# My Mailbox Mod Brings Down Temp in Smoker



## unity5358 (Nov 11, 2017)

I have posted a few times about my MES taking forever to recover and such.  I have diagnosed that my mailbox mod set up brings down the temp inside the smoker significantly.  The smoke is flowing out the top vent so it seems the air is moving in the right direction, mailbox to smoker, but the draft  that going in from the mailbox brings down the temp in the smoker [which makes sense since it's not hot air].    If I have the chip loader in the hole instead of the mailbox duct, the temp rises.  If I remove the chip loader and attach the mailbox via the duct, the temp starts going down.  Is there any way around this, or is this the price that has to be paid to use the mailbox mod?  Is this just something that has to be adjusted for and lived with when using the mailbox mod?  Thanks!


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## cayotica (Nov 11, 2017)

I don’t know how far your mailbox is away from the smoker but the closer it’s to the smoker the less heat loss you’ll experience.  My smoke generator is flush up to the smoker, nowhere to lose heat at.
P.S. if you’re loosing heat outta the vent just close it. While the ampns needs air you could be giving it too much air.


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## cmayna (Nov 11, 2017)

Let's see a pic of your setup.  I would not close the top vent for you need airflow.  How many holes have you drilled into the mailbox? I have 3 holes in the mailbox door and maybe 9-10 holes thru it's floor.  Here's a pic of my MES.  Never have had any heat loss issues with it.


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## cayotica (Nov 11, 2017)

Here’s my setup p.s. it isn’t balanced in this photograph.


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## daveomak (Nov 11, 2017)

How many and what size holes you got in the MB mod....  The smoke looks like it's not getting enough air...  Look at the smoke coming out of Craigs smoker...  Thin and blue...  Yours appears to be white....
I'm thinking you do not have the MB mod air tight to the smoker...


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## cayotica (Nov 12, 2017)

Like I said it still needed balancing in that photo, tighten a loose connection works fine and lasts a long time


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## unity5358 (Nov 12, 2017)

OK, so here's my set up. the two holes are are 1".  I've tried covering them halfway with tape and that helped a little.  What I don't understand is, if the air /smoke is moving into the smoker and out the top vent as it should [draft?], how could it NOT bring down the temp. inside the smoker since it is coming from the outside and is significantly cooler than the inside [by 150* or so]?  And if we're smoking in the winter, isn't that air/smoke drafting into the smoker going to be even a bigger issue for bringing down the temp.?  For me, the main problem this is apparently causing is the recovery from the temp. drop after I load two racks of ribs in.  With the ribs [even allowed 'em to warm up some first] and the door open to load, the temp. drops from where I start it at 275* [according to the MES thermometer; ThermoWorks Smoke reads 302*] down to 160* or so. It then takes 90 min. to get up to 220*.  But if I disconnect the mailbox and put the chip loader in the hole, it goes up much faster.
	

		
			
		

		
	














	

		
			
		

		
	
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## unity5358 (Nov 12, 2017)

Perhaps my problem includes the measly 800 watts my 30" MES has?


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## unity5358 (Nov 12, 2017)

I used to have it set up like this.  Then I noticed most guys have the smoker up higher than the mailbox, so I thought maybe there was something to that.  So, I raised it up [see previous pics].  It doesn't seem to have made any difference.  Notice this is my old smoker that now serves as the stand for the new one in the previous pics.  I was having the same problem with the temp. and recovery time with this old one.  I thought it must be the smoker since it's old and so heavily used. Amazon had new ones for $140 so I got a new one.  It is no better and has the same problems. Since it seems to work as it should without the mailbox, I don't think it's the smoker.  Masterbuilt has already sent me a replacement digital control and heating element.  They've been great, thus far.  But I can't justify trying to get them to do anything else since it seems like the problem is related to the mailbox mod somehow.


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## daveomak (Nov 12, 2017)

Temps will come down the rise again...   My MES has 800 watts and works fine...  Maybe you expect more of the unit than it can deliver...  Well, can you get it to "work fine" ???  then do that...



cayotica said:


> Like I said it still needed balancing in that photo, *tighten a loose connection works fine and lasts a long time*


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## Bearcarver (Nov 12, 2017)

unity5358 said:


> I used to have it set up like this.  Then I noticed most guys have the smoker up higher than the mailbox, so I thought maybe there was something to that.  So, I raised it up [see previous pics].  It doesn't seem to have made any difference.  Notice this is my old smoker that now serves as the stand for the new one in the previous pics.  I was having the same problem with the temp. and recovery time with this old one.  I thought it must be the smoker since it's old and so heavily used. Amazon had new ones for $140 so I got a new one.  It is no better and has the same problems. Since it seems to work as it should without the mailbox, I don't think it's the smoker.  Masterbuilt has already sent me a replacement digital control and heating element.  They've been great, thus far.  But I can't justify trying to get them to do anything else since it seems like the problem is related to the mailbox mod somehow.




I would think since you're having trouble with too much air flow cooling your smoker down, you don't need the mailbox.
Try Smoking without the Mailbox. I've done 8 years of smoking with 3 different MES units, and my mailbox is still out by the road where my Mailman Likes It.

Bear


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## GaryHibbert (Nov 12, 2017)

Couple of questions for you.  I'd say you'v probably got too much airflow going through the mailbox.
1  are you getting TBS?
2  how long does a full tray of chips last?
3  is your mailbox facing into the prevailing wind and is it generally windy?  Mine faces the wind and on windy days I found that without a windbreak of some kind, my pellets burn way too fast.  But it doesn't greatly affect the temp in my MES.
Don't even think about closing the top vent any on your MES---you'll not like what the stale smoke does to your food.
Gary


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## unity5358 (Nov 12, 2017)

1. Yes, TBS, not TWS (thick white smoke ;)).
2. Full AMNPS smokes for 10 hrs.
3. No significant wind to be factor.


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## rickyldd (Aug 25, 2019)

I know this is an old post....Just wondering if the problem is fixed? I noticed some of the same problems with mine after the MB mod. I plugged up some holes. It did help...I wish the element was bigger or hotter.


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## daveomak (Aug 25, 2019)

The thermostat will correct for the temperature drop...
Put the AMNPS in the MB when it is lit...  close the MB door...  Have meat in the smoker.. Close the smoker door..,.  walk away....   the food will get done....
Give it an extra hour or so to accommodate the temperature swings..


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## smokerjim (Aug 25, 2019)

daveomak said:


> The thermostat will correct for the temperature drop...
> Put the AMNPS in the MB when it is lit...  close the MB door...  Have meat in the smoker.. Close the smoker door..,.  walk away....   the food will get done....
> Give it an extra hour or so to accommodate the temperature swings..


what dave said! I never really noticed a big drop during the summer, in winter it does drop but my mes rebounds pretty quick.


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