Used MES40 Smell's bad

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

dedkot

Newbie
Original poster
Oct 25, 2020
13
11
I bought a used MES40 gen 2.5 off craigslist for $40. It's in great shape and looks like the owner cleaned inside and out before posting on craigslist. The problem I have with it is the smell.. It smells like a family of hamsters have been living it for a year. I have been running it at 275 with a pellet tube for the last few hours, but the smell is still there... I'm kind of worried if I cook anything in it my food will smell/taste like hamster ass. Should I be doing anything special before cooking in this used smoker ?
 
  • Wow
Reactions: JC in GB
I’m guessing some mice made a home in there. My suggestion is a good spray of bleach and water, close it up and let sit for a couple of hours, check and repeat until smell has been replaced with a bleach smell. Leave the smoker door open to let the bleach smell dissipate. Then run at 275F with smoke. Since there is no fabric you should be able to get rid of the smell.
 
Ok. thanks for the response. I'll have to hit it with the bleach tomorrow and see if that will kills the smell..
 
Yeah , maybe he didn't use it much and something nested inside . Make sure there is no spot where they could have gotten into the walls of the smoker .
Look inside the chip burner area . Might have to take it all apart , and see if something is in where you can't see it . Remove the chip tray and take that hood off . Might be able to see in there from outside if you take the chip dumper out .
If the smell is that bad , and he hosed it out , that's where I would look .

Edit
I bet there was a nest built over the element , and he fired it up at some point and " cooked " whatever was in there . He cleaned it out , and put it up for sale .
 
Last edited:
$40 for one in good shape seems like a heck of a deal. Perhaps he knew about this issue prior to listing.
 
Edit
I bet there was a nest built over the element , and he fired it up at some point and " cooked " whatever was in there . He cleaned it out , and put it up for sale .
[/QUOTE]


This sounds about right, Makes alot of sense what I'm smelling. It's been at 275 for 4 or 5 hours now.. I have been seasoning some old cast iron with bacon grease to see if that cuts down the smell. Tomorrow I'll break it down and scrub it out with some bleach.
 
Agree on mouse urine.
Experts say do not use bleach. Get a urine neutralizer.

edit
It may require a heating element replacement to rid the stink if the critters urinated on it.
$40 for one in good shape seems like a heck of a deal. Perhaps he knew about this issue prior to listing.
Dumping for $40, I think the nose knows?
 
Last edited:
$40 for one in good shape seems like a heck of a deal. Perhaps he knew about this issue prior to listing.

Yes, it was a heck a deal. The remote still has the plastic on the screen and never had batteries in it. 6 bags of unopens wood chips to go with it lol..
 
I'd take the entire thing apart and make sure there's not still a carcass in there someplace. Otherwise you'll be working at this a long time. Varmints are smart enough to avoid heat, but their knowledge of electrical safety is rather lacking and there are other places for him to get across 120V than at the element.
And I'm a little surprised no one's mentioned putting a pan of vinegar close to the element and running it for the better part of a day. Hot vinegar is pretty good at getting rid of odors. Leaves a bit of its own but most meat is helped by a little vinegar anyway.
 
I'd get a big thing of baking soda a sponge and make a paste with water and scrub everything you can get to down with it really well. I'd take everything that comes apart and scrub them as well. Let the baking soda dry completely than take a spray bottle full of 100% white vinegar and start cleaning up the dry B.S. If that doesn't do it I'd chuck in a dumpster and never look back. I'm pretty sure it will work if you take the smoker apart as much as you can and do the above cleaning recommendation. If you can get to the insulation I'd pull it out and either replace it or soak it in a tub of white vinegar and hot water overnight, rinse let dry completely before putting it back in then I'd run a truck load of smoke through the thing before I used it. Then I'd leave it running for a full day or two as hot as you can get the thing. If that don't work see the above recommendation "If that doesn't do it I'd chuck in a dumpster and never look back". It should work though I saved a few old funky fish smokers that stunk like rotten fish ass I mean they were NASTY!!! It took some elbow grease and about 4 gallons of white vinegar and a huge Costco bag of baking soda to do the two smokers but after I was done you couldn't smell any fishy funk at all.

Good luck.
Dan
 
Dead mice, nests and droppings should be soaked thoroughly with a 1:10 solution of sodium hypochlorite (household bleach). Bleach kills the virus and reduces the chance of further transmission. The contaminated material should be placed in a plastic bag and sealed for disposal. Disinfect by wet-wiping all reusable respirator surfaces, gloves, rubber boots and goggles with bleach solution. All disposable protective clothing, gloves and respirators should be placed in plastic bags and sealed for disposal. Please contact your local environmental authorities concerning approved disposal methods.

Thoroughly wash hands with soap and water after removing the gloves.

 
Used appliance dealers use the baking soda wash with vinegar rinse several times (may take 5-6 times) to deoderize freezers and fridges that need refurbishing after sitting with doors closed for extended periods. And a bleach wash for sanitizing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: forktender
Wow! thanks for all the replies.. The previous owner did scrub this smoker inside and out.. it looked new.. I took everything out and used a baking soda/vinegar on everything. Then used bleach. There was no signs of mice, but that could of been cleaned up before selling. I have it set at 275 and will run it for a few hours..
 
Wow! thanks for all the replies.. The previous owner did scrub this smoker inside and out.. it looked new.. I took everything out and used a baking soda/vinegar on everything. Then used bleach. There was no signs of mice, but that could of been cleaned up before selling. I have it set at 275 and will run it for a few hours..
I'd run it on high for at least a full day before I even thought about putting food into it.
Personally I wouldn't worry about Hantavirus any more than I'd worry about catching Aids from it.
I've cleaned up more mouse and rat crap with a little soap and water because bleach and mouse or rat urine don't do good things together.:emoji_stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes::emoji_tired_face::emoji_tired_face:
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Hot Threads

Clicky