# How much smoke @225? masterbuilt MES 130B



## FishInTheDesert

Cooking my first chicken right now!

How much smoke are you supposed to get at 225? I swear im getting no smoke at 225....and i heated it up to 275 to get it started like the manual suggested. It smoked...but eventually tapered down to looking like no smoke.

Just opened the smoker about 2 hours in to check the water level and the wood chips. Wood chips are still there....but theyre black, not ashy or burnt....just black. Havent mixed them up and maybe the bottom ones are ashed...but what I see does not look burnt. Making me worry wether 225 isnt gonna be a temp I can use while producing smoke.

Let me know. Thanks NEW amigos!


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## kruizer

You don't say what kind of smoker you have.


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## johnmeyer

Your Masterbuilt should produce plenty of smoke at 225. I wonder if you have the chip tray inserted the wrong way? On my MES, it is possible to put the chip tray on top or below the heating element.


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## airmec

Don't know how hot it is where you are but my back deck gets 120+ and my electric smoker cycles off so much at lower temps the chips never burn or smoke for that matter


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## KrisUpInSmoke

I've heard people complain that they can't get enough smoke at lower temps on an MES, but I'm not sure if the heating element goes off because the box holds the temp very well which allows the chips to go out or if something else is going on there. I have a different model and I have no problem with the chip tray at 225℉. The chips are ash every hour. Other people sometimes buy pellet trays instead of using chips. 

 Your smoke is not supposed to be white or entirely visible the whole time.

 Your wood chips might have moisture in them.


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## daveomak

If you have the water pan in, with water in it, the humidity "may" be extinguishing the chips as they are trying to burn...  Steam will displace all the oxygen in the smoker....


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## zachd

Time for an a-maze-n pellet smoker
I like my MES but it is so touchy when it comes to chips it doesn't give you a constant thin blue smoke hardly ever.

It seems when it cycles it just burns the chips up almost immediately

I was getting a much better product when I went to the AMPS


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## FishInTheDesert

airmec said:


> Don't know how hot it is where you are but my back deck gets 120+ and my electric smoker cycles off so much at lower temps the chips never burn or smoke for that matter



You know what.....this might be it! I live in the desert (West Texas). I put it out on my back patio hoping to keep it out of the sun....but it still had the sun shining on it most of the time it was cooking. It might be a pain...but im gonna try again on my front patio where it should be able to stay in shade the whole time.

I did put water in the pan, maybe ill try less. I think I got it in the right way...looked at the manual. Its sitting just above the heater....hope thats right?! lol

Ill try that other tray if I cant figure this out. Ive seen it recommended a ton across forums, so that many people cant be wrong! lol


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## tallbm

Hi there and welcome!

There may be 3 things going on here:


Water pan is steaming and that is ruining your chip burn.  I would toss the water out all together as it is a common understanding that the MES needs no water due to its superior insulation and ability in the moisture/humidity department


The MES is NOROTRIOUS for having temperature readings that are just plain off and often by quite a bit.  This causes basically every MES owner to buy a good dual probe (or more probes) wireless thermometer to rely upon.  Use 1 probe to measure the smoker temp at meat/rack level and the other probe stabbed into the meat for the meat's Internal Temp (IT).  There are a number of good wireless thermometers out there but I always recommend the ThermoPro TP-20 dual probe thermometer.  I personally like having at least 4 probes so pick one that is right for you and get it ASAP so you can know what temps your smoker and meat are really cooking at!


The AMNPS is the way to go and is basically the 2nd purchase made by all of us MES owners.  We get the thermometer and then the AMNPS because the AMNPS is just plan awesome!  It produces perfect Thin Blue Smoke (TBS) EVERYTIME with no fuss and it will burn up to 9-12+ hours if you fill it.  Perfect, hassle free smoke generation for hours!
Also again, with uncertain smoker temps your smoker may not be getting hot enough at a 225F setting to smoke the chips up.  It may only be hitting a hi temp of like 200F and the MES does not do well for smoke at 200F.  You just can't trust the what the MES is saying for your smoker temp so crank up the heat :)


Finally, word to the wise... Chicken skin is leathery if not cooked at higher temps.  You probably want to crank that thing up to 275F for the whole cook and pray your chicken skin is edible.  I have the best luck at 325F but your MES will only get to 275F if you are lucky (again the temp issue of the MES probes).  Bearcarver seems to get good skin at 275F on his MES but a number of others are not so lucky.  Your mileage may vary :)
Oh another option is to remove the skin before cooking and you can avoid the skin issue and you still get great chicken with some bark on the meat :)
Anyhow, best of luck and continue practicing and learning and you will be making awesome bbq in no time! :)


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## TomKnollRFV

You should be getting smoke at 225f with out issue. My MES 40 model will do it at 200f even. You also should..yah..never really put water in that pan for a MES as I learned from Mr. Bear.


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## zachd

Ya what he said whenever I do chicken in the mes I always take it out and hit it on the propane grill at high heat to crisp the skin up


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## johnmeyer

tallbm said:


> There may be 3 things going on here:
> 
> Water pan is steaming and that is ruining your chip burn.  I would toss the water out all together as it is a common understanding that the MES needs no water due to its superior insulation and ability in the moisture/humidity department
> 
> 
> The MES is NOROTRIOUS for having temperature readings that are just plain off and often by quite a bit.  This causes basically every MES owner to buy a good dual probe (or more probes) wireless thermometer to rely upon.  Use 1 probe to measure the smoker temp at meat/rack level and the other probe stabbed into the meat for the meat's Internal Temp (IT).  There are a number of good wireless thermometers out there but I always recommend the ThermoPro TP-20 dual probe thermometer.  I personally like having at least 4 probes so pick one that is right for you and get it ASAP so you can know what temps your smoker and meat are really cooking at!
> 
> 
> The AMNPS is the way to go and is basically the 2nd purchase made by all of us MES owners.  We get the thermometer and then the AMNPS because the AMNPS is just plan awesome!  It produces perfect Thin Blue Smoke (TBS) EVERYTIME with no fuss and it will burn up to 9-12+ hours if you fill it.  Perfect, hassle free smoke generation for hours!
> Also again, with uncertain smoker temps your smoker may not be getting hot enough at a 225F setting to smoke the chips up.  It may only be hitting a hi temp of like 200F and the MES does not do well for smoke at 200F.  You just can't trust the what the MES is saying for your smoker temp so crank up the heat :)
> 
> 
> Finally, word to the wise... Chicken skin is leathery if not cooked at higher temps.  You probably want to crank that thing up to 275F for the whole cook and pray your chicken skin is edible.  I have the best luck at 325F but your MES will only get to 275F if you are lucky (again the temp issue of the MES probes).  Bearcarver seems to get good skin at 275F on his MES but a number of others are not so lucky.  Your mileage may vary :)
> Oh another option is to remove the skin before cooking and you can avoid the skin issue and you still get great chicken with some bark on the meat :)


+1 to all four points above.


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## FishInTheDesert

tallbm said:


> Hi there and welcome!
> 
> There may be 3 things going on here:
> 
> 
> Water pan is steaming and that is ruining your chip burn.  I would toss the water out all together as it is a common understanding that the MES needs no water due to its superior insulation and ability in the moisture/humidity department
> 
> 
> The MES is NOROTRIOUS for having temperature readings that are just plain off and often by quite a bit.  This causes basically every MES owner to buy a good dual probe (or more probes) wireless thermometer to rely upon.  Use 1 probe to measure the smoker temp at meat/rack level and the other probe stabbed into the meat for the meat's Internal Temp (IT).  There are a number of good wireless thermometers out there but I always recommend the ThermoPro TP-20 dual probe thermometer.  I personally like having at least 4 probes so pick one that is right for you and get it ASAP so you can know what temps your smoker and meat are really cooking at!
> 
> 
> The AMNPS is the way to go and is basically the 2nd purchase made by all of us MES owners.  We get the thermometer and then the AMNPS because the AMNPS is just plan awesome!  It produces perfect Thin Blue Smoke (TBS) EVERYTIME with no fuss and it will burn up to 9-12+ hours if you fill it.  Perfect, hassle free smoke generation for hours!
> Also again, with uncertain smoker temps your smoker may not be getting hot enough at a 225F setting to smoke the chips up.  It may only be hitting a hi temp of like 200F and the MES does not do well for smoke at 200F.  You just can't trust the what the MES is saying for your smoker temp so crank up the heat :)
> 
> 
> Finally, word to the wise... Chicken skin is leathery if not cooked at higher temps.  You probably want to crank that thing up to 275F for the whole cook and pray your chicken skin is edible.  I have the best luck at 325F but your MES will only get to 275F if you are lucky (again the temp issue of the MES probes).  Bearcarver seems to get good skin at 275F on his MES but a number of others are not so lucky.  Your mileage may vary :)
> Oh another option is to remove the skin before cooking and you can avoid the skin issue and you still get great chicken with some bark on the meat :)
> Anyhow, best of luck and continue practicing and learning and you will be making awesome bbq in no time! :)



Running another chicken tomorrow morning with Great American Land & Cattle Seasoning instead of salt and pepper for a neighbor. My last chicken wasnt perfect....but it was definitely edible and had a good taste with 2 loaders full of wood chips. Not too smokey...and I feel OK giving it to others to eat! lol

1. Gonna go no water for sure tomorrow.

2. How do you measure smoker temp with the 1 probe like you mention...let it touch the metal rack? float it above the rack...or can you clarify? So...I did go to bed bath and beyond to get a meat probe/thermometer, and removed at 162...do I need a probe that I can leave inside/connected to the meat while cooking, or is cooking by time and checking accordingly with meat thermometer/probe like I did enough?

3. Already bought a meat thermometer so I might be halfway there. Ill buy it since it sounds good. Dumb question but how do you use it? Place it on the bottom rack and fire up a few of the pellets....put it where the current wood chip tray is above the heating unit....or hows it work. I just saw it on amazon so havent done the most homework on it yet.

4. Surprisingly....my skin wasnt bad....prolly between leathery and nice and crispy! I was kinda surprised about them since I was worried about soggy skin after reading a few forum posts. THERE IS HOPE! lol


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## johnmeyer

Put a remote read thermometer anywhere in the middle of the smoker. You can simply lay it on a rack, away from the food (you want to measure the enclosure temp, not the food temp). My probe came with a spring clip that lets you clip it onto the rack, so it doesn't move around when you pull the racks out, and also keeps the probe up in the air, so it doesn't have its temperature changed by dripping juices or by food that shifts and then touches it.

Placement is not critical, although you also want to make sure that it isn't too close to the heat source, so it is not affected by radiant heat.


