New MES Bluetooth Digital smoker

[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/

 

[remsr]

I have been asking a question about resting brisket and butts. My next-door neighbor loves smoking meats but is impatient and tends to skip some instructions as he always asks me for a step by step befor starting. He now turns out really good ribs in his Masterbuilt 30" gen 1 using the 3-2-1 for spair ribs trimmed them to St. Louis style. He also has turned out really good pork butts with the foil at 160 then taking them to 205 method then resting them in a cooler packed with towels for a cupple hours.
I told him that I do brisket pretty much the same way only difference is the finished temp I like 195 it 200. He followed my instructions until the resting time. instead of wrapping the meat with stretch wrap and foil then putting it in a cooler packed with towels he put it in a cold oven to rest. It turned out good so now he wants to know what benefit there would be to packing it in a cooler as opposed to resting it in a cold oven? I really don't have the answer for him I just know it works best.

 

[Bearcarver]

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

Everybody seems to have their own method.

I've tried a number of cleaners, but as far as chemicals go, I found Windex to work best for me, but I'm careful to have the door wide open, and don't spray toward the smoker so none of the overspray goes inside.  

Another Great way (if you have a Woodstove or Fireplace) is to wet a couple paper towels & then touch the wet towels in the ashes. Then use that on the Glass----IT WORKS AWESOME !!! Then finish it up with a couple of water-wet towels.

I have a Thread on that somewhere---I'll look for it.

I FOUND IT !!!  NO Chemicals Needed !!

Link:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/113467/cleaning-mes-window-without-any-chemicals-at-all

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

I have been asking a question about resting brisket and butts. My next-door neighbor loves smoking meats but is impatient and tends to skip some instructions as he always asks me for a step by step befor starting. He now turns out really good ribs in his Masterbuilt 30" gen 1 using the 3-2-1 for spair ribs trimmed them to St. Louis style. He also has turned out really good pork butts with the foil at 160 then taking them to 205 method then resting them in a cooler packed with towels for a cupple hours.
I told him that I do brisket pretty much the same way only difference is the finished temp I like 195 it 200. He followed my instructions until the resting time. instead of wrapping the meat with stretch wrap and foil then putting it in a cooler packed with towels he put it in a cold oven to rest. It turned out good so now he wants to know what benefit there would be to packing it in a cooler as opposed to resting it in a cold oven? I really don't have the answer for him I just know it works best.

I often just turn my MES down to the Temp of the Meat IT, and leave it in that heat for awhile. (You have to open the door to get it down near there)  Your option is to cover in foil or not cover.

The thing is---The meat is Stupid---It has no idea that instead of being in a cooler staying warm, it's in a Smoker doing the same thing.

I expect this is only easy to do in a Smoker Like the MES, or similar Smoker.

Bear

 

[dr k]

I often just turn my MES down to the Temp of the Meat IT, and leave it in that heat for awhile. (You have to open the door to get it down near there)  Your option is to cover in foil or not cover.

The thing is---The meat is Stupid---It has no idea that instead of being in a cooler staying warm, it's in a Smoker doing the same thing.

I expect this is only easy to do in a Smoker Like the MES, or similar Smoker.


Bear

Yup! If the meat is foiled, I turn off the smoker and plug the vents. I guess you can leave it till the IT gets close to 140*F. In the summer that's several hours. I did my last Chuckie this way. Shut off the smoker when the IT hit 180*F and it coasted to about 190*F and back to 180*F in two and a half hours.
-Kurt

 

[Bearcarver]

Yup! If the meat is foiled, I turn off the smoker and plug the vents. I guess you can leave it till the IT gets close to 140*F. In the summer that's several hours. I did my last Chuckie this way. Shut off the smoker when the IT hit 180*F and it coasted to about 190*F and back to 180*F in two and a half hours.
-Kurt

Yup---I did this kind of thing a number of times.

I think a couple of my Step by Steps show a bit of it.

