MES Owners - Chips or Chunks?

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firebaugh

Fire Starter
Original poster
Jun 23, 2008
45
10
Near NOLA
I'm still using chips that I already had for now but I'll probably be buying chunks when these run out. Where do you find chunks of something other than hickory or mesquite? Academy Sports has some pecan but they're bigger than chunks and wouldn't fit in the MES loader.

Also do you use charcoal to help with smoke ring formation? If so are you using lumps or briqs? Does the brand matter since we're not using the charcoal for fuel?
 
Sorry I can't help. Those are the only chunks I could find also.

I'm using briquettes because that's what I had, but don't notice any difference in the smoke ring. Maybe the lumps would work better, but don't know.

Maybe someone else can help.

Good luck!!
 
With my MES, I noticed the other day (if you remove the wood filler and peer inside, there are two rods that go across the top of the smoker pan, so not only do your wood chunks have to fit inside the filler tube, they also have to be long and skinny to fit through the 2 rods that are about 1.5" apart.
 
Hey firebaugh, I have a 40" MES and I use both chips&chunks and I get both at our Walmart when they are selling them, I don't fill tray full I just put 2-3 chunks in and let it go, I have'nt had a problem with size of chips yet
 
If u are getting big chunks just take a hammer and chisel to size them for the smoker, I have done that on some big chunks given to me by other people
 
I use both, I start with chips and get the smoke going, after going I then add a couple of chunks, have to remove the chip tray and either toss in or use tongs. Have to make sure the chunks clear the tray bars. Re-insert tray.

I would like to figure out a combination to get 3 or 4 hours of smoke time, so I can get some sleep, on long smokes.

In fact I'm going to start a MES thread on that topic.
 
I get the 18 lb bags of hickory chunks at Home Depot. I use chunks and briquettes. The larger chunks get hatcheted down to somewhere around 1" x 1" thick and 2"~3" long. The last smoke I tossed in 4 Kingford briquettes to start and one per hour after (every other time I add wood). I add a chunk every 30 min or so.

From yesterday's smoke in the MES, smoke ring is there
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DSCN1641.JPG
 
Thats what I am looking for in my MES. Do you chop down the briquettes too?
 
No..the Kingsford are fairly small so I put them in whole. I put four in the load tube and dump them to start. The loader may not want to spin freely with the coals dumped under it. You may have to kind of rotate loader back and forth to push the coals aside so it spins freely. Another option is to pull the loader and toss in the briquettes and/or wood, use a rod or stick to move the coals to the side before putting the loader back in.
 
Dave, that smoke is a masterpiece. Great job!!!
PDT_Armataz_01_37.gif

Will be getting some chunks for sure.

I gave ya points for that QVIEW, Great job.
 
I agree, usually don't clean after every smoke. I saw somewhere to clean easily, if you have a self cleaning oven, put them in there on the clean cycle.

Haven't tried it yet though.
Maybe this will help ya!

Good luck!

Ron
 
The racks are very easy to clean.
Thanks to input from others here on SMF, the only thing I do is scrub (use brillo pad for anything hard to remove), then put racks in dishwasher, I may throw in the water pan and drip tray if very greasy. I will wipe the bottom if lots of grease, and I always wipe the door sill and the door gasket with hot damp cloth.

I always spray my racks with PAM before I add the meat.
 
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