# mes cold smoker kit.



## animal

Hi guys
 Has anyone tried one of these yet?
Masterbuilt cold smoker kit item 20070112 for use with all electric digital smokers.
 Bass pro has them in stock 13.00 less than masterbuilt. Item number 38-614-059-05 and they use wood chips.
  I would like some feedback. Before I buy one of them.
Thanks


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## smoking b

It seems to be the general consensus on here that the AMNPS is the better choice. That's what most MES owners use & I've heard nothing but great things about them. Here is a link to the site.  http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/...ww.amazenproducts.com/&nm=2&nx=28&ny=-28&mb=2


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## roadkill cafe

I agree with Smoking B. AMNPS is the way to go. You'll get a longer smoke with the pellets than with chips IMHO.


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## deltadude

animal, to the best of my knowledge there has been NO SMF member review of the Masterbuilt cold smoking kit (MCSK).  That kit came out about July and there hasn't been anything written about the Masterbuilt cold smoke kit from any other source that I have found.

So to be fair, while the above two recommendations are passionate owners of the AWNPS, (which BTW I am too), no one at this time can say anything that either compares the Masterbuilt cold smoke kit to the AWNPS or say anything bad about the Masterbuilt cold kit, because NO ONE has tried it.

I will say, that I am a HUGE fan of Masterbuilt, SMF members are buying the MES in it's too many configurations, and are generally very happy with the Masterbuilt product, for it's design and consistent performance.  Again without having tried the MCSK, if Masterbuilt has built a solid MES product it would be reasonable to guess that their MCSK is well designed and would function properly.


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## diggingdogfarm

I wish they'd stop calling it a cold smoking kit, 100° to 120° F *is not* cold smoking.
The A-Maze-N smoke generators are the only way to go!!!!!!


~Martin


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## animal

I have no beef with the amnps. I have 8 dust smokers that I built from fanning screen. They all work fine,
 But I refuse to use pellets or buy sawdust. I make predator and waterfowl calls. The dust and shavings from my lathe burn perfectly in my dust smokers. Chips are easy to find including my wood pile.
 I ordered a mastrbuilt cold smoker kit today from bass pro.  I will smoke 20 pounds of summer sausage this weekend to see how well it works.
 I will do a review on it after this weekend the good and the bad.

  Thanks for the replys.


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## deltadude

Great, glad to hear that someone is going to give that kit a try.
Please find out if masterbuilt says the kit can be used for both cold and hot smoking?

GL with the kit.


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## whar7

so what happened with the new cold smoker and summer sausage?


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## driedstick

How did it work for ya


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## animal

Ok I used the cold smoker several times in the last month. 
  It works great. I smoked cheese eggs pork bellies. All turned out great.
It is fantastic for summer sausage. I set the mes for 110 degrees and then turned the cold smoker on. Half a tower of wood chips lasted four hours.
I have never had sausage out of a electric smoker so much of a smokey flavor. The sausage definately had a wow that has a super smoke flavor.
  The difference from outside temps and in the mes was 38 and 62, 75 and 86, 18 and 34.  As you can the temps are not even close to what masterbuilt advertises.
The first thing I smoked was eggs. Completely ruined them.  Using my usual smoke time using other methods. The smoke was completely through the whites and on the yellows.
Reducing the time to 30 no longer than 45 minutes they turned out perfect. Same with cheese I had to cut the time in half.
  The amount of smoke this little cold smoker puts out is truely amazing. But the smoke is very fresh smoke due to the six louversin the back of the cold smoker.
This has a flue effect the smoke never gets stale.
 I will never be without one of these cold smokers as long as I own a mes.


The only downside I have noticed so far is the hook used to connect it to the smoker can be a pain. But works well when I got the hang of it.
Be sure to turn off the cold smoker and let it cool completely before removing from the mes or you will get a flameup. Not good there was only a couple of chips in it.
When it happened to me. So no big deal.


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## tpalshadow




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## chuckyluvsmokes

Thats awesome to hear.  I just ordered one from masterbuilt the other day. I had purchased the 40 inch mes with the window. Love all the functions that it has to offer but couldnt really get it to smoke much at lower temps. I tried everything i had read on fourms and tried pellets chips pellets and chips together. hell everything. So glad to read your post thanks. I do alot of salmon so i wonder if that will cut my time down like you said it did for you.


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## jimid440

I also bought a Masterbuilt Cold Smoke Kit for my MES 40. The A-Maze-N smoke generator sounded good but I already have a large supply of chips & bisquettes (also have a Bradley 6 rack digital).

Just didn't want to go to sawdust,pellets. the chips are in easy supply without mail order/long drive for sawdust,pellets. Got the MB smoke kit from Bass Pro for several bucks cheaper than MB. Wasn't a big price diff from the MB smoke kit or A-Maze-N gen after tax,shipping charges. I live in a rural area & all the local stores carry chips,bisquettes,chunks. Have to drive up to 50 miles to get saw dust/pellets or else mail order. If I need to truly cold smoke (cheese,etc..) I use my Bradley. Just my 2 cents and another perspective on the MB Cold Smoke kit.

