Help with my MES 40

[68sting]

I picked up MES 40 to compliment my Louisiana 450.  I have a few things I like with a heavier smoke than I have managed with the 450.  I have read good things about the MES and found one on Craigslist.  I did a tri tip in each smoker and didn't care for the taste off the MES.  I used the same pellets in both.  I'm not sure what the previous owner used for smoke but it does have a different smell to it.  Is there a way to clean or reseason a smoker?

Picture445.jpg

• 68sting
• Sep 9, 2012

 

[mossymo]

Wife and I have MES 40" and a 30". As far as cleaning just give the interior a thorough cleaning and re season the interior with a few hours of smoke to get your own smells in it.

Are you using a 6"X8" A-MAZE-N smoker in your MES? They work well in the MES and you can adjust the amount of smoke by either lighting one or both ends of the smoker.

My personal opinion is a pellet grill will just give your a better tasting tri-tip than the MES will; MES has it's uses such as small sausage smokes, cheese etc. But if you have the choice of grills with a steak style cook I would pick the pellet grill for the task.

 

[68sting]

I agree the tri tip is great off the pellet grill but it doesn't have much of a smoky flavor compared to my stick burner.  I like the deep smoke for a few recipes and was hoping for a set it and forget smoker that can give me a deep smoke flavor.

 

[mossymo]

You can add a tube pellet smoker to your pellet grill for additional smoke.

 

[frosty]

Clean out the interior using a LITTLE water, and a hand sponge.  No detergent needed.  If necessary you can use ash on a wet paper towel to help act as a light abrasive on tough spots.  Then simply re-season the MES. 

I use the AMNPS and have and good luck with it.  Haven't gotten the tube smoker, but hear that they work well too.'

Good luck!

 

[deltadude]

I guess I am old school, tri-tip is a Calif thing, originally cooked over an open grill, no marinade just garlic salt fresh ground pepper and dash of garlic powder, then throw on hot grill cook both sides then foil or finish indirect when temp reaches 135º pull and let rest for 5 minutes.  I do add a little of one of my rubs and and good dash of my fav steak seasoning, so the mine is heavily seasoned.  I foil mine while resting to trap all the juices, use for au jus. Cut the meat on the bias and enjoy.

I have smoked tri-tip in the smoker then finished on the grill, however remember smoking was initially used for cheap cuts of meat to elevate their flavor and tenderness.  Tri-tip while not expensive is not a cheap cut lacking flavor or tenderness, smoking isn't necessary.  If you want smoke throw a big 3" by 3" chunk of wood on either in your charcoal or gas grill, let it ignite and burn for few minutes then smother the flame and put it back on the heat but in cooler spot it will smoke nicely, if ignites again, smother and set it on a piece of foil to keep from igniting.  The charred chunk has to get hot or the smoke will smell like creosote.

 

[68sting]

I have a tube smoker on the way and will give the MES a good cleaning.  I love tri tip just about any way you cook it.  I really liked the heavy smoke the stick burner could give it.  If you picked up a piece to eat you couldn't wash the smoke smell off your fingers the rest of the day.  I like that level of smoke in my beef stroganoff recipe where the sauce gets the smokey flavor from the meat.  In fact its the only way my wife likes strogenoff.  Its fantastic off the pellet smoker to just not as good for some recipes.  Can the MES get that same deep smoke as a stick burner?

 

[deltadude]

Smoke is like any other seasoning, too much and it isn't pleasant.  However each to their own acquired taste.  Too much smoke in an MES usually means the meat has a creosote flavor.  I can't really compare with a wood burner smoker since I haven't owned one and the Q I have tasted from such a smoker usually reminds me of the Q coming out of my MES, which is the meat is kissed by smoke for flavor, not over powering.  You open the door on my smoker with nothing going a cold smoker, and the smoke smell is strong, but not unpleasant, not sure what that means, but I think it means the meat is getting plenty of smoke flavor.

 

[scarbelly]

In talking with Todd - he says some guys are using the tube in their MES but it is way too much smoke for most folks. As pointed out above, too much smoke can become creosote so be careful. I love TriTip and I smoke at least two a month. I do like them grilled too. Hard to beat a good TriTip no matter how you cook it  

 

[daveomak]

Sting, evening.... I have found, after a long smoke in the MES 30 I have, before the next smoke, I will crank it up to max for 2-3 hours to "cure" any smoke or creosote from the previous smoke...  and I dry my pellets in the smoker at the same time....   Dave

 

[deltadude]

It's 3:25 am and check this thread, while eating a tri-tip sandwich from a tri-tip I grilled last week.  SO good, just a piece of french bread sliced & toasted and au-jus I saved and warmed meat in Microwave with the au-jus, nothing else.  Better than almost any french dip I can rem at most restaurants.  Wife & daughter have been cutting the tri-tip into 3/8 chunks and adding to salads (they are dieting) all week, I know if I smoked it they wouldn't use it in their salad.

Our family gets together for a BBQ every 3rd Sunday, when doing tri-tip we always cook two, the next one I will do one smoke and finish on grill, and the other just grill, the only difference will be the smoke.  Will see what the comments are.  I won't be using the AMNPS, instead I will just use wood chips and only put the tri-tip when I am getting TBS.  Will pull the Tri-tip when it gets to 100º and sear on hot fire and pull at 135º.

The reason for not searing first and finishing in the smoker, is the moist cold meat absorbs smoke easier and should be a deeper smoke flavor into the meat.