New masterbuilt 40 how often do you add chips?

[graphicsman]

So ive been eyeing a masterbuilt smoker for months and my family got me a 40" for fathers day so ive been looking at videos and researching what to cook but ive seen people add chips every 30 mins all the way to every hour. Currently im looking for four pork spare ribs then ill trim and place each one on a rack and do a 3-2-1 on them @ 215 but im unsure on the first three hour smoke if i should add every 30 mins.

 

[mrmerck]

30 to 45 minutes is what I do with my chips.

 

[SmokinAl]

Add them when the smoke stops or do as most of the MES guys do & get an AMAZEN.

http://www.amazenproducts.com/

Then you don't have to add chips at all. It will give you smoke for hours.

Al

 

[stckthrwr]

How does the amazen work? Just put a load of chips or pellets in, walk away and let it go?

 

[graphicsman]

I've looked at the amzn before to use it for cold smoking with my wsm 22. How do you suggest using the amzn in the master built? Place it on the bottom shelf?

 

[texas mathew]

I re-fill about 1 to 2 hours using the chip loader. I wait until the chips are completely burned up....there isn't even ash in the chip loader. If i use dry chips, it's about every 1 hour, and 2 hours using soaked chips. Kind of tiresome when smoking a brisket for 12 hours. I might look into this Amazen thing.

 

[Bearcarver]

I've looked at the amzn before to use it for cold smoking with my wsm 22. How do you suggest using the amzn in the master built? Place it on the bottom shelf?

It depends on which Generation MES you got.

If you get 4 racks of Ribs to make at once, I would:

See if you can put two racks on each of the top two racks.

Or only make 3---One on each of the top 3 racks.

I find the bottom rack too close to the Heat source.

Here's some help you might like:

Just click on "Bear's Step by Steps".

Bear

 

[mikew999]

I think I am missing something. I have an MES 40.  If I get an amazen, where do I place it in the MES? In the chip tray?  Also, I was wondering if I could use wood chunks? I thought the MES instructions said no, but then you guys have figured out a few workarounds. 

 

[Bearcarver]

 
I think I am missing something. I have an MES 40.  If I get an amazen, where do I place it in the MES? In the chip tray?  Also, I was wondering if I could use wood chunks? I thought the MES instructions said no, but then you guys have figured out a few workarounds. 

I said it depends on which Generation MES you have, because I hate to go through all of them all the time.

But here goes.

If you have the Generation #1 the best place to put the AMNPS is on the support rods in the bottom, to the left of the chip burner.

If you have the Gen #2.5, I found the best place is to put the bottom rack in & put the AMNPS on the far right of that bottom rack.

If you have the Gen #2, you can remove the little Water pan that's hanging from the slanted Drip pan, and straddle your AMNPS over the hole left by the water pan. Or remove that whole slanted Drip plate, and put the bottom rack in & set the AMNPS on the far right of that rack, and put a foil pan in the middle of that rack to catch any drips.

You can use Chips or chunks in your MES, but neither will give you the success like you'll get with an AMNPS.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

BTW: MikeW999,

If you don't know which Generation MES you have, this will help you:

Link:

MES Generation Number Recognition Pictures & Pics (Digital Units)

Bear

 

[smokingearl]

I have the MES 40 BT which is the gen 2.5. The best place for my Amazn tray is on the bottom of the smoker under the water pan with the lit end towards the rear and next to the heat element. Smokes perfect, never goes out, and a full tray will last 11 hours.

 

[graphicsman]

I was debating the mailbox mod as it wouldn't matter what model I had. Guess i will look into the model but from research you have air restriction when using the amns in the mes.

 

[smokingearl]

I was debating the mailbox mod as it wouldn't matter what model I had. Guess i will look into the model but from research you have air restriction when using the amns in the mes.

not with the newest models- the 2.5's or the original gen 1's.

 

[Bearcarver]

I was debating the mailbox mod as it wouldn't matter what model I had. Guess i will look into the model but from research you have air restriction when using the amns in the mes.

Nah---Been using AMNS and AMNPS in my MES units for 7 years without a mailbox or any other contraption without a problem.

It's a pleasure to just light it & put it in my MES, and not have to play games with mailboxes & ductwork or pipes.

I'm getting kinda lazy in my old age!

Bear

 

[graphicsman]

If you have pics i started another thread looking for how people have them setup in their mes. I also posted the model in which i got

 

[Bearcarver]

If you have pics i started another thread looking for how people have them setup in their mes. I also posted the model in which i got

Yours is a Gen #1, like below.

The only other thread I could find was more than a week old, so I'll show you here too:

You can see where my AMNS is & my AMNPS works Great there too:

DSC02348.JPG

• Bearcarver
• Jun 24, 2011

 

[brickguy221]

 
If you have the Gen #2.5, I found the best place is to put the bottom rack in & put the AMNPS on the far right of that bottom rack.

Bear

Hmmm... I have always had my Maze on the left and never tried it on the right side. So for me to be clear here Bear, on the 2.5 like you and I own, you place the Maze on the right above the chip pan, is that correct?

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Hmmm... I have always had my Maze on the left and never tried it on the right side. So for me to be clear here Bear, on the 2.5 like you and I own, you place the Maze on the right above the chip pan, is that correct?

Good Question Brickguy!!

I used to put mine on the left side of the bottom rack, but I had a couple times that the smoke was a little light in my Gen #2.5.

So I moved it to the right side, and pulled the Dumper out about 2". 

Then when the Smoke got a little too high, I pushed the Dumper back in, and the smoke simmered down to a nice amount.

Bear

 

[brickguy221]

 
Good Question Brickguy!!

I used to put mine on the left side of the bottom rack, but I had a couple times that the smoke was a little light in my Gen #2.5.

So I moved it to the right side, and pulled the Dumper out about 2". 

Then when the Smoke got a little too high, I pushed the Dumper back in, and the smoke simmered down to a nice amount.

Bear

Thanks Bear, I am going to try that the next time I smoke. I had thought about it a few times, but that is all I did was "thought about it. Now that I know it will work, I will try it.

It makes a lot of sense to me when I think about it .... Maze over chip tray and chip loader pulled out directly below it to let in extra air.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Thanks Bear, I am going to try that the next time I smoke. I had thought about it a few times, but that is all I did was "thought about it. Now that I know it will work, I will try it.

It makes a lot of sense to me when I think about it .... Maze over chip tray and chip loader pulled out directly below it to let in extra air.

Let me know how it works for you.

Bear