# Which smoker to buy



## therev46 (Jul 24, 2017)

Alright guys and gals, I know this has been brought up before but maybe some new smoker has hit the market since you all last put your 2 cents in. I'm looking to buy a new smoker to take camping. I'm currently hauling around a masterbulit propane vertical I bought years ago. Want to switch over to electric so I can just plug it into my camper. I'm usually cooking for 8-12 people so it needs to be able to fit atleast 2 butts at a time. I'd like to stay under $300 because this will not be my primary smoker but I know there's not a lot of options at that price range that won't need to be heavily modded. I'm not against modding it but I want something that has decent insulation and a reliable controller. Any suggestions?


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## tallbm (Jul 24, 2017)

Hi there and welcome.

Well I've only owned the MES40's and I can tell you that unless you are a bigger than average strapping individual it will be very difficult for you to load up the MES40 into a truck alone.

I have never owned a Bradley but I believe they can go up to 325F which means that you can get edible chicken skin.  I probably would remove the wood puck feeder and go with an A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker (AMNPS) and the mailbox mod to generate smoke for it.  I myself and most MES owners do that same thing for smoke generation anyhow so it's not an odd thing to do.

Finally, I don't know about the Bradley but I know first hand that the MES probes are always off and the controller is designed in a fashion that will give you temp swings.  I had over 30F swings with mine and could not hit the top temp of 275F with my MES40.  I rewired and did 3rd party PID controllers to fix the swing and max temp issue.

In all you won't find anything perfect and will just have to take what best suits your needs vs the downsides.  Best of luck :)


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## old sarge (Jul 24, 2017)

Besides the MES, you might look at the Smoke Hollow units but I don't know how well insulated they are.  Also, Old Smokey makes a very inexpensive, uninsulated electric but it could be wrapped in a water heater blanket.  The units from Smokin-it are very well insulated, but even their Model 1, the smallest, is above $300 and the model 2 well over $400.   Worth checking them out though

https://www.oldsmokey.com/products/electric-smoker?variant=350587737

http://www.olp-inc.com/product-category/smokers/

http://www.smokin-it.com/Smokers-s/5.htm


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## therev46 (Jul 25, 2017)

Thanks for the input guys. I'm considering either the smoke hollow 3016DEWS or the masterbuilt 20070910. Both are 30" models and seem like a decent starting point. The one thing I don't like about the smoke hollow though is the glass door. I'm just worried about breaking it with how much it will be moved around.


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## dalber (Jul 25, 2017)

I bought the MES model 20070910 a couple months ago and am having good success with it using the AMZNPS without the mailbox mod. But I don't move it at all.


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## redoctobyr (Jul 25, 2017)

I just got the 20070910 (a Gen1 unit), and AMNPS. It's not fancy, and the MES don't have a stellar reputation. 

But the Gen1 are supposedly at least decent. And a lot of people use the Masterbuilts, so you have a large base of experienced users to draw from. 

That may be an advantage, as you have a lot of people who can help with questions, possible modifications, etc.

Also, in the case of the Gen1 20070910, the AMNPS tray was apparently designed to work with those smokers. So some of the common suggestions (like get an AMNPS) are easy to implement. I haven't noticed if it's easy to add one to something like the Smoke Hollow. 

I've heard really good things about the Smokin-It, but they were above my budget. So I started with something basic, figuring that it'll at least give me an inexpensive introduction to smoking.


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## therev46 (Jul 27, 2017)

Thanks for the input. Guess I'll probably be adding a new MES to my collection soon. Already have the AMNPS. Just hoping the controller holds up as I've read a lot of people complain about that.


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## troyo (Jul 27, 2017)

I'm shopping for a smoker too, and the controller issue has me considering a very similar analog version of the MES... in hopes that the "Dumb controller" is more durable, or at least easier to hack with a PID Mod or similar.


In case you haven't seen that variant on the MES. Note: I'm not "Recommending" it because I have zero experience or knowledge, just pointing out it's existence.


