MES 30 Questions

[netbbq]

Just a couple of questions....

Anyone out there experienced water (from heat/steam condensation) leaking out of the leg holes on their MES?  It occurs when the damper is closed and the water pan is full.  I can open up the damper and the problem lessens, but there are times when I won't want to do that.  

I would have figured that the drip pan in back would catch all the condensate, but it's not.  I am thinking about lowering the legs so it tilts more from front to back in the hopes that it will help.

I am concerned that there is water being trapped in the insulation and that can't be good.  

I am thinking of forcing some RTV gasket material (high temp) in all the seams along the bottom edges to keep the water in the smoker and force it to the back so it will drain out the back.  I would just use enough to just seal the seams.  All excess would be removed.  

I guess what worries me though is the risk to the food it RTV is uses inside the smoker.  I've read that folks are using RTV to prolong the life of their Maverick ET73 probes and the probes are generally inside the smoker so wouldn't think that would be too much of an issue.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

NETBBQer

 

[daveomak]

NETBBQ, afternoon.....   The exhaust vent should be open at all times when smoking using the MES 30.....   Using a water pan and the vent closed, you have made a steam oven....  Not a good way to make good Q.... Air flow and thin smoke is the target for good Q.....  

 

[netbbq]

Thanks!  I believe that is also the reason why the cook times were significantly less on my fatties today.  Was thinking that it would be 3 to 4 hours and it was more like 2.  They got to IT way to fast!  Thoughts on other questions?

 

[netbbq]

I guess if I follow DaveOmak's guidance, there will be little or no water to worry about and no need to consider the RTV solution.

 

[mike johnson]

Rule #1  Listen to Dave

 

[linguica]

NETBBQ, afternoon.....   The exhaust vent should be open at all times when smoking using the MES 30.....   Using a water pan and the vent closed, you have made a steam oven....  Not a good way to make good Q.... Air flow and thin smoke is the target for good Q.....  

It doesn't get any simpler than that. A lot of books spent an entire chapter on the subject and all they really need is those 11 words.

I'm a huge fan of KISS.  (keep it simple stupid)  

 

[deltadude]

NETBBQ congrats on your new MES,

below are some new MES owner tips, they are based on comments from MES owners here at SMF covering 6+ years.

CONGRATS on your NEW MES, Making it Easy to Smoke Q!

I post the tips below for newbies, it attempts to answer some of the common questions that are asked, hopefully it helps.

MES New Owner Tips:

Collected from input of many MES owners, some may seem a bit dated due to new MES with higher watt elements but work as a general rule.

• Season it. (Many spray the inside with PAM)
• No extension cords, unless it is 12 ga or heavier.
• Spray your racks with PAM prior to smoke (makes cleanup easier).
• For easier cleanup, use alum foil on the water pan and drain pan.
• Manual says preheating isn't necessary,  preheat, it will make getting up to initial set temp faster, and temp recovery when opening hatch faster.  (These instructions were for older MES units with lower wattage elements,  however the value of preheating applies to all units.) Preheat to 270º.  Cold ambient 45º and colder as long as 2 hours, 1 hour for warmer temps and as little as 30 min. in summer.   Preheating help establish a stable cooking platform without the dramatic temp swings in first hour of smoking. (Experiment with preheating and see if it helps.)
• Add boiling hot water to pan, this will allow you to get up to set temp faster.
• Start the smoke with a few wood chips. The manual says 1 cup max, you will find a hand full is almost too much. 1st chip dump just a few chips 8-10, 15 minutes  later a little more chips 10-12, another 15 minutes 12-15 chips.  This should produce a nice bed of hot ash with good chip combustion.  12-20 chips every 30 minutes should work from this point on. Your goal is TBS (thin blue smoke). When its right you can smell the sweet smoke, it won't smell bitter or be cloudy white. Dark smoke is nothing but awful.
• Do not adjust vent leave it wide open.  Unless using the AMNS, (follow AMNS instructions). 

