# MES 230g any good, setup suggestions.



## Texmex03 (Sep 11, 2018)

Been looking forever  and finally jumped due to price.  Did online purchase at Lowe’s for the MES230g from Lowe’s for $105ish our the door.   

I looked at some threads identifying the different generations and beat setups for pellet maze and heat shielding but didn’t see much on the 30 model.  

Any comments?   Is this one worth picking up for the price?   Link to help identify below.  

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/account-confirmation/210735/email?c=y6be4dUru2xAKJAI


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## mosparky (Sep 11, 2018)

Well the link don't work, probably because of the newbie status. A few post under your belt will cure that.
Great deal ! I just looked it up and my lowes shows it at over twice that price.
 It looks to be a MES 30 Gen 2.5 Bluetooth with window. Most everything you read about set ups on 40's applies here except there is no room to place a AMNPS on the bottom left near the element. If you decide to use  an AMNPS(highly recommended), it really likes to be on the right side of the bottom shelf with the chip loader pulled out about an inch. Exhaust vent wide open. Or in a mailbox mod if you decide to go that route.


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## Texmex03 (Sep 11, 2018)

Appreciate the quick response.  Saw it on slickdeals.  There were a lot of stores with it marked down to 119.  Then I added the 20 off 100 coupon.

I was planning on doing the amnps didn’t realize it had to go on bottom rack.  Hope it won’t limit me too much.  

For the price it was hard to pass up.


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## normanaj (Sep 11, 2018)

Great price.Take it.

If the AMNPS doesn't work for you using the tube(AMNTS) with u-bolt mod is a great alternative.


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## Papasunshine (Sep 11, 2018)

I just bought the mes30g from Lowe’s via the slickdeals front page post too! New to smoking and stumbled onto this forum today, lol. Plan to smoke some ribs and chicken this weekend. I ordered the pellet maze and a couple of bags of oak and mesquite from amazn via amazon. Hope it goes well for both of us


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## Texmex03 (Sep 11, 2018)

I am doing the same right now.   I was looking at the pellet maze, perfect mix pellets but its 40lb which seems like alot and possibly tp20.

I wonder if I can wing something with a traditional meat thermometer or if wireless deal is necessary....can't imagine the glass will stay clean for me to see through and opening would just add time to the cook.


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## dr k (Sep 11, 2018)

Texmex03 said:


> I am doing the same right now.   I was looking at the pellet maze, perfect mix pellets but its 40lb which seems like alot and possibly tp20.
> 
> I wonder if I can wing something with a traditional meat thermometer or if wireless deal is necessary....can't imagine the glass will stay clean for me to see through and opening would just add time to the cook.


A-maze-n Products has 20% off coupon code and free shipping with a $49.00 order.  You won't have a problem hitting that with the Amnps and some pellets.  I just got 44lbs.  20lb. Pitmasters Choice, 20lb. Apple, 2lb. Mesquite and 2lb. Corn Cob @ $55.00.  It's about $12.00 more than one 40lb. bag of Cookin  Pellets but I got four kinds of pellets which justifies the price difference.  I'll put some Apple in with PitMasters Choice = Perfect mix. I'd shop the A-maze-n Products site.  I started with smaller bags then got 20lbers of the tried and true I like.  Try some sawdust in the Amnps.  I'm doing a full tray of Pecan dust at 150*F tomorrow for 9 hours of smoke totalling 16+ hours to dehydrate a rack of halved Chocolate Habaneros on A-maze-n Qmatz for Chipotle Choc Hab chili's.  Their Qmatz are great for meatloaves etc. and small food that falls through the rack


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## Texmex03 (Sep 13, 2018)

Ordered pellets and amnps forms todd’s website.   TP20 from Amazon with a coupon code from these forums delivered today.    Plan to assemble and season tonight.


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## normanaj (Sep 13, 2018)

Texmex03 said:


> Ordered pellets and amnps forms todd’s website. TP20 from Amazon with a coupon code from these forums delivered today. Plan to assemble and season tonight.



Nice!

Let us all know what's first on the grates.