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## tallbm

FishInTheDesert said:


> Running another chicken tomorrow morning with Great American Land & Cattle Seasoning instead of salt and pepper for a neighbor. My last chicken wasnt perfect....but it was definitely edible and had a good taste with 2 loaders full of wood chips. Not too smokey...and I feel OK giving it to others to eat! lol
> 
> 1. Gonna go no water for sure tomorrow.
> 
> 2. How do you measure smoker temp with the 1 probe like you mention...let it touch the metal rack? float it above the rack...or can you clarify? So...I did go to bed bath and beyond to get a meat probe/thermometer, and removed at 162...do I need a probe that I can leave inside/connected to the meat while cooking, or is cooking by time and checking accordingly with meat thermometer/probe like I did enough?
> 
> 3. Already bought a meat thermometer so I might be halfway there. Ill buy it since it sounds good. Dumb question but how do you use it? Place it on the bottom rack and fire up a few of the pellets....put it where the current wood chip tray is above the heating unit....or hows it work. I just saw it on amazon so havent done the most homework on it yet.
> 
> 4. Surprisingly....my skin wasnt bad....prolly between leathery and nice and crispy! I was kinda surprised about them since I was worried about soggy skin after reading a few forum posts. THERE IS HOPE! lol



1. That should probably help some with the smoke generation, less water in the air the better wood can smoke

2. There are clips that are to fit on the smoker rack bars.  The clips allow you insert your probe into the clip.  Then the clip with the probe is placed securely on the smoker rack.  
Also there are Alligator clips that can also fit on the end of a probe and the clip is then attached to a rack, see the following image:







3.  Having a probe you can leave inside the meat is ideal and very likely what you will want.  Wireless thermometers are made to where you can leave the probes inside the meat and inside the smoker.  They have features like alarms that will notify you when a certain temperature is set.  So for instance for chicken the target is 165F IT (Internal Temp). So you set the alarm for the Meat probe, which you stick in the breast of the chicken, to alert you when it hits 165F.  You then keep the hand held portion of the thermometer nearby you and when the temp is hit the alarm goes off and you go pull the chicken out!   
Having a dual probe (or more probes) Thermometer means you can use 1 probe for the meat and the other probe for the smoker.  You can then also set alarms on the 2nd probe you clip to the rack of the smoker so if the heat gets too low or too high for any reason it will also alert you.  This is helpful in case a flame situation breaks out or the wife decides to run the microwave, toaster oven, and hair dryer on the same circuit as your electric smoker :P

You CAN cook by time and periodically check for temp by going and stabbing with an "instant" thermometer but you will find that will be a hassle when one of the major goals of smoking is consistency which you often can get with precision temp measuring tools.   People have been smoking meat without thermometers forever BUT nailing consistency doesn't have to be a guessing game or a 10 year experience building exercise :)

If you get a leave in probe/thermometer you will want some kind of clip for the smoker probe and then I suggest you put it at meat level near the meat where you can fit it.  This will give you better temp measurements than what the MES will give you.   Use the rack that gets the most consistent/reliable heat.  In my MES40 it is the bottom most rack.  In a friend of mine's MES30 it seems to be the rack that is 2nd from the top.  Every smoker can be different :)

4. The poultry skin battle is one you will be dealing with unless you can consistently get high enough temps.  Many guys cook their chicken to a lower IT of like 140F and then finish the chicken on a screaming hot grill to get the skin edible and bring the IT of the chicken up to 165F.   This seems to work well.
It seems quite a few of the other bunch of guys here that can get their smokers (stick burners, propane, etc.) to 325F generally just smoke at higher temps for the great chicken skin issue.

I hope all this info helps :)


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## johnmeyer

The alligator clip idea is brilliant. I have dozens of those lying around.


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## gmc2003

For the grate probe you can always stick your probe thru a potato wedge to hold it in place. As for rubbery skin I believe it was @foamheart who swears if you let the bird form a good pellicle on the skin before smoking then you'll get crispy skin at lower temps.

Chirs


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## FishInTheDesert

tallbm said:


> I hope all this info helps :)


Yea it does! Just one question...and its a $15 question...

Im ordering the probes (prolly after you reply)....only need the 2 since its a small smoker and ill always be cooking just 1 meat 99% of the time. But...my frugal side is kicking in. Whats the difference between the TP-20 and TP-08? Is it just the presets and alerts....thats what ive got from reading the descriptions.

Is it worth the extra $15 bucks for those alerts? I love slow cookers...so im good with the set it and forget it mentality, and even tho I  dont think ill need it...if I happen to be drinking beers while smoking....maybe that $15 is worth it! lol



gmc2003 said:


> For the grate probe you can always stick your probe thru a potato wedge to hold it in place. As for rubbery skin I believe it was @foamheart who swears if you let the bird form a good pellicle on the skin before smoking then you'll get crispy skin at lower temps.
> 
> Chirs



So....my chicken came out drier than id like. But...my skin was edible! I live in a desert climate...so im not sure if thats helping the cause. Got chicken #2 and going no water in the tray, but also higher temp (265)....gonna see how this one goes. I like low and slow....but read everywhere chicken is better at higher temps, so tried to strike a balance and see how it goes.

Im gonna cook a chicken every day or every other day to try and fine tune. Giving them away to neighbors! lol...and theyre around $10 in 2 packs at my walmart....so makes the learning process relatively cheap! 

I wanna do  "3-2-1" ribs this weekend...lets see if I trust myself by that time. hate wasting food


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## tallbm

johnmeyer said:


> The alligator clip idea is brilliant. I have dozens of those lying around.



I bought a 10 pack on ebay or amazon once for a few bucks.  I use it on a couple of my 6 total probes and it works well :)


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## FishInTheDesert

so there was more smoke today....but I raised temp, and also took out the water. Here is the chicken. 265 for 3 hours 20 minutes


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## FishInTheDesert

baby chicken...about 4 pounds i figure

later edit:
it was a lot juicier (especially after slicing into it) than the pics looked...and delicious. Im not sure I wanna call it good since im expecting fall of the bone tenderness.....but it was tender and I would choose this chicken over a grocery store rotisserie chicken 10 times out of 10. Im not a skin guy...but the person I gave this chicken to ate the skin when they tried it....and had no complaints and said it was delicious!

This is making me so optimistic! Hopefully I can dial in my briskets this quickly.

Also...not to brag....but I just sourced some local oak, pecan and mesquite chips!!!! super fired up! lol


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## foamheart

gmc2003 said:


> For the grate probe you can always stick your probe thru a potato wedge to hold it in place. As for rubbery skin I believe it was
> 
> foamheart
> who swears if you let the bird form a good pellicle on the skin before smoking then you'll get crispy skin at lower temps.
> 
> Chirs



Never lets me down..... o_O


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## GaryHibbert

Your. Latest chicken looks beautiful.  How was the skin??  I cooked my last chicken at 300 degrees but the skin was still just bite through not crispy.
As for your other questions, tallbm has been giving you GREAT advice.
About the only thing I'd add is be sure to boil test your thermometers.  They should read 212 degrees in boiling water at sea level.  If you boil test the MES meat therm you'll probably discover it's way out.  Mine was so I junked it and bought a 2 orobe digital therm.
Gary


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## KrisUpInSmoke

Looking good!



FishInTheDesert said:


> if I happen to be drinking beers while smoking....maybe that $15 is worth it! lol



Tp 08 alerts you too high or low temp settings, but has only one meat probe.
Tp 20 only alerts you too high temp settings, but both probes can be used for meat.



FishInTheDesert said:


> Giving them away to neighbors!



That's nice. Tell'em you want honesty in return. Some people are afraid to be honest. And, make sure you taste too....lol. Are you tasting too? Sometimes, I don't even want the food after I spent all day making it, but you gotta taste to know...lol.... especially when you're in the gettin'-it-right stage.

Looking forward to your ribs this weekend!


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## TomKnollRFV

Chiming in because the other day I checked the cooking section at Walmart and they actually had the wire meat probes there fairly cheap, I think 12 dollars? Some thing like that. I suggest having one as you can check the temp with out opening the smoker. Or go all out and get a Maverick Redi-check.... <Which that costs 70 bucks>. Just be sure it's grill/bbq grade stuff, not a fridge unit.


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## foamheart

TomKnollRFV said:


> Or go all out and get a Maverick Redi-check.... <Which that costs 70 bucks>. Just be sure it's grill/bbq grade stuff, not a fridge unit.



The Amazon "shop till you drop", had the Maverick single probe at >25.00 each. You can't buy a replacement probe for that.


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## tallbm

FishInTheDesert said:


> Yea it does! Just one question...and its a $15 question...
> 
> Im ordering the probes (prolly after you reply)....only need the 2 since its a small smoker and ill always be cooking just 1 meat 99% of the time. But...my frugal side is kicking in. Whats the difference between the TP-20 and TP-08? Is it just the presets and alerts....thats what ive got from reading the descriptions.
> 
> Is it worth the extra $15 bucks for those alerts? I love slow cookers...so im good with the set it and forget it mentality, and even tho I  dont think ill need it...if I happen to be drinking beers while smoking....maybe that $15 is worth it! lol
> 
> 
> 
> So....my chicken came out drier than id like. But...my skin was edible! I live in a desert climate...so im not sure if thats helping the cause. Got chicken #2 and going no water in the tray, but also higher temp (265)....gonna see how this one goes. I like low and slow....but read everywhere chicken is better at higher temps, so tried to strike a balance and see how it goes.
> 
> Im gonna cook a chicken every day or every other day to try and fine tune. Giving them away to neighbors! lol...and theyre around $10 in 2 packs at my walmart....so makes the learning process relatively cheap!
> 
> I wanna do  "3-2-1" ribs this weekend...lets see if I trust myself by that time. hate wasting food



The chicken looks pretty good and chicken is cheap to experiment with!  Wait till you try brining a whole chicken in a simple salt and water brine for like 24 hours.  Pat dry, season, and smoke that sucker and see how awesome and juicy it comes out!

To answer your question the TP-20 has 2 "hybrid" probes.  They are pointy and can be used as meat probes or smoker probes hence the term "hybrid".
I believe the TP-08 has 1 dedicated smoker probe and the other is a "hybrid" probe so it is pointy and can go in meat or not.  I also think the TP-08 has a high and low temp alarm setting or something like that where the TP-20 only has a single alarm temp settings.

