Noob from Cumberland County

[Stu929]

Hello all, not brand new to the smoking world but newer.

Smoker died after finishing Thanksgiving dinner, so I finally decided to join to help me look for ideas for a replacement or modification.

 

[BigW.]

Welcome!

 

[mr mac]

Welcome from SE Missouri. Time for an early Christmas present!

 

[gmc2003]

Welcome aboard. What was the smoker that died on ya, and what are you looking for in a new smoker?

Chris

 

[Stu929]

Welcome aboard. What was the smoker that died on ya, and what are you looking for in a new smoker?

Chris

Thanks!

7 year old MES. I have a line on an old fridge as I was thinking about super sizing an MES. I lover the vertical aspect and I did not mind electric so I am open to that or maybe trying a pellet pooper but most of the assemblies for pellets are very expensive.

I can have this for 40 bucks if I want it!

 

[gmc2003]

I can't tell the year of the fridge you're looking at by the picture(looks to be a 50s model), but Kelvinator still used fiberglass insulation into the 60s. Just something to think about.

Good luck with the build if you go thru with it and keep up posted on progress.

Chris

 

[Stu929]

I can't tell the year of the fridge you're looking at by the picture(looks to be a 50s model), but Kelvinator still used fiberglass insulation into the 60s. Just something to think about.

Good luck with the build if you go thru with it and keep up posted on progress.

Chris

It is a mid 50s fridge.

 

[SmokingUPnorth]

Welcome to the party. How much do you usually smoke at a time. A whole fridge might be an overkill or more work. what happened with your MES?

 

[Fueling Around]

Welcome from central Florida. Give me 6 months and it will be NW Minnesota.

MES failure is usually a wiring issue.
About an hour to read through, but this is the gold standard for troubleshooting.

MES Rewire Simple Guide - No Back Removal Needed!!!

Lately I've seen a number of posts about guys wanting to rewire their MES. I had wanted to post a quick and simple guide for those out there that are curious or those that simply need to rewire but need a little assistance. Well here goes. Disclaimer: When messing with electrical equipment...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

I can't tell the year of the fridge you're looking at by the picture(looks to be a 50s model), but Kelvinator still used fiberglass insulation into the 60s. Just something to think about.
...

Fiberglass is a lot easier a starting point than other insulations.

 

[Stu929]

I was under the impression fiberglass was okay it was the foam that would be an issue. I bought fiberglass was safe to like 1200 degrees. I don’t anticipate going over 350 and usually be between 225-250.

 

[Stu929]

Welcome to the party. How much do you usually smoke at a time. A whole fridge might be an overkill or more work. what happened with your MES?

Nothing the heating coil just stopped working. For what it's worth I have been wanting something a little larger for a while, but this thing has been very reliable. The control board is still working but it will not come up to temp anymore.

We usually do a couple racks, and wings or a butt and wings. Around the holidays I would like to be able to do turkey or two breasts, plus a rib roast and ham plus a casserole if I had my way.

For normal every-day use I completely understand the fridge would be large for our normal usage. I love the format of the MES just want something like 50-80% larger or more and that seems to be a very expensive size. I have to cut racks of ribs in half because they are too long, or I have to take 2 shelves space for breasts. We did a whole bird this year which I split the white and the dark and that took up the space for 3 racks. That plus a dripping tray and I was out of room. So it's not that I want something huge but there seems to be a big gap in what is available.

I am completely open to idea though. I was just thinking at this one buy once cry once and build something I won't ever outgrow.

Steve