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## therev46 (Jul 28, 2017)

That mes does look pretty darn simple Troy. Because I'll be constantly moving it around, the less that can break or malfunction, the better. I wonder if that one was designed for the AMNPS like the electronically controlled version is?


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## bbqwillie (Jul 28, 2017)

TheRev46 said:


> That mes does look pretty darn simple Troy. Because I'll be constantly moving it around, the less that can break or malfunction, the better. I wonder if that one was designed for the AMNPS like the electronically controlled version is?


And it's very easy to adapt a PID to it. Just plug the unit into the PID, set the analog temp at 275, run your sensor from the PID to the CC, set the PID cooking temp to the desired temp (225?), fire up your A-MAZE-N, load your meat and forget about about it.


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## troyo (Jul 28, 2017)

I don't know about "designed" for the AMNPS but I have seen folks mention using it with this model in reviews and such.

A couple of things I was able to find out:

1) Replacement elements are readily available. I found an element and controller for on Ebay for $50.

2) It will do 325-375 (Plus) so it can double as a camp oven.

3) No insulation between the double walls, so its just using the air gap. Semi-insulated? LOL.

I second BBQWillie, IF you did decide you needed better control it would be dead simple to just make a "Black box" PID control with an outlet on it and plug this style of smoker in to it.


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## hinds90 (Jul 28, 2017)

BBQWillie said:


> And it's very easy to adapt a PID to it. Just plug the unit into the PID, set the analog temp at 275, run your sensor from the PID to the CC, set the PID cooking temp to the desired temp (225?), fire up your A-MAZE-N, load your meat and forget about about it.



Could you break it down further. Thread write up anywhere? I have a rangemaster which I think is a rebranded MES so should work for me also.


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## tallbm (Jul 28, 2017)

hinds90 said:


> Could you break it down further. Thread write up anywhere? I have a rangemaster which I think is a rebranded MES so should work for me also.


The Auber Plug and Play PID controllers are designed so you plug int he analog smoker into the controller.  You then plug the controller into the wall.

The controller has a temperature probe you insert inside the smoker to measure temp

The controller will control flow of electricity to the smoker based on the temp that it is reading to hit and keep the set temp.

Done!

As for an AMNPS, I have seen where guys who have small smokers or less common ones just put the AMNPS on the lowest rack and then the meat on the next rack up.  Done!

I think that would cover both cases.

Just an FYI, with the analog electric smokers not being insulated you may want to think about wrapping it with some kind of insulated blanket like a welding blanket or something along those lines.

People report with the propane smokers that cooler times of the year or wind blowing definitely affects the temp and ability of the smoker to maintain temp.


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## hinds90 (Jul 28, 2017)

Thanks for the quick response. My hobby is getting expensive.


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## therev46 (Jul 28, 2017)

Well I already have an Auber PID on my big smoker. I guess I could just buy a couple more thermocouples and plug it right into the MES. As far as insulation goes, not really a huge factor for me as this smoker will only be used while camping and we don't camp in the winter. Thanks for all the inputs.


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## redoctobyr (Jul 28, 2017)

TroyO said:


> *2) It will do 325-375 (Plus) so it can double as a camp oven.*
> 
> 3) No insulation between the double walls, so its just using the air gap. Semi-insulated? LOL.
> 
> I second BBQWillie, IF you did decide you needed better control it would be dead simple to just make a "Black box" PID control with an outlet on it and plug this style of smoker in to it.


Item #2 is pretty cool. Even if I added my own PID controller, it sounds like my digital MES shouldn't go much above 300, lest I create problems with the materials used. And I've heard people say that chicken with skin should be finished off around 350, if you want the skin crispy, so I couldn't achieve that.

Of course, if I was making chicken, I could finish it off on the grill, or maybe in the oven, so I do still have options.

