Not getting any smoke into my meat!

[LVD]

Hey all,

Using a new MES30, 2nd time and both times I'm not seeing/tasting any smoke in my finished products. I've smoked both ribs and pork shoulder with results the same in both cases. No smoke flavor, not smoke ring. Smoking with oak and hickory.

I do see plenty of smoke going thru the unit. I have the vent all the way open and I'm wondering if the smoke is just traveling up the sides and out the vent.

Any thoughts?

Thanks
Lee

 

[zippy12]

try misting with apple juice... too dry and the meat will not take smoke is what I hear.

 

[Geebs]

You might need to get an A-Maze-N Pellet tray to put in or mod to do the mailbox mode. Can do a search on here with lots of results.

 

[tropics]

MES will not give a smoke ring unless you jump thru hoops.
Richie

 

[LVD]

That's interesting. Any idea why? I never had this problem with my crappy propane smoker.

Thanks for the info.
Lee

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

What Richie said...you wont get a smoke ring with the MES.

Are you loading wood chips into the dumper every 15 minutes?

 

[cansmoke]

Lee:

I have the same unit. I add wood chips when I turn the unit on and am bringing up to temp, when the meat goes in and every 45 minutes until I am 1/2 way through the cook. If you cut the gap down you will get more smoke but I certainly taste the smoke using the timing I do.

 

[mike243]

Lee:

I have the same unit. I add wood chips when I turn the unit on and am bringing up to temp, when the meat goes in and every 45 minutes until I am 1/2 way through the cook. If you cut the gap down you will get more smoke but I certainly taste the smoke using the timing I do.

same timing here

 

[h8that4u]

Electric smokers are not the best at giving a smoke ring or even flavor depending on the type of wood used, most people that use them use an A-Maze-N or similar tool to help with adding smoke and flavor.

 

[pops6927]

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/a/smoke-ring-formation

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

As stated above the best thing you can do is buy an AMNPS and never look back. I use one in my MES40. Well worth the $30 investment. No more babysitting the chip dumper going from no smoke to heavy white smoke to 5 minutes of TBS(thin blue smoke) back to no smoke again all within 30 minutes. Constant smoke penetrating your food for up to 11-12 hours. Good luck!

 

[jted]

That's interesting. Any idea why? I never had this problem with my crappy propane smoker.

Thanks for the info.
Lee

Lee, there are lots of threads devoted to why electric smokers don't produce smoke rings. There are also some that tell you how to get one. I can tell you you can't taste one.
If you want a strong taste of smoke get the AMNPS and burn Oak. Learn how to use it and Yes, you will get hours of blue smoke. Thin blue smoke is good but I just want blue smoke flowing through my smoker

These are my own opinions and others will not fully agree. As you know not every one likes the same thing we are human well most of us. Ha Jted

 

[LVD]

Thanks for all the feedback. As smoke goes, I am using the cold smoke attachment, so I'm only putting in new chips every couple of hours. Using oak/hickory primary when smoking pork.

What Richie said...you wont get a smoke ring with the MES.

Are you loading wood chips into the dumper every 15 minutes?

I have the cold smoke attachment on the unit so I've only been adding them every couple of hours.

Thanks.

 

[LVD]

As stated above the best thing you can do is buy an AMNPS and never look back. I use one in my MES40. Well worth the $30 investment. No more babysitting the chip dumper going from no smoke to heavy white smoke to 5 minutes of TBS(thin blue smoke) back to no smoke again all within 30 minutes. Constant smoke penetrating your food for up to 11-12 hours. Good luck!

Thanks to all who recommended this. I may have to give it a try.