New MES Bluetooth Digital smoker

[Bearcarver]

Also: I never put any liquid in my Water Pan. I found it does nothing good---only bad.

Bear

Our ribs turned out excellent. I did not wrap them by the way, just smoked them for 6 hrs at 225. What is the downside of putting liquid in the drip Pan?
Den[/quote]
If it works for you, keep doing it. I just go by what I've noticed when I try different things.

Do you have a Window in your MES?

Liquid in the pan could be a good idea for some smokers, but not for an MES. IMHO

I used to try Beer, Apple Juice, Water, and other things in the water pan (6 years ago). I got no added flavor to any meat, and all it did was add more humidity to the cabinet that already has too much humidity.

The glass window in the door of an MES proves there's too much moisture inside when the condensation forms & runs down the inside of the window----And that's without adding anything to the water pan.

It also affects the burning of the AMNPS.

Like I said, If anyone is happy with putting liquid in their pan, they should keep doing it.

Bear

 

[dennispfaff]

Yes I have the window. I have tried it both ways. I didn't expect the juice in the pan to add any flavor, I just wanted the extra moisture because I was not planning to wrap the ribs.

 

[remsr]

I don't put water in either of my smokers water pans and I never smoke fish in my smokers. I would buy a smoker just for that and that only if I ever get into smoking fish which could be a long time from now because there are so many things I want to cold smoke and hot smoke that I haven't done yet. I like to prefect things before I move on to the next thing. I am working on perfecting chicken now. I tryed bacon last year and messed it up so I need to get back to that this fall.
Randy,

 

[dennispfaff]

I don't put water in either of my smokers water pans and I never smoke fish in my smokers. I would buy a smoker just for that and that only if I ever get into smoking fish which could be a long time from now because there are so many things I want to cold smoke and hot smoke that I haven't done yet. I like to prefect things before I move on to the next thing. I am working on perfecting chicken now. I tryed bacon last year and messed it up so I need to get back to that this fall.
Randy,

Well, I definitely would not put water or liquid in the drip pan for chicken! Probably be a rubber chicken! I am smoking a leg o lamb next weekend and I am on the fence if I want to use liquid in the drip pan or not.
Dennis

 

[remsr]

At age 72 you might think I would know a thing or two, but the fact is that I get my experience from the people on the forms who are way more experienced than I am. A 28 time grand champion said that I should never fill my water pan with water so I filled them with sand and covered them with foil that I change after each smoke and I have never regretted it.
I have two smokers that I use a WSM 221/2" and a 40" Masterbuilt the Masterbuilt holds the moisture from the meats so it doesn't need additional moisture from a water pan. I have never found it necessarily fill the water pan in the WSM either because I foil large cuts of meat at 160 internal degrees but if I didn't I would spritz every hour or so with a beer and apple juice mixture, or something like that. At least that's the advice I was given.
I think your right about the rubber chicken.lol
Randy,

 

[dennispfaff]

At age 72 you might think I would know a thing or two, but the fact is that I get my experience from the people on the forms who are way more experienced than I am. A 28 time grand champion said that I should never fill my water pan with water so I filled them with sand and covered them with foil that I change after each smoke and I have never regretted it.
I have two smokers that I use a WSM 221/2" and a 40" Masterbuilt the Masterbuilt holds the moisture from the meats so it doesn't need additional moisture from a water pan. I have never found it necessarily fill the water pan in the WSM either because I foil large cuts of meat at 160 internal degrees but if I didn't I would spritz every hour or so with a beer and apple juice mixture, or something like that. At least that's the advice I was given.
I think your right about the rubber chicken.lol
Randy,

You got me by one year Randy. I am 71. I don't understand what effect sand in the drip pan has on smoking? I know there are different opinions on using water in the drip pan or not using water. I usually do NOT use water in my 40in MES, however, last two times I smoked ribs I did put water in the drip pan and they turned out excellent. I have smoked several legs of lamb without water in the pan but next weekend I will try smoking one with water. We shall see. Personally, I think it all comes down to the rubs and IT smoked temp.
Dennis

 

[smokesontuesday]

Sand is nothing more than a heat sink, just like the water in the pan. Sand will heat up more quickly though.

 

[fpvjunkie]

Just picked up my first smoker. MES30 (as I have learned so far from the forum). I preseasoned it yesterday per the manual. Today I smoked my first meat. Just used some chicken breasts (flattened with meat hammer), added some dry rub and garlic. I used Applewood chips and no water. I'm definitely still learning how to use it, but there is just way too many opinions out there to decipher where to start. I preheated it to 225, added the wood chips, and the chicken breasts. Set the timer for 1hr and by the time it was heated, about 45 mins were left. I used the internal meat thermometer to monitor the chicken. Pretty good smoke for most of the time. Added chips twice because I thought I was losing smoke, but I think I ended up putting too much in. No smoke for the last part of the cook. Waiting for the chip tray to cool and see what's left in there. I think I should have emptied it after the second time... idk, not sure.