                                                                                                                           Later,

                                                                                                                          James


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## sctdg35

I have the mes cold smoker kit and use it all the time .I also have the AMNPS but like to use a mix of lump charcoal broken up and chips and even mix in pellets  ,produces a nice smoke and gives a good flavor to food . I can even break up wood chunks with a hatchet and use that too . As far as I'm concerned the versatility of the mes cold smoker is a big plus .I will say that it did increase the temperature in the smoker by about ten degrees but that was completely empty when I burned it in . Probably temp rise would be offset with a pan of ice . I also bought it from Bass pro cheaper than Masterbuilt . Actually it is on backorder from Masterbuilt and I think it is now out of stock at Bass Pro .


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## buffalo bob

I just purchased the cold smoker kit for my MES30. I haven't used it yet but plan on smoking some cheese this weekend. As far as the attaching rod with the hook at the end... it was a pain to attach, so I put the hook end in a vise and bent it 90*... easily attaches now.


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## steelcitysmoke

Has anyone tried using the MES cold smoker loaded with just pellets? I know the instructions say not to but I spoke with Masterbuilt and was told that it may or may not be ok to use a load of pellets, they just haven't done enough testing to say whether or not it is ok to do. Hence why the instructions say not to use pellets.


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## goliath

i have tried everything in my cold smoker unit. to get a true cold smoke run a piece of 3" heating duct from the unit to your smoker, cools the smoke down....

what i have found is that no matter what i use for smoke there is a chance it will stick a bit and not keep falling down into the element. can get a creosote build up inside the hopper but i just jam it down with a stick. makes great smoke.  i dont even bother with that hook, thinkin thats just some saftey device to pass the inspection to get into the market.

BUT ... this unit still needs baby sitting and doesnt give the amount of hours the AMNPS will give.

my fleet of a-maz-n smoker products showed up yesterday. 2 amnps AND 1 tube smoker. loaded 1 with sawdust i have and 1 with pellets... put them both in my turkey roaster mod and lots of nice smoke.... will check this morning as to if anything is left. interested to see if my sawdust did the trick. it is a little coarse..

i want to be able to do a long overnight smoke without baby sitting, i bought 2 so if i want more smoke i can light them both and still get 10 hours. i have them for my big freezer build.

the wife couldnt understand why i just didnt buy them in the beginning and kept farting around making different smoke gens.... for the $35 it seems well worth it to me  :0)


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## sctdg35

It's about time people are finally hearing about the MES electric cold smoker . I am using it right now to do some country pork ribs in my MES30 . I don't use it to cold smoke just use it to do long smokes without having to load the tray every 45 minutes . I put in a mix of broken up lump charcoal ,chips ,pellets (that's right PELLETS) and split chunks .It works great .I use my MES 30 for the quick easy cooks ,otherwise I use my Chargriller Acorn Kamado . There seems to be some sort of infatuation with the AMNPS on this website and the Masterbuilt cold smoker was totally ignored . My experience was that if you were using the Masterbuilt cold smoker for cheese and such a tray of ice would offset the elevation in temps. You don't have to worry about the Mastetrbuilt going out . Oh yeah you don't have to use the rod ,just push it snug up against your mes and away you go .


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## smokin raf

I also got the MES cold smoker. I sealed mine up with food grade silicon and I probably could get 10 hours out of it. I haven't done a smoke that long yet, only done 2 so far in an MES 40 Gen 2 which I got just recently. I Smoked for 6 hours and didn't have a problem with the chips not dropping on their own, it's smaller at the top and gets larger as it get towards the bottom, like a pyramid. But then again I only used it once.


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## steelcitysmoke

Smokin Raf said:


> I also got the MES cold smoker. I sealed mine up with food grade silicon and I probably could get 10 hours out of it. I haven't done a smoke that long yet, only done 2 so far in an MES 40 Gen 2 which I got just recently. I Smoked for 6 hours and didn't have a problem with the chips not dropping on their own, it's smaller at the top and gets larger as it get towards the bottom, like a pyramid. But then again I only used it once.


Hey Raf, where all did you seal with the silicone? Just the top lid?

Thanks!


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## goliath

i never had trouble with mine not staying loaded (falling down) the hopper until i used it a bunch of times. it got rough inside from creosote so stuff jammed a bit. works great and i am happy with it. i even used it on my big (freezer build) but i did a mail box mod with an AMNPS and i get longer smoke time for overnight. both work well for me !!!
enjoy and good luck

Goliath


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## smokin raf

steelcitysmoke said:


> Hey Raf, where all did you seal with the silicone? Just the top lid?
> 
> Thanks!


