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bamajeffe

Newbie
Original poster
May 4, 2015
26
10
Huntsville, Alabama
I got my smoker on Monday and have ran it a couple of times to just try and get how often I need to load my chips in down (MES)...I can smell the pecan wood burning in it but don't see any smoke?!? Has anyone else had this problem or are my eyes just failing me? It has been close to dark the times I have run it but I should still be able to see smoke shouldn't I? Noob question
 
Last edited:
Firstly when you have added your chips (not chunks or pellets) make sure to open the top vent to insure air flow. You really only need to open it 1/2 way to draw a draft but thats is the most contested discussion on the board.

Are your chips burning? Or burnt when you clean the tray before the next smoke? BTW you must clear out the old ash before recharging the tray with chips. If not the chips don't seat on the tray and don't get enough heat to smolder.

Do not overload the chip tray or the reloader. I think the tray holds 3/4C and the reloader 1/2C? That is not much.

Chips need to be reloaded about every hour if the vent is at 1/2 open position.

It doesn't need to smoke the entire time while in the cooking chamber, too much smoke is by far worse than not enough.

I let my meat sit in the smoking chamber heating for at least an hour before adding smoke.

These are just some ideas.

BTW You might be in the zone, I mean the best smoke flavor comes from the smoke you can't see. We refer to it as thin blue smoke.
 
WoW.... I wonder if you have one of the Old generation1 MES40's with the wrong chip tray. Hmmmmm....??

Wrong chip tray in an MES40


Right Chip Tray


The diffrence.......


BTW note the blackened chips in the tray, this is not good, you should be seeing a complete burn which equals white ash.

I hope something here helps you. But remember that patience usually fixes all the troubles we all have with our smokers.

Bon Chance
 
That helped out more than you know! I've got it going a little bit better now and I'm almost positive I had too many chips on the tray...hopefully I can get it all sorted out before my first smoking attempt this weekend!
 
The best way to monitor the chips on an MES is to get a flashlight and look down the tube. If they are burning as Foam described above than you are good to go. 
 
Everyone has given you great suggestions and the MES is totally functional using the chip loader.  However, if you truly want it to be a set it and forget it type smoker, I suggest you use the AMNPS (A-MAZE-N Pellet Smoker).   Many advantages to this simple but brilliant product:

1.  Beautiful thin blue smoke for 11-12 hours without doing a thing (other than lighting it correctly)

2.  Pellets are available in every variety of smoking wood you can imagine

3.  Allows your MES to cold smoke without adding a significant amount of heat which is great for smoking cheese, bacon, etc.

4.  Great customer service.  Todd, the owner of the company is a member on this site and will help you with any issues you have.

No, I do not work for this company, nor am I getting paid for this promotion haha.  It's just a great product!

Just search AMNPS in the search bar and you'll find plenty of posts on what it does, how to light it, and plenty of great food smoked with it.  
 
Tomorrow will be my first smoke ever and I have already ordered the AMNPS...should be here in the morning for an overnight smoke! Kinda feel like I'm cheating haha
 
Tomorrow will be my first smoke ever and I have already ordered the AMNPS...should be here in the morning for an overnight smoke! Kinda feel like I'm cheating haha
It's not cheating at all.  Just a different method for producing great food.  I have at least one of almost every kind of smoker or grill you can imagine (my addiction is serious)  and I am always trying to figure out a way to make them more efficient with less tending so that I can do other things on the days I smoke (and because my wife would kill me if I spent all day playing with my food).  Have fun and enjoy the results!
 
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