Newbie with an unused gift Masterbuilt Sportsman Elite 30"

[PAS]

I just registered on this site and have a basic question or two on my Christmas gift. This was purchased thru Cabelas. I'm wanting to know what generation it is and what future problems I can expect to see. Since it's winter I have not even seasoned it.
Model 20071218 (IK-541925) Cabelas claims it an "updated model"
800 Watt with probe

I have read about so many controller problems but the model numbers get confusing.
Thanks for your reply!

 

[zwiller]

Welcome fellow Buckeye! I just got the exact smoker from the Avon store on Black Friday. Loving it!!! It's a hybrid model being Gen1 body and Gen2 element. Here's my thread: https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...n-is-this-cabelas-mes-99.270324/#post-1777738

I have already forgotten the model number and use it all the time! To my amazement this smoker works fine in the winter! Smoking tons. You will need an AMNPS to use it to it's potential. Tons of info here. Only thing is, the AMNPS does not fit ours like the regular Gen1. I put it on the 4th rack and the water pan (drip pan) is now on the 3rd. Alternately some have decided to use a tube. Info in the thread above. Happy smoking!

 

[dr k]

It's a Gen 1 but with the Gen 2.5 two tiered oval water pan and chip housing assembly. The Gen 1 originally had the oval water pan but it is flat bottomed and the the chip housing assembly is more enclosed and boxy looking (whereby you can't see the heating element.) It seems MB is evolving, blending newer models interiors into the original Gen 1 Mes. This more open chip housing you have may be better for letting heat out in all directions than the original boxy enclosed version. It seems just fine to me and I have the original Mes Gen 1 40.

 

[tallbm]

Hi there and welcome!

It looks like you have one of the hybrids. It looks like a cross between the Gen1 and the Gen 2.5.

You should just have the standard MES quirks/issues:

1. Smoker and meat probes will never give you correct/accurate readings. Getting a dual probe (or more probes) wireless thermometer is basically a must with the MES. One probe to measure the real smoker temp and the other probe to measure the real meat Internal Temp (IT)
2. The MES is designed to swing (high and then low) with its temps around your set temp rather than hold right at the set temp
3. The MES will likely not produce smoke if you smoke at temps of 200F or below (for stuff like sausage and bacon smokes)
4. The controller and/or the electrical connectors are not Hi Temp connectors are are the weakest points of the smoker most likely to fail
5. You may have issues hitting the top temp smoker of 275F. If it goes over then you are fine but hitting. Chicken skin is basically leather unless you cook at 325F or so, you will just have to work around this with a top temp of 275F.
6. Most MES users move to wood pellets and using the A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker tray (AMNPS) since it is set and forget smoke generation for max 9-12 hours. This is nice to have vs feeding chips and it will generate smoke at any smoke temp or even with the smoker turned off should you want to cold smoke something.

I think that about covers it, best of luck! :)

 

[dr k]

For people with this new hybrid Gen 1 I'd be interested if they raise the two tiered pan up to the bottom rack level, turn it around and hang it there without the bottom rack in so the heat travels left along the slope of the water pan before going right out the top vent. Set the bottom rack on the water pan I'm just thinking out loud. I have a setup in my original gen 1 to heat evenly since the Gen 1 has the heating element, controller sensor and top vent in the right rear corner. The water pan in the original gen 1 can hang at any rack level and I set mine on the bottom rack on top of perforated stainless along the back wall. The Mes 30 is smaller so nothing may need to be done like in the 40.

 

[zwiller]

I am not seeing any problem with the vent over the element "issue". Even in the middle of winter it is not constantly running nor cycling too often. I seriously doubt this is a real issue due to small size of the smoker. I see the logic ("it's right above") but I think scale trumps it.

 

[PAS]

Thank you all for the replies and Good news! I was hoping it wasnt a bunch of obsolete parts that were problems in the past! I already built a stand for it so my old arse doesnt have to get down! How hot does the underneath get? I may have to do some sheet metal for the top of the table top. Two handles, 4 wheels and two cups to keep the back smoker

feet from sliding. Self stick floor tiles looked nice but....not too wise. Ohio winter has me going stir crazy!

 

[Bearcarver]

That should be a pretty good unit, having the Gen #1 exterior & the Gen #2.5 Interior.

And I agree the heat balance from left to right should be a lot better with an MES 30 than with an MES 40 of the same Hybrid mixture.
Did an RF remote come with it???

Bear

 

[PAS]

No remote.