Here I posted some pictures post #29

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...oker-at-sams-club-mes-cold-smoker-mod-pg-2/20

Also I found I was still getting too much smoke so I bought a dimmer and a 9 foot, 3 prong extension cord. I removed about 4 inches of insulation from the extension cord about a foot from the receptacle end. I cut the black wire and put the dimmer in line of that. I cut the green wire and tied them together with the green on the dimmer. You do not have to cut the white wire. I have a watt meter I plugged the smoker into and turned the dimmer down till I got 75 watts. I also marked the dimmer at 100 watts. I only did one smoke with this but at 75 watts it seems perfect. You get this thin blue smoke that's hard to see but boy does it give a good smoke flavor. I think next time I'm going to start at 150 watts till I just start getting smoke then go down to 100 watts till more smoke rolls out then set it to 75 watts for smoking. It took a long time to get smoke going at 75 watts, but when it did it was good. *If your not familiar with electrical wiring you should contact some one who is.* You want to make sure your cord and the dimmer can handle the amperage.

One last note if you add chips while your smoking, when you remove the top of the cone it doesn't take long to get flames from the chips if there are some in there so be careful, it happened to me. I put the top of the cone on as soon as I seen flames and it went out and stated smoking again.













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__ smokin raf
__ May 29, 2014


















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__ smokin raf
__ May 29, 2014


















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__ smokin raf
__ May 29, 2014


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## steelcitysmoke

Thanks Raf. My cold smoker kit will be delivered tomorrow. I'm excited to give it a try.

I've read others that have tried pellets in the cold smoker. Have you? If so, how did it go?


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## smokin raf

I have not tried pellets, I have several bags of chips. However to the chips I add small chunks of lump charcoal. I read somewhere this is supposed to help get that smoke ring that you don't get in an electric smoker.  However I just tried this a couple times and have not got the ring yet.


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## spartan67

Just wanted to say THANKS to Smokin Raf! Bought my MES 40 last year and soon found the smoke generation was lacking. Bought an AMZPS, but found lighting and keeping it going was a pain and a crap shoot most of the time. I purchased the MES cold smoker, built an inline dimmer box as Raf suggested. Filled the MES cold smoker about 1/2 way with chips, turned dimmer control on 100% for 10 minutes, and began to smoke well. Turned down to 50 - 60% and it smoked with TBS for over 2 1/2 hours... no fuss, no muss! Smoked a chuckie yesterday with a full load of chips and had good TBS for almost 5 hours! I Love this Thing! The dimmer gives excellent control of the amount and quality of smoke. Looks like after every smoke it's a good idea to clean the creosote from the inside of the chip tower so the chips will drop/feed readily. Highly recommend this accessory with Raf's dimmer mod!


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## whitvt

I recently received a MES 40" smoker for my birthday and I was very disappointed in the smoke I was able to get out of it at 220 degrees. I did send MES an email and have not received one back. Anyhow, I decided to buy the add on cold smoke kit and I have now used the unit twice and again did not get much smoke flavor or barely an 1/8' smoke ring.The unit smokes like crazy but it appears that most if not all of the smoke is lost out the top of the unit. I have read this post and others and no one has commented on this.Am I doing something wrong? I did not take out the smoke tube from the MES 40 as I was able to use the hook to securely tighten the cold smoker to the unit. Any help/info would be appreciated. In the long run I should have read more and gotten the AMZNPS but it is what it is at this point. But, I am very disappointed with both the cold smoker and the MES 40.


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## goliath

in the beginning mine did the same, i used some duct tape to seal it up and it worked great. in time the creosote will build up and things just seemed to seal up better.

Goliath


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## steelcitysmoke

whitvt said:


> I recently received a MES 40" smoker for my birthday and I was very disappointed in the smoke I was able to get out of it at 220 degrees. I did send MES an email and have not received one back. Anyhow, I decided to buy the add on cold smoke kit and I have now used the unit twice and again did not get much smoke flavor or barely an 1/8' smoke ring.The unit smokes like crazy but it appears that most if not all of the smoke is lost out the top of the unit. I have read this post and others and no one has commented on this.Am I doing something wrong? I did not take out the smoke tube from the MES 40 as I was able to use the hook to securely tighten the cold smoker to the unit. Any help/info would be appreciated. In the long run I should have read more and gotten the AMZNPS but it is what it is at this point. But, I am very disappointed with both the cold smoker and the MES 40.


Whitvt, welcome to the forums.I own the 2nd generation MES and the MES cold smoker kit. I've had good experiences with both. I wanted to be able to load more chips so I bought the cold smoker kit shortly after I got the smoker. I originally bought the AMNPS cold smoker but after months of mods and experimentation I couldn't keep it lit without some crazy mods. But that's another story...anyways, I never had much of a problem with the MES cold smoker leaking much. I'll offer my opinion as to why... In addition to taking out the chip loading tube, I took out the chip tray below the heating element. I also had already done the MES chimney modification when I was messing around with the AMNPS and decided to keep it. Do a quick search and you'll find a bunch of info about it. It only cost a few bucks and makes a big difference in my opinion. By doing these things, the smoker now drafts much better and I don't get much leakage from the top of my cold smoker kit because air is being drawn into the smoker much better than the smoker did straight out of the box.Hope this helps.


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## buffalo bob

I agree that the attaching rod is not necessary. I stopped using it a while ago.


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## buffalo bob

Does anyone have suggestions on how to clean heavy creosote buildup in the cold smoking kit. The top lid and the chip chute lid keep sticking.


