How to get more smoke?

[skpeep]

I am very new to smoking.  Just bought my first smoker this past Saturday at a garage sale.  20 dollars for a Masterbuilt Electric Smokehouse 30.  I smoked some chicken quarters on it that night, and tonight I smoked up some onions and bacon, and attempted at throwing a pork chop on there.  I was trying to keep my temp right around 260-270.  Before I put the chops on, i bumped the temp up just a touch too much, and before I knew, it was around 310 and my chips smelled like they were just burning, and not smoking all that well.  I checked them quick, and they were mostly ashes, so I added another small handful of damp chips, and put the temp back down.  I got it back to about 270, and threw my chops on.  They were pretty thin, so they got up to 140 in about 25 minutes.  When I pulled them to char them up on the grill a bit, I noticed that there was hardly any smoke, so I checked the chips and none of the chips I had added about half an hour earlier had started to burn.  What can I do to get a good smoke rolling?  I don't mind a heavy smoke flavor, so the more the merrier.  I know I have a problem with opening the smoker too much, but it smells so good, and being new, I am afraid something is going to go wrong, so I check it more than I should.  That might be a contributor to the small amount of smoke.  Should I pull the rack that the water pan and smoker box sit on, and just place the smoker box on the heating element?  I have been using damp chips, should I try just using dry chips and plan on adding them more frequently?  Try wood chunks instead of chips?  Sorry If I haven't explained things all that well, so to sum things up, how can I get more smoke from my MES 30?

 

[cunnart]

masterbuilt or MES does not recommend using chunks, probably cause they won't really fit in the hopper. Also try not soaking the chips, in order for them to start smoking they have to steam off the water first and thus it will take longer to generate smoke. And with how quick you took your pork chops off there is a good chance they didn't even steam off at that point. I used wood chips last week in my first smoke and found them to give a lot of smoke but I was adding them every 30-45 minutes. You may also want to check out the amz-n-smoker units you can read a lot about them on the forums. search amnps, this has seemingly helped many with their smoke issues us electric smokers face and I have purchased one to use and will be doing so this weekend when I do a pork butt. 

 

[chef willie]

Nice price on the MES....and I agree on the previous poster about the chips. Just go dry for now until you get the AMNS which will give you hours of uninterrupted smoke. Unless you're a 'fast & hot' smoker type I, personally, would shoot for the 250 degree mark when doing pork or beef. Chicken lends itself to a higher heat for the crispy skin most seek. Use the handy dandy search bar and check out some postings from BearCarver who uses a MES and is quite accomplished with it's workings. Well, here it is.....I don't think he would mind me sharing his methods. Pretty much spells out anything a new smoker could want to know....HTH, Willie http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/159333/bears-step-by-step-index#post_1149933

 

[daveomak]

The chip tray usually sits on the heating element... smoking a thin piece of meat... it is usually cooked before it can take on much smoke.... also, to take on smoke, the surface of the meat should be dry.... try drying with paper towels first....

 

[sb59]

 
I am very new to smoking.  Just bought my first smoker this past Saturday at a garage sale.  20 dollars for a Masterbuilt Electric Smokehouse 30.  I smoked some chicken quarters on it that night, and tonight I smoked up some onions and bacon, and attempted at throwing a pork chop on there.  I was trying to keep my temp right around 260-270.  Before I put the chops on, i bumped the temp up just a touch too much, and before I knew, it was around 310 and my chips smelled like they were just burning, and not smoking all that well.  I checked them quick, and they were mostly ashes, so I added another small handful of damp chips, and put the temp back down.  I got it back to about 270, and threw my chops on.  They were pretty thin, so they got up to 140 in about 25 minutes.  When I pulled them to char them up on the grill a bit, I noticed that there was hardly any smoke, so I checked the chips and none of the chips I had added about half an hour earlier had started to burn.  What can I do to get a good smoke rolling?  I don't mind a heavy smoke flavor, so the more the merrier.  I know I have a problem with opening the smoker too much, but it smells so good, and being new, I am afraid something is going to go wrong, so I check it more than I should.  That might be a contributor to the small amount of smoke.  Should I pull the rack that the water pan and smoker box sit on, and just place the smoker box on the heating element?  I have been using damp chips, should I try just using dry chips and plan on adding them more frequently?  Try wood chunks instead of chips?  Sorry If I haven't explained things all that well, so to sum things up, how can I get more smoke from my MES 30?

From your description of the water pan chip pan rack instead of loading shoot I'm guessing you have the 30 in. analog smoker as do I. It will smoke better with small dry chips or saw dust with the pan directly on the element. I second getting an amazin smoke gen. for better smoke and less door opening ( causing heat loss and longer smoke times! ) .