How Many Mes Owners Here?

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Which One Do You Have?

  • 40'

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 40' with window

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 40' 800 watt

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I like it a lot

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Where did you buy it?

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Sams Club

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other please list where in a post

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    2
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I'm new to this site and lurk a bit so i hope I'm responding to the MES survey properly.  I got my MES 30 analog this July   and have done 8 racks, a chicken and a butt.  I think the smoker does what is intended to do.  That being said,  I have modified it to some degree, adding a DIY  PID controller and an AMNPS 5X8.  The bottom drain has been enlarged to 3/4"  and the vent opening enlarged. Still working on thermal couple position for the PID. I currently use the original frying pan cotrller at highest, but will modify that to be just a connector soon.  About to try smoking a small side of salmon for the first time this weekend.

The MES was purchased on-line from Walmat.  Here's a picture.

Regards, Don Tuff

 
 
My MES 40 1200W quit working in the middle of the smoke....electronics just quit!  Saved the butts (finished in the oven)  and went and got an electric Smoke Hollow.

Took a while to get the temp adjusted where I wanted but if the element goes out on it at least its easy to replace AND no electronics to fail.

My MES was only about a year old....never got wet.

Don't think I will buy from Masterbuilt again.
Might want to give Masterbuilt customer service a call. If the unit's only a year old, I'd bet they'll fix you up with a solution...
 
I just looked up the Smoke Hollow.  It has two 12,000 Btu burners.  I think the MES 40 is 1200 watts.  The two seem to be close in size. 

So the MES would produce just over 4000 Btus, one/sixth the heating capacity of the Smoke Hollow.   What am i missing?  Is the Smoke Hollow also a grill?  Just learnin'.
 
I got my MES 40" from Sam's back in April and couldn't be happier with it. I was concerned about a lack of flavor without charcoal but I don't feel like I am missing out on any flavor between the rubs and the smoke and I love the fact that I can let it go overnight so I have really good bbq by lunchtime the following day! It is kind of tedious to clean up, but I am using some tips that I have found on here. I built a UDS a couple years ago and did a Boston butt for my first smoke with it and it did pretty well. The next day I smoked a Thanksgiving turkey and although it tasted good, the cooler weather made the UDS a nightmare to keep the temperature up. I haven't used my drum smoker since, and probably won't use it again. If any of you readers are in the Charlotte, NC area and are interested I will sell it. Let me know!
 
 
I just looked up the Smoke Hollow.  It has two 12,000 Btu burners.  I think the MES 40 is 1200 watts.  The two seem to be close in size.

So the MES would produce just over 4000 Btus, one/sixth the heating capacity of the Smoke Hollow.   What am i missing?  Is the Smoke Hollow also a grill?  Just learnin'.
I think you might be looking at either a Smoke Hollow grill, or one of their grill smoker combos. 12000 btu is way too much burner to be of much use for slow cooking anything unless you have a really huge smoker... Just my $0.02
 
I found my MES 30 over a year ago in the scratch and dent area of Cabela's.  When I saw that it was complete (just missing the box) and all it was said to have wrong was "a scratch/dent" in the front door (which I still haven't found) I put it right in the cart.  And then when the GF said the price was on the back and it was only $100 I told her my search was over.  After some modifications (AMNPS), my own mailbox mod custom made at work I couldn't be happier.  Here is my latest setup, don't mind the deck as it is still a work in progress since removing the pool and hot tub.   Happy smoking everyone!

 
I ordered my 40" gen 2 from the Masterbuilt website. The main problem I have is keeping my AMPS going. The only success I've had is placing it on the left side of the bottom rack, tenting it with foil & leaving the chip loader out appx 2". This keeps the pellets going but extends the cooking time by 3-4 hours on butts & it took from 5:00 p.m. Sat to 2:00 p.m. Sun for a 14 lb brisket at 225 deg. If I place it on the bottom below the drip tray it will go out & I will have to continuously relight it or abandon it & feed chips in every half hour. I am seriously considering switching to a pellet smoker (Traeger?) but don't want to spend more money after buying the smoker, stand, cover, AMPS, heat gun, pellets & torch.
 
 
I ordered my 40" gen 2 from the Masterbuilt website. The main problem I have is keeping my AMPS going. The only success I've had is placing it on the left side of the bottom rack, tenting it with foil & leaving the chip loader out appx 2". This keeps the pellets going but extends the cooking time by 3-4 hours on butts & it took from 5:00 p.m. Sat to 2:00 p.m. Sun for a 14 lb brisket at 225 deg. If I place it on the bottom below the drip tray it will go out & I will have to continuously relight it or abandon it & feed chips in every half hour. I am seriously considering switching to a pellet smoker (Traeger?) but don't want to spend more money after buying the smoker, stand, cover, AMPS, heat gun, pellets & torch.
Try removing that little water pan from the stupid slanted drip pan. Then set the AMNPS on top of the hole that the pan was in. Then put a foil pan on the floor under the water pan hole to catch drips. Depending on what your smoking, you may have to put something above the AMNPS to protect it from drips.

