MES 31.9" 800 watt

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lil tom

Newbie
Original poster
Aug 4, 2015
27
13
I bought this smoker at Lowes a couple months ago. I have only smoked two things so far so wings and some mild Italian sausage. The wings came out rubbery and sticky, used a liquid marinade and should have finished them off on my gas grill. The sausage came out perfectly, smokey and still moist on the inside.

The only issue I have is the uneven smoke output. I only see smoke for the first 3-5 minutes after adding chips, then it tails off. Still learning I guess.
 
 
I bought this smoker at Lowes a couple months ago. I have only smoked two things so far so wings and some mild Italian sausage. The wings came out rubbery and sticky, used a liquid marinade and should have finished them off on my gas grill. The sausage came out perfectly, smokey and still moist on the inside.

The only issue I have is the uneven smoke output. I only see smoke for the first 3-5 minutes after adding chips, then it tails off. Still learning I guess.
Was this an electric or a propane model? If it's electric is it the digital or the analog model? The digital has a controller either on top or in the front.
 
It is a electric digital model. Smoke exits on the side about 2 inches from the top.
 
It is a electric digital model. Smoke exits on the side about 2 inches from the top.
Sounds like you've got a Generation 2 model. How much in wood chips do you load in? You might need to add more wood chips and reload about every 20-30 minutes. I've got the Generation 1 version of your smoker which I like a lot. Like many people here I stopped using wood chips and bought an AMAZE-N Pellet Smoker. Wood pellets, in my opinion, produce consistently more smoke over a longer period of time. You can always find out more about it on your own.

There are some issues, however, with MES 30 Gen 2 smokers and you can find a lot of info and help on SMF. Now, as far as the chicken wings turning out rubbery and sticky, the wet marinade shouldn't have been an issue so I'm curious about how you smoked them. What temp did you smoke them at and for how long? Were you following a recipe or did you make one up? A lot of people will smoke meats and then finish them off on the grill to give them a good reverse sear.
 
Yes, it sounds like a Gen 2. I have the MES30 Gen 1 & I do not use any pellets (wood chips only). I have been having great success with pork, so I did wings last time out (check my signature to see). From what I've read, chicken skin WILL be rubbery if smoked at low temps. When I did my wings, I used my Maverick probe to locate the hottest parts of my warmest racks & cranked it up to it's max- 275 degrees. Where I had the chicken in the smoker, it was actually going closer to 300. We ate a few of the wings that we weren't planning on saucing & the skin definitely wasn't rubbery. The bulk of them I sauced & stuck under the broiler in the oven for a couple of minutes to help crisp them up & to caramelize the sauce. They were excellent.

If the smoke you are referring to as going away after 3-5 minutes is the white, heavy, billowy stuff, that's normal. The thin, blue stuff that is harder to see (usually HARDER to photograph) & comes right after the heavier stuff, is what you want. 


Hope I offered some kind of help.

TW
 
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Thanks for the info. I already ordered a AMNPS. Should be here Friday... Color me excited. The wings were cooked at 250 for 2 hours. I will finish then on a grill next time. I just made up the marinade, trial and error. Doing some ribs this Saturday with a dry rub and the pellets. Thanks for the info. Smoke on
 
Thanks Tumbleweed. Yes it was allot of help. I have been reading about TBS. I am doing ribs this Saturday. I will try the AMNPS and see what I like more.
 
Thanks Tumbleweed. Yes it was allot of help. I have been reading about TBS. I am doing ribs this Saturday. I will try the AMNPS and see what I like more.
Make sure you do a test run with the AMNPS. If you are one of the unlucky people that have problems keeping the AMNPS lit you don't want it to happen with a smoker full of food and a bunch of hungry people. 
 
Yeah, imagine that. I have chips for back up in case there is an issue. Any one know why you don't really get a smoke ring on the meats with these electric smokers? Maybe it's just a mental block but it's hard to believe it was smoked with out the ring. I will post a pic of the ribs once they are done.
 
Smoke rings are caused by nitric oxide & carbon dioxide, chemicals associated with the burning of wood or charcoal for the fuel. There's talk about adding charcoal briquettes to the wood tray in an electric producing smoke rings, but I have never tried it. the ring does not affect taste, but in competition I'm sure it's desireable, when you're being judged on appearance.

TW
 
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I am thinking this may be the best set up for this smoker. It is below the , away from the heat source, and provides the best air circulation. Keeping it lower puts it right against the heat coils and it is a tight squeeze.
 
I am thinking this may be the best set up for this smoker. It is below the , away from the heat source, and provides the best air circulation. Keeping it lower puts it right against the heat coils and it is a tight squeeze.
I believe @TJohnson  recommends placing it there but setting the water pan on the floor so the air can flow up and into the AMNPS
 
I had to blow on it a few two times so far to get the cherry back. Smoke seemed to stop twice. I keep adjusting the air flow. I think I have it now. Steady tbs for the last hour.
 
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