Smoking question???

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smoker of meat

Newbie
Original poster
Hello all~

I recently bought a MES 30 from Lowes and cycled a few racks of BB Ribs last weekend and a Brisket. The ribs I did the 3-2-1 method and the Brisket I smoked for 4 hours then another 5 hours no smoke. Both came out pretty darn good for a first timer. My question is have any of you used charcoal in your electric and got that good old smoke taste?

Also instead of using chips do any of you use chunks? Sorry for the lack of info...I did get a good smokey flavor I just was wondering if by using say mesquite woods chip along with charcoal would the combo of the two give it a different "BETTER" smokey flavor? I am using the element for the heat source.

What smoking methods/combos have you all used and what was your outcome?

Any feedback is much appreciated. Happy Smoking
grilling_smilie.gif
 
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There are lots of MES owner on here that will be by soon. I have never used one but I will ask a few questions so that others that have will have a tad bit more info.

1- Didn't you get as much smoke flavor as you were looking for?

2- Do you mean you want to use charcoal as the heat source and not use the electric element or were you thinking about putting charcoal in the chip pan instead of chunks? If you just want to put charcoal in your chip pan that isn't going to give you the smoke you want.

A lot of people on here are using the A-Maze-N-Smokers in their MES to produce their smoke instead of using the chip tray that comes with it. Like I said there are lots of MES owners that have all kinds of tricks to get their machine to work they way they want it to so if you have something specifically you are looking to improve on someone here can probably help you.
 
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There are lots of MES owner on here that will be by soon. I have never used one but I will ask a few questions so that others that have will have a tad bit more info.

1- Didn't you get as much smoke flavor as you were looking for?

2- Do you mean you want to use charcoal as the heat source and not use the electric element or were you thinking about putting charcoal in the chip pan instead of chunks? If you just want to put charcoal in your chip pan that isn't going to give you the smoke you want.

A lot of people on here are using the A-Maze-N-Smokers in their MES to produce their smoke instead of using the chip tray that comes with it. Like I said there are lots of MES owners that have all kinds of tricks to get their machine to work they way they want it to so if you have something specifically you are looking to improve on someone here can probably help you.

 rbranstner

I updated my original post...5 months ago a I was inited to a friends house and he had smoked ribs that day. He was using a Webber Smokey Mountain Smoker and the ribs were out of this world. So that is what Im trying to find out, if anyone here has tried the combo of woods chips/chunks and charcoal together. Im going to have to investigate the A-Maze-N-Smoker a little more on how it's used I do not know much about the product.

Thank you good sir
 
You can get good smokey flavor from a MES with the AMZN smoker, but if you are also after that special flavor that only charcoal seems to give off then you will need a charcoal fired smoker. One or two little pieces of charcoal in the wood pan won't really give you that flavor. Maybe buy a WSM as a second smoker, there are a lot of folks that have 2 smokers like that.
 
I had a MES and tried everything I could think of to try to get that charcoal/wood flavor. Then I finally just gave up & bought a WSM. I don't mean to discourage you, my MES put out some fine BBQ. Nobody complained, I was just looking for that flavor difference that you get with charcoal & can't seem to get with electric.
 
have tried the MES w/ chips, chunks ,coals and pellets.

 Also used to have a sfb that  burned charcoal and logs.

 The MES is the easiest way to go ,but you won't get the same flavor as a stick or charcoal smoker.

The chip loader on the MES is not big enough to put full size charcoal briquets in (It will jam).

  The MES puts out great smoked meat for what it is /does.
 
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