If you want a smoke ring with your MES, try this.

[torontoguy]

Did the first smoke on my MES today, and had the best baby back ribs I've ever had. I'm currently an extremely happy MES 30 owner :) Especially considering it held a temp between 215 and 230 for 5 hours in -8*C (about 17*F) weather. Seeing all the q-view pics of food coming off the MES I noticed one thing, no smoke ring. 

Personally, I like to see it so I tried something. I took a big lump of hardwood charcoal, put it in a ziplock bag and smashed it with a hammer, down to the same size as the cherry chips I was using. I then mixed the charcoal chips in with the cherry chips. Each handful I added to the MES looked like this:

photo-126.jpg

• torontoguy
• Jan 25, 2013

Did it work? You tell me :p

photo3-15.jpg

• torontoguy
• Jan 25, 2013

I also noticed I was getting consistent TBS for about 45 minutes per handful rather than the 15-20 others report.I'd think that if you wanted a deeper smoke ring you could just up the charcoal to wood chip ratio with more charcoal.

If this is a well known technique, I must've missed that thread 

Cheers!

 

[old sarge]

Nice report.  Nice results.  Thanks.

 

[dairydennis]

But the real question is, how did it taste? I am going to give this a try on the next smoke and see how it comes out as well.Thumbs Up

 

[torontoguy]

They tasted exactly how you'd want smoked baby back ribs to taste. Every bite filled your mouth with some spice from the rub (I just used Butt Rub), some sweetness from the BBQ Sauce (random BBQ sauce that didn't contain added smoke flavour), and a perfect blend of charcoal and cherry smokiness. 

I've done a quite few smokes on a cheapo Brinkmann (charcoal) and without a doubt these came out better, and we thought the ones I made on the Brinkmann were amazing 

. I had my dad and a buddy over for dinner and they both said these were the best ribs they'd ever had. 

 

[cman55]

I was just about to ask about creating the "smoke ring" using an electric smoker. I will use this technique on my next smoke which will be a full brisket. Thanks for the info TG!

 

[torontoguy]

Looking back at the picture of my ribs, I REALLY wished I would've taken a better picture

 

[mdboatbum]

This topic comes up every once in a while here, but thanks for actually taking the time to post a picture of the result. I don't use an electric but my brother does and I'll be sure to tell him this actually works.

 

[JckDanls 07]

I don't use an electric ether.. but after reading all the "no smoke ring" threads because of no charcoal... I'm thinking you may have really stumbled onto something... be interesting to see what other electric users say...

 

[ravenclan]

great idea ! ........I know the smoke ring does not add flavor but i just think it looks good on the meat .

 

[geerock]

Been using a few broken pieces of lump in the chip tray of my old mes 40 for a couple of years. In cold weather it helps get the temps up, gives the food a hint of true bbq flavor and, yes, will givee a bit of a smoke ring. Get it started with a propane torch and a few small chunks will last a good long time. Thanks for the pics Toronto... chow looks great.

 

[dj mishima]

I'm going to have to try this one out.  Thanks for the tip!

 

[dward51]

Wonder if you could do the same but mix it in with pellets in a pellet tray/tube?

 

[goingcamping]

Wonder if you could do the same but mix it in with pellets in a pellet tray/tube?

That's the $64K question...I plan on smoking something on Sunday...I'm gonna have to give that a try...I'll report back, unless someone else posts first?

~Brett

P.S. Thanks for posting...

 

[geerock]

Wonder if you could do the same but mix it in with pellets in a pellet tray/tube?

Now thats an idea I have to try.

 

[mneeley490]

Now thats an idea I have to try.

You can now buy charcoal pellets. I believe Todd sells them, as well as others.

 

[sawzall]

You can now buy charcoal pellets. I believe Todd sells them, as well as others.

I've used them in my AMPS in my 30" MES and they have never produced a smoke ring.  And I have tried the lump in the chip; tray and it did produce a smoke ring when used with chips but after I got my AMPS it seems like the charcoal sucks up all the oxygen and I could never keep the AMPS lit. Took out the lump and it would smoke away like normal.  Put lump back in and it would snuff out the pellets.  And I never had to light the lump as the element would light it just fine just like wood chips.

 

[gimmeharmony]

That's the $64K question...I plan on smoking something on Sunday...I'm gonna have to give that a try...I'll report back, unless someone else posts first?

~Brett

P.S. Thanks for posting...

I am on the edge of my chair on this one.  Any report or someone else have information?

 

[scorpion79]

Has anyone tried a little Lump in the chip tray and pellets in the AMPS?? Any luck with a ring?

 

[baconator]

MES 30' ......  after reading this post I decided to try adding some charcoal as described with pellets,,,,  first try no luck and 2nd try I just added crushed up charcoal without pellets on 270 and the charcoal never even started smoking (4 hour test) ....  do I need to add already burning charcoal? I was using kingsford championship briquets , should I be using lump charcoal? o the madness!!! 

 

[bhelton]

I tried it last weekend on my MES 30. I added lump and crushed up charcoal and go zero smoke ring. Any other ideas?