It's up to what you want.  I went with the TP-20 because I wanted the flexibility of being able to stab both probes into meat if I needed.  Hell I run 6 probes total and 5 of them are "hybrid" probes.  It may sound crazy to run 6 probes but it is nice to have 3 measuring smoker temps in various areas and/or rack levels as well as meat on those various racks.  I know where my hot and cold spots are as well as how differently the meat is cooking across different racks :)  
Also when I do a Brisket I stab it with 3 meat probes and usually I get one of them in the right spot hahaha


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## FishInTheDesert

foamheart said:


> Never lets me down..... o_O



You just leave the chicken out to dry out the skin...or how do you do it?



GaryHibbert said:


> Your. Latest chicken looks beautiful.  How was the skin??  I cooked my last chicken at 300 degrees but the skin was still just bite through not crispy.
> As for your other questions, tallbm has been giving you GREAT advice.
> About the only thing I'd add is be sure to boil test your thermometers.  They should read 212 degrees in boiling water at sea level.  If you boil test the MES meat therm you'll probably discover it's way out.  Mine was so I junked it and bought a 2 orobe digital therm.
> Gary



Thank you sir! I think its beginners luck and following the advice ive read here from surfing.

I actually didnt eat the skin...but the person I gave it to did and loved it! I dont think i wanna call it that JUST RIGHT crispy....but it was getting there! Definitely better than the skin all the rotissere chickens I ever bought. I didnt eat it, but did give it a feel and it did have a doneness...almost crispness. Ill try it on tomorrows bird....really hoping I can get a repeat performance and it wasnt just luck today!



KrisUpInSmoke said:


> Looking good!
> 
> 
> Prolly be worth the price of preventing one ruined dinner, especially when you (or company!) been waiting for it allllllllll day looooong.
> 
> That's nice. Tell'em you want honesty in return. Some people are afraid to be honest. And, make sure you taste too....lol. Are you tasting too? Sometimes, I don't even want the food after I spent all day making it, but you gotta taste to know...lol.... especially when you're in the gettin'-it-right stage.
> 
> Looking forward to your ribs this weekend!



Tasting the breast of the chicken only, not the dark meat. Todays bird was GREAT! Prolly helps that I brined it! Im definitely asking for honest opinions cuz ive told them that i just got the smoker and learning now...im real critical of myself too tho! lol I love cooking....good food!

The "one ruined dinner" reasoning is why I just went with the TP20 earlier today.



TomKnollRFV said:


> Chiming in because the other day I checked the cooking section at Walmart and they actually had the wire meat probes there fairly cheap, I think 12 dollars? Some thing like that. I suggest having one as you can check the temp with out opening the smoker. Or go all out and get a Maverick Redi-check.... <Which that costs 70 bucks>. Just be sure it's grill/bbq grade stuff, not a fridge unit.



I ordered the TP-20 earlier this afternoon. It had loads of good reviews and seemed like a good one for me. Saved me 10 bucks instead of the redi-check...just hope its as good. I think it will be good enough for me.



foamheart said:


> The Amazon "shop till you drop", had the Maverick single probe at >25.00 each. You can't buy a replacement probe for that.



They must be good thermometers because the 2 probe models were a lot more expensive than the one I ended up ordering earlier. Thanks for your Nekkid Chicken posts by the way....thats what I followed.



tallbm said:


> The chicken looks pretty good and chicken is cheap to experiment with!  Wait till you try brining a whole chicken in a simple salt and water brine for like 24 hours.  Pat dry, season, and smoke that sucker and see how awesome and juicy it comes out!



Thanks man...its really thanks to you! I thought that the water was an absolute must...and the rest of the post got me going in the right direction.

Forgot to mention...the chicken I posted pics of was brined overnight, about 12 hours....its was good!!!! Thanks again!


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## KrisUpInSmoke

FishInTheDesert said:


> Whats the difference between the TP-20 and TP-08? I


Tp 08 alerts you to high or low temp settings, but has only one meat probe. Only rated to 575℉.
Tp 20 only alerts you to high temp settings, but both probes can be used for meat. Goes above 575℉, rated to 1000℉+.


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## tallbm

FishInTheDesert said:


> Thanks man...its really thanks to you! I thought that the water was an absolute must...and the rest of the post got me going in the right direction.
> 
> Forgot to mention...the chicken I posted pics of was brined overnight, about 12 hours....its was good!!!! Thanks again!



I'm glad the info helped!  Understand that each smoker has it's quirks and type of behavior that we must figure out.  On top of that each cut of meat has it's own quirks to learn as well.

Once you get your smoker figured out and then a particular cut/type of meat figured out then you can consistently make amazing bbq!  Keep on practicing with that chicken and understand that even switching from whole chicken to boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless thighs, etc. etc. will show you how each cut acts differently.

Keep it up!


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## FishInTheDesert

Just threw one in....didnt brine this one cuz I just got the chickens...but I injected with butter....lets see.

I wanted to inject...because I wasnt happy with my first chicken. I wanted to give it a little extra just in case. Ill prolly stick to brining whenever possible with poultry tho.


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## tallbm

FishInTheDesert said:


> Just threw one in....didnt brine this one cuz I just got the chickens...but I injected with butter....lets see.
> 
> I wanted to inject...because I wasnt happy with my first chicken. I wanted to give it a little extra just in case. Ill prolly stick to brining whenever possible with poultry tho.



I brine for the most part.

I have injected turkeys but not chickens.  I prefer the brine over injecting on a turkey BUT I wouldn't wouldn't hesitate to inject if I didn't have time to brine.

I do a simple salt + water brine.

Also I only brine whole chickens and chicken breast.  Wings and dark meat chicken are juicy enough on their own and don't need the help.
I brine pork loin (and would do tenderloin too if I ever bought it).  A few months ago I bought a 10 pound pork loin that was on sale for $0.99/lb and I made 2 inch chops out of it.  I brined those chops and smoked them and WOW they were AWESOME!!!!  I did the same thing to the chops that I do with my boneless skinless chicken breast.

This weekend I believe Albertsons has $0.99 pork loin again.  I'm pretty sure I'll be picking up another 10 pound loin to do the same :D

Oh and butterflying and grilling the 2 inch chops needs no brining just try not to go over 145F internal temp on the grilled chops and you are in heaven!!!!

Chop and chop goodness! :)


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## TomKnollRFV

I'm a convert to the injection method, largely as I have problems tasting the rub, but injecting some in a buttery solution? I sure can taste it. Though I largely only do pork on my smoker, haven't seen the point of doing chicken. <Pan fried and oven baked crispy chicken is good..and I love my gravy>.


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## FishInTheDesert

tallbm said:


> I brine for the most part.
> 
> I have injected turkeys but not chickens.  I prefer the brine over injecting on a turkey BUT I wouldn't wouldn't hesitate to inject if I didn't have time to brine.
> 
> I do a simple salt + water brine.
> 
> Also I only brine whole chickens and chicken breast.  Wings and dark meat chicken are juicy enough on their own and don't need the help.
> I brine pork loin (and would do tenderloin too if I ever bought it).  A few months ago I bought a 10 pound pork loin that was on sale for $0.99/lb and I made 2 inch chops out of it.  I brined those chops and smoked them and WOW they were AWESOME!!!!  I did the same thing to the chops that I do with my boneless skinless chicken breast.
> 
> This weekend I believe Albertsons has $0.99 pork loin again.  I'm pretty sure I'll be picking up another 10 pound loin to do the same :D
> 
> Oh and butterflying and grilling the 2 inch chops needs no brining just try not to go over 145F internal temp on the grilled chops and you are in heaven!!!!
> 
> Chop and chop goodness! :)



Ill stop by Albertson's this weekend. And im definitely TEAM BRINE...at least for poultry! Its a noticeable difference and its just salt and water overnight....no extra effort really.

Yesterdays chicken....was a disappointment. It was NOT brined....and I felt also overcooked even though I went less time. IT was 172 when I took it out. My neighbors loved it and said it was the best chicken they had...they thought it was a rotisserie chicken! lol Even tho im sure it was good to them....my people in El Paso, Texas dont have the most refined pallet for quality smoked meats...so I do think standards are low. The chicken was good....but not what I want, and am expecting!

Made it a point to taste the skin.....its not crispy yet. Still softer than I'd like.....so....Im not going full pellicle, but im air drying today's chicken (with a fan). Prolly too quick to get a good pellicle, but I do know the skins dry when I start it! Just been paper towel patting so far...so just another experiment while I learn. Sticking with just salt and pepper for seasoning again. Planning to make AND KEEP a chicken on monday (ribs tomorrow!!!)...but im gonna use Everglades seasoning on this one! I think itll make a good smoked chicken....we shall see!

Ill post pics of Todays chicken....thanks everyone. This has been a great thread for my learning!


----------



## tallbm

FishInTheDesert said:


> Ill stop by Albertson's this weekend. And im definitely TEAM BRINE...at least for poultry! Its a noticeable difference and its just salt and water overnight....no extra effort really.
> 
> Yesterdays chicken....was a disappointment. It was NOT brined....and I felt also overcooked even though I went less time. IT was 172 when I took it out. My neighbors loved it and said it was the best chicken they had...they thought it was a rotisserie chicken! lol Even tho im sure it was good to them....my people in El Paso, Texas dont have the most refined pallet for quality smoked meats...so I do think standards are low. The chicken was good....but not what I want, and am expecting!
> 
> Made it a point to taste the skin.....its not crispy yet. Still softer than I'd like.....so....Im not going full pellicle, but im air drying today's chicken (with a fan). Prolly too quick to get a good pellicle, but I do know the skins dry when I start it! Just been paper towel patting so far...so just another experiment while I learn. Sticking with just salt and pepper for seasoning again. Planning to make AND KEEP a chicken on monday (ribs tomorrow!!!)...but im gonna use Everglades seasoning on this one! I think itll make a good smoked chicken....we shall see!
> 
> Ill post pics of Todays chicken....thanks everyone. This has been a great thread for my learning!



Good luck with today's chicken!

As for IT, yeah a 165F IT in the breast is as high as I ever want to go.
As for seasoning, Salt (omit if you brine), Pepper, Garlic, and Onion do wonders on basically every meat out there so feel free to give that a shot some day and be prepared to be shocked at how flavorful such a simple seasoning is! :)

Keep on fighting the chicken skin battle lol.  If you get bite through I consider it a win in the MES :)


----------



## FishInTheDesert

Best results today...especially on the skin!

I did more googling and came across another Foam thread...so I decided to work it in. This chicken was brined for prolly 20 hours or so in salt and water. I then took it out, pat dry it as much as I could.....and then left it on a rack with a fan blowing on it for about 2 hours. I would rotate the bird every half hour or so. Not sure ill call what I got a full pellicle...but allowing the bird to dry really did wonders for the skin!

