Wood Chips Advice Please

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cekkk

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Jul 28, 2013
99
11
Central Colrado @ 9000'
My smoker's warming up for its first job.  In breaking it in yesterday I noticed the wood chips didn't last long.  I've read somewhere you're supposed to add every 20 minutes or so.  That's a PITA, might as well have gone charcoal if I've got to babysit it all day.  Is there another plan out there that will still get my meatloaf smoked?  I'm going to use apple chips. 

Also, is it best to add a few chips at a time, or fill the feeder cup?

Boy , do I sure feel stupid.  For a few years after retiring up here in the mountains I cut and sold firewood.  Got about $140 a cord for it.  Probably netted a cool $4 an hour.   I figure this 180 cubic inch bag of chips Wally World sold me comes out to around $6,000 a cord!  I coulda bin rich! 
roflmao.gif
 
I use the tube smoke generator from Todd.  Love it...but chunks last longer than chips do.  My 2 cents!

Kat
 
I use the 5 X 8 AMNPS in my MES 40. It's Perfect!!

I find the smoke from the tube smoker too heavy for me, in my MES.

Bear
 
Thanks, all.  The smoker is an MES30.  The chunks make a lot of sense & after  I make sure one of these products will fit in my 30" I'll get one. 

In the meantime, the meatloaf is going to take 3 - 4 hours.  Do I want it smoking all the time, 75%, or is it just up to me?  And thanks again for the quick responses.  We're cooking here!

I forgot to add, you've given me a little better understanding of the dust products.  I didn't understand them when I was browsing the other day.
 
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Hi cekkk,

Welcome to your new addiction :)  I also have an MES30, and agree with the others that an AMPS is the way to go.  I used chips the first smoke, got the 5x8 pellet smoker right after that, and have never looked back.  In addition to not having to soak chips ahead of time and refill every hour or so, it will open up the world of cold smoking (cheese, bacon, etc) that makes winter something to look forward to for a change!
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Best of luck and good smoking!

Terry
 
 
Thanks, all.  The smoker is an MES30.  The chunks make a lot of sense & after  I make sure one of these products will fit in my 30" I'll get one. 

In the meantime, the meatloaf is going to take 3 - 4 hours.  Do I want it smoking all the time, 75%, or is it just up to me?  And thanks again for the quick responses.  We're cooking here!

I forgot to add, you've given me a little better understanding of the dust products.  I didn't understand them when I was browsing the other day.
The 5 X 8 AMNPS was designed to fit in the Gen #1 MES 30, like yours. It will fit on the bars to the left of your chip burner assembly. The AMNPS is 5 1/2 " wide, and the space there is about 5 5/8 " or 5 3/4 ".

Bear
 
Thanks, Bear.  I'll order one pretty soon.  The Maverick arrived about an hour before the timer was to go off on my meatloaf.  Great timing, and great service!  I got it powered up and stuck the food probe in the meatloaf and brats that were on top.  Both came in at 177, so it was time to take them out, a little past time in fact.  But the taste is just great.  I got distracted by the Maverick (also DW is recovering from elective surgery on her eyes and needs me), so the topping i wanted to put on the last half hour didn't even get prepared.  So I've got one loaf for tonight and tomorrow and the 2nd will go in the freezer when it cools.

I've got the Maverick's instructions and clips and will take my time studying the operating instructions. 

QUESTION:  In quickly going thru the guide so I could use it those last few minutes I saw nothing on how to REDUCE the temperature settings.  If it gets set to 175, how do I get it down to 165?  It may be buried in the manual, but just in case, I ask here.
 
ANMPS gets my vote too.

Reduce the temperature settings of what? The MES30 or the Maverick?
 
ANMPS gets my vote too.

Reduce the temperature settings of what? The MES30 or the Maverick?
The Maverick.

BTW, it, the Maverick, showed the temperature of boiling water to be 198, just 2 degrees off.  Pretty good.  Calculated BP of water at our elevation, 8878, is 195.735
 
BTW, it, the Maverick, showed the temperature of boiling water to be 198, just 2 degrees off.  Pretty good.  Calculated BP of water at our elevation, 8878, is 195.735
The Maverick Therms are really smart to be able to figure out elevation and temperature at the same time.... How does it know ?? 
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Dave
 
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