new at this smokin cooking not doing well

[bbqbabe]

I have a MES followed receipe to the letter, bark was like beef jerky and very dry meat and way to much smoke flavor.How often do you add chips or pellets it said to smoke 2 hours and thats all we could taste.Tried this twice and failed both times.I know its what Im doing or not doing just dont know which.

 

[alelover]

Have you checked your thermometers for accuracy? It sounds like you're running a bit hot. Was the smoke thin and blue at the exhaust or thick and white?

 

[bbqbabe]

I have a thermometer it reads good,the smoke was white but not real thick.the receipe said smoke 2 hours .I used pellets ,and after 1 hour the smoke was gone so I added more pellets, none of the receipes say how much pellets or chips or how often to add more or dont add anymore .I seem to be wasting money on food that we cant eat .For us new smokers we need exact info.

 

[jrod62]

What kind of meat did you smoke ?
Sound like the temp was to high.
I dont know much about the MES but a lot
Folks on here do . Im sure they will get you
Smoking like a pro in no time.
White smoke will give that bad taste of smoke.
Don't give up just keep asking question.

 

[bbqbabe]

we did ribs both times,what should the smoke be like and how do I get it that way .my therm. said it was running 227,i had it set for 225 ,4 hrs 2 smoking one without and the last in foil it was awful smelled good but inedible

 

[scarbelly]

Do yourself a big favor and pick up an AMNPS  for smoke management. It will make your life much easier  

http://www.amazenproducts.com/

 

[smokinhusker]

I have an MES 40 and my cabinet temp is up to 22* cooler (depending on the weather here) than the set temp. I have the vent 100% open.

More details would be helpful, maybe post the recipe:

What type and cut of meat are you smoking?

What kind of pellets and flavor?

I put about 1/4 cup Smokehouse Pellets in the tray about 10 minutes before I put my meat on and that has helped with keeping down the initial burst of white smoke, if by chance I do get the white cloud, I just open the door a bit and let it out 

. I generally get about an hour of nice thin smoke for each 1/4 cup.

The Smokehouse Pellets don't generate much heat, but the pellets for the Traegers are designed for heat and smoke.

The amount of smoke flavor and duration is a personal preference. 

 

[bbqbabe]

I used the DADGUM cook book receipe, and I used Traeger hickory pellets.The vent was half open,after  1 hour the smoke was gone so I added 1/4 cup more pellets,it lasted 1 more hour after that ,then cooked for 1 more hour then put in foil for last hour.Way to much smoke flavor and tough meat,dry and the bark was like beef jerky.I tested temp with my oven therm. when I preheated the smoker ,ran 2 degrees higher than what it was set at.If I dont get an edible meal out of this soon and without spending anymore money ,Im at about 250 dollars now,my husband is going to throw me and the smoker over the deck and order out.

 

[bbqbabe]

Thanks for your help but I dont know what your saying to get Im sorry I dont know the abbreviations are

 

[scarbelly]

AMNPS stands for the Amazn Pellet Smoker which looks like this

This unit gives you up to 11 hours of continuous thin blue smoke (TBS) so you don't have to worry about the smoke part of the cooking

 

[rabbithutch]

Sorry to hear you're having problems with the MES. Which model is it? Might help to figure out what's going on.

You mentioned that you followed the recipe from 'the book'. What book is that? I didn't get what I'd call a book with my MES. Did see some recipes in the flyer that was included but have not tried any of them yet.

Our host (Jeff Phillips) sells recipes - for a mere pittance - for rub and sauce that is great on ribs. http://www.smoking-meat.com/jeffs-naked-rib-rub-recipe.html Proceeds go to support the forum and Jeff's web page.

Alesia mentioned that her MES can measure significantly different temps than the built-in gage shows. Others have also reported differences in temp depending on where in the smoker the temp is measured. I have experienced some of this.

I'll join in the recommendation to get and use an AMNPS (from Todd Johnson). He can also supply you with pellets made from many different woods and some blends. It will greatly improve your smoking. The chip burning arrangement on the MES needs improvement. It can burn chips too hot - giving a bad taste to the meat - and it requires attention to add chips or pellets.

DaveOmak - who lives up your way - posted this information about improving the MES performance - http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/120391/mes-30-modification-i-think-its-the-final-mod#post_799196

Hope some of this helps.

 

[smoke king]

I would suggest you switch to a milder flavor smoking wood. Hickory can have quite a bite!  Try some apple or cherry or even maple.  Home Depot and Walmart seem to carry the bags of chips (I am assuming nationwide) so that might be better to try than the pellets. If you are getting a bunch of white smoke try just putting the chips in your chip tray but don't dump them.  Being further away from the heating element might help (but if the heat is low enough they may not smoke in the tray).

Also, open your vent wide open.  

Don't give up! We'll help get you through it.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Ok, before you spend the money on the AMNPS, let's try a cheap test. I have no idea what Treager pellets smell like but I can tell you unless you like Smokey...Hickory can be too strong, My family hates it. Go to Home Depot or where ever you get BBQ supplies and get some Apple or Cherry Chips. Next get some more Ribs and apply a good rub, recipe to follow, wrap and rest overnight. Heat the smoker to 225* and add 1/4C about 10 Apple chips to the smoker with the top vent open. Place the Ribs on the middle rack or racks and let them smoke 3 hours, if you bought Spare Ribs, 2 hours if you bought Baby Back Ribs. Add more chips everytime you no longer see or smell smoke, about every 40 minutes. Next place them on foil, add my Foiling Juice, seal them up and and back in the smoker at 225*, no chips, for 2.5 hours. Next remove the ribs from the foil, saving all the juices and place the ribs back in the smoker. Take the juices and remove any fat by dragging paper towel across the top and simmer it until it is starting get thick as pancake syrup, should take about 5 minutes. Open the smoker and brush the Juice on the ribs. Repeat 3 more times every 15 minutes. Remove the ribs and enjoy. They should be tender and flavorful and almost falling off the bone. Add additional Sauce if you wish.

Try this... It is Mild and compliments different style sauces well...Anything else, just ask...JJ

Mild Bubba Q Rub

1/2C Sugar in the Raw (Turbinado)

2T Sweet Paprika (Hungarian)

1T Kosher Salt

1T Chili Powder (contains some Cumin and Oregano) Ancho Chile is same without cumin, oregano etc.

1T Granulated Garlic

1T Granulated Onion

1tsp Black Pepper, more if you like

1/2tsp Grnd Allspice

Cayenne or Chipotle Pwd to taste, start with 1/2tsp and go from there.

Foiling Juice

For each Rack of Ribs Combine:

1T Mild Rub

1/2 Stick Butter

1/2C Cane Syrup... Dark Corn Syrup...or Honey

1/4C Apple Cider...or Juice

1T Molasses

Optional:

2T Vinegar, to make it Tangy

Simmer 5-10 minutes until syrupy consistency.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes, pour over foiled Ribs and

run your 2 hour phase of 3-2-1. For the last phase return

the ribs to the smoker BUT reserve any Juice remaining

in the Foil. Glaze the Ribs for presentation or service.

 

[pineywoods]

You are looking for thin blue smoke (TBS) or no smoke at all and just the smell of the wood. If you can smell the wood so can the meat. I would recommend doing ribs either 3-2-1 for spares or 2-2-1 for baby backs. Set the smoker at 225 and place the rubbed ribs into it, after the first number of hours is up take the ribs and wrap them in foil before you seal up the foil add some liquid maybe apple juice then seal tight and back into the smoker, after the 2 hours carefully (they will want to fall apart) take them out of the foil and place them back on the rack in the smoker. If you want to baste the ribs with sauce do it the last 30 minutes so the sauce doesn't burn or just serve the sauce on the side

I also agree with Jimmy the hickory may be too strong a flavor for your tastes

 

[bobbygee]

I'm actually suprised they came out too smokey(crazy talk!!

) .Sounds like you did everything right.Diddo regarding the AMNPS,that thing really does a great job.But for now, I agree with the other posters regarding hickory.Go get your self some apple or maple chips and do the ole 3-2-1 or 2-2-2 recipe.

 

[smokinhusker]

I used the DADGUM cook book receipe, I don't have the book, I do 3 hrs on smoker, 2-3 hrs in foil, then throw them on the grill long enough to put some bbq sauce on them   and I used Traeger hickory pellets these produce HEAT and smoke.The vent was half open, needs to be all the way open after  1 hour the smoke was gone so I added 1/4 cup more pellets,it lasted 1 more hour after that ,then cooked for 1 more hour then put in foil for last hour.Way to much smoke flavor and tough meat,dry and the bark was like beef jerky.I tested temp with my oven therm. when I preheated the smoker ,ran 2 degrees higher than what it was set at.If I dont get an edible meal out of this soon and without spending anymore money ,Im at about 250 dollars now,my husband is going to throw me and the smoker over the deck and order out.

I've made St Louis Spareribs several times and they always come out moist and tender. I trim and clean them up, remove the membrane off the back if the ribs have them. Rub em down and leave sit for about an hour at room temp. I smoke at temp of 225-230* for 3 hrs on the second rack from the top with the meat side up and spray/spritz hourly with apple juice or apple juice/Capt Morgan's. I also have a water pan with apple juice/water in the smoker. Bump smoker temp to 235-240* and take the ribs off and put on a double sheet of foil with some of the spritzing mixture (1/8 - 1/4 cup), butter, drizzle of honey, and some brown sugar and lay a rack of ribs meat side down. Wrap it up, seal and put back on the smoker for 2 -3 hrs and I don't add anymore smoke at this time. After this I remove them from the smoker and leave them foiled and sit for about an hour or throw them on a heated grill to finish with bbq sauce.

These are the last ones I did:

 

[bbqbabe]

I have the 4 rack digital with the side load chip tray,and the book is the DADGUM THATS GOOD cookbook written by the maker of my masterbuilt smoker.The 1st try was from the pamplet from the smoker the 2nd was from the cook book.Maybe my thermometer for testing the temp is off,its the one that I used in my oven.

 

[hkeiner]

The vent was half open,after  1 hour the smoke was gone so I added 1/4 cup more pellets,it lasted 1 more hour after that ,then cooked for 1 more hour then put in foil for last hour.

My opinion is that you put too many pellets in the chip tray at one time for the type pellets you were using. I think that using the right amount of pellets in the MES can be a bit tricky because they burn up much quicker than wood chips, which can result in too thick of smoke.  If you are determined to use pellets in the MES chip tray, cut way back on the amount of pellets and see if your results are better. You can not ruin meat by under smoking, just over smoking. You can always bump up the amount of pellets the next time if you feel it is necessary.

Using an AMNPS guarantees that you do not get too thick of smoke and that is one of the reasons it is so popular. Just my opinion...

 

[bbqbabe]

Well I cant thankyou all enough for all your help,Ive been writing down all your sugestions and tips all afternoon and Im going to try them all.Im determined to get a good meal out of this thing if it kills me,or my husband does which ever comes first.I think im kind of tired of ribs,maybe chicken might be easier,any simple cant mess up receipes?

 

[alelover]

Chicken is a great choice. If you do it at 225 it will have rubbery skin. Most folks like 275 -300 for a slow cook but a crispy skin. Almost the best of both worlds. Or you can hit it on a hot grill to crisp it up at the end. Even if you mess it up it will be a lot cheaper. If you can do ribs you can do chicken. You'll get it.