• Strongly suggest you purchase a AMNPS for consistent smoke lasting 4-9 hours.
• Use external probe for sensing meat internal temp, you can run the probe cord through the exhaust vent. *You may want to run 2nd probe inserted into a wood block or potato with 2” to 3" tip exposed to verify the internal MES cooking temp.  (Newer MES models have the built in probes. verify they are +/- 5º accurate).
• Once your meat is loaded, avoid opening the hatch. New models can recover to set temp faster, but every time you open the door you extend the cooking time. Thus spritzing isn't really necessary in a MES due to the water pan keeping the smoking environment moist enough to not dry out the meat.
• If you do have to open your MES plan your moves so you can keep door open time to a minimum.  (I’ve decided to not stress and plan for open door times by adding 20 minutes per door opening, although best is to keep to absolute minimum).
• When your done cooking, the proper way to shut the MES down is to turn off the controller then unplug.  (Sounds simple but the controller has been known to get stuck if not shut down properly.)
• If your MES seems to struggle getting to either the preheat temp of 270º or is taking extraordinary long times to raise to cooking temps after meat is loaded try doing a RESET..
Proper RESET = cycle the MES off with the controller, unplug electrical cord, count to 10, re-plug electric cord, turn on MES with on/off, reset temps.
If you tried a reset, and 20-30 minutes later there is little change do the reset again.
• Cleanup is easy with a Brillo (or similar) pad to scrub the tough stuff, and throw grates, water & drain pan into dishwasher. Some have complained about the spot welds on the drain pan rusting, I hit those spots with a touch of PAM then store the cleaned stuff back in the MES.
You do not need to clean the inside cabinet, most experienced smokers consider that just seasoning. With a hot wet rag, wipe out the inside bottom and any excessive gunk on the walls. Again with hot damp cloth, wipe the door gasket, and the door frames (for better seal).

Congrats on you new MES purchase, and welcome to the MES owners club.

SMOKE - ON  DUDE

 

[netbbq]

Thanks Deltadude!

Planning on buying an [color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]AMNPS today.  I love to play golf and would love to have the freedom of putting a butt or a brisket on and knowing that the TBS will be there when I get back.  I'd rather not significantly MOD the smoking box and feeder on my MES 30, so looking for a way for using the [/color][color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]AMNPS without doing so.  Worried though about drippings etc. affecting the [/color][color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]AMNPS and the smoke.[/color]

[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Could put in on the lowest rack (front or back?  left or right?) and ensuring the food is on the other side.  Other idea is to fashion some legs and figuring a way to put a slanted roof on it to direct the drippings (front or back) and to also direct the smoke.[/font]

[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Ideas?  Other Forum Members.  Would love to see and hear what others have done with the [/font][color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]AMNPS and the MES 30/40[/color]

[color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]NETBBQ'r[/color]

 

[mike johnson]

A simple tee-pee of aluminum foil over the AMNPS leaving 2 ends open for air flow is sufficent to stop the drippings from putting it out.

 

[frosty]

Rule #1  Listen to Dave

My vent is always wide open when I use my MES 40.

 

[daveomak]

NETBBQ, morning....  Lower left on the support wires is where Todd designed the AMNPS to fit....  Here it is in my smoker.... I have done some other mods that are shown....  The aluminum tent is supported with wire .....    Dave

2 where it fits.jpg

• daveomak
• Nov 6, 2012

 

[smokinhusker]

Looks like you got some good answers!

 

[njfoses]

Thanks Deltadude!

Planning on buying an [color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]AMNPS today.  I love to play golf and would love to have the freedom of putting a butt or a brisket on and knowing that the TBS will be there when I get back.  I'd rather not significantly MOD the smoking box and feeder on my MES 30, so looking for a way for using the [/color][color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]AMNPS without doing so.  Worried though about drippings etc. affecting the [/color][color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]AMNPS and the smoke.[/color]

[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Could put in on the lowest rack (front or back?  left or right?) and ensuring the food is on the other side.  Other idea is to fashion some legs and figuring a way to put a slanted roof on it to direct the drippings (front or back) and to also direct the smoke.[/font]

[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Ideas?  Other Forum Members.  Would love to see and hear what others have done with the [/font][color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]AMNPS and the MES 30/40[/color]

[color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]NETBBQ'r[/color]

I use a drip pan on the rack under whatever im cooking and make sure it is up against the left wall to make sure it catches any juice that would fall on the amnps.

 

[rtbbq2]

Great information guys....Many Thanks......RTBBQ.

 

[deltadude]

LL

• deltadude
• Sep 11, 2012

This is the cover I use fashioned from disposable aluminum  roasting pan

452965a79b932dba90fd8d0.jpg

• deltadude
• Nov 25, 2012

The alum pan I had laying around was perfect width but too long in length so I cut it in half and pushed each half together (folded alum where possible so the two halves are tight and one piece, to make the perfect size fitting over the AWNPS.

