Anyone use wood pellets in their MES?

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I also own the ET-733 and am very happy with it. There are other brands that are just as good but more expensive. There are also brands I would stay away from because of their inaccuracy. If you have a cheap one that you're forced to use. ThermoWorks sells an instant read ThermoPop for $25 and they have another type just as accurate for under $20. Shipping is extra but I would check out what they offer. Every one of their therms is in made in England.
 
if english thermometers are as good as their candy, i'm sold. i have cadburys shipped over for a treat. try them once n you'll sneer at hersheys forever after.
 
I bought a CDN instant read thermocouple therm, which is a knockoff of the ThermoWorks Thermapen. The company's out of Oregon but the therms are made in China. Most of the line is less expensive than ThermoWorks but just as accurate. CDN also makes therms with probes like the Maverick, as does ThermoWorks as we;;. A lot of people swear by Maverick (also made in China) so I bought one, too. I also have their laser gun so I can accurately check the heat temp in my kitchen oven and in my Weber One Touch Silver kettle grill. I bought the ThermoWorks ThermoPop for my wife and she loves it.

For smoking, I used to use a single probe Taylor under the Food Network nameplate. I found out while cooking Christmas dinner the therm displayed 10° under what the actual temp was. I caught the error with my CDN. Whatever you buy at whatever price, just confirm its reputation for accuracy.
 
are any of them really accurate?

dave told me that the mavrick transmits some heat into the meat after a while,  yielding a false high so you gotta move the probe to get a correct reading.
 
 
are any of them really accurate?

dave told me that the mavrick transmits some heat into the meat after a while,  yielding a false high so you gotta move the probe to get a correct reading.
Personally, I've never heard that about the Maverick and I don't understand how that could be the case. How would any thermometer transfer heat into whatever it's inserted inside? That defeats the whole point of a therm probe. To me, it doesn't make sense but I'm willing to read an explanation. Until then, I'll stand by the accuracy of the ET-733 as others have stood by the accuracy of the ET-732 before it.
 
well, i'll have one soon, so i'll see for myself. i figure if all you guys use something, i need it myself. that's why i ordered the amns n vacuum sealer, plus this.

sometimes i argue, because i'm contrary by nature, but i listen to everything you guys say.
 
I use the 732 & 733. I then back those up with a instant read thermo. They are always within a degree or two of each other. No matter where I put the probes. You will not regret using the Mavericks.
 
 
are any of them really accurate?

dave told me that the mavrick transmits some heat into the meat after a while,  yielding a false high so you gotta move the probe to get a correct reading.
 
Personally, I've never heard that about the Maverick and I don't understand how that could be the case. How would any thermometer transfer heat into whatever it's inserted inside? That defeats the whole point of a therm probe. To me, it doesn't make sense but I'm willing to read an explanation. Until then, I'll stand by the accuracy of the ET-733 as others have stood by the accuracy of the ET-732 before it.
This has been brought up more than once and there was one member that insisted it was true. If a " leave in the meat " probe conducted significant heat into the meat, as soon as you sliced a Med/Rare Beef Roast you would see a Bulls-eye of more well done meat in the center of the roast from the probe. I use a MAV732 and have never seen this effect. Additionally there would be no probe manufactured by any company that would be accurate when left in the meat because after a very short time the sensor at the tip would be measuring the heat traveling down the shaft and not the meat temp. There is a small amount of heat that travels down the probe for a very short distance but this heat NEVER gets anywhere near the measuring tip because the probe shafts are thin and hollow, having an extremely small thermal mass and ability to conduct that heat before the much more massive surrounding colder meat absorbs the energy. It just don't happen...JJ
 
 
This has been brought up more than once and there was one member that insisted it was true. If a " leave in the meat " probe conducted significant heat into the meat, as soon as you sliced a Med/Rare Beef Roast you would see a Bulls-eye of more well done meat in the center of the roast from the probe. I use a MAV732 and have never seen this effect. Additionally there would be no probe manufactured by any company that would be accurate when left in the meat because after a very short time the sensor at the tip would be measuring the heat traveling down the shaft and not the meat temp. There is a small amount of heat that travels down the probe for a very short distance but this heat NEVER gets anywhere near the measuring tip because the probe shafts are thin and hollow, having an extremely small thermal mass and ability to conduct that heat before the much more massive surrounding colder meat absorbs the energy. It just don't happen...JJ
Well Said!

Bear
 
This has probably already been asked, however, I didn't see it anywhere in this post. Everyone recommends the A-Maze-N pellet and dust smokers but what do you do about the drippings from what you are smoking getting all over the smoker and putting out the smoke generator? Other than going the "mailbox" route. I bought the MES 40" at Lowes a couple of months ago so I assume it is a Gen 2? I assume that the best placement for the smoker is in the bottom of your MES, although I saw a couple of comments that say it doesn't matter where it is.
 
