Hello, I haven't been on the forums in a while but recently got the itch to start experimenting with my MES40 to see if I could improve the quality of the food it has been producing. I have had the smoker for a while and have found that it does ribs and brisket very well but chicken takes a bit more attention to detail like finishing on a hot grill to get the skin crisp. I have heard lots of people doing the pellet box mod and even the mailbox mod but while I was at Lowe's yesterday I found a nice side box/charcoal grill that I thought would be easy to attach to the side of the MES40 and be able to burn some chunks to get some nice smoke going plus it's easily removed to take it along for a bbq at the park or tailgating as a charcoal grill for burgers and dogs. I did a test fit yesterday using a makeshift platform and dryer vent attachment. I used a good amount of charcoal to get it nice and hot to not only burn off the new grill smell but to also see how hot the MES40 would get during a possible flare up. The picture below shows 120* but it maxed out at 132* for a while so I don't foresee any problems with a temperature spike. If I can get the wood burning without flareups, I'll be smoking a couple racks of St.Louis ribs we picked up with some q-view to follow. I posted some pics just to show what my thought process is and if it works out, I'll finish it off with some stainless 3in pipe to replace the dryer pipe and a rolling cart to set both units on.
Pics in post #7
Pics in post #7
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