Skin wasnt crispy...but it was dried out, and maybe with a little more dry time will get that crispiness that I keep missing. Ended up seasoning with pepper...and a little more salt. Cooked 3 hours 15 minutes.....Im think Ive noticed that the brined chickens take a few minutes longer to cook. The other days non brined chicken cooked in 3 hours....and was reading above 165!!

VERY JUICY AND VERY TASTY! RIBS TOMORROW! I got some good looking spare ribs. Planning the 3-2-1 on them...and gonna use this as the rub procedure


----------



## FishInTheDesert

SO....back to the original post.

I think that my smoker might not give steady and consistent smoke. Im waiting for my damn thermopro thats supposed to be in the mailbox by now. But im thinking that the Amazn pellet tray might be the best way to get steady smoke. 

Is there a video or site that explains it? I get that you load it up and light one end....but how do you know how many pellets to put in? I'd rather not buy it...but if I keep seeing blackend instead of ashed wood chips...i think I have to do something.


----------



## Bearcarver

FishInTheDesert said:


> SO....back to the original post.
> 
> I think that my smoker might not give steady and consistent smoke. Im waiting for my damn thermopro thats supposed to be in the mailbox by now. But im thinking that the Amazn pellet tray might be the best way to get steady smoke.
> 
> Is there a video or site that explains it? I get that you load it up and light one end....but how do you know how many pellets to put in? I'd rather not buy it...but if I keep seeing blackend instead of ashed wood chips...i think I have to do something.




There are YouTubes of lighting & using the AMNPS (Amazing Smoker Tray).
Get an AMNPS, and your problems will be solved.

BTW: For you youngsters on this forum;  Years ago there was a Model of MES that wouldn't light the chips in the Chip burner until the heat was up to at least 230°.
I had one of them, and I found there was an extra piece of metal between the Heating element & the Chip drawer.
Master built made a "Retrofix" & sent it out FREE to anyone who needed it. There was also a Video on Masterbuilt's Web Site showing how to make the change to the Retrofix Chip burner. It was an easy 2 minute swap, needing only a Phillips Screwdriver.

Bear


----------



## daveomak

Bearcarver........  I thought "WE" were youngsters !!!!


----------



## Bearcarver

daveomak said:


> Bearcarver........  I thought "WE" were youngsters !!!!




LOL---Just informing those who weren't around here when that bad chip-burner was replaced FREE by Masterbuilt for an awful lot of MES owners.
In this case I replaced "Newbies" with "Youngsters on this forum".

Bear


----------



## tallbm

FishInTheDesert said:


> Best results today...especially on the skin!
> 
> I did more googling and came across another Foam thread...so I decided to work it in. This chicken was brined for prolly 20 hours or so in salt and water. I then took it out, pat dry it as much as I could.....and then left it on a rack with a fan blowing on it for about 2 hours. I would rotate the bird every half hour or so. Not sure ill call what I got a full pellicle...but allowing the bird to dry really did wonders for the skin!
> 
> Skin wasnt crispy...but it was dried out, and maybe with a little more dry time will get that crispiness that I keep missing. Ended up seasoning with pepper...and a little more salt. Cooked 3 hours 15 minutes.....Im think Ive noticed that the brined chickens take a few minutes longer to cook. The other days non brined chicken cooked in 3 hours....and was reading above 165!!
> 
> VERY JUICY AND VERY TASTY! RIBS TOMORROW! I got some good looking spare ribs. Planning the 3-2-1 on them...and gonna use this as the rub procedure






FishInTheDesert said:


> SO....back to the original post.
> 
> I think that my smoker might not give steady and consistent smoke. Im waiting for my damn thermopro thats supposed to be in the mailbox by now. But im thinking that the Amazn pellet tray might be the best way to get steady smoke.
> 
> Is there a video or site that explains it? I get that you load it up and light one end....but how do you know how many pellets to put in? I'd rather not buy it...but if I keep seeing blackend instead of ashed wood chips...i think I have to do something.



Nice work on the chicken!!! Something I read about in an Electric Smoker cook book was that cooking chickens and turkey's on a vertical roasting rack helped the skin.  It did help me.  It didn't solve the issue but it improved the skin and as you can tell every trick counts when you can't get the smoker up over 300F lol.

As for the AMNPS it is roughly that each row (of 3) will give you 3 hours of smoke.  Sometimes you get closer to 4 hours depending on a few factors.
The nice thing about using the AMNPS with pellets is that you get a 40 pound bag of pellets for like $20 or less sometimes and it takes FOREVER to burn through 40 pounds of pellets in the AMNPS so you really don't have to worry about cost or using up too many pellets.  To me it is better to run a little over on the smoke time than to fall short.

I've used the AMNPS for as little as 30 minutes and had it burn as long as 14 hours when I had a lot of cherry wood pellets (cherry wood is naturally harder to keep light and seems to burn slower in my experience).

I think almost every MES owner here uses an AMNPS.
Some do fine with just putting it inside on the bottom of the MES, others (I'm one of them) go the Mailbox Mod route where we have the AMNPS outside the MES in it's own little compartment.  The choice is up to you and will be based on what your preferences and/or what you want to do with your smoking setup.

I went Mailbox Mod so I could mange smoke without needing to open the smoker and to have much greater control over cold smoking, applying smoke for very short times (30min) or very long times (17 hours) again without opening the smoker, and finally I can manage the heat that is added to the smoker by the burning pellets.
I only get about 2 months out of there year here in TX where the temps are just low enough for me to cold smoke Salmon Lox at temps below 65-70F.  With the mailbox mod, a 45-50F day outside, and a tray of ice in the MES I can keep at or under 65-70F for my salmon cold smokes :)
So you see why my needs are helped by a mailbox mod where someone in a different area may not have the issue and therefore not need/want the mailbox mod.

I hope this info helps!


----------



## johnmeyer

The mailbox mod has all the advantages tallbm mentions, but also significantly improves the flavor of the smoke because quite a bit of the creosote condenses on the walls of the enclosure and the piping before reaching the MES and your food. For me, the difference is night and day -- not subtle at all.


----------



## banderson7474

I might have a hard time keeping a raw chicken out for 2hrs....kinda skeeves me out.  You don't worry about it dropping temp in the danger zones?


----------



## Bearcarver

johnmeyer said:


> The mailbox mod has all the advantages tallbm mentions, but also significantly improves the flavor of the smoke because quite a bit of the creosote condenses on the walls of the enclosure and the piping before reaching the MES and your food. For me, the difference is night and day -- not subtle at all.




I don't get any of those creosote flavors, but I never use more than a Light to Medium smoke, and my AMNPS is always inside my MES.


Bear


----------



## FishInTheDesert

tallbm said:


> Nice work on the chicken!!! Something I read about in an Electric Smoker cook book was that cooking chickens and turkey's on a vertical roasting rack helped the skin.  It did help me.  It didn't solve the issue but it improved the skin and as you can tell every trick counts when you can't get the smoker up over 300F lol.
> 
> As for the AMNPS it is roughly that each row (of 3) will give you 3 hours of smoke.  Sometimes you get closer to 4 hours depending on a few factors.
> The nice thing about using the AMNPS with pellets is that you get a 40 pound bag of pellets for like $20 or less sometimes and it takes FOREVER to burn through 40 pounds of pellets in the AMNPS so you really don't have to worry about cost or using up too many pellets.  To me it is better to run a little over on the smoke time than to fall short.
> 
> I've used the AMNPS for as little as 30 minutes and had it burn as long as 14 hours when I had a lot of cherry wood pellets (cherry wood is naturally harder to keep light and seems to burn slower in my experience).
> 
> I think almost every MES owner here uses an AMNPS.
> Some do fine with just putting it inside on the bottom of the MES, others (I'm one of them) go the Mailbox Mod route where we have the AMNPS outside the MES in it's own little compartment.  The choice is up to you and will be based on what your preferences and/or what you want to do with your smoking setup.
> 
> I went Mailbox Mod so I could mange smoke without needing to open the smoker and to have much greater control over cold smoking, applying smoke for very short times (30min) or very long times (17 hours) again without opening the smoker, and finally I can manage the heat that is added to the smoker by the burning pellets.
> I only get about 2 months out of there year here in TX where the temps are just low enough for me to cold smoke Salmon Lox at temps below 65-70F.  With the mailbox mod, a 45-50F day outside, and a tray of ice in the MES I can keep at or under 65-70F for my salmon cold smokes :)
> So you see why my needs are helped by a mailbox mod where someone in a different area may not have the issue and therefore not need/want the mailbox mod.
> 
> I hope this info helps!



Your posts always do...and I think we think alike....or you just see these same questions over and over....cuz you answer questions I have before I even ask them! for example you mention pellets and cost....im a frugal guy and that was one of my concerns, but I hadnt looked into it yet...but dont need to since you addressed all concerns associated with that! lol

Still looking for my damn beer can chicken rack....i wanted to use it to dry the bird before cooking....but maybe ill try cooking with it in too.

Mailbox mod looks interesting....but I dont think its for me. I think my smoking is gonna be basic since im a meat and potatoes kinda guy, and also kinda picky with food....i might eventually evolve but for now I think the mailbox is not in the near future. 



johnmeyer said:


> The mailbox mod has all the advantages tallbm mentions, but also significantly improves the flavor of the smoke because quite a bit of the creosote condenses on the walls of the enclosure and the piping before reaching the MES and your food. For me, the difference is night and day -- not subtle at all.



It definitely looked like a good idea...maybe im being lazy but I think its a bit much for my small smoker at the moment. Im gonna be moving it pretty often since my back porch gets hammered with that desert sun a good portion of the day. Its light and easy to move, so I been taking it back and forth to my back porch and garage.



banderson7474 said:


> I might have a hard time keeping a raw chicken out for 2hrs....kinda skeeves me out.  You don't worry about it dropping temp in the danger zones?



So no one died. Also, ignorance is bliss. Ive seen the "danger zone" mentioned in a few threads now....but just glanced over it and didnt worry about it. Ended up googling it real quick....and I see it has to do with temps and cooking. I mightve got lucky since it was a whole chicken....and I guess its something to worry about with ground meats.

I left it out about 2 hours, and my house temps are about 75 degrees. Is that dangerous? So i dont do it again. I think ill try and buy a small fan and clip it on IN the refrigerator to dry it. 



Bearcarver said:


> I don't get any of those creosote flavors, but I never use more than a Light to Medium smoke, and my AMNPS is always inside my MES.
> 
> 
> Bear



If i do go AMNPS its gonna be inside also....but im still gonna try and be cheap and see how I like the wood chips. Damn $60 meat probes has me rearing back a little so I dont spend more on accessories than the smoker!!! LOL

Smoke production was better last time at 225....I think I was just expecting a winter chimney look! I just try to keep a fine smoke going, and its been doing it so far.....well I think its wood smoke....