There are two 3/4" or 1" holes on the opposite end.  Important is the height, it isn't too tall so the AWNPS will sit on the two cross bars supporting the heat element & wood chip assembly and fit just under the water pan.  It's not too low to hinder the smoking process or affect airflow.

Benefits:

No drippings or moisture affects the pellets.  Moisture from the humid conditions created by using the water pan with water, is not a factor because the reflected heat of the smoldering pellets or sawdust is enough to keep the pellets dry,  In fact the pellets will eventually turn a darker color from that heat, thus combustion and smoldering is usually not an issue.

You can use your water pan with water as the MES was designed. 

So far I have had NO issue with airflow, I follow Todd's instructions of pulling the loading tube out about an inch.  After about an hour I usually push the loading tube back into it's closed position, the 3 little air holes are enough air to keep the AWNPS smoldering just fine.  NOTE, to prevent flare ups when you open the door, if you have the loading tube closed, open the 1 inch for a couple of minutes to allow more O2,  then you shouldn't have a problem with flareups due to a sudden huge rush of oxygen when you open the MES door.  Flareups are rare but if it happens you know what to try now.

Heat shield:

cookiesheet.jpg

• deltadude
• Aug 12, 2012

For a heat shield over the wood chips and heat element assembly, others use a tile, I use an aluminum insulated cookie sheet  (the insulation is sandwiched between two layers), that is wrapped in aluminum foil.  Why not a tile?  Tiles are NOT light, the alum cookie sheet is light and easy to use.  I think you can buy non insulated cookie sheets too, just has thicker aluminum.  If you get the insulated kind, beware that during the first smoke or two, you may get a slight burning odor, that would be the insulation burning.  So do a very long preheat and make sure it is NOT giving off an odor.

I have to say, that while I enjoy reading and seeing how creative SMF / MES owners are modifying their MES, I am NOT a big fan of cutting on the MES or removing guts, or adding big air holes.  If the wood chips can smolder just fine, with the stock setup, then the AWNPS should be able too as well.  It is just a question of the right procedure or setup.  The main reason for me NOT making huge alterations is that the Q coming out of my stock MES has been great, that isn't my opinion it is what many who have sampled/ate have said and keep coming back for more.  Like the saying goes, "if it's not broke don't fix it".

However like everyone else I didn't want to babysit the MES to keep adding wood chips every 20-30 minutes, that was a problem that needed solving.  Todd's wonderful AWNPS or AWNS solved that problem.  Well one problem solved brought new complaints, not enough airflow, too much moisture thus maybe the pellets or dust gets moist and can't stay lit.  The result, don't use the water pan, cut holes in the MES, and even much more drastic alterations, place the AWNPS or AWNS on one of the cooking rack instead of the two support bars (do you really want to give up precious cooking space)?  Do I really want to stop using the water pan and water when I know that it is an important part of the smoking process, so much so that even competition BBQ teams using wood / stick burners now use a water pan inside their smokers to achieve those added benefits.  As I said I didn't want to stray too far from what had worked great before I tried AWNS or AWNPS.

As an example of working around problems, we all know that their are hot spots in the MES.  My solution was the alum cookie sheet, and others choose the tile, yet there are still hot spots, what do you do?  Should I hack my MES up to solve it?  For me it is a simple thing, just rotate the meat so what you are cooking spends even amount of time on each shelf or swap top and 3rd shelf, and 2nd and bottom shelf, also can turn the right side so it is now on the left.

PLEASE NOTE:  This is NOT a knock on inventive types like DaveOmak, his experiments provide valuable info because he lets us see what is working or not.  However for us less inspired types there are little things that we can do that not only improve the MES/AWNPS performance but improves on the Q coming out of our MES smokers.

Ok enough preaching,  just give the Aluminum roasting pan AWNPS cover a try, and let us know how it works.

 

[netbbq]

STUCK DAMPER - Can't remember where it was, but I saw a post about the damper getting stuck on a MES 30 (or another product) and I've had the same problem.  Now solved.  Take the torch you use for the AMZNPS and heat the damper (being careful not to engage the plastic).  It will free up then you can loosen it.  Simply a function of creasote or fat/steam hardening between the surfaces.

Maybe someone already figure this out but I thought I'd post anyway.

NETBBQ

 

[beernuts]

I'll try that. It sounds like a good idea.