 

[SonnyE]

Hi PAS, and Welcome!
I'm sure glad you posted. I'm going to be getting a new smoker real soon, and I was hoping to find out how you tell a Gen 1 and Gen 2.5 apart.
Truth be told, I'm getting quite skittish about the problems with the electronics I read about. Couple that with a 90 day warranty (kinda short), and I'm leaning harder and harder towards the old analog temperature controller.
I don't, or haven't, used any of my old smokers, to 'cook' in. I used them as smokers, not ovens. To smoke cure meats, and to jerk fish.

Being able to use the smoker as both is very appealing to me. But I find myself leaning towards an Analog I can fix easily myself, and Masterbuilt's Cold Smoker add-on for my smoke source.....

Belay that.
I was getting a link and discovered that unless I want to plumb it together with stack pipe or dryer vent hose, I need to get a different smoker. So I'm at a Lowe's Masterbuilt JMSS Model.
Which due to your post, I now see is a Gen 2.5. Or very likely is, anyway.

So there I have it.

I also have other reasons (experiences) to not trust Chinese sourced electronics. But that's a wholly different story.

 

[PAS]

I can understand your anxiety over the electronics, I feel the same way! The Lowes unit is the same as mine except I have a couple more small racks. My daughter moved from Chicago to Pittsburgh over Labor Day weekend and she came upon the analog units at Aldi's for less then $70. She has been using it on a regular basis until the weather got too cold.

I haven't use mine yet but my observations between the digital and the analog are this:
Analog is uninsulated, you have to open the door to add chips you have to monitor the analog more frequently and I dont think it has a vent for smoke to escape? Plue the analog is 1500 W compared to 800W.
I do like the built in stand and carrying handles!

Have fun!

 

[tallbm]

Hi PAS, and Welcome!
I'm sure glad you posted. I'm going to be getting a new smoker real soon, and I was hoping to find out how you tell a Gen 1 and Gen 2.5 apart.
Truth be told, I'm getting quite skittish about the problems with the electronics I read about. Couple that with a 90 day warranty (kinda short), and I'm leaning harder and harder towards the old analog temperature controller.
I don't, or haven't, used any of my old smokers, to 'cook' in. I used them as smokers, not ovens. To smoke cure meats, and to jerk fish.

Being able to use the smoker as both is very appealing to me. But I find myself leaning towards an Analog I can fix easily myself, and Masterbuilt's Cold Smoker add-on for my smoke source.....

Belay that.
I was getting a link and discovered that unless I want to plumb it together with stack pipe or dryer vent hose, I need to get a different smoker. So I'm at a Lowe's Masterbuilt JMSS Model.
Which due to your post, I now see is a Gen 2.5. Or very likely is, anyway.

So there I have it.

I also have other reasons (experiences) to not trust Chinese sourced electronics. But that's a wholly different story.

If you want an electric smoker that may have less issues and quirks than the MES then you may want to look at the Smokin-IT 3D or 4D models. They come with PID controllers, I believe they hit a max of 325F, and are reported to be constructed very well and overall excellent electric smokers.
I have never owned one but it would be the one I would target if I were in your shoes. Just prepare the wallet to take a bit of a beating, but hey you gotta pay to play :)

 

[SonnyE]

If you want an electric smoker that may have less issues and quirks than the MES then you may want to look at the Smokin-IT 3D or 4D models. They come with PID controllers, I believe they hit a max of 325F, and are reported to be constructed very well and overall excellent electric smokers.
I have never owned one but it would be the one I would target if I were in your shoes. Just prepare the wallet to take a bit of a beating, but hey you gotta pay to play :)

Oh yeah, when you go to the Smokin-It website you'll see irregularities on their pages. Those are my drool marks.
I'd love to have one, but I just can't justify in my head spending that much on a smoker/oven.
I could have easily done a Smokin-It before I retired. But I didn't. And now I don't think I should.

 

[SonnyE]

I can understand your anxiety over the electronics, I feel the same way! The Lowes unit is the same as mine except I have a couple more small racks. My daughter moved from Chicago to Pittsburgh over Labor Day weekend and she came upon the analog units at Aldi's for less then $70. She has been using it on a regular basis until the weather got too cold.

I haven't use mine yet but my observations between the digital and the analog are this:
Analog is uninsulated, you have to open the door to add chips you have to monitor the analog more frequently and I dont think it has a vent for smoke to escape? Plue the analog is 1500 W compared to 800W.
I do like the built in stand and carrying handles!

Have fun!