Overall, GREAT taste for the chicken though and was a big hit so far with the family. :) I have a whole chicken and 3 racks of ribs waiting to be smoked tomorrow. :) Can't wait!!

Smoker

• fpvjunkie
• Sep 20, 2016

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Just picked up my first smoker. MES30 (as I have learned so far from the forum). I preseasoned it yesterday per the manual. Today I smoked my first meat. Just used some chicken breasts (flattened with meat hammer), added some dry rub and garlic. I used Applewood chips and no water. I'm definitely still learning how to use it, but there is just way too many opinions out there to decipher where to start. I preheated it to 225, added the wood chips, and the chicken breasts. Set the timer for 1hr and by the time it was heated, about 45 mins were left. I used the internal meat thermometer to monitor the chicken. Pretty good smoke for most of the time. Added chips twice because I thought I was losing smoke, but I think I ended up putting too much in. No smoke for the last part of the cook. Waiting for the chip tray to cool and see what's left in there. I think I should have emptied it after the second time... idk, not sure.

Overall, GREAT taste for the chicken though and was a big hit so far with the family. :) I have a whole chicken and 3 racks of ribs waiting to be smoked tomorrow. :) Can't wait!!

Congrats on your new MES 30 !!

And Welcome to SMF !!  

Here's a whole bunch of Step by Steps, all done in an MES---Maybe they'll be of some help to you:

Just click on "Bear's Step by Steps".

Bear

 

[theboyler]

Hi there,

I have done a few batches of jerky now, most of the time I use the Cabelas mix... I'm not sure I am doing everything correctly.  Yesterday I started the meat off at about 140 for an hour with no smoke, then added smoke and bumped the temp to about 155.... I smoked the jerly the rest of the way... is that necessary?  Some of the slices looked and turned out fine, while some kinda had a white or brown tinge to them (in spots)....

Any suggestions... in total I think the meat was in the smoker for about 6-7 hrs....

I'm using a Bluetooth MES 30 with A Maz N pellet smoker

Thanks for any help!

 

[smokesontuesday]

 
Hi there,

I have done a few batches of jerky now, most of the time I use the Cabelas mix... I'm not sure I am doing everything correctly.  Yesterday I started the meat off at about 140 for an hour with no smoke, then added smoke and bumped the temp to about 155.... I smoked the jerly the rest of the way... is that necessary?  Some of the slices looked and turned out fine, while some kinda had a white or brown tinge to them (in spots)....

Any suggestions... in total I think the meat was in the smoker for about 6-7 hrs....

I'm using a Bluetooth MES 30 with A Maz N pellet smoker

Thanks for any help!

Have a picture of the tinge you're talking about? Could just be fat in the meat.

 

[theboyler]

IMG_4453.JPG

• theboyler
• Oct 14, 2016

 

[hoops10]

I am not sure if this has been mentioned or not, but are most people still 'seasoning' their new 40 in. MES gen 2.5 smoker? I am picking one up today. I thought I read somewhere that because of the inside material of the gen 2.5 that most were not. I could be wrong, it's been a while since I read it. Thanks.

 

[Bearcarver]

I am not sure if this has been mentioned or not, but are most people still 'seasoning' their new 40 in. MES gen 2.5 smoker? I am picking one up today. I thought I read somewhere that because of the inside material of the gen 2.5 that most were not. I could be wrong, it's been a while since I read it. Thanks.

I would still do it.

It probably still tells how in the manual that comes with it.

If I remember correctly:

Set for 275° for 3 hours, and add chips for the last hour.

Burns off manufacturing oils & adds a little smoke smell.

Note: I would keep an extra eye on it the first time to make sure the sensors & controls are working right, and it doesn't go nuts & keep going up above 325°, 350° or more.

Bear

 

[hoops10]

Thanks for the reply Bear. What about coating the inside with anything? I remember doing something like that on my 30 in MES.

 

[Bearcarver]

Thanks for the reply Bear. What about coating the inside with anything? I remember doing something like that on my 30 in MES.

You could spray something on it, but I wouldn't. It will get black before you know it.

A few smokes from now, without spraying anything in there, you'll be asking us if we clean the walls & ceiling, and we'll all be saying NO.

Just wash the racks you use, cover the water pan & drip pan on the floor with Foil, and don't put water in the water pan.

Bear

 

[hoops10]

You're a mind reader Bear :) What about the window? Will it become blackened and need to be cleaned after a few smokes?

 

[Bearcarver]

You're a mind reader Bear :) What about the window? Will it become blackened and need to be cleaned after a few smokes?

I clean the inside of my Window before each smoke. Some do it after each smoke.

If you do it every time, it never gets real bad.

If it does get real bad, I use a Razor blade scraper first, and then it cleans easily.

Bear

 

[hoops10]

What do you clean it with? Some type of special cleaner?

 

[brickguy221]

I have found this Simple Green cleaner to work great on cleaning the window on smoker after you are done using the smoker and allowed it to cool a bit. Best thing I have found yet out of many I have tried....

http://simplegreen.com/products/bbq-grill-cleaner-aerosol/