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## steelcitysmoke

Buffalo Bob said:


> Does anyone have suggestions on how to clean heavy creosote buildup in the cold smoking kit. The top lid and the chip chute lid keep sticking.



I usually just scrape it out with a butter knife after each smoke.


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## brayhaven

Tried my MES CSK for some jerky & a little fish.  Way too much smoke,  Tossed the  batch (small one for testing) Tasted like an ash tray,  very heavy acrid, pungent smoke, using the same (cherry) chips I used in the tray inside.  Smoked for @ 2 hrs.  decided that's way too long with this unit.  I'm  going to try Raf's inline power reduction.  

Will give a report after the trial.

Thanks for all the great info here!

Greg


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## irishpride114

How did the trial go? Anyone use pellets yet? I am in the process of using pellets as we speak. Spent the last 5 hours trying to get the AMNPS to stay lit. Even when and bought new pellets as it was the last thing to try. (been trying to get it to work for almost a year now. But that story is for another time. I bought my cold smoker addition shortly after buying the AMNPS last year. Best investment other then new wireless temp probes. Hopefully I haven't ruined the two pork butts.


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## red dog

irishpride114 said:


> How did the trial go? Anyone use pellets yet? I am in the process of using pellets as we speak. Spent the last 5 hours trying to get the AMNPS to stay lit. Even when and bought new pellets as it was the last thing to try. (been trying to get it to work for almost a year now. But that story is for another time. I bought my cold smoker addition shortly after buying the AMNPS last year. Best investment other then new wireless temp probes. Hopefully I haven't ruined the two pork butts.


I have used pellets in mine. I have my MES set up in my shop with a vent pipe running up to a exhaust fan. The first smoke I was getting too heavy smoke so I shut the element on the MECS off and cracked the ash drawer open about 3/8 inch. It continued to burn and put out a nice TBS for 2.5 hours until the pellets all burned. You may have to put a exhaust pipe like mine to improve airflow to get this to work.













smoker.jpg



__ red dog
__ Dec 17, 2014


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## irishpride114

I tried the pellets last night. About a cups worth. Burned extremely fast, and a lot of smoke. Thick enough that it gave off a odd smell.  So I ended up just going back to the wood chips. As I know those work. 

How long do you leave the cold smoker on before you turn it off? Just long enough for it to start the burning process? Do you fill the whole hopper up? Do you open the whole tray open ot just a corner? Do the pellets properly feed? As the chips have to be knocked down occasionally. I don't think I will need the vent, as I use mine outside. I also use the dryer vent with the vent cap to improve the draft.


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## red dog

irishpride114 said:


> I tried the pellets last night. About a cups worth. Burned extremely fast, and a lot of smoke. Thick enough that it gave off a odd smell. So I ended up just going back to the wood chips. As I know those work.
> 
> How long do you leave the cold smoker on before you turn it off? Just long enough for it to start the burning process? Do you fill the whole hopper up? Do you open the whole tray open ot just a corner? Do the pellets properly feed? As the chips have to be knocked down occasionally. I don't think I will need the vent, as I use mine outside. I also use the dryer vent with the vent cap to improve the draft.


I only had it on for about 10-15 minutes but I don't think you would need that long.I probably used about 2 cups. maybe about 1/3 way full. Pulled the whole drawer out about 3/8 inch. The main reason I wanted to try pellets is because I have a lot of them in different woods. No problem with pellets jamming up.  I have a new bag of hickory chips I intend to try. Might try a mix of chips and pellets. It will be interesting to see if chips will keep burning with the element off.


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## blueox

I"ll drink to that Dogging dog!  I have one of the A-Maze-N smoking kits and love it.


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## red dog

blueox said:


> I"ll drink to that Dogging dog!  I have one of the A-Maze-N smoking kits and love it.


I'm sure there must be an A-Maze-N love fest going on in some other thread somewhere that you could take part in.


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## irishpride114

Good to hear. I have tried everything but the mailbox mod to get my amnps  to work while the smoker is on. I will note that it did work when the smoker was off and empty (no grates, pans, trays, with the chip dump try removed) and the amnps sat directly on the burner shield. Go figure. I tried a torch, a heat gun, a combination of both, new pellets... Even let it burn for 20 mins before putting it in. It always burns out halfway through the first row. No matter where I sit it inside. But if I catch it in time, it will start smoking again when I pull it and just sit it outside. So anyways, I have 20lbs of hickory pellets I need to use; somehow. Maybe do the mailbox mod one day. As sleeping through the whole night is very appealing. 


What amazes me is that the people who get the amnps to work can't fathom that the pellet tray doesn't work for everyone.


Thanks for all your help.

One last thing, have you seen/tried the dimmer mod for the cold smoker attachment?


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## red dog

I haven't tried it but it looks like an interesting mod. Might give it a shot.


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## donstarr

> What amazes me is that the people who get the amnps to work can't fathom that the pellet tray doesn't work for everyone.


Ditto.

It would be nice if, somewhere on the A-MAZE-N Products web site, it was noted that the AMNPS (specifically, the 5x8) doesn't work at altitude. Perhaps in one or more of such obvious places as the product description, Instruction PDF, or FAQs?

