How to "deep clean" MES 30?

[yqyxzroh]

I got my MES 30 from Lowes about a month back and have been using it every 2-3 days. I don't wipe the down the walls but I wash the cooking grates/water pan/bottom drip pan after every cook. When I was preheating my MES 30 today I saw that there was thin smoke coming out of the exhaust vent even without chips/food/grates inside the smoker... I'm assuming that smoke is made up of the built up grease or whatever is stuck on the walls of my smoker... What would be the best way to do a deep clean?

 

[chef jimmyj]

Most don't clean the walls and ceiling, beyond a Hot Wet Rag, occasionally to remove dripping Grease or Creosote buildup. Some, deep clean at the end of a season to avoid Mold growth over a long winter storage.
That Seasoning is a contribution to the flavor. There are 100 year old pits that have never had the interior cleaned, other than Grease build up near the heat source.
However, if you insist, Simple Green and a wipe down with a wet Rag to remove the cleaner, will do a nice job. Avoid getting the Coil and sensor areas soaking wet. Spray and wipe there is all that is needed. Run the MES full blast to dry and burn off residue before the next cook... JJ

 

[smokerjim]

I usually just clean grates,pans other then that I'll just run my mes on high for two or 3 hours every once in a while then just scrape the walls to knock off any loose stuff.

 

[daveomak.fs]

I run my MES30 on max. temp. for a couple hours before and after each smoking session... That sterilizes it and converts any smokey residue in a hard substance that doesn't seem to grow mold etc... I also leave the intake and exhaust wide open so there is air flow in the unit... I do not cover it... It sits on a covered porch.....

 

[chopsaw]

Some of what you see might be condensation . Normal to see , and some of the " white smoke " during a cook could also be moisture . I do like Dave , and run mine at 250 or so for a couple hours . I do this as a routine . Even if I'm not going to smoke something I run it just to keep it dried out and ready to go .

 

[yqyxzroh]

Some of what you see might be condensation . Normal to see , and some of the " white smoke " during a cook could also be moisture . I do like Dave , and run mine at 250 or so for a couple hours . I do this as a routine . Even if I'm not going to smoke something I run it just to keep it dried out and ready to go .

I run my MES30 on max. temp. for a couple hours before and after each smoking session... That sterilizes it and converts any smokey residue in a hard substance that doesn't seem to grow mold etc... I also leave the intake and exhaust wide open so there is air flow in the unit... I do not cover it... It sits on a covered porch.....

I usually just clean grates,pans other then that I'll just run my mes on high for two or 3 hours every once in a while then just scrape the walls to knock off any loose stuff.

Most don't clean the walls and ceiling, beyond a Hot Wet Rag, occasionally to remove dripping Grease or Creosote buildup. Some, deep clean at the end of a season to avoid Mold growth over a long winter storage.

That Seasoning is a contribution to the flavor. There are 100 year old pits that have never had the interior cleaned, other than Grease build up near the heat source.

However, if you insist, Simple Green and a wipe down with a wet Rag to remove the cleaner, will do a nice job. Avoid getting the Coil and sensor areas soaking wet. Spray and wipe there is all that is needed. Run the MES full blast to dry and burn off residue before the next cook... JJ

So the buildup on walls is perfectly fine and safe? If I run my MES at max temp (set at 275F, external thermometer is saying ~325F) for ~4 hours, what should I do if there is still smoke coming out? By that point, it can't be water/condensation because any water should've boiled out by then... I'm worried about that "dirty" smoke (I assume it's dirty) mixing with "cooking" smoke for my next cook!

 

[chopsaw]

Plenty of moisture in an MES while cooking , because it's well insulated . What you see when smoking can be moisture from the meat . Scrape off the loose stuff and keep the grates clean .

 

[smokerjim]

So the buildup on walls is perfectly fine and safe? If I run my MES at max temp (set at 275F, external thermometer is saying ~325F) for ~4 hours, what should I do if there is still smoke coming out? By that point, it can't be water/condensation because any water should've boiled out by then... I'm worried about that "dirty" smoke (I assume it's dirty) mixing with "cooking" smoke for my next cook!

i've never cleaned the walls of mine with any type of liquid, just scraped any of the loose stuff off, have mine 7 years and i've never tasted "dirty smoke". but if it will make you feel better get some simple green and scrub away.

 

[johnmeyer]

I do clean my MES because I've seen the same thing: smoke coming out while preheating, no matter how long I preheat.

Here is the thread I started a few years ago on exactly this subject:

Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness ... But Does It Taste Good?

As you will see when you read my post, my concern is that the MES is notorious for creating creosote, even when using a "mailbox mod" external smoke generator, but especially if you use the internal chip smoker.

Creosote tastes awful!

The creosote is shiny and black, so if that is what the inside of your smoker looks like, then you should clean it. I've cleaned my twice in the almost four years I've owned it. The first time I used Simple Green, but was not impressed. Then, someone suggested something called "Purple Power." That worked MUCH better. I got it at Walmart, but have since found general purpose "degreasers" at lots of stores.

For the glass door (if you have one), isopropyl alcohol woks amazingly well.