Seperate question....how often do you all clean your smoker?...and what do you clean? just the pans and grates....or the whole thing including walls? I see smokers on TV all black like theyre coated with TAR.....im hoping thats what Im striving for so I can be lazy and not clean it often! LMAO


----------



## FishInTheDesert

also....putting a pork butt in saturday. Prolly a picnic cut since thats what they had at my local walmart. Didnt see boston butt. Gonna start a thread in the pork section with my initial plan, and asking for any tweaks or advice in case any of you are pulled pork gurus and wanna help me there too!

Thanks everyone!


----------



## tallbm

FishInTheDesert said:


> Your posts always do...and I think we think alike....or you just see these same questions over and over....cuz you answer questions I have before I even ask them! for example you mention pellets and cost....im a frugal guy and that was one of my concerns, but I hadnt looked into it yet...but dont need to since you addressed all concerns associated with that! lol
> 
> Still looking for my damn beer can chicken rack....i wanted to use it to dry the bird before cooking....but maybe ill try cooking with it in too.
> 
> Mailbox mod looks interesting....but I dont think its for me. I think my smoking is gonna be basic since im a meat and potatoes kinda guy, and also kinda picky with food....i might eventually evolve but for now I think the mailbox is not in the near future.
> 
> 
> 
> It definitely looked like a good idea...maybe im being lazy but I think its a bit much for my small smoker at the moment. Im gonna be moving it pretty often since my back porch gets hammered with that desert sun a good portion of the day. Its light and easy to move, so I been taking it back and forth to my back porch and garage.
> 
> 
> 
> So no one died. Also, ignorance is bliss. Ive seen the "danger zone" mentioned in a few threads now....but just glanced over it and didnt worry about it. Ended up googling it real quick....and I see it has to do with temps and cooking. I mightve got lucky since it was a whole chicken....and I guess its something to worry about with ground meats.
> 
> I left it out about 2 hours, and my house temps are about 75 degrees. Is that dangerous? So i dont do it again. I think ill try and buy a small fan and clip it on IN the refrigerator to dry it.
> 
> 
> 
> If i do go AMNPS its gonna be inside also....but im still gonna try and be cheap and see how I like the wood chips. Damn $60 meat probes has me rearing back a little so I dont spend more on accessories than the smoker!!! LOL
> 
> Smoke production was better last time at 225....I think I was just expecting a winter chimney look! I just try to keep a fine smoke going, and its been doing it so far.....well I think its wood smoke....
> 
> Seperate question....how often do you all clean your smoker?...and what do you clean? just the pans and grates....or the whole thing including walls? I see smokers on TV all black like theyre coated with TAR.....im hoping thats what Im striving for so I can be lazy and not clean it often! LMAO



Yeah the sticker shock on the wireless thermometers is real.  Here is a ThermoPro Tp08  for $37 https://www.ebay.com/itm/ThermoPro-...:guQAAOSwBkRaSvd-&LH_BIN=1&LH_ItemCondition=3

It has 1 smoker probe and 1 meat/hybrid probe where the TP20 has 2 meat/Hybrid probes.  The TP08 should do the trick though at about $20 less.

I don't "clean" my MES.
I wash my racks and I cover the bottom grease pan with foil.  Every smoke I change out the foil and I will that pan if/when it gets dirty.  I clean my probes with 99% rubbing alcohol all along the probe and about 20 inches up the wire since sometimes the wires come into contact with meat.

I am always sure to not allow meat to rest against the walls or rack holders and try to really keep it from touching the walls and other parts of my smoker if I can.  This way the smoker doesn't get all grimy.  I've seen a couple of used 2nd hand MES that seamed like someone stuck meat to all the walls and left it there forever on every smoke.  That is way too gross and messy for me.  If I touch a door or wall of my MES the worst I get is smoke build up :)


----------



## Bearcarver

FishInTheDesert said:


> Seperate question....how often do you all clean your smoker?...and what do you clean? just the pans and grates....or the whole thing including walls? I see smokers on TV all black like theyre coated with TAR.....im hoping thats what Im striving for so I can be lazy and not clean it often! LMAO



Pretty much like "tallbm" said:
I cover my empty water pan with foil, cover my floor with foil, wash only the racks I use after each smoke.
Only wipe anything loose off the walls & ceiling, and don't allow food to touch anything but the racks.
Wash my Maverick probes & cables before each smoke, and use an alcohol pad on the meat probe just before inserting.
I don't change my foil very often, because I smoke most things in foil pans to cut down on dripping.
I wash my Door glass before every Smoke too.

Bear


----------



## FishInTheDesert

tallbm said:


> Yeah the sticker shock on the wireless thermometers is real.  Here is a ThermoPro Tp08  for $37 https://www.ebay.com/itm/ThermoPro-TP08-Wireless-Remote-Digital-Kitchen-Cooking-Thermometer-Dual-Probe/163192946202?epid=17006069783&hash=item25ff0ebe1a:g:guQAAOSwBkRaSvd-&LH_BIN=1&LH_ItemCondition=3
> 
> It has 1 smoker probe and 1 meat/hybrid probe where the TP20 has 2 meat/Hybrid probes.  The TP08 should do the trick though at about $20 less.
> 
> I don't "clean" my MES.
> I wash my racks and I cover the bottom grease pan with foil.  Every smoke I change out the foil and I will that pan if/when it gets dirty.  I clean my probes with 99% rubbing alcohol all along the probe and about 20 inches up the wire since sometimes the wires come into contact with meat.
> 
> I am always sure to not allow meat to rest against the walls or rack holders and try to really keep it from touching the walls and other parts of my smoker if I can.  This way the smoker doesn't get all grimy.  I've seen a couple of used 2nd hand MES that seamed like someone stuck meat to all the walls and left it there forever on every smoke.  That is way too gross and messy for me.  If I touch a door or wall of my MES the worst I get is smoke build up :)



I bit the bullet and went with the TP20! Glad I did too...plus replacement probes are only like $9 which helps. Will follow your methods to keep it "clean"



Bearcarver said:


> Pretty much like "tallbm" said:
> I cover my empty water pan with foil, cover my floor with foil, wash only the racks I use after each smoke.
> Only wipe anything loose off the walls & ceiling, and don't allow food to touch anything but the racks.
> Wash my Maverick probes & cables before each smoke, and use an alcohol pad on the meat probe just before inserting.
> I don't change my foil very often, because I smoke most things in foil pans to cut down on dripping.
> I wash my Door glass before every Smoke too.
> 
> Bear



Sounds good...ended up foiling my water pan after I saw a youtube video with it. Ill do all the trays like you all do.

One more MES question about this pulled pork I have planned....do I STILL go dry on the water pan even tho its gonna be a 10-14 hour process?


----------



## Bearcarver

FishInTheDesert said:


> One more MES question about this pulled pork I have planned....do I STILL go dry on the water pan even tho its gonna be a 10-14 hour process?




Yes--If it's an MES---NO Liquid in the pan.
I haven't put water in my Water Pan in any of my MES units in 8 years.
It does nothing good--Only Bad.

The only liquid I ever add would be a Foiling liquid mix that I would put in with the meat when I foil it, like Step 2 on Ribs, or when foiling a Butt at 165°, etc, etc.  Never any liquid in the Water Pan.

Bear


----------



## tallbm

FishInTheDesert said:


> I bit the bullet and went with the TP20! Glad I did too...plus replacement probes are only like $9 which helps. Will follow your methods to keep it "clean"
> 
> 
> 
> Sounds good...ended up foiling my water pan after I saw a youtube video with it. Ill do all the trays like you all do.
> 
> One more MES question about this pulled pork I have planned....do I STILL go dry on the water pan even tho its gonna be a 10-14 hour process?



Just like Bear said, no water/liquid.

I have converted to doing my Pork Butts/Shoulders with no wrapping even and that is the way I am going.  So even unwrapped the entire time it needs no water.  Just DON'T trim the fat unless you have an insane amount like 3 straight inches of fat which I have never seen on a store bought pork butt/shoulder lol.

I also do my Briskets (whole packer) unwrapped the entire time with no water/liquid.
If I do a Chuck I wrap with foil at about 160-170F and add some liberal splashes of whatever old wine I have in the fridge. A Chuck (and a brisket flat only... i believe) will dry out on you as they are much more finicky than cuts like a whole packer brisket or a pork butt/shoulder.

Try to stab your meat probe into the thickest center most portion of the the pork butt/shoulder WITHOUT hitting the bone.  That should give you good temp measurements.  Finally, a pork butt is done when it is tender so you can stab all over with your meat probe or toothipc or wooden skewer.  Many figure it is done when the bone easily pulls out by hand.

Best of luck!


----------



## FishInTheDesert

Quick pop in, ill reply to you all later today.

Cooking a chicken in a NEW MES 130b...exchanged the old one cuz the hinge cover was broken and i saw some melting.

This MES gets HOT! I had it set to 275 to cook this chicken. Meat probe on the second rack was reading 335 and CLIMBING...the unit was still heating up and only reading 266 on the MES, so it had another 9 degrees to go before it shut down! Wondering how high it wouldve got?! 

Is that normal? Smokes coming out good tho! LOL


----------



## FishInTheDesert

Calling an audible....keeping the temp on the MES at 275.....and gonna note how high it gets, and if it stays there consistently....or if it just fluctuates. 

i think this MES is gonna have more of a learning curve than the last one...last one stayed pretty close to the temp on the digital readout from the smoker. Ill be back in a few hours. doing house crap, and smoking so short on time


----------



## tallbm

Wow.  That could be nice that the new one gets really hot... so long as it doesn't just keep going up hahahaha.

Also if you are trusting the MES meat probe on that 335F reading then that might be very bogus as the meat probes have been well known to be off, that and/or maybe the rack it is laying on is getting much hotter than the air would be, who knows.

In any case if it gets good and hot but doesn't climb forever or too high then you might have a score on your hands.  Just keep an eye out, use the TP20 (test the probes first) when it comes in to verify how hot things are actually getting :)

Best of luck and I'm interested to see what happens today :)


----------



## Bearcarver

FishInTheDesert said:


> Quick pop in, ill reply to you all later today.
> 
> Cooking a chicken in a NEW MES 130b...exchanged the old one cuz the hinge cover was broken and i saw some melting.
> 
> This MES gets HOT! I had it set to 275 to cook this chicken. Meat probe on the second rack was reading 335 and CLIMBING...the unit was still heating up and only reading 266 on the MES, so it had another 9 degrees to go before it shut down! Wondering how high it wouldve got?!
> 
> Is that normal? Smokes coming out good tho! LOL



335 is about as high as I would let it go, if you're getting an accurate reading, and I wouldn't want it being there for any length of time. 300 is no problem, but over 325° isn't a good thing----If you're getting an accurate reading from a known Therm, like a Maverick or like Tallbm said "A TP20".

