How long to season?

[xutfuzzy]

Today I intend to "season" my new MES40.  Any tips?  How long?  What temp?  Any help is appreciated!

 

[whittling chip]

Spray the interior walls, ceiling and racks with PAM. Make sure water pan is in place with NO water. Set temperature to 275° and run for 3 hours. During the last 45 minutes, add 1 cup of wood chips in chip loader to complete preseaoning. Shut down and allow to cool.

WC

 

[xutfuzzy]

Thanks! I'm doing this now. I also took pics so that I can remember how shiny it was. :-) Is the LED screen going to be okay in the full sun all day or should I cover it with a towel or something?

 

[whittling chip]

It would be a good idea to cover it. You don't want an electrical unit left out in the rain. If you don't get a cover for it you might use a large commercial trash bag.

Also, the unit will start smoking within the first hour. This is the machine oils burning off. (It isn't TBS :). That is the reason you want the water tray left in without water. It will burn off any oils on the pan also. Just a further note. When you get ready to smoke some food in the unit, you need to foil the drip pan and the pan in the bottom of the unit. It will aide in the clean up process. What I recommend is to place sand in the water tray and top it off with foil. I have found that the sand will hold the heat of the unit better than the water. Also, if you use water in the pan, when you open the door, water will run down the inside of the door and possibly drip onto your deck. If the deck is concrete or pavers, like in my case, clean up can be a real problem.

Thanks for posting and looking forward to some Q-View.

WC

 

[xutfuzzy]

Thanks for the help!  I have a cover for the smoker when not in use, but was asking about covering the LED display during the smoking process for protecting it from direct sunlight.  In the meantime, here are the before and after shots from the seasoning.  The biggest difference can be seen in the area of the wood box.  On a side note, I've ordered my AMNPS and hopefully it will be in before this next weekend!  I am VERY excited about my new MES40!

It will never be that shiny again.  :)