It would be especially nice if the vendor didn't ship such a product to a location where he knows it won't work, charging the customer and letting him spend hours trying to keep the thing lit.


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## irishpride114

Well I did some tinkering with my amps today. I was going to give 2 more try's before I gave it away. After deciding to do the mail box mod as getting 10+ hours of smoke is very appealing. As is getting a whole nights sleep. I start rereading threads, looking at pictures etc to see how to do the mailbox mod right the first time. I noticed in a few pictures that some had taken the exhaust port out completely. This made it a full 3" of total exhaust. Then added a 3" adjustable 90, and a vent cap. So that is what I did. I shoved in as far as it would go, then took a sharpie and marked the inside edge inside the smoker on the flex 90. I then took a pair of tin snips and cut lines on the flex 90. I only cut to the previous marked line. Roughly about a inch. Some less, some more. Then folded those tabs around the smoker wall. I didn't screw into the smoker wall as some had done. Mainly due to it being very snug. I also taped all the joints on the flex 90 with hvac high/low temp tape, to keep it from leaking and condensating black moisture. As I smoke in the winter and summer here in Illinois. I then took the chip loading tube, and enlarged the 9 draft holes to 1/4" each. (I was prepared to go bigger, but I wanted to try this first). I had thought about taking a 1" hole saw to the inside of chip tray cover on the left hand side. I would have made the hole on the left side. Basically so you would have been able to see all the way from the outside to the far inside of the smoker, through the chip loading whole. After turning the smoker on to 225 degrees, I lit the amps, and used a torch and a heat gun to lite the amps. Got a good cherry going, and let it flame for about 10 mins, then blew it about with all the spent ash. I pushed all the cherries into the pellets, then reloaded it. Lit it again, and the followed the previous steps. I then stuck the amps in the smoker over the hole for the water tub. It smoked pretty good, and played around with the position of the chip loader tube. I then happen to read a thread of putting the amps directly over the grease drain hole. Played around some more with the chip loader tube position. I ended up going with putting the amps over the grease drain hole, and taking the chip loader tube about half way out. As taking it completely out seems to smoke to much? But it cold here, not sure how much is steam. As its getting ready to snow here. So far it has been working, about 4 hours. Good enough that I put 2 butts in. 

If this hadn't of worked (or it fails to stay lit), I am going to to do the mailbox mod. As much as I love the Masterbuilt cold smoker, buts it's very inconvenient to load, unstick the wood chips in the "hopper" every 4 hours or less. 

I just wish someone had told me to do this 1.5 years ago (I think that is how long I have had this amps now). 

That being said, maybe try the mailbox mod ($20-$30), that way it gets plenty of air. As I saw a thread about high altitude, and putting 3 addition holes in the mailbox lid to get plenty of air movement.

I will try to keep it updated over this smoke. Hopefully this will help you. Granted this info should be included with the directions. Also, if you have any questions ask away. I'm not always the greatest at putting into words what I have done. At least not very clearly.


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## blueox

I  don't know what altitude your speaking of, but I'm setting at 4355 ft and have smoked several lbs of cheese using the "dust" with my 5x8 AMNPS.  I started the first shot using  the pellets and had some problems with keeping it lit. A quick call to AMNPS ---- and  loading the tray with the dust, I'm smoking up a storm.  A-MAZE-N Products has a phone no. and "E" address to help with your questions.  I , for one, am super happy with the unite and service after the sale.   

Larry said that from out here in New Mexico.


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## donstarr

blueox said:


> I  don't know what altitude your speaking of, but I'm setting at 4355 ft and have smoked several lbs of cheese using the "dust" with my 5x8 AMNPS.  I started the first shot using  the pellets and had some problems with keeping it lit. A quick call to AMNPS ---- and  loading the tray with the dust, I'm smoking up a storm.  A-MAZE-N Products has a phone no. and "E" address to help with your questions.  I , for one, am super happy with the unite and service after the sale.
> 
> Larry said that from out here in New Mexico.


I'm at 6600'.

From searching / reading the forums, it appears that the 5x8 AMNPS doesn't work above 5000'. For example:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/165159/amnps-at-high-elevations#post_1200360

Todd did offer to swap the AMNPS for a 12" tube or just let me return the AMNPS for a refund. By that point, though, I'd already acquired the MES cold smoker kit and it was working great - especially with a dimmer and 3' of ducting.


