

[s2k9k]

Sounds like some are getting a little touchy.  Hey what ever works for you great, but for those looking for some help let us know what works and doesn't. I came to the forum because I over smoked some salmon in my MES30 and generated the evil creosote. Because of what I read in the forum I purchased the AMNPS.  I followed the directions for lighting it and smoked up some lake trout and salmon a week ago. The outside temp was 0 but I was able to maintain temp with the propane fuel source. The TBL was great as was the fish = Thanks AKhap. So now let's all play nice together and learn and have fun.
 

Thank You Very Much!!!

I see this is your first post here, when you get a minute would you do us a favor and go to Roll Call and introduce yourself so we can get to know you and give you a proper welcome, also would you add your location to your profile, we like knowing where you are when we talk to you, Thanks!

 

[chuckerg]

Have never been let down by my MES 30 I have done turkey chicken pork and cheese all types and all cuts with no issue and it is still stock the upgrades will improve it but it can be used without them. where I live it might be 100 in the summer and -20 in the winter so to say it cant be consistant with temp is a load of chips

 

[daveomak]

Morning all.......     From what I have noticed, from talking with many folks of the forum, there is not one smoker made that can be used flawlessly from the day it is taken out of the box.....   From electric, propane, briquettes and stick burner they all have steep learning curves to get that coveted delicious smoke flavored food we all search for....  

If you are purchasing your first smoker, you have read many revues about many models....   If you talk to a person whom has spent many days trying to perfect the smoker he has, and has done so....  He will probably say he loves it..... It you talk to a person who thinks smoking food should be like turning on the oven and cooking a roast and does not have the patience to seek the divine flavor, aroma and moistness achievable in most any smoker from trial and error.... You will get an unhappy revue....  It is not the smoker, it is the person behind the apron...

As a person that loves really good food, I was willing to spend the time and "listen" to what was being written here....  There are many words between the lines, that listening will put into plain view.... 

I have an MES 30 and really like it... At first, the food tasted like creosote.... My fault..  I followed the directions in the manual....  Uneven cooking in the unit....   MES poor engineering with heat distribution....   I corrected that fault with a few modifications in the search for great food...   Lousy smoke because I had to add 1/8 cup of chips every 20 - 30 minutes to get that beautiful blue smoke.... I used a tin can and soldering iron in the search for easier to control smoke.... that worked.....   Then,T Johnson needed a few folks to test his new pellet blend "Pitmaster's Choice"....  I volunteered to be a guinea pig and test PC Blend and his new AMNPS....   WOW.....  Talk about a gift horse....   There I was still trying to learn how to get the MES to make PERFECT smoked food and Todd comes along with the perfect blend of woods for great tasting food and the AMNPS for perfect TBS....   I didn't learn how to make great tasting Q....  I was forced into it by our own beloved Todd..

You may have wondered where this was going...   Great Q is up to the operator, and sometimes up to listening to friends, and sometimes being in the right place at the right time, and usually from unknown sources that just happen.....  Pay attention, take notes, don't stop striving for that great taste of great Q......  It will not come easy....  

Make the mods necessary to the smoker, control the smoke, control the temp, make great Q....  It is that easy...   

Dave

 

[sound1]

Nicely said Dave. I read this and started to laugh at the thought of switching the word MES with Mustang or Camaro...We make the mods to the equipment to get that extra little bit of performance out of whatever we have. It's all about the love of the craft and the fun we have chasing that elusive perfect smoke experience.

If it came out perfectly every time, where would the challenge or the fun be? Not to mention the time for

 

[kathrynn]

Morning all.......     From what I have noticed, from talking with many folks of the forum, there is not one smoker made that can be used flawlessly from the day it is taken out of the box.....   From electric, propane, briquettes and stick burner they all have steep learning curves to get that coveted delicious smoke flavored food we all search for....  

If you are purchasing your first smoker, you have read many revues about many models....   If you talk to a person whom has spent many days trying to perfect the smoker he has, and has done so....  He will probably say he loves it..... It you talk to a person who thinks smoking food should be like turning on the oven and cooking a roast and does not have the patience to seek the divine flavor, aroma and moistness achievable in most any smoker from trial and error.... You will get an unhappy revue....  It is not the smoker, it is the person behind the apron...

As a person that loves really good food, I was willing to spend the time and "listen" to what was being written here....  There are many words between the lines, that listening will put into plain view.... 

I have an MES 30 and really like it... At first, the food tasted like creosote.... My fault..  I followed the directions in the manual....  Uneven cooking in the unit....   MES poor engineering with heat distribution....   I corrected that fault with a few modifications in the search for great food...   Lousy smoke because I had to add 1/8 cup of chips every 20 - 30 minutes to get that beautiful blue smoke.... I used a tin can and soldering iron in the search for easier to control smoke.... that worked.....   Then,T Johnson needed a few folks to test his new pellet blend "Pitmaster's Choice"....  I volunteered to be a guinea pig and test PC Blend and his new AMNPS....   WOW.....  Talk about a gift horse....   There I was still trying to learn how to get the MES to make PERFECT smoked food and Todd comes along with the perfect blend of woods for great tasting food and the AMNPS for perfect TBS....   I didn't learn how to make great tasting Q....  I was forced into it by our own beloved Todd..

You may have wondered where this was going...   Great Q is up to the operator, and sometimes up to listening to friends, and sometimes being in the right place at the right time, and usually from unknown sources that just happen.....  Pay attention, take notes, don't stop striving for that great taste of great Q......  It will not come easy....  

Make the mods necessary to the smoker, control the smoke, control the temp, make great Q....  It is that easy...   

Dave

Nice Dave!  Okay---I am going to sound like a Girl here....admit it guys!  You just have to tinker with things....its in the gene pool!  And with the foods that come out of our smokers....Practice makes Perfect!

 

[sound1]

Nice Dave!  Okay---I am going to sound like a Girl here....admit it guys!  You just have to tinker with things....its in the gene pool!  And with the foods that come out of our smokers....Practice makes Perfect!

You're killing me.."tinker"  we are perfecting an art form....and it keeps us out of your hair!! That is good....right

 

[kathrynn]

You're killing me.."tinker"  we are perfecting an art form....and it keeps us out of your hair!! That is good....right

But of course!  See that is what I call "boy jobs" at my house! 

  BUT...also at my House...I do the grilling and the smoking and all of the foody stuff!  Lynn is not allowed...he cant boil water!