Why the mailbox mod?

[JSig]

I did the mailbox mod. I’ve tested it with no food in the smoker just to see how the initial setup worked. I’ll come back to that another time. What I really want to understand better is why exactly the mod exists.
Based off my own research and reading on these threads. The mailbox mod is intended to get your source of smoke away from your meat. Allowing any creosote to build up in the mailbox and ducting and not on your food.
Is this correct?
Now that I’ve got the mod done should I clean the creosote from inside the smoker? Will it heat up and still find it’s way into the food I’m smoking?
If I should clean it that’s totally fine. What’s a good method? I’m clueless
Thank you for the warm welcome over the weekend!

 

[mneeley490]

I have one, and I think it's great.
I think it was initially tried to eliminate having to refill the chip loader every 30 minutes, and because the airflow inside the MES wasn't always enough to keep the pellets going. It also works great if you want to cold-smoke something like cheese or bacon, without having to turn on the element to keep the smoke going.

 

[MJB05615]

That is part of the reason for the mod. I've always felt it was intended to provide more smoke than using the existing chip tube that dumps the chips onto the heating element. Once the element hits your set temp, it no longer creates smoke. The mod allows smoke to be generated independently of the heating element. It also give your the chance to do cold smoking if you'd like. Some folks use the amnps tube or tray inside their smokers with pellets as an independent source of smoke as well. I use the tube inside my MES smoker, and sometimes I use the MB cold smoke attachment, which is similar to the Mailbox mod. I'd suggest try it out and see which way you like best. BTW- Welcome to the forum, not sure if I've done before, lol.

 

[chopsaw]

Clean your grates , and run the smoker empty at a higher temp to burn it off .

 

[Bearcarver]

Those Mailboxes originated mainly because many people had trouble keeping their Amazing Smokers going inside their Smoker.
Some guys have other reasons---Less Heat during cold smoking, Creosote, etc.
However I've been using my AMNPS inside 3 different MES Units for 9 years, and haven't noticed any Creosote on any of my Food since I stopped using the built-in Chip burner, 10 years ago.

Bear

 

[JSig]

Interesting. Good info. Thank you!
So I’m wondering if I wasn’t getting the right airflow inside the MES with the AMNPS. Resulting in the bitter taste.
Takes me to where I’m at now. I was definitely impressed with how well the mailbox mod worked. I had what I’m hoping was TBS in my MES for the first time since using it. However it was gray white and thicker at first. See first pic. I decided to kick on the smoker and didn’t take long for it to thin out and get what appeared to be a blue hue to it. See 2nd pic. Is that the stuff? Is that TBS? I could definitely tell the difference in how it looked and how it smelled. But I’d much rather have a veterans opinion. The pics aren’t great. Videos It was very definitive. But I didn’t see an option to attach a video. So am I in the right direction with that 2nd picture? Man I hope so.

 

[MJB05615]

2nd pic looks good to me. Smoke is definitely thinner and less white than first picture. I think you are on the right track.

 

[mosparky]

Second pic looks exactly right. For the reasons you just experienced resulting in the first pic, always turn the smoker on before applying smoke. This starts a draft and proper air flow.
Even when cold smoking cheese or other low/no temp applications, running the heat for a few mins even as low as 100 degrees then shut off the heat works wonders for TBS.
I added my mailbox to avoid having to open the door should anything go amiss with the tray. Now I have it and my pellets have never gone out during a cook since.

 

[JSig]

Second pic looks exactly right. For the reasons you just experienced resulting in the first pic, always turn the smoker on before applying smoke. This starts a draft and proper air flow.
Even when cold smoking cheese or other low/no temp applications, running the heat for a few mins even as low as 100 degrees then shut off the heat works wonders for TBS.
I added my mailbox to avoid having to open the door should anything go amiss with the tray. Now I have it and my pellets have never gone out during a cook since.

 

[JSig]

That’s exactly what I was wondering about. I was thinking damn this may mean I won’t be able to cold smoke. So run the heat to get airflow moving. Get pellets going then reduce or kick heat off...and it’ll continue TBS?? That would be awesome.

 

[mosparky]

That's how it works

 

[Murray]

If ambient air temperatures allow I’ll cold smoke cheese and bacon and not even turn the MES on. In the dead of winter I turn the MES on long enough so the cheese or bacon won’t freeze, monitor the temperature till the smoker gets down to 35F or so and turn it back on till 45F-50F then shut it off figuring it will drift up to around 55F or so. Repeat. Having a mailbox mod. is the best way to generate smoke inside a cold cabinet IMHO.

 

[mneeley490]

You don't really need to turn on the element to create the draft. I have a 3" elbow vent on the top of my exhaust port to create a draw, like a chimney.

If you want to go really cheap, you can use a soup can and get the same effect.
I've smoked cheese many times using the mailbox mod w/o turning the MES on at all.

 

[JSig]

You don't really need to turn on the element to create the draft. I have a 3" elbow vent on the top of my exhaust port to create a draw, like a chimney.
View attachment 469035
If you want to go really cheap, you can use a soup can and get the same effect.
I've smoked cheese many times using the mailbox mod w/o turning the MES on at all.

Alright thank you. I’ll have to give that a try. I’ve got 2 vents at the top. Would you add the duct to each?

 

[HalfSmoked]

First welcome to the forum.
You for sure stirred up some comments hope they helped you.

Warren

 

[JSig]

First welcome to the forum.
You for sure stirred up some comments hope they helped you.

Warren

I hope I didn’t stir up any comments in a bad way. Not my intentions. I wasn’t questioning the mailbox mods that way. like I mentioned earlier it’s the only thing that’s gotten me any smoke that resembled anything thin and blue lol. My questions truly came from curiosity and a hunger to learn. Especially about bbq! I was glad to read some of the other reasons folks use it. I just want to make sure I’m heading in the right direction. I always try to get questions answered through searching the forums. But I go cross eyed after a while. And decided it was time to finally join and introduce myself. Glad I did. Thank you again for all the welcome messages and info already. Next up for me is to see what I can do with some turkey breasts I have. Can’t wait. I’ll post results good bad or in between.

 

[HalfSmoked]

Turkey breast can be done different ways post your question. One of my favorite saying though is a lot of the comments you will receive will be personal preference. Yes there are different ways to do something and get great results.

Warren

 

[Bearcarver]

I hope I didn’t stir up any comments in a bad way. Not my intentions. I wasn’t questioning the mailbox mods that way. like I mentioned earlier it’s the only thing that’s gotten me any smoke that resembled anything thin and blue lol. My questions truly came from curiosity and a hunger to learn. Especially about bbq! I was glad to read some of the other reasons folks use it. I just want to make sure I’m heading in the right direction. I always try to get questions answered through searching the forums. But I go cross eyed after a while. And decided it was time to finally join and introduce myself. Glad I did. Thank you again for all the welcome messages and info already. Next up for me is to see what I can do with some turkey breasts I have. Can’t wait. I’ll post results good bad or in between.

Looks to me that your Questions were Great, and so were all the answers you got.
That's the way it generally happens around here.
Don't be afraid to ask more!!!

Bear

 

[daveomak]

After Pops (R.I.P.) introduced his "mail box" on the side of his smoker, it became a no brainer....
Pops was the genius behind the idea.... We all owe Pops for lots of stuff...

You didn't have to rely on the heating element or burner to create smoke... Then cold smoking became doable....

That creosote didn't get on my foods...

No creosote on this picnic ham...

 

[HalfSmoked]

Dave thanks for honoring Pops. He for sure was a leader.

Warren