But it's interesting to know this about the analog model. With an AMNPS, you don't care about the lack of a chip tube. And if using your own PID controller, then you'll get better temperature control than a digital MES anyhow, plus higher max temps (especially if you add a blanket). So the analog sounds like a nice option for someone open to doing a few modifications!


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## troyo (Jul 29, 2017)

I'll let you know how it goes... I've got that smoker and a PID kit and AMZNPS on the way. It will take some tinkering but I couldn't find anything else for ~$200 that checked all my "boxes".


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## daricksta (Aug 3, 2017)

TheRev46 said:


> Well I already have an Auber PID on my big smoker. I guess I could just buy a couple more thermocouples and plug it right into the MES. As far as insulation goes, not really a huge factor for me as this smoker will only be used while camping and we don't camp in the winter. Thanks for all the inputs.


I bought my MES 30 #20070910 over 5 years ago and it's still doing great. Only have had to replace the controller which was extremely simple. Just be aware that there are some retailer selling a MES 30 that from the outside looks like this model but is actually the 20071217, which is not the same at all. I looked inside it at a Lowe's. The thing about the 20070910, the price is also changing on it. I bought it at $189 but I've seen it as low as $129. Sometimes you can catch a great sale on this smoker bundled with accessories at a place like Cabela's. From the research I did before I bought my smoker and the ongoing research I do now, you can't buy a better electric digital smoker for under $200 than this one. So far this week, I smoked a whole beef brisket, cold smoked some cheeses, and tomorrow (or over the weekend) I'll be smoking by 3rd batch of beef jerky (4 lbs. worth). I've chosen not to swap out the controller for an Auber PID and I haven't built a mailbox mod. I use a Maverick ET-733 to monitor the smoker interior temp as well as meat IT.


TroyO said:


> I don't know about "designed" for the AMNPS but I have seen folks mention using it with this model in reviews and such.
> 
> A couple of things I was able to find out:
> 
> ...


It 's a fact that Todd Johnson used the MES 30 for his R&D on the AMNPS. There are still some members here you helped do his field testing for him and gave him suggestions for improving the design. They may have also used the MES 40 Gen 1 as well.


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## daricksta (Aug 3, 2017)

RedOctobyr said:


> I just got the 20070910 (a Gen1 unit), and AMNPS. It's not fancy, and the MES don't have a stellar reputation.
> 
> But the Gen1 are supposedly at least decent. And a lot of people use the Masterbuilts, so you have a large base of experienced users to draw from.
> 
> ...


I've owned this smoker for over 5 years and it's still going strong. I had to replace the controller and chose to stick with the MES one instead of replacing it with an Auber PID. The only issue I've had with using the AMNPS is that in some weather conditions air circulation can be poor inside the smoker, which snuffs out the pellets. That's why so many guys have built the mailbox mods, which I haven't done yet. But in warm to hot weather, like we're having in my area now, the AMNPS and my MES 30 are working as a reliable, solid team together. I smoked a whole beef brisket (the point literally took all day and night) and a batch of cheeses this past week. Tomorrow or over the weekend I'm smoking 4 lbs. of teriyaki beef jerky. It's been a lot of fun.


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## bbqwillie (Aug 4, 2017)

I've had my 20070910 for about 3 years now. After the first year I rewired her to accept a home brewed PID. I also use the A-Maze-N. Can't beat that combination. I cook small because it's just me and the wife. I added a Mav 733 to monitor temps. It's pretty much a set and forget now. 

I started off with a home brew stick burner that I used for years and it turned out some damn decent BBQ but boy was it some work. As I got a little older I need more time for my wife and family so I went to a Weber Smokey Mountain and a Digi-Q, that was nice. Frankly that's the best setup you can ask for when you measure bang for the buck. Turned out some awesome Q. I still have that setup. I have also owed a couple of Backwoods smokers. I love those things they make some yummy Q, but they are a lot of work.

