Need Suggestions for Smoking Cheese in MES40 with AMNPS

[ronrude]

I smoked mine this spring in my weber grill and amnps at 35*F.   No issue with flavor.  I moved over to the MES for warmer weather.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Howdy JJ!

There ain't no hurt left in my feelings at my age!

I was futzing around with the MES trying to see if there was any way I could use the built in sensor to tell me the temps inside the box.  Like hiding my own Easter eggs, I've managed to hide my temp probes for my Maverick and my Acu-Rite from myself.  I was hoping that I could get the control unit to display the temp.  No joys!  The only way I could make the temp sensor display was to turn the unit on.  I only left it on for a minute or 2 at the lowest setting, 100*, and I had the door open; but the ambient was in the 80's and it heated the box up pretty fast before I got it turned off.  I really, REALLY wish that MES would make a better control unit, one that would allow you to take temp readings without causing the heating element to come on, one that could be set to about 80*, one that would let you control the cut-off point with only the time and only the temp not requiring that you set both before the element will heat.

I've marked it up to a learning experience.

 Well that makes perfect sense. I totally agree, Masterbuilt could easily modify the unit to power the senors with out the coil being on. Thanks for responding...JJ

 

[chef jimmyj]

Thanks Rabbit, I might have a few more weeks with below 80* temps at night then it will have to wait til fall. So I'm taking it that 80* is probably a good cut off temp.

 I would say even at 80*F you will need Ice. I smoke Cheese last month during an unusually warm weekend it was 70*F. After 3 hours the top shelf, where the cheese was, hit 100*F and the Cheddar started to soften. It appears the AMNPS was raising the temp 10* per hour. I understand Dust burns cooler and can be used in the AMNPS as well as Pellets.

Now I have read that many people put Ice in the Water Pan or on a lower rack in the MES but based on the design of the early 1900's Ice Boxes, it would make more sense to me to put a few 1 liter bottles of Ice on the Top Shelf and the Cheese farther down. It seems the temp near the AMNPS will not be as great as that which rises and accumulates, over time, at the top. I have not tested ice at the top since the lower racks in my MES were loaded with Bacon and I could not move the Cheese. I put Ice in the Water Pan and it made no difference in the temp at the top. What do y'all think?...JJ

 

[s2k9k]

 I would say even at 80*F you will need Ice. I smoke Cheese last month during an unusually warm weekend it was 70*F. After 3 hours the top shelf, where the cheese was, hit 100*F and the Cheddar started to soften. It appears the AMNPS was raising the temp 10* per hour. I understand Dust burns cooler and can be used in the AMNPS as well as Pellets.

Now I have read that many people put Ice in the Water Pan or on a lower rack in the MES but based on the design of the early 1900's Ice Boxes, it would make more sense to me to put a few 1 liter bottles of Ice on the Top Shelf and the Cheese farther down. It seems the temp near the AMNPS will not be as great as that which rises and accumulates, over time, at the top. I have not tested ice at the top since the lower racks in my MES were loaded with Bacon and I could not move the Cheese. I put Ice in the Water Pan and it made no difference in the temp at the top. What do y'all think?...JJ

That makes a lot of sense Jimmy. Heat rises so if the ice is at the bottom it won't be as likely to cool off the top. I've done some testing of my GOSM and it runs about 5* warmer on the top rack than the bottom rack. I like the 1 or 2 liter bottle idea too, I was thinking cubes and was thinking how fast they would melt, but a large mass would last a lot longer.

 

[redneck69]

That makes a lot of sense Jimmy. Heat rises so if the ice is at the bottom it won't be as likely to cool off the top. I've done some testing of my GOSM and it runs about 5* warmer on the top rack than the bottom rack. I like the 1 or 2 liter bottle idea too, I was thinking cubes and was thinking how fast they would melt, but a large mass would last a lot longer.

I used a larger disposable pan filled with ice on the bottom shelf and had no issues with upper rack getting to hot

 

[s2k9k]

What was the outside temperature?

 

[redneck69]

What was the outside temperature?

it was actually snowy and blowing outside, so i did this at work inside our shop with a vent blowing the smoke out a window,  the temp in the shop was around 80 degrees or so. i used my saw dust burning AMS to put out the flavor.

 

[chef jimmyj]

it was actually snowy and blowing outside, so i did this at work inside our shop with a vent blowing the smoke out a window,  the temp in the shop was around 80 degrees or so. i used my saw dust burning AMS to put out the flavor.

 It is nice to have a Warm place to smoke when it's Cold. I used an AMNPS with Pellets, it is my understanding the Dust generates less heat, so I can see where the Ice on the bottom shelf did the job for you. I tried Ice in the Water Pan, bottom shelf, but was no help...JJ

 

[eman]

I just smoked 4 blocks of Black diamond cheddar. AMNPS , pitmaster blend pellets, removed the chip loader and chip drawer. Ambient temp was 85 degrees. Since this is not just regular cheese and my racks don't look clean and shiny after 2 + years ,i put a paper towel on the top rack and set the cheese on it. Real good TBS and burned 2 1/2 inches of one row in a bit over 2 hours. MES was not plugged in and in the shade .didn';t use any ice and had no melting at all.

 

[redneck69]

 It is nice to have a Warm place to smoke when it's Cold. I used an AMNPS with Pellets, it is my understanding the Dust generates less heat, so I can see where the Ice on the bottom shelf did the job for you. I tried Ice in the Water Pan, bottom shelf, but was no help...JJ

i've actually used my MES 40 at work numerous times for work function, and lunch's..the last time i did 4 pork shoulders and the new car manager wasn't very happy with me since i did not share..lol..my service manager did buy one of the shoulders from me, which covered 1/2 my purchase price of everything i smoked that day.

 

[chowderpants]

That makes a lot of sense Jimmy. Heat rises so if the ice is at the bottom it won't be as likely to cool off the top. I've done some testing of my GOSM and it runs about 5* warmer on the top rack than the bottom rack. I like the 1 or 2 liter bottle idea too, I was thinking cubes and was thinking how fast they would melt, but a large mass would last a lot longer.

Its better to think that HOT AIR rises, not heat. My thoughts of having the ice on the bottom would be that it cools the air coming from the chip loader over the AMPS, making for a cooler smoke. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to throw a frozen water bottle up top as well if the ambient temps are on the warm side.

Just my 2 cents

 

[moikel]

I found that it was hot directly above the point on the AMZPS that was burning even with cheese at very top AMZPS  very bottom,so 1 cheese was sagging ,one next not .Once I  filled water tray with ice & put it on bottom shelf the smoke went up to tray then spread out after it hit cold metal of tray.

Solved my problem .I am in much warmer climate than a lot of forum members people  here start bitching once it gets below 10c overnight. Tshirt weather in Nebraska

 

[roller]

It looks like he was at the max. The cheese should be really good. It looks good. You really want to keep it below 90 if you can. The one I did was at 47º JJ. Not his. Whenever I had a cold day I would try to get some cheese smoked. At least you didn't go this far.

LMAO !!!

 

[jarhead]

Alelover, Don't do em this way either.

That was 6 pounds to start.

DeadCheeseSmall.jpg

• jarhead
• Sep 21, 2012

 

[scarbelly]

LMAO !!!

This was actually done be a former member and posted on another site. Man he took a ribbing - it was everyone's avatar for a while 

 

[jarhead]

This was my first go around with the AMNTS and the freezer.

I think it got a touch hot.