I've been using a Weber Smokey Mountain charcoal smoker for a few years. Now that we have a little boy I wanted something easier to use. I picked up the MES 30" 20070910 for $139 at Amazon.
Any general usage tips would be great. I'm not ready to make modifications yet so I'm sticking with the standard wood chip tray for now. Do you typically leave the top vent open 100%?
I'm in the process of seasoning it and I've noticed the temp on the MES is around 30 higher than what my probe reads. I have my probe on the 2nd highest rack with the top vent half open. I set the MES to 230. The temp shot up to 260 and then went down to 225-230. Hopefully this doesn't require babysitting like the Weber.
Any general usage tips would be great. I'm not ready to make modifications yet so I'm sticking with the standard wood chip tray for now. Do you typically leave the top vent open 100%?
I'm in the process of seasoning it and I've noticed the temp on the MES is around 30 higher than what my probe reads. I have my probe on the 2nd highest rack with the top vent half open. I set the MES to 230. The temp shot up to 260 and then went down to 225-230. Hopefully this doesn't require babysitting like the Weber.