Smoke..then no smoke.....

[schoolsmoker]

I smoked some turkey Thighs yesterday...and didnt have a problem with getting real thin bluie smoke....today...I did the same thing...and I can't get ANY Smoke...all I see is the heat vapors coming from the vent...I am doing a ham today...and its been on there for over 1.5 hrs...and no smoke....can anyone give me a reason for this?

Thanks

 

[master_dman]

Did you forget the wood chunks? Or maybe your wood has been seasoned too long.

If it's seasoned wood, it's best t soak the wood chips for the smoke.
Good dry seasoned wood doesn't exactly give off a whole lot of smoke.

 

[walking dude]

i won't go into the debate on soaking the chips........but you soak em......they just sit and steam till dried out......then smolder.........

if you can SMELL smoke........you are fine........sometimes you won't get TBS.......if you can smell wood smoke......you are fine

 

[fatback joe]

Did your wood catch on fire?

 

[schoolsmoker]

Well Yesterday...I used the same chips..( hickory) same amount...and I saw smoke..NOt soaked. I didnt see ALOT of smoke..but there was steady smoke..as in..I saw smoke most of the time..but it was thin..like everyone talks about.

Today...I went to put the same amount of chips..in the little alumi bowl shape thing I made...and the chips that were in there from yesterday...were still there...just a darker color..but non of them had appeared to burn to ash.
I just added some extra on top of them...and like I said today i don't see ANY smoke...NOt even a hint of smoke. I know if you can smell it its doing iyts job...buy one would think it being a smoker..you would see a little smoke now and again.

 

[fatback joe]

Hit them with a torch.........that will get them going.

 

[walking dude]

you shoulda emptied the container......then add new.......give that a shot

 

[magnum]

Maybe you insulated them from the bottom of your chip holder. Doesn't sound like it is getting real hot if they didn't ash yesterday.

 

[schoolsmoker]

I just checked them...and when I lifted the upper section of the smoker off..to get to the chips...I did notice they were starting to smoke...but I have no clue where its going..cause it sure isnt coming out of the smoker anywhere...oh well...Screw it..lol I just won't worry about it.


Thanks for your advice...this si my first attemp with the MES...I have a Propain version at home...and never really have alot of problems getting it to smoke..this whole elecric thing is new

 

[master_dman]

What is the weather like today as opposed to yesterday? The smoke is probably there.. but if there is even a slight steady breeze, the smoke may be dissipating before you can see it.

 

[schoolsmoker]

Its 70 and very lite breeze...I would have to say it was more of a breeze yesterday...

 

[bassman]

Like Magnum said, dump out the old and start with new on the bottom.

 

[placebo]

Why did you make a little alumi bowl shape thing for chips? The MES already has a chip holder that slides out to empty the ash and gets loaded from the side by a cylinder type loader.

 

[geob]

Try putting chips in the chip holder. That will help a lot. It will be closer to the elect. element than setting on top of it in a bowl. Get rid of the old chips, they are charcoal now and will not smoke much the second time. They will provide insulation for the new chips.
That tray in the MES your talking about might be the water pan. Just a thought.
geob