How Many Mes Owners Here?

[smoker21]

I have a 13 pound turkey (split in half) I want to smoke. How long should I brine it? And how long should I give it smoke from my Amaz-n-pellet ??

Thanks

 

[mosinsmoke]

Bought my MES 30 at Bass Pro, (month or so) no problems as of yet. Excellent results so far. Double smoking a spiral cut ham as we speak....fingers crossed

 

[oldmisterbill]

Attwoods has the GEN 1 (I believe) on sale for  $139.00 with a # from their online flyer. I can get the # if anyone is interested.

 

[joel wood]

Just got a Black Friday Flyer in the mail from Cabelas today advertising a 30" MES Sportsman Elite for 139.99! Great Deal! I love mine!

 

[rickyldd]

 
Bought my MES 30 at Bass Pro, (month or so) no problems as of yet. Excellent results so far. Double smoking a spiral cut ham as we speak....fingers crossed

What is double smoking?

 

[mosinsmoke]

Smoking a ham that has already been cooked, smoked and cured. In my case, it was taking a regular (cheaper) spiral cut ham that has already been cooked, smoked and cured and turning it into a honey baked ham by making a glaze and smoking the ham again in your smoker to get that more expensive honey ham taste. Since I did not provide a Qview I guess it didn't really happen, but it turned out awesome. Now my skeptical better half wants me to do another to take to the family tomorrow for T Day

 

 

[Bearcarver]

 
What is double smoking?

Here ya go!!

Step by Step:

Double Smoked Hams Times 4      

Bear

 

[muck man]

Sorry I haven't responded, work has me running....cold, wet weather is my season....hence the name Muck Man (Muck Boots)!

It was a tough decision to make such a jump in price, etc. but I will have my PG500 next week and am excited for it!  This will allow me to explore some other avenues I have been considering.  Luckily I had the money put away in my rainy day fund that the wife doesn't know about!

My buddy runs a catering business and competes, has 4-5 Cookshack smokers and has no problems.  I'm actually getting it via him at a nice discount.

Loved the MES and will still recommend it!

have a good turkey day!

 

[hamrhead1971]

Graduated into the ranks of MES owners today. Bought my Gen 1 MES 40 with window for $299 at Academy Sports. My first big smoke in it will be for Christmas, a ham and three racks of ribs.

 

[inkjunkie]

Just burnt in my First Generation 40" MES earlier today...and I got quite a few questions....

 

[smoker21]

Welcome Hamrhead 1971. My gen 1 has done everything I have asked of it with a bit of help from an A-Maze-N pellet smoker.

 

[rfjoinery]

I recently did a 15 lb, turkey spatchcocked, turned out very good. Set MES to 275, the max. actual oven temp averaged closer to 250. Had brined it for 20-24 hrs. Took about 6-7 hrs in MES. 165 internal temp is the real test of course, YMMV. I ran most of a full tray of AMPS pellets, smoked the whole while. ( I like turkey with plenty of flavor. Brine included some sriracha.)

I smoked this butterflied bird skin side down, that worked well too. I did all my injecting from the inner side, thus didn't pierce the skin at all. I think this helped keep it juicy. The skin wasn't perfectly crisp, but not rubbery either and very tasty. And the grill marks had a few heads scratching!

 

[daricksta]

 
I recently did a 15 lb, turkey spatchcocked, turned out very good. Set MES to 275, the max. actual oven temp averaged closer to 250. Had brined it for 20-24 hrs. Took about 6-7 hrs in MES. 165 internal temp is the real test of course, YMMV. I ran most of a full tray of AMPS pellets, smoked the whole while. ( I like turkey with plenty of flavor. Brine included some sriracha.)

I smoked this butterflied bird skin side down, that worked well too. I did all my injecting from the inner side, thus didn't pierce the skin at all. I think this helped keep it juicy. The skin wasn't perfectly crisp, but not rubbery either and very tasty. And the grill marks had a few heads scratching!

I've seen TV demos of how to spatchcock a chicken or a turkey and I've got recipes in books with how-to pictures. Was it fairly easy? Do you have a good set of kitchen knives? I plan to try it out on a chicken next summer.

Big question is: how many hours did it take for the IT to raise out of the danger zone of below 140°? Lesser question: You added some sriracha to the brine? I admire the people you served the turkey to. Most of my family and our friends don't like the hot stuff.