Bear


----------



## FishInTheDesert

tallbm said:


> Wow.  That could be nice that the new one gets really hot... so long as it doesn't just keep going up hahahaha.
> 
> Also if you are trusting the MES meat probe on that 335F reading then that might be very bogus as the meat probes have been well known to be off, that and/or maybe the rack it is laying on is getting much hotter than the air would be, who knows.
> 
> In any case if it gets good and hot but doesn't climb forever or too high then you might have a score on your hands.  Just keep an eye out, use the TP20 (test the probes first) when it comes in to verify how hot things are actually getting :)
> 
> Best of luck and I'm interested to see what happens today :)



I need to boil some water to test my TP20....but this is what I am using...and its reading that high.



Bearcarver said:


> 335 is about as high as I would let it go, if you're getting an accurate reading, and I wouldn't want it being there for any length of time. 300 is no problem, but over 325° isn't a good thing----If you're getting an accurate reading from a known Therm, like a Maverick or like Tallbm said "A TP20".
> 
> Bear



This one got all the way to 338!!! 

What are the negatives of going higher?....is one of them melting? 

So I exchanged out my last MES for this one I used today because I saw some melting from the paint on the smoker (along the door/open/front face). Im already noticing it on this one too.....no problems with the inside, and this melting is on the outside....but its still scaling up and easy to peel/chip off. Do you think this is from those high temps?

EXPERIMENT RESULTS....

Chicken came out fine....you can definitely taste the sweetness in cherry wood! But....im not too sure im happy about my temperatures. (Probe is on 2nd rack with the chicken)

So prolly 45 mins in when I started noticing the heat rising to the 300s, I called that audible and left the temp at 275 (vs 255,260 and 265 like ive used before). I wanted to see where It would steady at.....

It never really steadied till the final 30-45 minutes...and when it did it was hovering between 260-265 the final 30-45 mins instead of the 275 it was set at. It was fluctuating what I consider drastically! It dipped as low as 242 and got as high as 328! Cooked chicken for just over 3 hours.....and it was fluctuating prolly 2 or more of those hours. up and down, up and down! A couple times I even went out to check....and lowered the temp JUST to shut off the heating unit. Lowered it below what it was reading, let it shut off, and then raised it back to 275 right after....it stayed off till the temp dropped back below and switched back on.

I got my pork butt in the fridge with seasoning...so thats going in the smoker 100% tomorrow morning. I hear pork butt is forgiving....but I have a feeling im going to test how forgiving it actually is. Planning 630 cook time (doing Bears step-by-step)....so im gonna wake up at 5 just to kick the smoker on and preheat it. Hopefully eliminate the fluctuations....ill post a thread in the pork sub tomorrow! you all holler at me there!

I wish so bad I could have some refined taste buds like you all to try my meats out! I need to hear some criticisms...everyone says what I give them was the best.....but I think thats cuz good barbecue isnt common in El Paso! lol the bar is loooowwwww! I think theyve all been tasty....but im bias! haha


----------



## FishInTheDesert

airmec said:


> Don't know how hot it is where you are but my back deck gets 120+ and my electric smoker cycles off so much at lower temps the chips never burn or smoke for that matter



Now that im just sitting here relaxing.....i think this is why my temps were going crazy today. Hot day....and bluebird sky! so the sun was hitting the box pretty heavy......calling an audible and smoking on my front porch tomorrow instead of the back! 

this forum is awesome! LOL


----------



## Bearcarver

FishInTheDesert said:


> I need to boil some water to test my TP20....but this is what I am using...and its reading that high.
> 
> This one got all the way to 338!!!
> 
> What are the negatives of going higher?....is one of them melting?
> 
> So I exchanged out my last MES for this one I used today because I saw some melting from the paint on the smoker (along the door/open/front face). Im already noticing it on this one too.....no problems with the inside, and this melting is on the outside....but its still scaling up and easy to peel/chip off. Do you think this is from those high temps?




If they wanted the MES to get that hot, they wouldn't have limited the controls to 275°.

I had a new one get to above 325°, and I heard some crackling noise.
I put my ear against the top left side of the smoker, because the right side was too hot, and I heard the crackling coming from within the walls of the MES. 
I killed the heat & kept an eye (EAR) on it, and the noise continued until the temp got down below 300°.
I figured it was the insulation inside the walls crisping up & crackling.
I got Masterbuilt to send me a new control that won't go astray like that one did.
Since that I never let it get over about 310°, and that is only for minutes, because it's only over-run (coasting), after the heating element has shut off at 275°.

Bear


----------



## chopsaw

FishInTheDesert said:


> This one got all the way to 338!!!
> 
> What are the negatives of going higher?....is one of them melting?



Every time you run it that high you are running the risk of a fire . The more you do it the more it affects the insulation ( that you can't see ) and at some point down the road conditions will be right for a fire . 
Please be careful .


----------



## FishInTheDesert

Bearcarver said:


> If they wanted the MES to get that hot, they wouldn't have limited the controls to 275°.
> 
> I had a new one get to above 325°, and I heard some crackling noise.
> I put my ear against the top left side of the smoker, because the right side was too hot, and I heard the crackling coming from within the walls of the MES.
> I killed the heat & kept an eye (EAR) on it, and the noise continued until the temp got down below 300°.
> I figured it was the insulation inside the walls crisping up & crackling.
> I got Masterbuilt to send me a new control that won't go astray like that one did.
> Since that I never let it get over about 310°, and that is only for minutes, because it's only over-run (coasting), after the heating element has shut off at 275°.
> 
> Bear





chopsaw said:


> Every time you run it that high you are running the risk of a fire . The more you do it the more it affects the insulation ( that you can't see ) and at some point down the road conditions will be right for a fire .
> Please be careful .



Good news....it had to be where the smoker was with all that direct sunlight hitting it....had to be. Temps didnt spike anywhere close to or like they did the other day. Im just gonna smoke on my front porch from now on since itll stay shaded 90% of the day.

Im gonna go start that other thread and fill in what details i remember....some of my family caught wind of my pulled pork via my own facebook post....and "were in the neighborhood" and also just happened to have beers!!! lol I was planning to post it yesterday with all the details....but I had to drink those beers....and take all the praise for the GREAT BBQ! Your step-by-step treated me good bear!!!!

Also....let one 5am wake up sell me on something.....ordered the AMNPS at about 11am yesterday, after waking back up hourly to fill the chip tray! lol Ordering it since it just seems like a bad move not to the more I smoke! Good steady smoke....and as long as the temps stabilize....makes this more set it and forget it! I like that....i like low and slowwwwww Headed to academy tonight to pick up some fishing stuff...and a couple bags of B & B pellets....im going with apple and hickory. Any other must haves I should have on deck....im leaning toward having 3 and 4 at the absolute max! I wont be smoking a ton....prolly just once a week.

Thanks for the words and direction from everyone! looking forward to posting more on these forums!


----------



## Bearcarver

FishInTheDesert said:


> Good news....it had to be where the smoker was with all that direct sunlight hitting it....had to be. Temps didnt spike anywhere close to or like they did the other day. Im just gonna smoke on my front porch from now on since itll stay shaded 90% of the day.
> 
> Im gonna go start that other thread and fill in what details i remember....some of my family caught wind of my pulled pork via my own facebook post....and "were in the neighborhood" and also just happened to have beers!!! lol I was planning to post it yesterday with all the details....but I had to drink those beers....and take all the praise for the GREAT BBQ! Your step-by-step treated me good bear!!!!
> 
> Also....let one 5am wake up sell me on something.....ordered the AMNPS at about 11am yesterday, after waking back up hourly to fill the chip tray! lol Ordering it since it just seems like a bad move not to the more I smoke! Good steady smoke....and as long as the temps stabilize....makes this more set it and forget it! I like that....i like low and slowwwwww Headed to academy tonight to pick up some fishing stuff...and a couple bags of B & B pellets....im going with apple and hickory. Any other must haves I should have on deck....im leaning toward having 3 and 4 at the absolute max! I wont be smoking a ton....prolly just once a week.
> 
> Thanks for the words and direction from everyone! looking forward to posting more on these forums!




All Sounds Great, Fishin!!!
One other thing I should warn you about:
During the Spring, Fall, and Winter, when the Sun is low in the sky, if your MES window faces the South, the opposite can happen with the Sun playing tricks on you. Read the Link Below:
*MES with Window---Heads Up*

Bear


----------



## tallbm

FishInTheDesert said:


> Good news....it had to be where the smoker was with all that direct sunlight hitting it....had to be. Temps didnt spike anywhere close to or like they did the other day. Im just gonna smoke on my front porch from now on since itll stay shaded 90% of the day.
> 
> Im gonna go start that other thread and fill in what details i remember....some of my family caught wind of my pulled pork via my own facebook post....and "were in the neighborhood" and also just happened to have beers!!! lol I was planning to post it yesterday with all the details....but I had to drink those beers....and take all the praise for the GREAT BBQ! Your step-by-step treated me good bear!!!!
> 
> Also....let one 5am wake up sell me on something.....ordered the AMNPS at about 11am yesterday, after waking back up hourly to fill the chip tray! lol Ordering it since it just seems like a bad move not to the more I smoke! Good steady smoke....and as long as the temps stabilize....makes this more set it and forget it! I like that....i like low and slowwwwww Headed to academy tonight to pick up some fishing stuff...and a couple bags of B & B pellets....im going with apple and hickory. Any other must haves I should have on deck....im leaning toward having 3 and 4 at the absolute max! I wont be smoking a ton....prolly just once a week.
> 
> Thanks for the words and direction from everyone! looking forward to posting more on these forums!



That is great to hear!

Yeah the AMNPS is basically the 2nd "almost" mandatory thing to get with an MES.

Have you bought your pellets yet?  If not here is a little pellet education which is a real thing believe it or not hahaha.

Most brands of pellets don't actually sell you the pellet you think you are buying... not exactly.
Most brands blend their pellets.  So for example brands like Camp Chef, Pit Boss, Lousiana Grills, Pacific Pellets, Traeger, B&B Pellets, BBQ'ers Delight, and others give you only about 25-35% of the pellet listed on the bag!!!! :eek::confused::mad:

*For example:*  You buy B&B "Hickory" pellets.  Well you are getting a blend of about 25-35% Hickory pellets and the rest are all a filler wood like Oak, Alder, or Maple (whatever is prevelant and cheapest in that manufacturers area).
Hell in the past I believe Traeger would use "flavor oils" to give you your "Hickory" flavor.

