# New smoker ....MES 35B Bacon?



## mrsmoklestein (Dec 16, 2018)

Hello all,

I picked up an MES35B which is an analog (not digital) today and plan on using it for Buckboard bacon in a week.

Do you see a problem generating smoke at 150 with this unit? Anyone own one?

The only electric I’ve had before is a little chief but using that would be a problem as it’ll cold smoke just fine but it’s not adjustable so I wouldn’t be able to spike the temp to hit 140-150 internal.


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## PAS (Dec 16, 2018)

Is it insulated?  You may have to put a blanket on it to deal with weather situations.


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## mrsmoklestein (Dec 16, 2018)

PAS said:


> Is it insulated?  You may have to put a blanket on it to deal with weather situations.


I believe it is. Biggest concern is that it doesn’t have a damper though. Idk if this will be a problem


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## SonnyE (Dec 16, 2018)

I don't see a problem with using it. And there are a few MES35B's around SMF.
But it sounds like you plan on warm smoking your bacon. Do you have a thermometer yet?
I prefer to cold smoke, and use an AMNPS, with dust in it. Probably be smoking Bacon Thursday or Friday (two slabs).

Why do you think you need a damper? Most, including me, say leave the smoker wide open. Me so much I took the damper off the top, and use it on my mailbox mod. Not as an air control, but as a bug control. (Though I don't think many bugs would be interested in my "mailbox". It stinks like fire)

An AMNPS will give you a separate smoke control (Steady, continuous, controllable) so you never have to worry about your MES35B being too hot or too cold to make smoke.
Let's you focus on keeping the temperature where you want it, and a nice thin blue smoke to flavor your bacon.


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## mrsmoklestein (Dec 16, 2018)

I have the thermometer that came with the unit that sits in the door but I know those can be a little cheap, so I was thinking about swapping with a river country. Otherwise I do have a electric probe unit for meat temp.

As for the damper, the only source of a vent on this particular unit is a 1/2” hole in the back. My concern was that it would hold too much moisture for stuff like bacon and jerky.

I had planned on dialing the smoker temp at 150 to start for a few hours and then increasing to 170 ish at the end to give me my 140 internal on the bbb. 

I’m assuming with the amnps you just light it and instead use the burner on the smoker to control your actual smoke chamber temp? They carry them by me but I’d have to drive an hour or so to pick one up. ....but I’m slammed with the holidays coming up which is why, for now, I just wonder if I NEED it or not.


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## fivetricks (Dec 16, 2018)

Need is a funny word in this scenario. Some get by without it, but if you had it, you'll never get by with out it from that point forward.


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## SonnyE (Dec 16, 2018)

mrsmoklestein said:


> I’m assuming with the amnps you just light it and instead use the burner on the smoker to control your actual smoke chamber temp? They carry them by me but I’d have to drive an hour or so to pick one up. ....but I’m slammed with the holidays coming up which is why, for now, I just wonder if I NEED it or not.



I got by for 50 years *without* an AMNPS.
Now that I have one, I have to wonder why I waited so long.
Well, it probably wasn't invented yet...
Now that I have one, I don't need to get by without it.

In fact, looking for a better way to fuel my smoker is what brought me to SMF.com
Now, inexpensive fuel is a number of places, TBS is easy, and temperature control is a separate and easy task. No wondering if the element is going to make smoke or not.

My MES 30 was barely able to make any smoke at 200°. I knew I would have to modify it after the first attempt to smoke Salmon.
Now, I can smoke butter to butts (Cold to Hot) because the AMNPS does the smoke generating, and the element does the low to high temperature control.

Do you NEED to have an AMNPS? No.
But it will open an entirely new world to you for smoking. It makes the smoke, slow, steady, reliably.
And you just monitor the temperature.

In my opinion, it's worth it. When you can afford it.


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## Winterrider (Dec 16, 2018)

Our local Wal-Mart carries the tubes but not the tray. Don't recall price right now. Maybe check into it if haven't looked already ?


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## SonnyE (Dec 16, 2018)

I ordered my AMNPS through Home Depot for the free shipping.
I think it took 5 days total. Couldn't buy locally without ordering.


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## fivetricks (Dec 16, 2018)

Yeah as far as I know home Depot has the lowest price at 21 and some change on the tray.


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## TomKnollRFV (Dec 16, 2018)

If you have a Fleetfarm locally they do carry the AMNPS.

But The tube would work just as well for 4-6 hours of smoke. I can tell you from my digital controlled one, you won't get smoke at 150f. I suspect the very same applies to analog. 

You could cold smoke and then finish with a hot smoke if you have to...? If you were a smidge closer I'd just let you use my AMNPS ! At least I know you have cold enough temps to cold smoke to your heart's content unless Fondie got a heatwave!


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## mrsmoklestein (Dec 16, 2018)

I think Ill crack and order the AMNPS along with a better quality door thermometer I guess. Fleet in Fondy (where I got the smoker actually) doesn't stock it but the rest do..go figure lol.

Ive noticed at medium on the dial, the door temp is reading 350....which is kind of odd as its like 30F right now.

Thanks for your help everyone!


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## mrsmoklestein (Dec 16, 2018)

One last thing, where are you guys putting the amnps in the unit?


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## TomKnollRFV (Dec 16, 2018)

I don't know how yours is but I got a 2.5, so I put mine on the very bottom and try to get it under the waterpan so dripping onto/into it is minimal.

Jeeze man, What the heck? Fondie Fleet Farm lacks them? Well I mean we do say Fondie is weird... ;)


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## mrsmoklestein (Dec 16, 2018)

Sounds good!