I bet to get a more crispy skin next time you could smoke the turkey in the smoker until it's a little below the target IT and then finish it off inside a 450° for maybe 15 minutes or so, checking the IT with an instant read therm like a Thermapen or a ThermoPop a similar brand.

 

[jmposing]

Hello everyone. Today I became the proud owner of a MES 30 model 20070411. It's one with a glass door and remote. Good thing is it's a gen 1. I was servicing a house and saw it sitting in the garage still in it's unopened box. I asked the homeowner about it and she said it was her husbands who had recently died. She asked if I wanted to buy it. $75 later it was in the back of my truck.Score!

 

[rfjoinery]

The spatchcock deal isn't hard at all once you jump in. Following some online info somewhere, I used some heavy duty shears to cut out the backbone; one full-length cut each side of it, maybe an inch wide pack of bones. Then you flip the bird over, and pressing down with the heel of a hand, break the breastbone (left-and-right, 2 cracks, if you can feel them.) That's about it. I think one can go further de-boning a bird at this point, but that's all I did.

Temperature progress? I ddidn't really monitor it early on. I figured, I'd done 12# whole birds before at 225, 6 or 8 years running. This one being split open, I figured the IT can come up at least as fast, cooking at 250-275. All the relatives are still alive and asking for another turkey.

The finished flavor was full-flavored, but not what I'd call spicy. I didn't tell anybody about the sriracha til after they'd tasted  it and approved. It was maybe a half cup, in a gallon of brine. So it was subtle. More spice came from the injection: 2 sticks of butter, a quarter cup of my dry rub which IS kinda hot, Injected from the upper side, to not pierce the skin.

 

[rfjoinery]

More on the spatchcocked bird. When it was cooked to temp and I took it out, I did use the propane torch to crispen the skin at that time. Browned it real nice, another trick that Grandma doesn't need to know about. It was time to take the bird to her house and there wasn't time for an oven. Timing these birds isn't easy for me, I know temp is the only sure test, I just mentioned the # of hours to give you an estimate of how long yours might take.

 

[daricksta]

 
More on the spatchcocked bird. When it was cooked to temp and I took it out, I did use the propane torch to crispen the skin at that time. Browned it real nice, another trick that Grandma doesn't need to know about. It was time to take the bird to her house and there wasn't time for an oven. Timing these birds isn't easy for me, I know temp is the only sure test, I just mentioned the # of hours to give you an estimate of how long yours might take.

Just so happens I've got a pair of heavy duty poultry shears. Definitely going to try it out on a roasting chicken whether it's cooked indoors or outside. If that works it's on to a small turkey.

Wouldn't have thought of crisping the skin with a propane torch. I'll try that. I have a small propane torch I use to light my AMNPS.

 

[troderick]

40" with window. San's Club $299.99.

They always have the best meat too.

 

[frankasr]

Have a 30" MES and wish that I got the 40". Making the best of the 30" though. Starting this weekend  and up to the 25th I am smoking up to 24 beer can chickens 4 at a time but would of been easier with a 40". I am brimming 8 at a time over night and smoke 8 in a day. Been using cranberry juice as my liquids, true maple syrup as my rub and injecting them with melted butter. Thought I would take each one when they get done and rested, wrap them up in heavy duty foil, put a Xmas sticker on each one and say Enjoy and Merry Christmas. I then will be delivering them to some of the people here in the park who live alone or can't get out much. Who knows maybe 24 chickens won't be enough. Anyway I love smoking and to me it is a joy just to watch people eyes when they get a taste of how juicy and good tasting a beer can chicken is. To me it is the best chicken I have ever eaten and for someone that is 72 years old that's saying something for I have had a lot of chicken in my life time.

 

[rfjoinery]

Sure, the spatchcocking thing isn't hard and can really help with the "danger zone" timing thing. Can also allow a whole chicken to be done low-and-slow if you like.

Torch idea I may have got from here on the forum. I like the medium size torches like 3" diam 9" h, any hardware store, tanks are meant to be used once and pitched, but you can even refill them with an adapter from Harbor Freight. Same torch as for the AMNPS. The torch thing is also great for bacon-wrapped things like a fattie, or the chicken thighs. A smoker doesn't really crisp up the bacon, so torching the exterior after cooking makes em crisp and prettier.You can also flame roast bell peppers, Anaheim types, jalapeno types, to peel them and tenderize them. And it's fun to play with fire.