Now I'm old and staying up all night tending a fire is just not in the cards so I went electric. I wanted to get my feet wet without investing a whole lot of money. I happened upon a yard sale in the little town of Holliston, MA . There sat a 20070910 new, in original box, unopened. Guy said his son bought it and never used it and it was cluttering up his garage and he wanted it gone. I offered him $10 and he said "Haul it off". I threw it in the back of my Jeep and headed home. Best $10 I ever spent. I spent the next year learning how to cook on it. I was lucky because I had 3 decades of experience smoking meat to fall back on so the learning curve wasn't all that steep. I quickly learned the cons of the MES and how to overcome them. A mod here, a mod there, it adds up. I was really disgusted with the controller so I researched and built my first PID. That did the trick. Now I just needed to get the smoke right. That chip tray just didn't cut it. Then I read about the A-MAZE-N. I could have built one of those, it's pretty simple but those folks worked hard to bring that product to market they deserved a little support. So I bought one. Well that was the finish needed to make a decent electric smoker. 2 years down the road with the mods and I'm loving it. It sits on a enclosed back porch vented to outside and I cook year round. It gets a little cold in Winter but the MES has enough insulation that the cold weather doesn't bother it. 

My wife loves ribs and I've learned how to trim them so they fit in that tiny cooker. I give her, her fall off the bone ribs, with my special rub (she likes it with a pop) and my dipping sauce on the side.. Happy Wife, Happy Life. I'm a brisket person and I can trim a brisket to fit. Plus I get leftovers which I vac and freeze. I'm happy and I get to sleep through the night.

Moral of the story is it doesn't matter what your using to smoke your meats. What matters is your experience in smoking meat. It ain't the paintbrush, it's the artist. So try as many different methods that you can. Learn from each one.


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## daricksta (Aug 5, 2017)

BBQWillie said:


> I've had my 20070910 for about 3 years now. After the first year I rewired her to accept a home brewed PID. I also use the A-Maze-N. Can't beat that combination. I cook small because it's just me and the wife. I added a Mav 733 to monitor temps. It's pretty much a set and forget now.
> 
> I started off with a home brew stick burner that I used for years and it turned out some damn decent BBQ but boy was it some work. As I got a little older I need more time for my wife and family so I went to a Weber Smokey Mountain and a Digi-Q, that was nice. Frankly that's the best setup you can ask for when you measure bang for the buck. Turned out some awesome Q. I still have that setup. I have also owed a couple of Backwoods smokers. I love those things they make some yummy Q, but they are a lot of work.
> 
> ...


Love your story and your moral, Willie. I've had the same smoker for over 5 years now. No mods because I'm not as adept as you and some other but I've learned to make my little guy--as I call my MES 30--turned out some incredible Q. The story of how you found and how little you paid for yours is funny. I paid quite a bit more for mine on Amazon because my wife and I rarely go to yard or garage sales. I'd never smoked before but always wanted to. So, from reading cookbooks and online smoking articles and recipes, watching some videos, and after finding SMF, I learned tips and techniques that have helped me become a pretty good home smoker. With almost every smoke I try to do an experiment to learn from. I found out this past week that you don't need to wrap a whole beef brisket for it to turn out moist and juicy with nice bark. My family also loves the smoked foods I bring to the table. After winning a beef jerky making kit in one of A-MAZE-N's monthly drawings, I've been working on turning out professional-tasting teriyaki beef jerky. It's still a work in progress. Todd and Rhonda Johnson, the company owners, are wonderful people who provide among the best customer service I've ever experienced. They do indeed deserve our support and that's why I buy wood pellets and other smoking accessories exclusively from them. 

What amazes me about that little MES 30 is that you can turn out Q so good that you no longer have to go or order out BBQ at some phony BBQ franchise place. There are times I'd like to have a larger smoker so I wouldn't have to slice a whole brisket in two to make it fit inside, or so long racks of pork ribs wouldn't touch the walls before they shrink down during smoking, but this little guy works great and I've learned tons and upped my smoking game exponentially by cooking with it. I just smoked a whole beef brisket. Like you, I'm too old to stay up all night babysitting the smoke. But I started the point at 11 am last Sunday, went to bed at 10 pm that night fully trusting my MES 30 to carry on well thru the night, and just happened to wake up at 5:30 am the next morning when the brisket point had been cooked to perfection. I think those of us with a talent and love for smoking are rewarded with good luck. 

