Tired in Tennessee

[smokerjim]

I have a mes 30, it makes some good smoked meats, from smoking cheese to ribs, butts, hanging kielbasa. If I was to get another I think I would get the 40 just to have a little more room if needed. As for temp swings it does have a 15 degree swing when first turned on but over a little time it settles in and maybe I get a 5 degree swing. Also check out the mailbox mod, works great for cold smoking or longer smokes with continuous smoke for 9-12 hours. I also have a pellet smoker/grill but in my opinion the mes makes better smoked meats.

 

[charlesh]

Are you strictly interested in an electric smoker or are pellet grills something you're considering? They're basically smoker ovens with wood pellets as a fuel source.

I'd love to have a Pellet Grill, but prices I've checked are out of my league. :-(
If I were to buy one, I'd want to smoke butts and ribs as far as internal size goes.

 

[charlesh]

I have a mes 30, it makes some good smoked meats, from smoking cheese to ribs, butts, hanging kielbasa. If I was to get another I think I would get the 40 just to have a little more room if needed. As for temp swings it does have a 15 degree swing when first turned on but over a little time it settles in and maybe I get a 5 degree swing. Also check out the mailbox mod, works great for cold smoking or longer smokes with continuous smoke for 9-12 hours. I also have a pellet smoker/grill but in my opinion the mes makes better smoked meats.

Thanks! What is an MES?

 

[charlesh]

Thanks! What is an MES? Wait...Masterbuilt Electric Smoker??

 

[charlesh]

I have a mes 30, it makes some good smoked meats, from smoking cheese to ribs, butts, hanging kielbasa. If I was to get another I think I would get the 40 just to have a little more room if needed. As for temp swings it does have a 15 degree swing when first turned on but over a little time it settles in and maybe I get a 5 degree swing. Also check out the mailbox mod, works great for cold smoking or longer smokes with continuous smoke for 9-12 hours. I also have a pellet smoker/grill but in my opinion the mes makes better smoked meats.

Thanks. I searched for mailbox mod, didn't find a post on how to do it.
Do you have a link? :-)

 

[charlesh]

I have 5 Webers, and after some trial and error, have no problem regulating temps. Which particular Weber are you speaking of?

Thanks for the reply. I'm only interested in an MES, so Weber conversation not necessary. :-)

 

[BigW.]

This may help some:

Need help with MES

So I bought a MES a month ago, installed auber controller, fan circulator, and cold smoke attachment. However, about half my cooks of some sort of sausage end up tasting like bitter hot dogs. Most of the flavors in the sausage goes away. I’ve cooked them on my pellet grill simultaneously (same...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[charlesh]

Welcome from Iowa! I have an analog Mes 30... you will easily have 25 to 30 degree temp swings in both directions with one. Now add an Auber pid to it and you'll be spot on in temp control!

Ryan

Hi Ryan, thanks for the reply. What is an Auber pid?

 

[smokerjim]

Thanks. I searched for mailbox mod, didn't find a post on how to do it.
Do you have a link? :-)

Someone made a post on here but I can't remember who it was a few years ago but I did have the picks on my phone of basically how to do it.

 

[charlesh]

Welcome from Mississippi! Stones throw from Memphis. Post up pics of what your working with and I'm sure you will have a several folks along to help you out.

Jim

Hey Jim! Thanks for the Hello. I've go my mind set to get to get a MES 30" Analog, but (and I have no problems with this) people keep wanting help fix my Weber issues! 0-:

 

[chopsaw]

You mentioned Weber , so people are going to try to help you .

 

[JLeonard]

Hey Jim! Thanks for the Hello. I've go my mind set to get to get a MES 30" Analog, but (and I have no problems with this) people keep wanting help fix my Weber issues! 0-:

Bear's "Step by Step" Index

Bear's "Step by Step" Index I made this index, because a lot of guys use my "Step by Steps", and I couldn't get them all in my Signature. Then I'd have to find the one I had that best suited what they were wanting to do. At times it has taken me forever to find one of my Step by Steps that...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Bearcarver (RIP) was a MES guru. Check out this link....He did a lot of research on the MES and posted his results.
We are a helpful bunch around here....Esp when it comes to spending your money! And there are a lot of guys on here running the MES. Get you one and they'll help you turn it into a smoking machine!