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## brandonthompson

Red Dog said:


> I have used pellets in mine. I have my MES set up in my shop with a vent pipe running up to a exhaust fan. The first smoke I was getting too heavy smoke so I shut the element on the MECS off and cracked the ash drawer open about 3/8 inch. It continued to burn and put out a nice TBS for 2.5 hours until the pellets all burned. You may have to put a exhaust pipe like mine to improve airflow to get this to work.
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> smoker.jpg
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> __ red dog
> __ Dec 17, 2014



Rdog, I am considering getting the cold smoke attachment for my 30 mes. You turn the cold smoke unit on for 15mind and then shut it off after start smoking? By pulling the drawer out if allows air to keep them smoldering? That pipe hooked above the damper. Do you keep that on during cook cycles or smoke cycles with the mes element and chips in there


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## brandonthompson

I was set on getting the side box cold smoke for my master built but now I'm a little unsure. Seems to not have very good reviews so far. Anyone else git any tips that wold make the process easier and less painful using it


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## irishpride114

brandonthompson said:


> I was set on getting the side box cold smoke for my master built but now I'm a little unsure. Seems to not have very good reviews so far. Anyone else git any tips that wold make the process easier and less painful using it


I have used mine for over a year now on a gen 2 40" MES. I found that I had to check mine every few hours when using it. I never got more then 4 hours of usage before having to refill regardless of the outside temperture I was smoking in. I have used it from -10° to 90°+. I found that every 1-2 hours, I had to take the chip tube holder out and "shake it" to get the chips to feed correcly. Otherwise the chips would stick in the upper tube. But mine does have a lot of creosate buildup in it. I have also learned that if I let out a corner of the air tray about about 1/16th of a inch, it breathed a lot better.

The mod I did was taking out the diffuser (3? screws on the inside) and replacing it with a 3" 45° metal elbow ($5 roughly @ lowes) and a 3" metal cap with vent ($9 @ lowes #26365). When I installed the adjustable elbow, I drew a line with a sharpie around the inside wall edge of my smoker on the elbow(roughly 1" all the way around the elbow). I took a pair of tin snips and cut slots up to the the line i drew about every 1/4"-1/2". That way i could I fold them back against the inside wall. It made it very snug, and didn't have to screw it down like others did. I then took hvac high temp tape and taped the seems on the outside portion of the elbow. Then installed the vent cap, and taped that seem as well.  This has allowed my smoker to breathe so much better. It is almost like night and day.

After doing all of that, I found that my AMNPS now works. So I use that now. It is nice being able to get a good night sleep now. Instead of checking on the smoker every few hours. I just wish I would have found that mod 2 years ago.


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## dogwalker

Do you ever use the smoking kit and leave the power off on the main smoker?  I've been trying to decide between this and the AMZN.  I see some negatives on both (some folks complain about bitter taste with the ME, and others say they have constant problems with the AMZN), and I see positives on both.

Thanks!


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## irishpride114

Dogwalker said:


> Do you ever use the smoking kit and leave the power off on the main smoker?  I've been trying to decide between this and the AMZN.  I see some negatives on both (some folks complain about bitter taste with the ME, and others say they have constant problems with the AMZN), and I see positives on both.
> 
> Thanks!



I haven't done any cold smoking yet. The only time I ever really got a bitter taste using just mes smoker attachment was on wings (over smoked) and one time I was tired and filled the hopper for over 4 hours with nothing but mesquite wood chips.  

I still have problems with my amps. Even after the first round of mods I did, it stopped working correctly once again. I finally had to do the mail box mod. With this being said, I still have to watch it some.


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## dogwalker

irishpride114 said:


> I haven't done any cold smoking yet. The only time I ever really got a bitter taste using just mes smoker attachment was on wings (over smoked) and one time I was tired and filled the hopper for over 4 hours with nothing but mesquite wood chips.
> 
> I still have problems with my amps. Even after the first round of mods I did, it stopped working correctly once again. I finally had to do the mail box mod. With this being said, I still have to watch it some.


Thanks, that's why I'm in a quandary.  Honestly, I don't currently plan to ever smoke cheese, and my smoker has been fantastic for chicken and everything else - with one exception.  I tried smoking salmon at 100 and gradually bumping it up, and it was pretty much impossible to get the smoker to hold anything close to 100 (kept wanting to go higher), and of course, I couldn't generate smoke.

So I thought I'd check into these two options.  I actually bought the MBCS and got it today, and it was pretty awful, so I'm hoping I just did something wrong.  If I can't get it to work, I'll return it and try the AMPS, or more likely, I'll just go back to what I was doing, since the only thing is, I have to add wood chips every 30-45 minutes.

Here's what I did.  First pass, I left the main unit off and put a good bit of apple chips in the MBCS and started it up.  I couldn't see any smoke coming out of the MES, so I opened the door, and there was a ton of smoke sitting on the floor.  It wasn't rising, which seems really weird to me.  Over time, it finally filled the MES and started coming out the vent, and I added some cheese and bread just to capture the smell and taste.  The smoke smelled acrid and so did the bread and cheese.

Now, I'm still a noob, so maybe you're not supposed to stick in break or cheddar cheese, but even the smoke smelled acrid, like burned paper or something.

Any suggestions?  I'd love to get this thing to work, although like I say, I'm not married to it, and I can also just go back to what I had or try the AMPNS.

Thanks!


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## foamheart

You did the MBSC wrong, I assure you.

Do you monitor and adjust your vent? Do you crack the ashtray a little to get good flow? You can set a piece of 4" PVC about 2 foot long over the 3" vent also and that will effectively change the air draft from a 3 '' to almost a 4" vent without you trying to change the bore.

I get 6+ hours of smoke from mt MBCS attachment easily, probably get even more. You can start the heater, get smoke rising in the smoker and turn the heater off and allow it to smolder on that'll usually give a couple of extra hours.

