First MES Gen 2.5 Smoke

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

randys01

Newbie
Original poster
Jul 4, 2020
9
4
Got my first two ribs in the 40" MES, Gen 2.5. I spent a few hours yesterday breaking the thing in and understanding how it manages temperature / smoke. This is an attempt to use wood chips rather than a tube smoker, but I have an idea to at some point rig a tube smoker into the wood chip loader. I have a 6" tube that fits perfectly..

In either case, I read a lot of complaints about the window & chip loader being useless. I don't find that to be the case. If you use too much smoke, sure- useless. But if it's just the right amount of blue smoke that window is clear as day.

Also following Bears advice on the warm up procedure, it's only a few degrees off from my own reading. Very happy so far. See video:
Video: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Wo6MxaYHZbPusaFt5
 

Attachments

  • fewchips.jpg
    fewchips.jpg
    125 KB · Views: 17
  • Like
Reactions: JC in GB
I'm wondering if I put the water tray in the wrong way. It's not over the heating element and I would have expected the water to evaporate by now. Also seems like above the water, there is less bark forming than above where there is no water. Though I should not trust what I see yet. There are still several hours to go here.

watertray.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: JC in GB
This is an attempt to use wood chips rather than a tube smoker, but I have an idea to at some point rig a tube smoker into the wood chip loader. I have a 6" tube that fits perfectly..

First of all welcome!

Unless you can figure a way to regulate the airflow,putting the tube in the chiploader port is going to give you nothing but billowing smoke and that's all your food will taste like.There's even the possibility of ignition.Consider using the tray in the traditional way but since you already have a tube consider this:
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/u-bolt-mod-for-the-amnts.271846/
If you're a little ambitious consider a mailbox mod.Search it here or on google and you'll find plenty of info.
 
  • Like
Reactions: randys01
First of all welcome!

Unless you can figure a way to regulate the airflow,putting the tube in the chiploader port is going to give you nothing but billowing smoke and that's all your food will taste like.There's even the possibility of ignition.Consider using the tray in the traditional way but since you already have a tube consider this:
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/u-bolt-mod-for-the-amnts.271846/
If you're a little ambitious consider a mailbox mod.Search it here or on google and you'll find plenty of info.

I figured there would be limited airflow with the chiploader port screw-cap on. The idea I had was to cut the chip dispensor tray off and replace it with a kind of prong that sticks into the tube holes and allows it to pivot open side up when it isn't in the smoker.

That way you could light it with the opening facing up and then it would lay with a slight incline once inserted into the chiploader. You could insert and remove the tube without opening the smoker and without burning yourself really easy. The angle would be less aggressive than your mailbox hack and airflow would be limited in that the cap was screwed on. Theoretically you could increase the smoke by turning the cap screw which would reduce the incline of the tube.

I've done zero experimentation with this, so I could be entirely wrong about all the assumptions.
 
Just pulled 'em and because the wife and kids aren't home yet, wrapped and set to 150F to hold. They came out great! Good bark, awesome flavor (dry brine + meatheads rib rub recipe). Didn't open the unit at all, no spray.

bark.jpg


Grabbed myself a piece because I couldn't wait:
preeat.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bearcarver
Looks Great from here, Randy!!
Like.
Note: We get nothing positive from adding water to the water pan in an MES. Only Negative.
Haven't added water to my pan in 9 years.
MES units are so well insulated that there is already too much humidity in it without adding water to make it worse.

Bear
 
  • Like
Reactions: randys01
Looks Great from here, Randy!!
Like.
Note: We get nothing positive from adding water to the water pan in an MES. Only Negative.
Haven't added water to my pan in 9 years.
MES units are so well insulated that there is already too much humidity in it without adding water to make it worse.

Bear

Makes sense! I have another grill that I have used for smoking in the past and it is similar in not needing water. Being unfamiliar with how this one cooked and the fear of electric not adding any humidity, my plan was 1cup of water for the start and not refilling. Didn't seem to do any harm, but will skip in the future.
 
Makes sense! I have another grill that I have used for smoking in the past and it is similar in not needing water. Being unfamiliar with how this one cooked and the fear of electric not adding any humidity, my plan was 1cup of water for the start and not refilling. Didn't seem to do any harm, but will skip in the future.


Did you get a window in your door.
If you have a window, even without adding water to your pan, you will see an awful lot of condensation on the inside of the glass, and running down the glass. Too much humidity in there without adding more.

Bear
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Clicky