There are a handful of brands that give you 100% of the wood on the label or CLEARLY call out that you are buying a blend.  Those brands are:


Lumberjack Pellets (all kinds of 100% woods, and blends clearly called out)
Cabelas - I believe they just rebrand Lumberjack

Cookin Pellets (Hickory and maybe another type of wood, they also do a good Competition Blend they explicitly call out the woods on)
A-Maze-N Pellets (All kinds of 100% woods and blends clearly called out.  I'll let you ask him where he sources his pellets)
I think there is 1 other brand I can't remember
Oh, Camp Chef Alder - I believe it is 100% alder since Camp Chef's base wood is reported as being Alder so... Alder + Alder = 100% Alder hahaha.  I own a bag of Camp Chef Alder for my 100% alder and use it for smoked Salmon Lox... no complaints here :D
Also know that blends aren't a bad thing IF you deliberately go to get a blend.  I like Pit Boss' Competition Blend.  It is about 50-60% Maple and then even parts Hickory and Cherry.  The flavor is light but when I double up on it or supplement it with more 100% Hickory it is great!  The trick is that I INTENTIONALLY want that blend and behavior hahaha.

Anyhow I hope this helps rather than thoroughly confuses.  If you have any questions than please ask away :)


----------



## FishInTheDesert

Bearcarver said:


> All Sounds Great, Fishin!!!
> One other thing I should warn you about:
> During the Spring, Fall, and Winter, when the Sun is low in the sky, if your MES window faces the South, the opposite can happen with the Sun playing tricks on you. Read the Link Below:
> *MES with Window---Heads Up*
> 
> Bear



Nothing big today fishing. About a 2.5 pound largemouth and a 5-6 inch smallie! A few white bass too...they were in wolfpacks!

Ill try and post a picture of my front porch....its perfect cuz I can keep the smoker shaded to help get the consistency I need. And my smoker doesnt have a window....sadly! maybe ill upgrade to a 140 as a christmas present to myself if they go on special. I always peek at the meat with a flashlight through the top vent lol...so I definitely want a window!



tallbm said:


> That is great to hear!
> 
> Yeah the AMNPS is basically the 2nd "almost" mandatory thing to get with an MES.
> 
> Have you bought your pellets yet?  If not here is a little pellet education which is a real thing believe it or not hahaha.
> 
> Most brands of pellets don't actually sell you the pellet you think you are buying... not exactly.
> Most brands blend their pellets.  So for example brands like Camp Chef, Pit Boss, Lousiana Grills, Pacific Pellets, Traeger, B&B Pellets, BBQ'ers Delight, and others give you only about 25-35% of the pellet listed on the bag!!!! :eek::confused::mad:
> 
> *For example:*  You buy B&B "Hickory" pellets.  Well you are getting a blend of about 25-35% Hickory pellets and the rest are all a filler wood like Oak, Alder, or Maple (whatever is prevelant and cheapest in that manufacturers area).
> Hell in the past I believe Traeger would use "flavor oils" to give you your "Hickory" flavor.
> 
> There are a handful of brands that give you 100% of the wood on the label or CLEARLY call out that you are buying a blend.  Those brands are:
> 
> 
> Lumberjack Pellets (all kinds of 100% woods, and blends clearly called out)
> Cabelas - I believe they just rebrand Lumberjack
> 
> Cookin Pellets (Hickory and maybe another type of wood, they also do a good Competition Blend they explicitly call out the woods on)
> A-Maze-N Pellets (All kinds of 100% woods and blends clearly called out.  I'll let you ask him where he sources his pellets)
> I think there is 1 other brand I can't remember
> Oh, Camp Chef Alder - I believe it is 100% alder since Camp Chef's base wood is reported as being Alder so... Alder + Alder = 100% Alder hahaha.  I own a bag of Camp Chef Alder for my 100% alder and use it for smoked Salmon Lox... no complaints here :D
> Also know that blends aren't a bad thing IF you deliberately go to get a blend.  I like Pit Boss' Competition Blend.  It is about 50-60% Maple and then even parts Hickory and Cherry.  The flavor is light but when I double up on it or supplement it with more 100% Hickory it is great!  The trick is that I INTENTIONALLY want that blend and behavior hahaha.
> 
> Anyhow I hope this helps rather than thoroughly confuses.  If you have any questions than please ask away :)



Ordered some lumberjack from Dicks....but I didnt know cabelas brand is lumberjack. I have a cabelas locally and they are in stock...gonna go pick up the hickory and apple from there. I already wanna make another pork butt! lol

I thought that the B&B were 100%....but I went to the site, and theyre 100% wood....but not 100% of the wood that the flavor is. Glad you let me know about that....I definitely want 100% wood. As it is I keep getting farther and farther from old school smoking with just wood and a smoke pit! Take away the split wood, for chunks....to chips....and now to pellets! I feel like a city slicker! LOL


Question on the AMNPS...I hear you all say it goes on the bottom....is that the bottom grate? How do you all avoid fat dripping into the AMNPS? I need to google this...just figure id fire away at you since you always answer 110% of what im wondering! haha


----------



## Bearcarver

FishInTheDesert said:


> Ill try and post a picture of my front porch....its perfect cuz I can keep the smoker shaded to help get the consistency I need. And my smoker doesnt have a window....sadly! maybe ill upgrade to a 140 as a christmas present to myself if they go on special. I always peek at the meat with a flashlight through the top vent lol...so I definitely want a window!
> 
> Question on the AMNPS...I hear you all say it goes on the bottom....is that the bottom grate? How do you all avoid fat dripping into the AMNPS? I need to google this...just figure id fire away at you since you always answer 110% of what im wondering! haha



LOL---I used to look down the top vent too, when I didn't have a Window, because you can't trust how much smoke you see coming out the vent, so you have to look inside to see how heavy the smoke is.

As for protecting your AMNPS, I'll show you a Pic of mine. That's a foil pan cut in half & flipped over:
Bear


----------



## tallbm

FishInTheDesert said:


> Nothing big today fishing. About a 2.5 pound largemouth and a 5-6 inch smallie! A few white bass too...they were in wolfpacks!
> 
> Ill try and post a picture of my front porch....its perfect cuz I can keep the smoker shaded to help get the consistency I need. And my smoker doesnt have a window....sadly! maybe ill upgrade to a 140 as a christmas present to myself if they go on special. I always peek at the meat with a flashlight through the top vent lol...so I definitely want a window!
> 
> 
> 
> Ordered some lumberjack from Dicks....but I didnt know cabelas brand is lumberjack. I have a cabelas locally and they are in stock...gonna go pick up the hickory and apple from there. I already wanna make another pork butt! lol
> 
> I thought that the B&B were 100%....but I went to the site, and theyre 100% wood....but not 100% of the wood that the flavor is. Glad you let me know about that....I definitely want 100% wood. As it is I keep getting farther and farther from old school smoking with just wood and a smoke pit! Take away the split wood, for chunks....to chips....and now to pellets! I feel like a city slicker! LOL
> 
> 
> Question on the AMNPS...I hear you all say it goes on the bottom....is that the bottom grate? How do you all avoid fat dripping into the AMNPS? I need to google this...just figure id fire away at you since you always answer 110% of what im wondering! haha



Yeah the pellet education issue is unfortunately a real thing.  Wow I didn't know Dick's was carrying Lumberjack pellets, and it looks like they have most of the options too!!!  The prices aren't too bad but are always going to be more expensive then the cheapo blended brands.  

I HIGHLY recommend the Lumberjack 100% Mesquite for your beef smokes.  With the AMNPS you get perfect TBS so no overpowering Mesquite smoke or fighting with getting Mesquite smoke to be TBS.  I think Mesquite gets a bad wrap about it's strength and flavor because it seems to be much more difficult to manage than other woods.  My guess the difficulty comes from it burning so much hotter.  Your mind will be blown with that stuff on a brisket, beef ribs, or heck even a smoked meatloaf!

I have Lumberjack 100% Mesquite, Maple, Apple, Cherry, and Pecan.  I have Cookin Pellets 100% Hickory (bought before I found local Lumberjack) and Camp Chef's Alder which should be 100% Alder since Alder is their base wood lol.

I make my own blends with all of those options.  One of my favorite is 70% Apple and 30% Hickory for bacon and sausage smoking.  I've done a really good 50/50 Pecan and Cherry for bacon as well but the Apple/Hickory is a little better on the pork and I feel like the Pecan/Cherry will be better on beef like jerky or beef snack sticks!

Bear has you covered on the AMNPS inside the MES.  
I run a Mailbox Modification so my AMNPS burns outside of my smoker.  This helps me and my smoking situations in a number of ways but one of the greatest advantages I get is that I can cold smoke Salmon more easily in Dec, Jan, Feb with the mild TX while adding as little heat as possible to the smoker with the burning pellets :)

With you being in West TX you would run into the same wintertime cold smoke issues I run into in North Central TX.
Try the AMNPS inside the MES and if it doesn't work for all your smoking needs let me know and we can discuss mailbox mods.  I seriously spent only 10 minutes the other day and built one for my brother that is one piece, easily detatchable/portable, compact, and works like a charm!


----------



## FishInTheDesert

Bearcarver said:


> LOL---I used to look down the top vent too, when I didn't have a Window, because you can't trust how much smoke you see coming out the vent, so you have to look inside to see how heavy the smoke is.
> 
> As for protecting your AMNPS, I'll show you a Pic of mine. That's a foil pan cut in half & flipped over:
> Bear
> View attachment 374225



Im already wishing I had a bigger smoker....its TIGHT in there with the AMNPS! I basically only have the bottom rack I can put it on, wont fit below the grates the way yours does. Wondering if I should have gone with a tube instead.



tallbm said:


> Yeah the pellet education issue is unfortunately a real thing.  Wow I didn't know Dick's was carrying Lumberjack pellets, and it looks like they have most of the options too!!!  The prices aren't too bad but are always going to be more expensive then the cheapo blended brands.
> 
> I HIGHLY recommend the Lumberjack 100% Mesquite for your beef smokes.  With the AMNPS you get perfect TBS so no overpowering Mesquite smoke or fighting with getting Mesquite smoke to be TBS.  I think Mesquite gets a bad wrap about it's strength and flavor because it seems to be much more difficult to manage than other woods.  My guess the difficulty comes from it burning so much hotter.  Your mind will be blown with that stuff on a brisket, beef ribs, or heck even a smoked meatloaf!
> 
> I have Lumberjack 100% Mesquite, Maple, Apple, Cherry, and Pecan.  I have Cookin Pellets 100% Hickory (bought before I found local Lumberjack) and Camp Chef's Alder which should be 100% Alder since Alder is their base wood lol.
> 
> I make my own blends with all of those options.  One of my favorite is 70% Apple and 30% Hickory for bacon and sausage smoking.  I've done a really good 50/50 Pecan and Cherry for bacon as well but the Apple/Hickory is a little better on the pork and I feel like the Pecan/Cherry will be better on beef like jerky or beef snack sticks!
> 
> Bear has you covered on the AMNPS inside the MES.
> I run a Mailbox Modification so my AMNPS burns outside of my smoker.  This helps me and my smoking situations in a number of ways but one of the greatest advantages I get is that I can cold smoke Salmon more easily in Dec, Jan, Feb with the mild TX while adding as little heat as possible to the smoker with the burning pellets :)
> 
> With you being in West TX you would run into the same wintertime cold smoke issues I run into in North Central TX.
> Try the AMNPS inside the MES and if it doesn't work for all your smoking needs let me know and we can discuss mailbox mods.  I seriously spent only 10 minutes the other day and built one for my brother that is one piece, easily detatchable/portable, compact, and works like a charm!