The only problem I have encountered with the MBCS is that last 1/3 to 1/4 in the top of the chimney will stick after numerous smokes. I just tap it with a stick though and it dropsn right down upon the heating coil.

When attempting cheese, you need it frigid outside. I have a full tray of cheese in the project reefer just waiting for some cold. Plus its my understanding that cheese is like nuts and jerky. you only need a couple a hours in the box. It tastes like an ashtray anyway you do it until you allow it to mellow before packaging.

I have an AMAZIN  5x8 tray, AMAZIN oval adjustable, and the MBCS. All of which work great, you just have to prep and achieve a smoke with the AMAZIN products, whereas with the MBCS you just adjust your vents and turn it on. I use all three and each does fine.

I am experimenting now with the 2 foot extension stack. I am getting unbelieveable smoke, burning a load of pellets but since the oval tube is new as well as the stack extension, I can't tell yet for sure whats creating the smoke. BUt I blackened the outside of a prok roast tonight with only 4 hours of smoke! AND I was watching the smoke out the chimney. LOL


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## dogwalker

Foamheart said:


> You did the MBSC wrong, I assure you.
> 
> Do you monitor and adjust your vent? Do you crack the ashtray a little to get good flow? You can set a piece of 4" PVC about 2 foot long over the 3" vent also and that will effectively change the air draft from a 3 '' to almost a 4" vent without you trying to change the bore.
> 
> I get 6+ hours of smoke from mt MBCS attachment easily, probably get even more. You can start the heater, get smoke rising in the smoker and turn the heater off and allow it to smolder on that'll usually give a couple of extra hours.
> 
> The only problem I have encountered with the MBCS is that last 1/3 to 1/4 in the top of the chimney will stick after numerous smokes. I just tap it with a stick though and it dropsn right down upon the heating coil.
> 
> When attempting cheese, you need it frigid outside. I have a full tray of cheese in the project reefer just waiting for some cold. Plus its my understanding that cheese is like nuts and jerky. you only need a couple a hours in the box. It tastes like an ashtray anyway you do it until you allow it to mellow before packaging.
> 
> I have an AMAZIN  5x8 tray, AMAZIN oval adjustable, and the MBCS. All of which work great, you just have to prep and achieve a smoke with the AMAZIN products, whereas with the MBCS you just adjust your vents and turn it on. I use all three and each does fine.
> 
> I am experimenting now with the 2 foot extension stack. I am getting unbelieveable smoke, burning a load of pellets but since the oval tube is new as well as the stack extension, I can't tell yet for sure whats creating the smoke. BUt I blackened the outside of a prok roast tonight with only 4 hours of smoke! AND I was watching the smoke out the chimney. LOL


Thanks!  Well, I have to admit, I know nothing about smoking cheese, so maybe you're not supposed to slice cheddar, stick it in for an hour and then immediately eat it?  :-)  From what you said above, it sounds like a "no" to that!

I didn't crack the ashtray, just started it up, and it seemed to fill the MES from the bottom up.  I've never seen that much smoke in my MES!  I had the vent wide open, too.  I'll try this some more Sunday and hopefully next weekend.  I was also considering the AMZN 5x8, but I'll see how this goes.

Thanks again!  BTW, you said you get unbelievable smoke.  Now, I've always had some smoke, but never a ton, and the flavor has been great, but since I'm new to this, maybe I'm missing something and should have been getting more smoke all along?

thanks!


----------



## foamheart

Heres my take upon smoking, you can do big smoke for a short period or a smaller smoke for a longer period. You look for thin blue smoke, but I don't think an electric gets warm enough to really achieve it. yes you can reduce smoke you can see, but its not what I call thin blue smoke which you see coming out a large pit. 

Just my opinions. 

With cheese, nuts, and any cured smoked product always allow what I call a mellow time for the product to smooth out before bagging and tagging or you will get that ashtray taste.  Also never judge your flavors on these right after smoking, again, give it some time to smooth or you will throw away perfectly wonderful smoked items..

"I" control my smoke with the vent. I don't leave mine open all the time, I use it to maintain what I consider to be the right flow. That way my pellets last longer, my smoker uses less electricity and doesn't cycle as much. Others say leave it wide open, they say smoke gets stale. Creosote taste comes from incomplete burning, not stale smoke. Sure too much smoke is always a worry, and usually can lead to incomplete combustion, but its doesn't have to. I regulate my vent and I don't get creosote.


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## dogwalker

Foamheart said:


> Heres my take upon smoking, you can do big smoke for a short period or a smaller smoke for a longer period. You look for thin blue smoke, but I don't think an electric gets warm enough to really achieve it. yes you can reduce smoke you can see, but its not what I call thin blue smoke which you see coming out a large pit.
> 
> Just my opinions.
> 
> With cheese, nuts, and any cured smoked product always allow what I call a mellow time for the product to smooth out before bagging and tagging or you will get that ashtray taste.  Also never judge your flavors on these right after smoking, again, give it some time to smooth or you will throw away perfectly wonderful smoked items..
> 
> "I" control my smoke with the vent. I don't leave mine open all the time, I use it to maintain what I consider to be the right flow. That way my pellets last longer, my smoker uses less electricity and doesn't cycle as much. Others say leave it wide open, they say smoke gets stale. Creosote taste comes from incomplete burning, not stale smoke. Sure too much smoke is always a worry, and usually can lead to incomplete combustion, but its doesn't have to. I regulate my vent and I don't get creosote.


