Elbows for mailbox mod

[dartguy]

I am finally getting around to making a mailbox mod for my MES30. I have read countless threads talking about it being OK to use a galvanized steel mailbox as the temps won't get high enough (unless a flareup on the AMNPS tray) to fume out the zinc. The only adjustable elbows they had in 3" at the Lowes today appear to be 30 ga galvanized steel. Does the same thinking apply to using these as the mailbox as the heat in the smoke should be even less the farther from the MB it goes? Thanks!

 

[chopsaw]

I have mine hard piped . No worries .

 

[GATOR240]

I use them also on mine.

 

[Lonzinomaker]

I used aluminum adjustable elbows I got from Home Depot.

 

[Wakulla]

I used aluminum flex duct. No elbows

 

[tallbm]

I am finally getting around to making a mailbox mod for my MES30. I have read countless threads talking about it being OK to use a galvanized steel mailbox as the temps won't get high enough (unless a flareup on the AMNPS tray) to fume out the zinc. The only adjustable elbows they had in 3" at the Lowes today appear to be 30 ga galvanized steel. Does the same thinking apply to using these as the mailbox as the heat in the smoke should be even less the farther from the MB it goes? Thanks!

Hi there and welcome!
If using an propane torch to light the AMNPS you can always use it to do a burn out on your joint and mailbox mod. Just wear a good mask, don't burn yourself, and don't set it on fire.
If you burn it out with the torch there wont be any zinc left to to cause a problem... again just be safe all around!

Best of luck!

 

[BuckeyeSteve]

I bought aluminum elbows on amazon. Make sure your flexible duct isn't plastic lined.

 

[dartguy]

tallbm,
I like that idea! The elbows I bought have oil on them so I need to clean that off before torching but I like the idea of "pre-toasting" the elbows before using them!

Thanks to everyone else who replied, too!!!

 

[Wakulla]

The mailbox mod is the best mod i have done to my mes. Well that pid temp. Control is pretty nice too.

My ribs used to come out black. Look at the color of these ribs and turkey.

 

[tallbm]

tallbm,
I like that idea! The elbows I bought have oil on them so I need to clean that off before torching but I like the idea of "pre-toasting" the elbows before using them!

Thanks to everyone else who replied, too!!!

No problem! I believe this is done with drums/barrels to ensure they are good to go for turning into drum smokers :)

 

[Wakulla]

My opinion is if you burn the anodizing off those elbows they will quickly rust out. The smoke from the mailbox is not hot enough to break down the zinc coating. I would just run it for a 12 hr seasoning run. The inside will then be coated with creosote and seal up the zinc. Then you are ready to smoke.

If you do burn them then i would paint them with high temp grill paint.

 

[chopsaw]

I would also suggest not trying to burn the coating off . Not needed , plus they are not made to take the kind of heat needed to remove it . I've cut and welded galvanized coated metal for 30 years . Burn the oil out if it's that bad , but any thing else will ruin the part .

 

[tallbm]

tallbm,
I like that idea! The elbows I bought have oil on them so I need to clean that off before torching but I like the idea of "pre-toasting" the elbows before using them!

Thanks to everyone else who replied, too!!!

I would go with what the other guys are saying about avoiding the burn out. I was only speaking of the inside and not the outside but I never did a burnout on my elbow or my mailbox mod. I have so much creosote built up and coating the inside of them that they are sealed 10 times over :)

 

[dr k]

I've got so much creosote build up on the inside of the mailbox roof it forms stalactites. I scrape the inside roof yearly to knock them off so they don't drip glass like black beads of creosote that bond to the amnps.

 

[cmayna]

Here's my setup using aluminum pipe and elbow pieces from Home Depot. Very simple.

image.jpeg

• cmayna
• Mar 19, 2016

 

[dartguy]

About finished fabricating the mod! I will be using a stainless scrubber inside the tubing to help filter more crud from the smoke. Also have an option to lengthen the tubing using another elbow. Next will be firing up some pellets to clean out the system before actually hooking it up to the MES.

 

[BuckeyeSteve]

About finished fabricating the mod! I will be using a stainless scrubber inside the tubing to help filter more crud from the smoke. Also have an option to lengthen the tubing using another elbow. Next will be firing up some pellets to clean out the system before actually hooking it up to the MES.

I put a stainless scrubber at each end of the flex duct. It doesn't seem to restrict the airflow and they both catch the smoke.

 

[tallbm]

About finished fabricating the mod! I will be using a stainless scrubber inside the tubing to help filter more crud from the smoke. Also have an option to lengthen the tubing using another elbow. Next will be firing up some pellets to clean out the system before actually hooking it up to the MES.

Looks like you are well on your way!
I may have one of the simplest mailbox mods out there and I don't have any issues. The scrubbers work in my little compact system as well so you should be good:

2zflemo.jpg

• tallbm
• Jan 8, 2017

2j17cdd.jpg

• tallbm
• Jan 8, 2017

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• tallbm
• Jan 8, 2017

 

[dartguy]

Finally got a chance to use the mailbox mod today! Put a 4 lb pork belly in that had been curing for 10 days. Used apple pellets in the AMNPS. Can hardly believe that I ran the smoke for 7 hours and still had some unburnt pellets in the tray!! And I was getting consistent smoke that whole time. SO much better than any smoke I've done putting the tray inside the MES. I didn't have to relight the pellets or open the smoker the whole time. I did notice that having the mailbox pipe going into the side of the smoker, instead of that being open to let air in, gave consistently even temperature swings in the MES. Shoulda' done this mod long ago!

 

[chopsaw]

Good to hear , and bacon looks great . Start reading up on the PID re-wire . You can choose if you want to do that next if the stock controller quits .