New owner 30" ????

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mtbmtb01

Newbie
Original poster
Dec 1, 2013
2
10
Scored one at bass pro on Black Friday after waiting in line at 4:00 in 26 degree weather
Done the seasoning and will probably smoke something next week
Looking at u tube it seems the latest gen water pan (cup?) is much smaller than older models I've seen on u tube and is on the bottom not directly over the heat
Just wondering how well this works?
Guess I can always add another tray on the bottom rack for items I think need more steam
Also how many times do you reload the wood tray?
Know I need to read more
Seems like they would include a few directions or recipes to get you started
Like do I put the meat on the middle or upper racks?
Should I preheat before putting in the meat (no brainier) but do I also fire up the wood chips before putting the meat in?
Should I leave the damper closed?
Is there a way to set the unit to turn off when the probe reaches a certain degree or is it just done by time?
What do you usually set the temp on? I know this will vary by what your cooking
Sorry for all the questions
Smoke and grill quite a bit for the church but at home been using my 15 year old brinkman electric throwing downed limbs from my pecan trees in there for quite a bit of smoke
Seems like the mes will take much less wood
Wonder if I could still use my pecan limbs just cut up much smaller so they are more like chips?
Thanks so for the long winded post
 
Guess I can always add another tray on the bottom rack for items I think need more steam
you don't want to create steam.... You are not steaming the food..... A small amount of water, I use 1/4 cup, just to increase the humidity to keep from drying out the meat for the first couple hours... then remove the water to form "bark", which seals the meat.. and finish cooking..

Also how many times do you reload the wood tray?
I use 1/4 cup of dry chips about every 45 minutes.... usually 3-4 additions of chips...

Should I preheat before putting in the meat (no brainier) but do I also fire up the wood chips before putting the meat in?
I always preheat to sterilize the smoker and add chips in a pie tin if they need drying.... then lower the temp to 140 ish to start smoking...

Should I leave the damper closed?
I always smoke with the damper wide open to reduce creosote and the acrid flavor of too much smoke.. air flow is critical while applying smoke...

What do you usually set the temp on? I know this will vary by what your cooking
140 ish during the smoke on meat roasts... below 80 for cheese and cold smoked salmon...

Soon you will be thinking about getting the AMNPS .... pellet fueled smoke generator from Todd.... check it out....
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/products/amaze-n-pellet-smoker



Dave
 
Congrats on your new smoker.

I have found the answer to every MES question I have had right here on this forum.

I got mine this summer at Cabelas and have no complaints.

Remember to spray the grills with PAM or something similar before each use.
I wrap my drip pan, water pan, and the top of the chip burner in foil. Basically anything that might get dripped on.

Most important thing for me was to learn to relax, don't rush, and get a decent thermometer. Go by temps and you won't go wrong. Time is dictated by whatever you are smoking.

Use the search field and enter what you intend to smoke. You will get tons of info. Plus everyone is so nice, just post a question and you get an answer right away. Have fun and enjoy your new toy.
 
I have found that the AMNPS is almost a necessity with my MES.  When I was using woodchips, I was out there pretty much every hour or so adding chips.  I recently did a 10# shoulder, so it was in for 20 hours.  i started it at 7PM the night before, loaded up the AMNPS with a mix of pecan and apple, lit it up, and crashed out.  I had perfect thin blue smoke on that shoulder for about 9 hours.  I honestly don't know how I lived without it.  Between that and my Maverick thermometer, I've been turning out great meat every time.  The MES may not be the most expensive or most prestigious smoker on the market, but it gets the job done well.  You will be very happy with your purchase.  Congratulations and welcome to the addiction and lifestyle.  
 
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