First smoke with new MES 30 digital

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parrot-head

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Jul 21, 2014
179
63
N Ky.
Picked up an 8 lb picnic shoulder at Sam's club - trimmed off fat cap and applied dry rub.  Let rest in ziploc overnight.


Dry Rub

1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp Chipotle pepper powder
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar

Woke up at 6 a.m. (probably too late)

By time I got the smoker oustide, levelled, preheated, etc it was 7 a.m. before she went in.  MES temp and Maverick temp synced up nicely - IN THE BEGINNING.


This is a shot about 6 or 8 hours in...don't remember the time.  As I mentioned, the temps between the two units were very similar to start and then started to get swings in the temp

(as shown on the Maverick ) - It would go down to 215 and then later up to as high as 240 or so.  Had a hard time keeping the temp around 225 until much later in the process.  The meat

stuck at 170 for quite a while- which I see is quite normal?  The smoker temp seemed to stabilize later in the cook to where it once again synced up closer with what the Maverick showed, plus it seemed to stay more steady around the 225 mark.  Is this normal?


Around 9 p.m. she finally reached about 185.  Was getting late so I decided to take it out and wrap in foil and towels in a cooler for at least an hour.


Pulled nicely and was (still is) very delicious!  I used Hickory chips - not soaked.


Comments/criticisms appreciated.

 
Looks good and good job for a first smoke with the new MES, it is so clean and shiny inside, hopefully that doesn't last too long. What temp did you have it set at? Swings are normal with mine, you can minimize it by filling up your water pan with clean sand and wrapping it in foil, with that I find the swings are worse in the first 1-2 hours and then it stabilizes for the rest of the cook +/- 5* and 90% of the time set at 230*.

I like to take my pork to at least 200 IT and rest for minimum 2 hours, 185 seems a little low but it pulled for you so thats good. I foil to push through the stall, if you're pressed for time again you could try it, speeds things up. Some folks like the bark better withouit foil its all a trade-off and what you like, that just means you will have to smoke another to experiment:) Now you have made me want to smoke a butt I haven't done one in awhile.
 
Good looking Smoke!   I always take my Butts to 203-205......but I know how hard it is to wait
drool.gif
 
<Points a finger> Shiny box, Shiny box, Parrothead has a shinybox!

Listen you are trying to way over think smoking. Its not techinal, you don't care if it has swings from 300 to 100 as long as it doesn't maintain 300 when you want to maintain 200. Think upon it, for 1000's and 1000's of years men smoked meat without a maverick. They lit a fire and tended it, do you think they maintained a constant temp? Highs and lows.

And example, not a smoked brisket, but a brisket. One of the best I ever ate. My uncle, a butcher by trade brought home a brisket, he marinaded it over night, rolled it in foil, threw it in the oven at about 500 degrees. I think he left it there for about an hour. then he turned it off and walked away. 5 hours later we had one of the best cooked brisket I ever ate.

What I am saying is you do not have to get all locked in on maintaining 220 degrees constantly. Because of it being digital we start thinking of it as an oven vice a smoker. Sure it would be ideal, but if its that critical we'd all be using those 15000.00 smokers and complaining about them....LOL

All smokers make good meat, you just have to unlock that smokers secrets. Looks like you all ready started cause that is a nice looking picnic. I am starting to belive I like picnics better than butts, but my favorite is whichever one is smoking now. LOL

I like that rub too, it has that SW (West Texas/N.M.) flair to it. I think cumin is a great spice, really earthy.

Great smoke!
 
 
<Points a finger> Shiny box, Shiny box, Parrothead has a shinybox!

Listen you are trying to way over think smoking. Its not techinal, you don't care if it has swings from 300 to 100 as long as it doesn't maintain 300 when you want to maintain 200. Think upon it, for 1000's and 1000's of years men smoked meat without a maverick. They lit a fire and tended it, do you think they maintained a constant temp? Highs and lows.

And example, not a smoked brisket, but a brisket. One of the best I ever ate. My uncle, a butcher by trade brought home a brisket, he marinaded it over night, rolled it in foil, threw it in the oven at about 500 degrees. I think he left it there for about an hour. then he turned it off and walked away. 5 hours later we had one of the best cooked brisket I ever ate.

What I am saying is you do not have to get all locked in on maintaining 220 degrees constantly. Because of it being digital we start thinking of it as an oven vice a smoker. Sure it would be ideal, but if its that critical we'd all be using those 15000.00 smokers and complaining about them....LOL

All smokers make good meat, you just have to unlock that smokers secrets. Looks like you all ready started cause that is a nice looking picnic. I am starting to belive I like picnics better than butts, but my favorite is whichever one is smoking now. LOL

I like that rub too, it has that SW (West Texas/N.M.) flair to it. I think cumin is a great spice, really earthy.

Great smoke!
Listen to Foam.....he is spot on when talking temperature.  I NEVER look at the internal smoker temp.....why?  I cook using Internal Temp of the meat I am smoking and I get Q that is better than my local places.   Smoking should be fun.......relaxing and rewarding.....not a science project and a constant headache over Temps of the smoker. 

Relax and smoke some meat......learn your smoker and what it takes to make Q you are proud of and want to eat and share!!!

Scott
 
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