I don't know if there's an art to smoking, but an argument can be made for it. To me, it's a skill, an intrinsic ability to make a number of decisions throughout the smoke to produce great food. Yes, when you have the MES 20 set up right, it IS set it and forget it. But that's not quite right, is it? There's always a series of little things to pay attention to and to do. It's not a labor intensive as a stick burner but you have to monitor the cook, which I do with my Maverick ET-733. And Willie, maybe I'm biased but when my smoking is on-point, I'll put my smoked pork ribs or brisket or turkey breast against any smoker's--pro or not (OK, I tasted some St. Louis ribs at a BBQ competition I'll never be able to match. Still the best I've ever had). Someday my beef jerky and smoked cheeses will be up there too. They're sure getting closer. And it's all so much fun.


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## therev46 (Aug 14, 2017)

Pulled the trigger on an MES30 with the digital controller. My local Walmart was running a deal to promote their "buy online, pick up in store" campaign so they knocked $20 off the already sale price. Tax and all I paid about $140. Seasoning her up now with a Yuengling in my hand. Life is good.


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## daricksta (Aug 15, 2017)

TheRev46 said:


> Pulled the trigger on an MES30 with the digital controller. My local Walmart was running a deal to promote their "buy online, pick up in store" campaign so they knocked $20 off the already sale price. Tax and all I paid about $140. Seasoning her up now with a Yuengling in my hand. Life is good.


Most guys would christen the smoker with the beer, not season with it 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






  Which MES 30 did you buy? $140 is a great price.


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## therev46 (Aug 15, 2017)

I got the 20070910. Ran it at 270 for about 4 hours last night. Seems to work as it should. I do like the fact that my AMPS slides right in and works great with it.


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## daricksta (Aug 15, 2017)

TheRev46 said:


> I got the 20070910. Ran it at 270 for about 4 hours last night. Seems to work as it should. I do like the fact that my AMPS slides right in and works great with it.


For $140? Outstanding. You chose the right model, the same one I own. I didn't have your patience so I paid $190 for mine off Amazon over 5 years ago. Don't know if you read my other posts, but over that time I only had to replace the controller once (not sure if I'll ever switch to an Auber PID) and as of last week it's working like a champ.


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## therev46 (Aug 15, 2017)

I have an Auber dual probe on my big smoker already. I figure if the controller goes out on the new smoker, I'll just buy a couple new thermocouples and move the Auber back and forth between the two. It can't be too difficult to just wire the heating element direct to a plug.


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## daricksta (Aug 15, 2017)

TheRev46 said:


> I have an Auber dual probe on my big smoker already. I figure if the controller goes out on the new smoker, I'll just buy a couple new thermocouples and move the Auber back and forth between the two. It can't be too difficult to just wire the heating element direct to a plug.


I'd need to look at a few how-to videos to do that. I was never very good with doing that kind of stuff. That's why I opted for the replacement MES controller.


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## tallbm (Aug 19, 2017)

daRicksta said:


> I'd need to look at a few how-to videos to do that. I was never very good with doing that kind of stuff. That's why I opted for the replacement MES controller.


Your post helped me get off my butt and make a rewire post like I had mentioned I would a while back.  I had some time so here you go.  I hope it is useful and can be easily followed :)

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/267069/mes-rewire-simple-guide-no-back-removal-needed


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## bbqwillie (Aug 19, 2017)

TallBM said:


> Your post helped me get off my butt and make a rewire post like I had mentioned I would a while back.  I had some time so here you go.  I hope it is useful and can be easily followed :)
> 
> http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/267069/mes-rewire-simple-guide-no-back-removal-needed


Great Job on the write-up!


