How to get that Thin Blue Smoke (TBS)

[exromenyer]

So the chicken and beans came out awesome this weekend on my first smoke in the MES 40.  I was able to get about 3.5 hrs out of the AMNPS which I only half filled with 1/3 hickory, 1/3 maple and 1/3 cherry pellets.  I put the AMNPS under the water tray which I removed spaced on the bottom left, not to far back and not to close to the front or side.  I pulled the chip loader out between 1 inch and 1 1/2 inches at different times and left the vent wide open the entire time.  Wide open on the MES 40 is only a half moon opening not a full hole as it would probably be to much air.  Here is a video I shot with my cheap phone.  I think that it could be the wind also and me having to turn the smoker different ways so the perverbial wind doesn't filter through the chip loader rather maybe hits the back or front depending on which way I face it outside the garage.



Any information one can suggest, I'm open to it.

Thanks.....

 

[daveomak]

Tony, morning....  I'm not sure if the exhaust vent was wide open... Was it ??   Good air flow is needed for great smoked food....  

Second, having the AMNPS above the heating element may have caused it to burn too fast, burning too many pellets and creating too much smoke.....  Most folks have the AMNPS to the left of the heating element on the bottom of the smoker.... there should be room there...  If your smoker has room there give it a try....  

Your smoke looks pretty good....   How fast did the pellets burn up ??  2 1/2  to 4 hours per row is in the normal...  different woods that make up the pellets burn at different rates....  MES smokers have been made differently because of upgrades....   Have you a picture of the inside of your smoker ??  The way it is configured on the bottom would be good....   Dave

 

[exromenyer]

Dave,

Here is the process I did....

1. Vent was wide open.  I read your numerous posts that said ALWAYS keep that wide open which I did
2. Water tray removed
3. AMNPS was placed to the left of heating element as displayed in picture not all the way back, not all the way forward and not touching the left wall
4. Chip loader was pulled out to different places throughout - 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches to sometimes 1 3/4 inches
5. Chip holding tray inside was pulled out about 1/2 inch (could that be the issue?)  Should that be flush, pushed in?
6. Loaded AMNPS with hickory on bottom on top of that maple and on top of that cherry (was told that cherry burns the slowest so mix it)
7. I obtained around 3 hrs of smoke with only two rows filled which I thought was GREAT
8. Wind was blowing from RIGHT TO LEFT into the chip loader tray side (could be the issue)
9. Smoke was not heavy, but whitish and sometimes thin like we want
10. Placed beans in aluminum pan on top rack, removed 2nd rack and placed chicken on third rack in middle.

Let me say the food was AWESOME.  I'm needing to smoke four (4) pork butts (bone in) ranging from 7lbs to 8lbs this coming weekend end?  Do you have a suggestion in placement of those?

I've heard that the bottom racks ABOVE the element typically are the hot spots so I was thinking 2nd and 3rd racks beside one another for the 4 pork butts?  Your thoughts on that ?

P1000644.JPG

• exromenyer
• Dec 3, 2012

Thank you....

Tony
 

 

[daveomak]

Tony, great explanation and picture....    3 hours for 2 rows is pretty quick.... I can see something that may have contributed to the faster burning of the pellets....  The aluminum foil "on the water pan rack I assume" above the AMNPS and Chip tray.....   The sheet of aluminum foil is holding in the heat, making the bottom part of the smoker very hot....  pellets burning faster etc....  

Somehow, try to arrange the drip tray(s) so you maintain heat and smoke flow through the smoker...  maybe put up some aluminum foil between the heating element and the AMNPS to divert the heat up and away from it...  a heat shield so to speak....   all in all, I think you have this smoking meat stuff down pretty darn good...  tweaking stuff is part of the game to get everything to your liking...  Anything you come up with would help others make great Q...  post you mods for others to learn from.... That is what makes this forum great.... helping each other...

Placement of the butts.... top 2 racks with 1 drip tray on the 2nd and 1 drip tray on the first rack... staggered for heat and smoke flow..   The meat racks may need to be rotated depending on temp uniformity...   Dave

 

[exromenyer]

Dave,

Great idea... I'll remove that foil and try that... The issue with that diverter (drip tray) is that it slants from R to L as you see with a large hole on the left side where the water pan slides in.  I wonder if I just slide that water tray in there empty to catch some of the drippings ?  The AMNPS is sitting on the "true drip tray) which has a center hole that drips into the middle black drawer you see on the outside bottom (it's black).  I did make a pair of metal U's that hook into the AMNPS where you can then lay some foil over (Deltadude's idea) but haven't used that yet.  I would not want the drippings to flow on to the top of that and then drip down in fear it would extinguish the AMNPS with the amount of fat those butts will put out.  If I keep the AMNPS where it is and put the water tray bucket above it to catch some of the flowing juices whats your thought on that ? 

Placement of the butts.... top 2 racks with 1 drip tray on the 2nd and 1 drip tray on the first rack... staggered for heat and smoke flow..   The meat racks may need to be rotated depending on temp uniformity...  If I put 2 butts on the top are you thinking of putting a cookie sheet under that on rack two and then on rack 3 put the other two butts ?   Not sure I follow you on that one ?  Please elaborate...

Thanks again and for the kudos on the pictures and thoughts !

Tony

 

[daveomak]

I would use the top 2 racks for meat and the bottom 2 racks for staggered drip pans..  each drip pan less than half the size of the shelf....  folded foil would do...  just big enough to catch any drippings from the 2 butts above it...  Mostly, I don't use drip pans...  dry them well, put in the smoker at 110 for an hour to dry more...  smoke, cook and clean up later....  I found drip pans screw up the heat flow ... That is in my MES 30.... it ain't very big...  Dave