MES no more smoke??

[Bearcarver]

I can see the Atlantic from my house.

I don't know what it is with the tray but I just couldn't get any consistent results.I tried many different pellets and there's only so many spots you can put it,left or right side of the bottom rack(in a Gen2.5).Only with the chip loader all the way out and max airflow could I get it to work but then I would suffer from wild temp swings.I could go the mailbox mod route but I like simplicity,that and I'm kinda lazy.

I ended up giving it to a friend who has a Gen1 and he has zero issues with it.Go figure.

Most of the time it just comes right down to getting it going real good before you even put it in the Smoker.
I come back to mine at least 8 or 10 times to build that deep cherry in the pellets. I'm doing other things anyway, so I just stop for a few seconds & work on it each time I go by. After about 20 minutes or more, I put it in on the right end of the bottom rack, and pull the dumper out 2 or 3". Later I often have to push the dumper back in to cut the smoke down.

Bear

 

[Nutshell]

I drilled the 3 holes out in the chip loader to about 1/4”. I use the loader to regulate the airflow. Works great. After 2 smokes with chips, I ordered my AMNPS and tossed the chip tray.

 

[SonnyE]

I drilled the 3 holes out in the chip loader to about 1/4”. I use the loader to regulate the airflow. Works great. After 2 smokes with chips, I ordered my AMNPS and tossed the chip tray.

It only took me one smoke, Nutshell. LOL! But I was stubborn and tried hitting my head on the wall for a while before ordering the AMNPS... :rolleyes::)

OP,
After reading around SFM, I knew going in I'd be doing some modifying. Had I known how much, I would have gotten Plain Jane Analog and built from there.
But I figured the digital was my starting point. I still like digital over analog. But no probes or other stuff to go create troubles.
Doing a "Mailbox Mod", adding 8 feet of dryer vent aluminum tubing, and removing the sheet metal do-dads cleared up the smoke issues for my needs.
Putting in my Bypass Mod gave me the full control I needed to do Ambient to 275° smokes. (Cold-Warm-or Brisket burners)
But my biggest needs are good controlled cold and mid-range smoking temperatures. So for cold smoking, I decided an Inkbird Controller would do for me.

Might be a bit more, or a hell of a lot more, than you'd want to do. But I had an idea about where I wanted to go with my MES 30 going in. And that the OEM control and chip system was going to need some serious help from me.
I arrived at my Nirvana. Hope you do as well.
An AMNPS could be the best step to begin with.
Have fun! :)