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## Rings Я Us (Aug 19, 2017)

http://www.bbqfocus.com/masterbuilt-20070910-30-electric-smoker


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## mojavejoe (Aug 19, 2017)

My $.02 is to take a look at Craigslist and see if you can find a cookshack. I was able to snag a SM 008 (current model is SM 009) for $160. These things are built well, have relatively few issues and work real well for an electric. Doesn't need a single mod and I'd really efficient with chunks. I don't use mine as much any more, but plan to take it with me next month on a fishing trip to cook for 8 people. It will fit 4 butts easy and takes up less space than most other electrics I've seen. 

May take some time for one to pop up, but they are worth it if you can find one.


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## daricksta (Aug 20, 2017)

TallBM said:


> Your post helped me get off my butt and make a rewire post like I had mentioned I would a while back.  I had some time so here you go.  I hope it is useful and can be easily followed :)
> 
> http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/267069/mes-rewire-simple-guide-no-back-removal-needed


This looks really helpful. I'm going to set some time aside to study it. I think I already have some of the required tools, and Lowe's is just up the road for what I'll need to buy.


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## tallbm (Aug 20, 2017)

BBQWillie said:


> Great Job on the write-up!


Thanks!


daRicksta said:


> This looks really helpful. I'm going to set some time aside to study it. I think I already have some of the required tools, and Lowe's is just up the road for what I'll need to buy.


I hope it helps you out. The rewire is actually quite a simple job.  The pain in the butt is having to pull the back off to get to the saftey Rollout Limit Switch to replace those connectors with Hi Temp Stainless steel ones.  Changing the heating element connectors is simple due to there being a panel, but most often there is no panel for the rollout limit switch.

Best of luck and if you have any questions feel free to ask :)


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## smokedcaveman (Aug 20, 2017)

TroyO said:


> I'll let you know how it goes... I've got that smoker and a PID kit and AMZNPS on the way. It will take some tinkering but I couldn't find anything else for ~$200 that checked all my "boxes".


I've been doing a lot of research into using the AMNPS with that smoker (as it's the one I have) after about 5 years of use, my analog controller went out - going to be getting a replacement for that from masterbuilt - they might have some flaws, but for the most part, their customer service is really pretty good.

as for the smoker itself - mine held temperature well (it's not got a windbreak, but it's in a kinda sheltered spot) and the going up to (manual says) 400F is great for doing baked stuff, you can get a bit of smoke flavor. tips for use, though - take out the chip tray and water pan. the water pan doesn't hold enough water to make a difference, and the chip tray is ridiculously small. (20 minutes or so) nab a 9x13 stainless steel cake pan and an extra couple of racks - slide one in where the chip/water pan rack goes, and set the other one on top of that rack holder. drop the cake pan on the rack for a drip tray - it doesn't interfere with the heat at all.

(according to the research.. will need testing) but apparently for using the amnps you're going to want to pull the puny little drip pan underneath the unit and that'll allow you enough airflow to keep the amnps to keep going without snuffing itself. 

also, for the amnps - make sure you've got a nice 'cigar-type' cherry burning in the end. some guys actually use a little hunk of charcoal to light first and help the thing burn. you can find a lot of videos on youtube (several done by forum members) that show the best ways of lighting it. (it's actually sold me on one as well, but I might go with a tube rather than the tray, because those work in higher elevations/lower oxygen environments, which, unmodified, the 20070210 could wind up being.) just don't let anything drip on it or it'll go out.

if you're using it for a camp oven, just don't run any smoke in it, and your stuff still comes out with a nice wood fired flavor

for ~200$, you've gotten a pretty good smoker (with only a bit of tweaking) and with you getting that PID, you're gonna have a good little setup. it might not be insulated, but I've done smoking in the winter (granted, it is texas. but still, freezing is freezing) and until my controller failed, had no problems with it holding temp


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