I was looking, and got to chatting with a guy doing inventory on the smokers at my local Lowe's.
He told me he picked up an Analog unit on Black Friday for $50. :eek: (I didn't ask if it included his employee discount)
He was pretty adamant about not needing the electronics. He said he just figured out the true running temperatures of the dial and has been cooking all sorts of stuff in his since he got it. (Admittedly >3 months)
He did say how one person complained about smoke leakage around the door. Our Lowe's exchanged it. So there is that part of doing a brick and mortar purchase.
I'm sure I want to have the capability to 'cold smoke' my Salmon. Which is, I smoke it for 3-6 hours, then raise it to + 145* F, and call it done. Delisioso! (I eat it cold.)
So, I've been looking at all the ways I can find for a cold smoke attachment. Mailbox, Al's popcorn tin, Masterbuilt's Accessory electric smoker....
I really like the Masterbuilt accessory unit. I've used electricity for my smokers all of my life, +50 years at least. But never had a 'modern' smoker. Just my cobbled together smoke boxes, and once had a porcelain refrigerator. But typically just a hot plate as my heat source.
I can readily get chips, chunks, or Pellets. But my Bradley has priced their pucks to beyond ridiculous IMO.
So I'm at the doorstep of a new, modern smoker.
I've done a lot of exploring, reading, mining, and deciding. The warranty, and the electronics horror stories are stumbling blocks for me...
As my Dad use to say, better than a kick in the butt with a frozen boot.

I hope you enjoy and get many years of great food from yours!

 

[GaryHibbert]

Unless price is real important, I'd go with the digital. I've had my MES 30 Gen 1 for several years, and the ONLY problem I've had is the junk Masterbuilt calls heat sensor and probe. A good 2 probe digital therm solves that problem. I started out with a Maverick 733 (hated it) and now have a Smoke (love it).
Gary

 

[tallbm]

I can readily get chips, chunks, or Pellets. But my Bradley has priced their pucks to beyond ridiculous IMO.

Does your Bradley still work?

If so you are a Mailbox/Popcorn Tin Mod and an A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker tray (AMNPS) away from having a complete electric smoker setup! :)

If I had a Bradley that worked I would just unhook it's puck mechanism and rig up a mailbox mod and smoke away! :)

 

[SonnyE]

Unless price is real important, I'd go with the digital. I've had my MES 30 Gen 1 for several years, and the ONLY problem I've had is the junk Masterbuilt calls heat sensor and probe. A good 2 probe digital therm solves that problem. I started out with a Maverick 733 (hated it) and now have a Smoke (love it).
Gary

Well, that's that guys. When you were posting Gary, I was picking it up. ;)
I'm now the owner of a MES 30 JMSS electric smoker. :eek: Black, solid door. Done.

The wife came in and I was talking to her about it. She said, "That looks nice. Just go get it and stop worryin about it."
She didn't have to say that twice. Took a leak, gathered up my little buddy, and away we went.
But the pointers here shown me it was a Gen 2.5. No internal probe, but I do have a dual probe digital thermometer to use with anything I need/want it for. And although it's a C* only thermometer, it has a long enough range to keep me happy.
It's running a bit hot at the moment. Set for 275 doing the break in run, my indicators are telling me 300 and 310. The MES control is bobbing around in a 280-285ish range.
But it's running dry and burning off the manufacturing oils. But I'm happy!
I can see it gets gooden hot. Burned myself :mad:, and got my Tillman welding gloves. About time I got some other use out of them.
So while it's doing its break in, I reckon I should get some Salmon brining to smoke up tomorrow.

First time I ever had a store bought smoker. Bust my buttons! :rolleyes:

 

[Bearcarver]

Congrats Sonny!! :cool:

Bear

 

[SonnyE]

Does your Bradley still work?

If so you are a Mailbox/Popcorn Tin Mod and an A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker tray (AMNPS) away from having a complete electric smoker setup! :)

If I had a Bradley that worked I would just unhook it's puck mechanism and rig up a mailbox mod and smoke away! :)

Yes, it still works.
It's kind of flaky at times, but it does run when it feels like it. Once going, it keeps going.
But I had to take it apart and fiddle with it, oil up the mechanism, and coax it a bit.
But, 1. I don't trust it. 2. The Pucks are rediculou$.

So as you may have seen above, I've already headed in a new direction. ;)

 

[SonnyE]

Congrats Sonny!! :cool:

Bear

Thank You Bear.
I finally got out of the outhouse. LOL!

I quelled my fears, too.
I never buy into extended warranties. Never say never.... :oops:
I decided to make me happy, I bought a two year, one time only, exchange for a new smoker warranty.
For $24.97, if the worst happens, I can get a new one for free.

Now, I got kind of peeved at them. They don't have covers in stock. And I wasn't going to get some kettle cover to make do.
But otherwise, dog-gone, I'm happy.
Still truckin along out there at 300-310*. Gonna go see if it's time for some chips.

Can you use pellets in it safely?:confused: