New guy questions about MES Digital Electric Smoker

[rlanicek]

New guy here, thinking about getting an electric smoker.

I have an old big wood smoker that I inherited years ago so I have some experience.

Cabela's has this MES 140S Digital Electric Smoker on sale and I could get it free with my club points.

Did a little research, which is how I found this forum, and it gets mixed reviews.

However, reading this forum for the last hour or so, it seems the MES' work great with a few mods.

Can someone point me to the mailbox mod instructions and/or link?

Any feedback on this smoker good or bad? Recommendations? Opinions?

Thanks and I am excited to have found this site and to learn more from you seasoned smokers!

 

[Winterrider]

Search results for query: Mailbox mods

Also check out Bearcarver, he has reviews on the different models.
Welcome aboard...

 

[Winterrider]

About Masterbuilt Electric Smokehouse (Digital)
Masterbuilt Smokers (Bear's Thoughts & Findings)
MES Generation Number Recognition Pictures & Pics (Digital Units)
Avoid Temp Swings in MES
Cleaning MES Window without chemicals
MES with Window---Heads Up

 

[Bearcarver]

That's a good one, rlanicek!
It looks to be a Hybrid, with a Gen #1 exterior & a Gen #2.5 interior.
Not a bad price for that one either.

Bear

 

[Slow42]

New guy here, thinking about getting an electric smoker.

I have an old big wood smoker that I inherited years ago so I have some experience.

Cabela's has this MES 140S Digital Electric Smoker on sale and I could get it free with my club points.

Did a little research, which is how I found this forum, and it gets mixed reviews.

However, reading this forum for the last hour or so, it seems the MES' work great with a few mods.

Can someone point me to the mailbox mod instructions and/or link?

Any feedback on this smoker good or bad? Recommendations? Opinions?

Thanks and I am excited to have found this site and to learn more from you seasoned smokers!

If you can get this smoker for free, points, not a bad deal. You will eventually regret your purchase, cost wise, points better spent elsewhere. Get something better and modify it if necessary. There are other better choices out there if your handy. I have an MES that cost me nothing, town dump. Cost about $50.00 to get a working smoker. PID controlled. Works great.

 

[Murray]

I received a MES for Christmas last year, had visions of briskets, roast beef/pork turns out I use it for as much if not more for cold smoking bacon, cheese and fish. Seems our tastes have evolved. You have a big old wood smoker so you have that aspect covered. MES are a popular brand, this site has a quite a few experts with MES and the associated issues. For that reason I’d recommend a MES. What’s your budget? Have you considered the used market? I just picked up a second used MES for $150CAN. Is storage a concern? The MES is light enough that I can move it from storage to a table without busting a left nut. The only other smoker that I have any experience with is a Little Chief so I can’t compare other electric smokers to MES but I’m happy with the results that Im getting from my MES. Good luck with your research.

 

[rlanicek]

I bought it. First day, I seasoned it and tried smoking some chicken breasts and wings I had handy. Smoker was easy to use and chicken was delicious.

On Friday I bought a pellet smoker (not the AMNPS but another brand) and a small brisket. Got everything ready, seasoned the meat and pre-heated the smoker. Started my pellets. Loaded everything inside, inserted the MES internal meat probe along with my Oregon remote temp gauge, opened a fresh cold adult beverage, and started smoking.

However I didn't. The electronic control panel gave a EAA1 (or could it be ERR1?) error code. Looked it up online and tried all of the simple fixes, most having to do with cold temps. However the outside temp was in the 60s and the unit pre-heated just fine.

Really disappointed in the new MES. I will return it but undecided if to exchange for another MES or should I go for a different brand?

I appreciate your thoughts and recommendations.

 

[Bearcarver]

I bought it. First day, I seasoned it and tried smoking some chicken breasts and wings I had handy. Smoker was easy to use and chicken was delicious.

On Friday I bought a pellet smoker (not the AMNPS but another brand) and a small brisket. Got everything ready, seasoned the meat and pre-heated the smoker. Started my pellets. Loaded everything inside, inserted the MES internal meat probe along with my Oregon remote temp gauge, opened a fresh cold adult beverage, and started smoking.

However I didn't. The electronic control panel gave a EAA1 (or could it be ERR1?) error code. Looked it up online and tried all of the simple fixes, most having to do with cold temps. However the outside temp was in the 60s and the unit pre-heated just fine.

Really disappointed in the new MES. I will return it but undecided if to exchange for another MES or should I go for a different brand?

I appreciate your thoughts and recommendations.

All I can tell you that pertains to your decision are the following:
I bought an MES 30 about 10 years ago----It worked great for a year, and I sold it and bought an MES40 Gen #1 for more room. That one worked Great for years, and is now my Back-up Smoker.
Then I was given an MES 40 Gen #2 to test. It had a bad controller, and the right side was a lot hotter than the left side. They offered to send me a new controller. I told them not to bother, because the right side is much hotter than the left, due to the stupid design of the Gen #2 Unit.
Then they gave me an MES 40 Gen #2.5, and it has worked perfectly for 7 years so far, with ZERO problems.
So that's 3 Awesome MES Smokers out of 4, and one that was a Bad design to begin with, but we should all know to stay away from that Gen #2 Unit, by now anyway.

Bear

 

[husker3in4]

Bear, how can you tell the diff between the Gen 2 and Gen 2.5? Is there a model number to look for?

 

[Bearcarver]

Bear, how can you tell the diff between the Gen 2 and Gen 2.5? Is there a model number to look for?

You can't trust going by Model Number.
The best way is to go by the look of the inside & outside.
Most noticeable is; the Gen #2 has a useless slanted Drip plate running from right to left, higher on the right, with a little water pan hanging on the left end of that plate.

The Gen #2.5 has a full size water pan in the center, with a Split level bottom in it.

These 2 links should tell you all you need to know:
Masterbuilt Smokers (Bear's Thoughts & Findings)
MES Generation Number Recognition Pictures & Pics (Digital Units)

Bear