I use the 732 & 733. I then back those up with a instant read thermo. They are always within a degree or two of each other. No matter where I put the probes. You will not regret using the Mavericks.
I have the 733 and I do the same thing with my instant read CDN therm, which is a very accurate knock-off of the Thermapen.
 
 
well, i'll have one soon, so i'll see for myself. i figure if all you guys use something, i need it myself. that's why i ordered the amns n vacuum sealer, plus this.

sometimes i argue, because i'm contrary by nature, but i listen to everything you guys say.
Just curious: what kind of vacuum sealer did you order? I own a Foodsaver and would never be without it.
 
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Quite frankly, I don't understand why more MES owners don't use the Masterbuilt Cold Smoker kit. I've had one for a while and it solved all my Masterbuilt smoking issues. It works great for both cold and hot smoking as well as provide hours of smoke with one load.
You'll find that most of us MES owners use the A-MAZE-N Pellet Smoker which is excellent for both hot and cold smokes. When I use it for cold smoking, I place a couple of half-gallon milk jugs half-filled with frozen water below what's being smoked to keep the interior temp down for a couple of hours.

To me, it's easier to just use the AMNPS then having to deal with attaching a whole separate unit to my MES that also burns wood chips when I prefer to use wood pellets.
 
 
This has probably already been asked, however, I didn't see it anywhere in this post. Everyone recommends the A-Maze-N pellet and dust smokers but what do you do about the drippings from what you are smoking getting all over the smoker and putting out the smoke generator? Other than going the "mailbox" route. I bought the MES 40" at Lowes a couple of months ago so I assume it is a Gen 2? I assume that the best placement for the smoker is in the bottom of your MES, although I saw a couple of comments that say it doesn't matter where it is.
In The Gen #1, we just put it on the bars to the left of the chip burner assembly, and put a little foil roof above it. I've been doing that with mine for over 4 years & I get perfect smoke all the time for up to 11 straight hours. Works Awesome!!

However the Gen #2 is different. It seems the best way is to remove your water pan, and set the AMNPS over the water pan hole. 

Then set a foil pan on the floor of the smoker to catch any drips that may run down your drip plate. 

Also put a foil roof above the AMNPS to keep drips off of it.

Bear
 
 
In The Gen #1, we just put it on the bars to the left of the chip burner assembly, and put a little foil roof above it. I've been doing that with mine for over 4 years & I get perfect smoke all the time for up to 11 straight hours. Works Awesome!!

However the Gen #2 is different. It seems the best way is to remove your water pan, and set the AMNPS over the water pan hole. 

Then set a foil pan on the floor of the smoker to catch any drips that may run down your drip plate. 

Also put a foil roof above the AMNPS to keep drips off of it.

Bear
Thanks Bear, I actually went to A-Maze-N' s site and found out that they recommend the foil tent thing as well. I noticed that Jeff recommends not using the water pan anyway.
 
well, traeger is running true to form. i called them n told them about wild temp fluctuations using the 180setting.

get this. they told me not to use 180. it's for starts in cold temps.

i should use the smoke setting if i want temps under 225.

if that  doesn't work i should call them back.

i'm not making this stuff up/ i hope someone looking at pellet smokers sees my posts.

screw this. the tractor supply has masterbuilts on clearence sale for $129. i got one.
 
 
I use pellets in my MES cold smoker all the time. Also, there's no having to deal with attaching a whole separate unit...you don't attach it, you simply slide the 3" diameter smoke output of the cold smoker into where the wood/chip loader goes, no attaching necessary. I can't emphasize enough that there is no attaching other than sliding it in where the wood/chip loader is. Pellets work great in the cold smoker kit. The cold smoker kit it easier to load than AMNPS and you don't have to start it smoking like you do with the AMNPS. You simply load it, slide it in place, and turn it on...seems far simpler than the AMNPS. Lastly, being that it's external, very little heat is generated to the smoke cabinet. I eliminate any heat generation for cold smoking with a 3' metal duct pipe extension...works like a charm.
I can see positives to the Cold Smoker and I didn't know it could use pellets. Does the feeder work the same for both chips and pellets? My thing is that since the AMNPS can be used for both hot and cold smokes, I don't want to buy yet another accessory to use with the smoker. Besides, I place my MES 30 on a table just large enough to hold it which makes it impossible to use the cold smoker unless I get another table of the same height that will enable me to place the cold smoker next to the MES on separate tables. Perhaps the Masterbuilt smoker stand might hold both but while I have that table I don't need it.
 
 
Thanks Bear, I actually went to A-Maze-N' s site and found out that they recommend the foil tent thing as well. I noticed that Jeff recommends not using the water pan anyway.
I used to tent over the AMNPS but in my MES 30 Gen 1 I noticed that drippings in that spot weren't really a problem so I stopped doing it. Most of the grease drips onto the empty water pan which I have foiled over. Some also drip onto the drip pan at the bottom which I also have foiled.
 
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