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## Texmex03 (Sep 15, 2018)

Making 1st attempt now with small brisket.   The AMNPS wont be here till Monday and I am impatient so trying 4lb brisket with some chips at 225.   Problem is I am not getting hardly any smoke....with seasoning at 275 I had tons of smoke.  Should i just push and cook at 240 or 250 to try and get some smoke?

Can't wait for AMNPS

edit:   Adjusted and started getting smoke at 240 so I will try to hover around that for now


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## Mop (Sep 18, 2018)

I bought this too.
It has wheels!
Instructions/pre-season was easy.
Bluetooth doesn't work, as many reviews stated.

Smoked sockeye salmon on first smoke.
Not as salty/tasty in the meat as I had hope.
I was lazy to brine first, as I read up on.
I just wanted to start smoking.

Next up, I smoked Costco's pre-seasoned ribs today.
I'm never buying pre-seasoned meat again.
It look good in the store, but the meat is not tasty at all.
The meat or animal must have been old.

So I just saw AMNPS on threads.
That and a wireless thermometer will be my next purchases.
Hoping to get good at smoking and make great tasting foods!


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## PAS (Sep 21, 2018)

Mop said:


> I bought this too.
> It has wheels!
> Instructions/pre-season was easy.
> Bluetooth doesn't work, as many reviews stated.
> ...


How far away were you when trying the Bluetooth?  My friend got one the other day and his worked up to about 75' with his Apple phone.  I am getting one today.  GREAT PRICE!  $119.50 AT lOWES.


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## TomKnollRFV (Sep 21, 2018)

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/bears-step-by-step-index.159333/


Bear's step by steps are an amazing trove of information. I suspect any questions are answered in one of his informational threads, but if not..well, if you ask some one will know! Alot of us run the MES :)


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## Michael Cohen (Sep 23, 2018)

I also just bought one of these, one of my sorta-local Lowes had two in stock at $120. Looked it up on Amazon and saw they usually go for around $300! I've been doing a lot of smoking on a gas grill (which works really well, but was crazy inefficient) but I am really new to this whole separate smoker thing. I figured with as much smoking as I do on the regular that this was a deal too hard to pass up. I tried it out for the first time yesterday with some pork tenderloins and applewood chips, but the loins came out on the bitter side and looked brown instead of more red that I was typically used to from smoking in the gas grill. I read that has something to do with the difference between actual flame and electric heat, but I'm still learning.

I then did about 12 chicken breasts with applewood (another thing I'm used to smoking on my grill) and these came out awesome, but I added chips the entire time they took to get up to temp and the smoke flavor was ridiculously intense. I think I'm used to using chips the whole time the meat is cooking on my grill because it was so inefficient, so I'll need to experiment to figure out where the sweet spot is with the electric.

My only major gripe about the unit is that the app doesn't work half the time. It starts up ok, and you can set the time and temp plus alarms on your phone (which is really neat), but after a while the app craps out and doesn't allow you to adjust anything anymore until you reset the smoker, which is kind of a pain if it's in the middle of a cook cycle. This renders the built-in thermometer useless, so I ended up using my regular remote thermometers, so no big deal I guess. (Using an android phone, btw. No idea how well it works on iOS.)

Anyway, cheers and good luck with yours!


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## TomKnollRFV (Sep 23, 2018)

Michael Cohen said:


> I also just bought one of these, one of my sorta-local Lowes had two in stock at $120. Looked it up on Amazon and saw they usually go for around $300! I've been doing a lot of smoking on a gas grill (which works really well, but was crazy inefficient) but I am really new to this whole separate smoker thing. I figured with as much smoking as I do on the regular that this was a deal too hard to pass up. I tried it out for the first time yesterday with some pork tenderloins and applewood chips, but the loins came out on the bitter side and looked brown instead of more red that I was typically used to from smoking in the gas grill. I read that has something to do with the difference between actual flame and electric heat, but I'm still learning.
> 
> I then did about 12 chicken breasts with applewood (another thing I'm used to smoking on my grill) and these came out awesome, but I added chips the entire time they took to get up to temp and the smoke flavor was ridiculously intense. I think I'm used to using chips the whole time the meat is cooking on my grill because it was so inefficient, so I'll need to experiment to figure out where the sweet spot is with the electric.
> 
> ...