Jim

 

[912smoker]

Turned out some great food my MES 40 and still use occasionally. Gave a 30 to a son in law and have another 30 sitting on standby. I never used the mailbox mod but have used a smoke tube and used a small aluminum pan filled with ashed over charcoal and wood chunks.
Good luck in you search for the new MES!

Keith

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Welcome from one Charles to another...

 

[SmokingUPnorth]

I had the MES 30 and loved it. Actually two of them. My only gripe was to go a full rack of ribs you have to cut them in half. Is you have the budget to would go with the 40” vs the 30” just for the extra size. I also ran a pellet tube/maze in for extra smoke taste.

 

[chef k-dude]

I have an MES30

and I second everything others have said. Main issue is fitting something like a rack of ribs, but I dont really mind cutting them in half. The only time I smoked a brisket I separated the point and flat. Both came out fantastic.

One issue I have learned is smoking in very high ambient temps (like 90F and above) the element doesn't cycle on and off as much so it doesn't burn chips at a good rate to produce the smoke. Folks here would suggest other devices/things to supplement the smoke from external. I dont want a bunch of extraneous stuff to overcome the issue, so I learned two things:

1-A propane or mapp gas torch (which I already had) can be blasted through the chip loader hole to ignite the chips, you just have to "become the element" until you get to the desired smokiness. With these units, when the element is cycling well you have to feed chips fairly regularly anyway, so it's not a set it and forget it thing in the first place...they have pellet smokers with auto-loaders for set it and forget it.

2-I just dont use the smoker in the dead heat of the summer. I can live without the taste of smoke for a couple months. There ARE other foods!

I DID have to replace the element at 9 years old. How the unit is stored matters, like anything else. Mine sits in a climate controlled (AC in summer) or cold garage in the winter (I never let it freeze out there, I have foodstuffs stored out there). Anything with wires, etc. is going to deteriorate faster if it's stored where temperature extremes and humidity get to it.

Also, I like having the digital display with probe and remote. But you have to be careful...graze the remote the wrong way and not realize it and you can turn the smoker off accidentally. I've also read of those electronics on the smoker going bad at some point. You can make up for not having that feature by having your own external thermometer with a probe and remote, but those things can be expensive too, for something good that is.

 

[charlesh]

Welcome from one Charles to another...

HUGE AMEN~~ I've shed way more tears over dogs than over people.

 

[geostriata]

I have an MES and hated it at first, but now I love it. My recommendations:

• I have some strong magnets on the interior ceiling for snack sticks. I just hang them on dowels and then hang the dowels on the magnets and it works great!
• Definitely recommend the mailbox mod. I use it for everything now. I don't like the built-in smoker, or the attachment cold smoker. With the mailbox, I can even get it smoking for 24hrs off of a single AMAZN tray if I want.
• There are hot/cold spots in the back/front, so try to orient your meat in the center
• There are temperature swings, and the auber controller will most definitely help.

Hope that helps!

 

[EastTNSmoke]

I found this Charcoal/Pellet Grill at Tractor Supply. Not the most room but it has done an entire Thanksgiving meal, July 4th BBQ, and Christmas dinner without fail. The pellet side temps are pretty consistent and the charcoal side is great for a quick cookout. I found it on sale for $399 and it was already assembled but even at $599 it has been a great smoker/grill for me.

 

[pineywoods]

Charles unless you modify that MES it's going to have temp swings plus the smoke issues. Find a smoker that has a PID controller and you'll find your temps won't have the wild swings once you get it and the meat heated up.
Welcome to SMF glad you joined us