New smoker ....MES 35B Bacon?

[dr k]

I get the top damper and the rain cap, but the part about the "T" and mailbox mod is extremely confusing to me....and I do tool and die for a living lol.

A lot of mailbox mods use 3" alum pipe fittings because the Mes digital smokers have a 3" chip loader hole and top vent. If you did do a mailbox mod, you can search SMF, a 3" T fitting hanging from the bottom of the analog smoker, since there are legs elevating the smoker, would be a good place to plumb in to collect grease and let smoke in through one hole in the bottom of the smoker. This is mine because of the 3" side chip loader hole. Yours could come in at the bottom from a T and drain grease as well. I don't know how to post drawings.

 

[dr k]

I get the top damper and the rain cap, but the part about the "T" and mailbox mod is extremely confusing to me....and I do tool and die for a living lol.

 

[mrsmoklestein]

Definitely sounds like some I'll consider in the future, I can see how valuable it would be. I appreciate it.

As for the time being, given the fact that I have bacon curing and plenty to do with the holidays I think I'll hold off on the mailbox for now however. I have an AMNPS in the mail, along with a damper vent, and a better door thermometer. Plan to run dust, but I'm not sure what I would really lose by running pellets.

Plan on opening up the drain hole on the bottom to allow more airflow, and adding the damper vent to the top of the unit. Sounds like airflow restrictions are the main problem with the AMNPS units.

In the future, the location of the added holes would allow for the mods you're talking about if needed.

 

[dr k]

This was the best I came up with awhile ago for the MB analog due to low air flow for the Amnps and keeping holes centered/symmetrical for even heating with an alum pan/baking sheet on the bottom rack. I like the dead air space insulation my drip pan sits on in my Mes Gen 1 40 so there's less grease vaporizing. Just two more alum pans just like the drip pan but the bead around one pan edge cut off to rest on the other pans edge. Easy clean up for several smokes before putting down a new $.50 drip pan.