I would guess you didn't properly season it the first time around. You wanna run that sucker at 275f every time you clean it for 2-3 hours as well, burns out off flavours of chemicals yet etc.

As for the built in Thermometer? Notoriously unreliable to begin with. I use my remote control probe to set temperature, that is it. That built in display can be hard to see due to the sun. I just set the timer for 24 hours.


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## Michael Cohen (Sep 23, 2018)

TomKnollRFV said:


> I would guess you didn't properly season it the first time around. You wanna run that sucker at 275f every time you clean it for 2-3 hours as well, burns out off flavours of chemicals yet etc.
> 
> As for the built in Thermometer? Notoriously unreliable to begin with. I use my remote control probe to set temperature, that is it. That built in display can be hard to see due to the sun. I just set the timer for 24 hours.



I seasoned it as per the instructions, and hand-washed everything I could. But I see your point, after all it was the very first time in use and additional seasoning time probably wouldn't have hurt. Hopefully I'll get better with repeated usage. I plan on putting this thing through its paces. Thanks!


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## Mop (Sep 23, 2018)

PAS said:


> How far away were you when trying the Bluetooth?  My friend got one the other day and his worked up to about 75' with his Apple phone.  I am getting one today.  GREAT PRICE!  $119.50 AT lOWES.



Right nearby it.
I only got it to connect once.
I cannot get it to connect again.


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## TomKnollRFV (Sep 23, 2018)

Michael Cohen said:


> I seasoned it as per the instructions, and hand-washed everything I could. But I see your point, after all it was the very first time in use and additional seasoning time probably wouldn't have hurt. Hopefully I'll get better with repeated usage. I plan on putting this thing through its paces. Thanks!


Well, if it worked the second time..I really have no idea. I doubt you left any thing bad inside then. Some times you read people left insulation foam in it etc that wasn't meant to stay in, so on and so forth. But I would think you'd be tasting that forever!


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## Mop (Sep 23, 2018)

OP, have you gotten the AMNPS? How's the fit/placement in the smoker?


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## Mop (Sep 23, 2018)

What's the 20% coupon for the AMNPS, and still valid?

Edit: I found the coupon, back to school sale, but it's expired.


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## Mop (Sep 23, 2018)

Texmex03 said:


> Ordered pellets and amnps forms todd’s website.   TP20 from Amazon with a coupon code from these forums delivered today.    Plan to assemble and season tonight.



What's the TP20 coupon?


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## Texmex03 (Sep 24, 2018)

Use this code on amazon for Thermapro products.   I got this off the smoking meat forums. Below is the link about it.   

IF5RBOKA

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/thermopro-intro-post.259973/


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## Texmex03 (Sep 24, 2018)

I did get the amnps in but I was out of town for several days.   I need to get a torch to light it and test it out.   Maybe today.  

I think I will put it right side bottom tray.


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## Mop (Sep 25, 2018)

Thanks Texmex03, for the coupon!
I will need get a torchlight also, thanks for the reminder.


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## TomKnollRFV (Sep 25, 2018)

Mop said:


> What's the 20% coupon for the AMNPS, and still valid?
> 
> Edit: I found the coupon, back to school sale, but it's expired.


I honestly got mine at fleet farm for 30 bucks and no pellets. Still worth the money!


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## BuckeyeSteve (Sep 25, 2018)

I would suggest reading the mailbox mod thread.  I'm getting really good results with it.
I also got the TP20 and I am happy with it.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/mes-mailbox-mod-for-use-with-amnps.127770/


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## Vettemn86 (Oct 2, 2018)

I just did my first cook yesterday on the same unit after seasoning last week. Thanks to the wealth of info on the site, I was able to smoke some ridiculously good pork belly burnt ends. Just be carefull with the bluetooth app as after the first hour, is sent the smoker into the 899 temp error. Luckily the thermapro caught the temp swing as it got to about 300 before I read here the bluetooth was glitched and not to use it


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