One more "Mail Box Mod" for the AMNPS and the MES30 ...NEW PICTURES FOR ATTACHING ELBOW TO MAILBOX

[rich-]

Good Morning Dave, I think you are referring to my amazn-p burner, and it works awesome, I followed your suggestion in an earlier post and drilled a 1" diameter hole in the mailbox door and with that and the crack at the bottom it seems to get enough air draft to keep smoldering. I only burned about an inch of hickory pellets for my test but it worked above expectations.

I have half of a pork butt in brine right now, and will pull it next Wed. the 10th, that will have given it 15 days in Pops brine, I am going to start with cold smoking it for somewhere around 6 hours and then gradually increase the heat untill  It reachs an IT of about 150 degrees. I am hoping for a ham like outcome. I did this months ago and it was great, so am giving it another go. Will Post qview next week.

Dave, you are a wealth of knowledge on this forume along with so many other great people. I just want to extand a great big THANK YOU for all the help you have given me and so many others.

Rich-
 

 

[dwaytkus]

Ok so i am considering doing this mailbox mod. I have a MED 30 analog which does not have a chip loader to remove. I see that is how everyone runs the pipe through. I'm gonna have to cut a hole in my smoker. What will be the best way to cut a hole in smoker?

 

[daveomak]

 
Good Morning Dave, I think you are referring to my amazn-p burner, and it works awesome, I followed your suggestion in an earlier post and drilled a 1" diameter hole in the mailbox door and with that and the crack at the bottom it seems to get enough air draft to keep smoldering. I only burned about an inch of hickory pellets for my test but it worked above expectations.

I have half of a pork butt in brine right now, and will pull it next Wed. the 10th, that will have given it 15 days in Pops brine, I am going to start with cold smoking it for somewhere around 6 hours and then gradually increase the heat untill  It reachs an IT of about 150 degrees. I am hoping for a ham like outcome. I did this months ago and it was great, so am giving it another go. Will Post qview next week.

Dave, you are a wealth of knowledge on this forume along with so many other great people. I just want to extand a great big THANK YOU for all the help you have given me and so many others.

Rich-
 

You are welcome Rich.......  Just trying to pay back all the help I received when I got here...  This forum made me a lot smarter over the years...  Glad I could help......  Dave

 

[daveomak]

Ok so i am considering doing this mailbox mod. I have a MED 30 analog which does not have a chip loader to remove. I see that is how everyone runs the pipe through. I'm gonna have to cut a hole in my smoker. What will be the best way to cut a hole in smoker?

DW, evening.....  You don't necessarily have to make the hole round unless you have a hole saw...  Airplane snips work well also....  When making the mod, have the air enter from one end and exit the other....   sometimes, recirculating smoke, in the mod, can have an adverse effect on how the pellets burn.....

Get your fittings, using a marker draw their outline then cut stuff out...   Connecting is easy using the method below...

Dave

outside mailbox.jpg

• daveomak
• Sep 28, 2013

inside mailbox.jpg

• daveomak
• Sep 28, 2013

 

[bob isbell]

That is great. I would have nover thought of something so simple. I like the whole mailbox as a firebox idea. Glad it works too.

 

[daveomak]

 
That is great. I would have nover thought of something so simple. I like the whole mailbox as a firebox idea. Glad it works too.

Bob, evening.....  It works very well......  fuel burns consistently due to the consistent temperature.....  Temp, in the smoker, doesn't rise....   cold smoking cheeses and hot smoking, (over 200) is why the mod....    

Dave

 

[phishy]

This is the thread i've been looking for!!

in trying to conserve space of my already packed garage, i think this freaking brilliant idea will allow me to use my uds as a cold smoker as well....oh boy oh boy oh boy...i'm all beside myself

....i got all sorts of ideas brewing.  I've been wanting to do summersauage and bacon for a while, i just built my uds and i am doing my first full monty of a big 'ole but on it today..in the rain

Capture1.JPG

• phishy
• Oct 5, 2013

i'm in Green  Bay 

can't wait to buy a mailbox (never thought i'd hear myself say that) and start making some mods to the uds....

 

[daveomak]

phishy, morning...     It works very well...   Great cold smoking tool....  Pictures during and after the mod...  Dave

 

[greg b]

Looks like I will be trying this. My MES only has the small hole (1/2" or so) on the back upper right corner. Do you think that is all I need with the mailbox or should I put an exhaust pipe with a damper on the opposite side of the mailbox?

PS- Thanks Dave for directing me here. I actually had read this awhile back, but had forgotten about it. -Greg

 

[daveomak]

 
Looks like I will be trying this. My MES only has the small hole (1/2" or so) on the back upper right corner. Do you think that is all I need with the mailbox or should I put an exhaust pipe with a damper on the opposite side of the mailbox?

PS- Thanks Dave for directing me here. I actually had read this awhile back, but had forgotten about it. -Greg

Greg, evening.....  In your Masterbuilt Analog, you will probably need several holes near the top of the side walls of the smoker.. Probably 2-4 1" holes for air flow...  That way the AMNPS will breath OK...  

Dave

 

[mbarys]

Here's what I did this weekend. Smoked some chicken thighs as a test. Works great!!!

IMG_20131019_135300.jpg

• mbarys
• Oct 19, 2013

 

[daveomak]

One more success story.....   Cool, and congrats....    Dave

 

[terrace]

I am new to the forum and just moved up from a 30 year old little chief to a MES 30 After reading everything I found on the mailbox mod I decided to give it a go . So here's what I came up with I cut a 3 " hole in the lid of the little chief ran a piece of 3" flex hose from the lid to a 3" 90 duct fitting into the MES I don't have the AMNPS yet so I am testing it using the element and pan from the chief no leaks good flow . My original plan was to cut down the chief to around 10 " but now I like having the extra space .

 

[terrace]

Looks like this

image.jpg

• terrace
• Nov 13, 2013

 

[daveomak]

Looks like a good set up to me....  

 ...Dave

 

[samuel trachet]

Great Mod guys! Got thinking I need to find my mailbox. 

 

[daveomak]

The mailbox mod works really well..... I use it for hot and cold smoking.... Best invention Pops came up with... well, that and his curing brine... and his sausage recipes... and all the other stuff he has contributed to the forum....

Dave

 

[JckDanls 07]

The mailbox mod works really well..... I use it for hot and cold smoking.... Best invention Pops came up with... well, that and his curing brine... and his sausage recipes... and all the other stuff he has contributed to the forum....

Dave

:yeahthat:

 

[wingert]

I am very intrigued by this mod. To tell you the truth as soon as I am finished writing this post I am headed straight to the hardware store.

I do have one question….has anyone considered hooking up an electric air pump to feed a little bit of air in to the mailbox?

I am considering doing this as I have been looking at smoke generators such as the smoke daddy and smokai. These smoke generators utilize a fish tank style (adjustable) air pump to feed air to the pellets without losing smoke.

It seems to me that after drilling air holes in the mailbox that I would be losing a fair amount of smoke in exchange for some air flow.

What do you guys think? Would I be getting too much smoke or wasting time with this air pump? Do you find that you get enough smoke without the need of an air pump?

 

[daveomak]

The smoker, duct and mailbox are all part of the smoker... It is a chimney effect and air is naturally drawn through the 'smoking system".... At times, I start the heat on the smoker to get a draft started... that is usually in cold weather, then the heat is turned off for cold smoking.... During hot smoking, the draft works just fine.....