Works pretty good, and you don't have to play with towels & a cooler.

Bear

 

[remsr]

Ok I trust your opinions. So what you are saying is that my Neighbors method of resting meat in the oven works just as well as my cooler method but one is less hassle than the other? My original thought was that by wrapping it in stretch wrap and foil then packing it in a Cooler would leave those juices nowhere to go but back into the meat= more taste and tenderness. My butts and briskets are melt in your mouth tender, juicy and vary tasty. I guess it was easier for me to wrap and rest in a cooler because my smokes have been ending around midnight so I just wrap pack and go to bed. In the morning it's still hot.
I just read an article about resting meats in a cooler where they did a test to see how long it took to drop below the safe level of 140 degrees. 5 hours 8 minutes I thought well that's strange I sleep for 8 hours while my meat is resting and it's still to hot to handle in the morning, but then the article went on to explain that 113 degrees is to hot to handle which is well below the safe level. Guess I'll start planning my smokes to end way before bed time so that I can avoid dropping below the safe level. In that case I can try your resting method in the smoker. Or even the oven in the house.
Thanks Bear, thanks Kurt,

Randy,

 

[Bearcarver]

Ok I trust your opinions. So what you are saying is that my Neighbors method of resting meat in the oven works just as well as my cooler method but one is less hassle than the other? My original thought was that by wrapping it in stretch wrap and foil then packing it in a Cooler would leave those juices nowhere to go but back into the meat= more taste and tenderness. My butts and briskets are melt in your mouth tender, juicy and vary tasty. I guess it was easier for me to wrap and rest in a cooler because my smokes have been ending around midnight so I just wrap pack and go to bed. In the morning it's still hot.
I just read an article about resting meats in a cooler where they did a test to see how long it took to drop below the safe level of 140 degrees. 5 hours 8 minutes I thought well that's strange I sleep for 8 hours while my meat is resting and it's still to hot to handle in the morning, but then the article went on to explain that 113 degrees is to hot to handle which is well below the safe level. Guess I'll start planning my smokes to end way before bed time so that I can avoid dropping below the safe level. In that case I can try your resting method in the smoker. Or even the oven in the house.
Thanks Bear, thanks Kurt,

Randy,

This would depend on what is less hassle to you, and how long you're going to "hold" it.

If you're going to hold it for many hours, I would think you should wrap it good in foil, to keep it from drying out.

I rarely Hold it for more than one hour. I don't do overnight smokes!

However if you want it to stay above 140°, you could set an MES for 150° & you should be good to go.

Bear

 

[ron burgundy]

It's probably been discussed already but is there enough air flow for an AMNPS?

 

[hoops10]

Yes, I believe Bear posted the the AMNPS works great on the 40 in smoker if placed on the bottom rack to the right.

 

[hoops10]

I'm towards the end of 'seasoning' my new gen 2.5 40 in MES, about an hour left (haven't added chips yet.) According to the Maverick, temp is reaching very close to 300 when smoker is reading 275 on display. Does this mean something is wrong with it? A 25 degree difference seems pretty high. Bear, any thoughts?

Edit: I'm also have problems connecting my phone to the smoker via Bluetooth. I got the app and followed the directions but nothing. I'm using an LG3 running Marshmallow. Any ideas?

 

[ron burgundy]

Thanks Hoops. I didn't want to read 46 pages.

 

[ron burgundy]

I think I've decided on a new MES 40. My cheap analog MES 30" only lasted 2 years. Debating a pellet grill or electric smoker. My dead smoker gave more smoke than my buddy's Traeger & I like smoke.

 

[brickguy221]

Yes, I believe Bear posted the the AMNPS works great on the 40 in smoker if placed on the bottom rack to the right.

If my SMOKE RING from SMOKE DADDY didn't work so well, I would try what Bear says. However I am overly happy with the SMOKE RING, so i won't  try the AMNPS on bottom shelf on the right. As the old saying goes ... "if it aint broke, don't fix it" ....