Bear
 
Put this in the wrong place to begin with...let's see if I can move it over here...
32.gif


The local Kroger store had pork shoulders for $0.99/lb, so I picked up a couple to try out. Although I've smoked tons of brisket, pork and beef ribs and sausages of all kinds, I've not done any pork shoulders.

I started out with an 8 1/2 pounder, slathered on a thin coat of mustard and rubbed in my own pork rub. I then covered it in plastic wrap and placed it back in the fridge for several hours for the flavors to get acquainted.

I smoked the shoulder at 225 degrees for around 2 1/2 hours with pecan, then just let it ride until the internal temp reached 200 degrees (just under 16 hours at 225 degrees)

Rubbed and ready...


After 6 hours...


After 12 hours...


After 16 hours...and 45 minutes of resting in foil after I pulled it off of the MES


And finally, after I stuck two forks in it and pulled...!


Although it may not look real juicy in this picture, the pork was super moist and tender. I pulled it a bit, coarse chopped the bark and mixed it all together with a bit of my sweet and spicy sauce. Served it to the girls this evening on rolls with some taters and cole slaw and it was a bit hit. I'm gonna' have to try this one again soon!
 
 
My MES 40 1200W quit working in the middle of the smoke....electronics just quit!  Saved the butts (finished in the oven)  and went and got an electric Smoke Hollow.

Took a while to get the temp adjusted where I wanted but if the element goes out on it at least its easy to replace AND no electronics to fail.

My MES was only about a year old....never got wet.

Don't think I will buy from Masterbuilt again.
Actually Masterbuilt has offered to replace my unit...they are sending me a box and then shipping me a new unit...will see how long it lasts.
 
Have had a 40 and a 30 and like the 30 better.  Never could do ribs until now.  Next project is to install cold smoker to imitate a pellet grill.
 
After a lot of lurking on the site, as well as a lot of research, I finally ordered my MES 30 (20070910) and AMNPS this week.  I took advantage of the Amazon.com sale for the MES for $139.97 as well as the 20% SMF discount for the AMNPS.  I can't wait for my stuff to arrive to get cookin'!

I am new to smoking and look forward to making some great BBQ.  I had a Charbroil smoker with a side fire box that I sold to buy the MES.  I was pretty successful with the Charbroil and had some good smokes.  However, I found I didn't smoke often as I didn't have the time to babysit it all day.  I hope this new setup will change all that!
 
 
After a lot of lurking on the site, as well as a lot of research, I finally ordered my MES 30 (20070910) and AMNPS this week.  I took advantage of the Amazon.com sale for the MES for $139.97 as well as the 20% SMF discount for the AMNPS.  I can't wait for my stuff to arrive to get cookin'!

I am new to smoking and look forward to making some great BBQ.  I had a Charbroil smoker with a side fire box that I sold to buy the MES.  I was pretty successful with the Charbroil and had some good smokes.  However, I found I didn't smoke often as I didn't have the time to babysit it all day.  I hope this new setup will change all that!
The MES 30 is pretty much a "set it and forget it" set up. It will give you a break if you don't like to babysit your smoker. Enjoy!
 
I have a 30". My wife gave it to me as a Christmas present a couple of years ago. I tell folks it's the lazy man's smoker. I smoked occasionally before getting the MEC, but smoke all the time since I got it.

It gives great results and is incredibly simple to use. My wife thinks I'm a genius, and constantly pats herself on the back for buying it for me.
 
 
Try removing that little water pan from the stupid slanted drip pan. Then set the AMNPS on top of the hole that the pan was in. Then put a foil pan on the floor under the water pan hole to catch drips. Depending on what your smoking, you may have to put something above the AMNPS to protect it from drips.

Bear
Thanks for the advice Bear, it worked great. Lit both ends of the AMPS and had almost 6 hours of smoke on a nice calm day. We'll have to see how much a windy day affects the process.
 
 
The MES 30 is pretty much a "set it and forget it" set up. It will give you a break if you don't like to babysit your smoker. Enjoy!
You mentioned one of the two reasons I ordered a MES 30, babysitting!!! The other reason is lower fuel costs... Sometimes I want to be smoking but have other things to do around the house and I don't have time to babysit my Outlaw properly.. I like it and there are days when there isn't much going on and ill fire it up  but here lately work has picked up and im starved for time...
 
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