Our Fleet just plain sucks here, they have yet to repave the parking lot in the last 30 years....then you go to Appleton's and it's some kind of immaculate superstore lol

On a side note....sounds like Im gonna have to drill holes in the smoker to get the amnps to work. Stumbled upon some posts by Bear where he says it's pretty common on this unit due to the lack of a damper.


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## TomKnollRFV (Dec 16, 2018)

Aye if Bear mentions it, you know it's probably to be taken as a biblical truth. <Well I do>

If you ever plan to be up in the Fox Valley, let me know. We can meet out for dinner or some thing at a place and talk shop as it were. I really want to get to know more of my fellow WI BBQ addicts :)


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## dr k (Dec 17, 2018)

Some cork/plug the 1/2" hole and get a 3" hole saw to cut a vent in the center top and put in a damper/rain cap.  I'd cut a center hole in the bottom for a drain with the 3" hole saw and mount an aluminum 3" T sideways for a mailbox mod.  Cut a can and fill with enough water to air seal the T before each smoke where the bottom of the can slides around the T to catch drips. Use a 3"X24" aluminum pipe coming off the horizontal part of the T to a mailbox for the Amnps and the water in the drip can keeps all air coming through the mailbox mod.  Using DaveOmak tab cutting/folding attach the T to the smoker so it spins 360* so the mailbox can be on any side of the smoker (This has a pic in post #3 with 16 tabs.  Every other tab is folded 90*, slide in the T into the hole and fold the other eight 90* inside the smoker to secure.  There maybe a better link on this https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...y-version-of-mailbox-mod.272595/#post-1797250) Put down Alum foil covering the inside bottom of the smoker and cut a hole a little smaller than the 3" diameter so juices make it directly into the drain and also lets air and smoke in.


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## mrsmoklestein (Dec 17, 2018)

TomKnollRFV said:


> Aye if Bear mentions it, you know it's probably to be taken as a biblical truth. <Well I do>
> 
> If you ever plan to be up in the Fox Valley, let me know. We can meet out for dinner or some thing at a place and talk shop as it were. I really want to get to know more of my fellow WI BBQ addicts :)


 
Sounds like a plan, will do. I actually swing through quite a lot as I routinely travel to Green Bay to Oneida and such lol.


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## mrsmoklestein (Dec 17, 2018)

dr k said:


> Some cork/plug the 1/2" hole and get a 3" hole saw to cut a vent in the center top and put in a damper/rain cap.  I'd cut a center hole in the bottom for a drain with the 3" hole saw and mount an aluminum 3" T sideways for a mailbox mod.  Cut a can and fill with enough water to air seal the T before each smoke where the bottom of the can slides around the T to catch drips. Use a 3"X24" aluminum pipe coming off the horizontal part of the T to a mailbox for the Amnps and the water in the drip can keeps all air coming through the mailbox mod.  Using DaveOmak tab cutting/folding attach the T to the smoker so it spins 360* so the mailbox can be on any side of the smoker (This has a pic in post #3 with 16 tabs.  Every other tab is folded 90*, slide in the T into the hole and fold the other eight 90* inside the smoker to secure.  There maybe a better link on this https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...y-version-of-mailbox-mod.272595/#post-1797250) Put down Alum foil covering the inside bottom of the smoker and cut a hole a little smaller than the 3" diameter so juices make it directly into the drain and also lets air and smoke in.



I get the top damper and the rain cap, but the part about the "T" and mailbox mod is extremely confusing to me....and I do tool and die for a living lol.


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## TomKnollRFV (Dec 17, 2018)

mrsmoklestein said:


> Sounds like a plan, will do. I actually swing through quite a lot as I routinely travel to Green Bay to Oneida and such lol.


No Kidding? Well maybe after the Holidays here then!


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## dr k (Dec 17, 2018)

mrsmoklestein said:


> I get the top damper and the rain cap, but the part about the "T" and mailbox mod is extremely confusing to me....and I do tool and die for a living lol.


A lot of mailbox mods use 3" alum pipe fittings because the Mes digital smokers have a 3" chip loader hole and top vent.  If you did do a mailbox mod, you can search SMF, a 3" T fitting hanging from the bottom of the analog smoker, since there are legs elevating the smoker, would be a good place to plumb in to collect grease and let smoke in through one hole in the bottom of the smoker.  This is mine because of the 3" side chip loader hole.  Yours could come in at the bottom from a T and drain grease as well.  I don't know how to post drawings.


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## dr k (Dec 17, 2018)

mrsmoklestein said:


> I get the top damper and the rain cap, but the part about the "T" and mailbox mod is extremely confusing to me....and I do tool and die for a living lol.


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## mrsmoklestein (Dec 17, 2018)

Definitely sounds like some I'll consider in the future, I can see how valuable it would be. I appreciate it.

As for the time being, given the fact that I have bacon curing and plenty to do with the holidays I think I'll hold off on the mailbox for now however. I have an AMNPS in the mail, along with a damper vent, and a better door thermometer. Plan to run dust, but I'm not sure what I would really lose by running pellets. 

Plan on opening up the drain hole on the bottom to allow more airflow, and adding the damper vent to the top of the unit. Sounds like airflow restrictions are the main problem with the AMNPS units. 

In the future, the location of the added holes would allow for the mods you're talking about if needed.


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## dr k (Dec 17, 2018)

This was the best I came up with awhile ago for the MB analog due to low air flow for the Amnps and keeping holes centered/symmetrical for even heating with an alum pan/baking sheet on the bottom rack.  I like the dead air space insulation my drip pan sits on in my Mes Gen 1 40 so there's less grease vaporizing.  Just two more alum pans just like the drip pan but the bead around one pan edge cut off to rest on the other pans edge.  Easy clean up for several smokes before putting down a new $.50 drip pan.


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