So, I picked up hickory, apple, and mesquite at Cabelas yesterday. Still gonna keep the Lumberjack Oak I ordered, but running cabelas for the rest now that I know theyre Lumberjack/100% of the flavored wood. So my wood lineup is gonna be apple (poultry/mixes), hickory (pork/other/mixes), oak (pork/other/mixes) and mesquite for brisket! Ive spent a lot of money recently and got some bigger expenses coming up....so im gonna ride with these for a couple/few months. But I think im all set....quality thermometer, AMNPS, and 4 flavors of pellets in 20# bags.

Here is my plan...and goal....especially after I tried sticking that AMNPS in my smoker. I dont wanna do the mod...yet! Hopefully I can ride out this 130 size until black friday/christmas sale time....then I NEED to upgrade! I 100% can NOT fit a full brisket in my smoker.....and brisket is what I LOVE in terms of BBQ! Im gonna make this one work, and learn on it...then hopefully I can get the bigger rig when those good sales hit...and sell this one for $50-70 to help with the upgrade cost. 

Thats why I dont wanna mod it...I think if I mod it now, im gonna have to let the next owner keep the AMNPS....and I dont wanna do that cuz i dont think I can get a 50 dollar bill for a used smoker in my city, so tossing in the AMNPS for the next buyer would be a huge loss relatively speaking. If the upgrade doesnt happen...ill definitely look to doing the mod. Ill prolly do the mod if its easy enough when I upgrade my rig....fingers crossed it happens tho! Im gonna be like a hawk on those sales!


----------



## KrisUpInSmoke

FishInTheDesert said:


> Im already wishing I had a bigger smoker....its TIGHT in there with the AMNPS! I basically only have the bottom rack I can put it on, wont fit below the grates the way yours does. Wondering if I should have gone with a tube instead.
> 
> 
> So, I picked up hickory, apple, and mesquite at Cabelas yesterday. Still gonna keep the Lumberjack Oak I ordered, but running cabelas for the rest now that I know theyre Lumberjack/100% of the flavored wood. So my wood lineup is gonna be apple (poultry/mixes), hickory (pork/other/mixes), oak (pork/other/mixes) and mesquite for brisket! Ive spent a lot of money recently and got some bigger expenses coming up....so im gonna ride with these for a couple/few months. But I think im all set....quality thermometer, AMNPS, and 4 flavors of pellets in 20# bags.
> 
> Here is my plan...and goal....especially after I tried sticking that AMNPS in my smoker. I dont wanna do the mod...yet! Hopefully I can ride out this 130 size until black friday/christmas sale time....then I NEED to upgrade! I 100% can NOT fit a full brisket in my smoker.....and brisket is what I LOVE in terms of BBQ! Im gonna make this one work, and learn on it...then hopefully I can get the bigger rig when those good sales hit...and sell this one for $50-70 to help with the upgrade cost.
> 
> Thats why I dont wanna mod it...I think if I mod it now, im gonna have to let the next owner keep the AMNPS....and I dont wanna do that cuz i dont think I can get a 50 dollar bill for a used smoker in my city, so tossing in the AMNPS for the next buyer would be a huge loss relatively speaking. If the upgrade doesnt happen...ill definitely look to doing the mod. Ill prolly do the mod if its easy enough when I upgrade my rig....fingers crossed it happens tho! Im gonna be like a hawk on those sales!



If you do a mailbox mod, you can make the tubing going from the mailbox to your smoker chip loader hole removable at the hole. Then you can resale it with no damage.


----------



## FishInTheDesert

KrisUpInSmoke said:


> If you do a mailbox mod, you can make the tubing going from the mailbox to your smoker chip loader hole removable at the hole. Then you can resale it with no damage.



Finally watched the whole video....youre right. Lets see how it goes here....i might cave sooner than later and do it just due to space in the smoker. I know its not much....but I gotta hold off on spending anymore...at least for a month or 2 lol


----------



## FishInTheDesert

cant keep the AMNPS lit :(

just reloaded all new pellets to see what smoke I can with the time i have left. microwaved these too. Had my vent 100% open, then 90%.....now got it about 50% open, lets see if that was it


----------



## FishInTheDesert

took out the damn chip tray....and i think thats the deal. I also took out the drip pan to improve airflow...but I dont think that was necessary. Gonna put it back and see what happens.

Smoke is streaming out of the unit now....I think airflow was the problem. Im pretty sure it was...because one of the times I took out the unlit/nonsmoking tray, and left it outside....i noticed some smoke. Trying to salvage this pork buttt...lets see how it ends up


----------



## KrisUpInSmoke

I've seen people both partially pull out and remove the chip loader. A couple people have mentioned putting a small fan near the chip loader hole to create more draft and it worked to keep the pellets lit. You can also try making and affixing a chimney to the vent to increase draft. Check out, https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/mes-smoke-stack.134202/


----------



## tallbm

Yeah you gotta figure out how to get the best airflow in your setup.  Removing chip tray, pulling out chip loader, elevating AMNPS, etc etc.  Like everything else with your smoker, once you get it figured out you will be ready to rock!

As Kris mentions you can easily add/remove a mailbox mod if you decide to go the mailbox mod route at any point.  I made one for my brother last week and it took 10-15 min.  It was the 3rd one I've made and can easily list the materials in instructions should anyone need the info.  I was thinking about doing a step by step post on how to do it but figured there was no real demand for the info so skipped it lol.

Keep at it and you will get it sorted out!


----------



## Bearcarver

FishInTheDesert said:


> Im already wishing I had a bigger smoker....its TIGHT in there with the AMNPS! I basically only have the bottom rack I can put it on, wont fit below the grates the way yours does. Wondering if I should have gone with a tube instead.




Keep practicing with that AMNPS, and don't put it in until it's burning real good & has a nice big Cigar-like Cherry in the row of pellets.
Don't worry about having to take up space on the bottom rack for your AMNPS----In my opinion the bottom rack is too close the the direct heat for meat anyway!!

Bear


----------



## Hilltopper96

How to you route the wires for the probes into the smoker? I Have a Masterbuilt MES130b. I have ordered a ThermoPro TP25. It should arrive tomorrow.
I just got the smoker seasoned it and I am looking to do my first smoke.


----------



## Hilltopper96

tallbm said:


> Yeah you gotta figure out how to get the best airflow in your setup.  Removing chip tray, pulling out chip loader, elevating AMNPS, etc etc.  Like everything else with your smoker, once you get it figured out you will be ready to rock!
> 
> As Kris mentions you can easily add/remove a mailbox mod if you decide to go the mailbox mod route at any point.  I made one for my brother last week and it took 10-15 min.  It was the 3rd one I've made and can easily list the materials in instructions should anyone need the info.  I was thinking about doing a step by step post on how to do it but figured there was no real demand for the info so skipped it lol.
> 
> Keep at it and you will get it sorted out!


Please do list your supplies.


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## pa42phigh

Hilltopper96 said:


> How to you route the wires for the probes into the smoker? I Have a Masterbuilt MES130b. I have ordered a ThermoPro TP25. It should arrive tomorrow.
> I just got the smoker seasoned it and I am looking to do my first smoke.


I put the probe I monitor the smoker temp through the vent and the one that goes in the meat through the door


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## Bearcarver

Hilltopper96 said:


> How to you route the wires for the probes into the smoker? I Have a Masterbuilt MES130b. I have ordered a ThermoPro TP25. It should arrive tomorrow.
> I just got the smoker seasoned it and I am looking to do my first smoke.




I run my Sensor cables through the top vent.
Then I put them where I want them, and put a Springy Clothes Pin on the cable, at the vent, to keep the Probe at that place.

Bear


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## tallbm

Hilltopper96 said:


> Please do list your supplies.



Here are the parts I use but you can change out the mailbox and add/tweak the list to match your setup:

3inch adjustable elbow duct joint:








						Master Flow 3 in. 90 Deg. Round Adjustable Elbow-B90E3 - The Home Depot
					





					www.homedepot.com
				





Wall hanging mailbox that fits AMNPS:


3in (amazon description says does 2.5-3.5 inch working diameter) worm drive clamp:








						Deflect-o 3 in. Metal Worm Drive Clamp-MC325 - The Home Depot
					

Use this Deflect-o Metal Worm Drive Clamp to secure semi-rigid aluminum duct connections. Adjusts with a screwdriver for a secure fit.



					www.homedepot.com
				




600F hi temp flue tape:

*Instructions:*
-I take the elbow joint and put it into the MES hole then I line up bottom elbow hole up on to of my mail wall malbox and when its in a good position I trace a circle around the elbow joint end that is on top of the mailbox (now everything is properly aligned)

-I then use a straight edge and I draw lines across the circle so it looks like a pizza with slices marked up






-I take my dremel rotary tool with a metal cutting wheel and I cut the slices.  I bend each slice up and make sure I can fit the elbow joint to where the bent up slices are o the OUTSIDE of the elbow joint and I push the joint down into a the mailbox a little bit but not too much that it blocks the AMNPS.

-I bend the slices back towards the elbow joint for a good fit and I use the high temp flue tape to seal it all off so it is air tight.

-Next I worm drive clamp the taped over slices against the elbow joint and now everything is a snug 1 piece mailbox mod that I can put in place or remove with 1 hand.

-I then can make screw legs or just let it kinda sit on a rock so itis propped up easily

-I drill a hole on the top of the door and 2 in the outside facing wall of the mailbox mod so more air get in, thats it


Here is before I added a worm gear clamp:






You can build any variation of this with more or less or different parts :)


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