I did a lot of searching here on this forum and bunch of other ones and have finally got my MES 30 dialed in. It is the 2.5 Gen Bluetooth. Empty waterpan on the bottom, AMNPS off to the side, top vent open, refill tray removed, woodchip tray removed, and I had it set at 225. I did an absolutely amazing bone out pork shoulder. I got it from a local butcher shop here in Baltimore. I salted the shoulder and put it in the fridge for about an hour. Then I covered it really well with a "Memphis dust" rub. You can google it and find the recipe. Then I put it right in the smoker as you see here. I didn't open the door once. Once the AMNPS burned off the hickory pellets, I just let it keep going. It stayed in the smoker for about 18 hours. 15.5 of those hours were actually 225 heat. I set my smoker to shut off and it just stayed in there and rested. Let me tell you what...I've never had better pulled pork. There was such an absolutely incredible bark that just really really set it off. I did not wrap it and I will never wrap anymore. It was the difference between good Q and great Q. Once I pulled it, I added a little bit of a vinegar finishing sauce and some stubb's spicy bbq sauce. Just enough to add another layer of flavor. Everyone who tried it just couldn't get over how delicious it was. Maybe I am one of the lucky ones, but I haven't used another thermometer other than what came with it and my smoker seems to produce great results. I do keep the sensors clean, but that's about it. Just thought I'd share my experience. Happy smoking!