I tried the cold smoking kit again this weekend, and it worked fine.  I'm still trying to figure out the exact configuration I need.  I was smoking chicken, so the MES was on.

I followed tips from another guy who said to start the CSK with the cover off to let that initial thick smoke dissipate and then cover it.

I forgot your comment about the vent, so my whole smoke was with the vent wide open, and a lot of smoke flowed.  When I turned the CSK off to see how long it would continue, I'd say it continued another 20 minutes.  All in all, I filled it almost half full, and I'd say it burned an hour and a half.

Oh, and I pulled the ash tray out about 1/4"

So, what I need to resolve:
1) do I need to take that first step of having the CSK uncovered to burn off the "bad smoke" and creosote?
2) would I get more smoke flavor (good flavor) and longer smoke from the wood if I close the vent at least half-way?
3) is it necessary to have the MES on, to get the smoke to flow?  If so, I guess I'll never smoke cheese, but then I don't really care about that (at least not yet, but I'm still new)?

I ask number 3 because the first time I tried smoking, the smoke just sat in the bottom of the MES for a long time, and the unit was off.

Thanks!


----------



## foamheart

Dogwalker said:


> I tried the cold smoking kit again this weekend, and it worked fine.  I'm still trying to figure out the exact configuration I need.  I was smoking chicken, so the MES was on.
> 
> I followed tips from another guy who said to start the CSK with the cover off to let that initial thick smoke dissipate and then cover it.
> 
> I forgot your comment about the vent, so my whole smoke was with the vent wide open, and a lot of smoke flowed.  When I turned the CSK off to see how long it would continue, I'd say it continued another 20 minutes.  All in all, I filled it almost half full, and I'd say it burned an hour and a half.
> 
> Oh, and I pulled the ash tray out about 1/4"
> 
> So, what I need to resolve:
> 1) do I need to take that first step of having the CSK uncovered to burn off the "bad smoke" and creosote?
> 
> I never heard of this, remember Creosote comes from incomplete burning, not from "Stale" smoke. I see note two
> 
> 2) would I get more smoke flavor (good flavor) and longer smoke from the wood if I close the vent at least half-way?
> 
> First you have the vent fully open to draw a draft, you can leave the tray cracked on the cold smoker. In probably a dozen smokes with the cold smoker, I have Never once dumped the ash-tray, nor has it been needed yet. I get a 100% white powder residue, that is as clean a smoke as possible. If you are not getting a good enough draft for you, try the two foot PVC stack. BTW  If you open the cold smoker lid, you are allowing the heat & Smoke which you need to draw a draft to escape the smoker. Or thats how I would think anyway.
> 
> 3) is it necessary to have the MES on, to get the smoke to flow?  If so, I guess I'll never smoke cheese, but then I don't really care about that (at least not yet, but I'm still new)?
> 
> I have not yet done a complete cold smoke, Today is the day before Mardi Gras and I have on shorts and a t shirt. Although, I believe I have seen Dave say a cold smoke is anything under 90 degrees and I am pretty sure I can do that.  I have blocks of cheese in the beer reefer awaiting a cool enough day. Don't want to chance all that good cheese,
> 
> I ask number 3 because the first time I tried smoking, the smoke just sat in the bottom of the MES for a long time, and the unit was off.
> 
> Thanks!


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## dogwalker

Thanks!  I'll try it again this week.  Looking forward to it!


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## miatawnt2b

I am really thinking about one of these for my 30. I've been struggling using a soldering iron and chips in a steel can. I can't seem to get rid of the bitter smoke flavor. I want to believe this may be my solution. Are you getting any bitter smoke flavors from your cold smoke unit? I find it hard to believe it's that much different than my diy setup.

Can someone take some detailed pics of the internals of this thing?

Thanks!

-J


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## dogwalker

miatawnt2b said:


> I am really thinking about one of these for my 30. I've been struggling using a soldering iron and chips in a steel can. I can't seem to get rid of the bitter smoke flavor. I want to believe this may be my solution. Are you getting any bitter smoke flavors from your cold smoke unit? I find it hard to believe it's that much different than my diy setup.
> 
> Can someone take some detailed pics of the internals of this thing?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> -J


My last smoke was good, but I think I took too many preventive steps.  I called Masterbuilt today, and they told me:

1) the main unit has to be on (so no smoking cheese, but that's ok with me)

2) the vent should be about half-way open

I'm going to smoke some chicken this week, and we'll see.

The AMNPS is another option you should consider.  I haven't tried it yet, but lots of people love it.  I went with this option because I was curious, and because I didn't want all the prep time with the AMZN or use pellets, and I was seeing too many people having trouble keeping it lit.  That said, tons of people love it, AND it would let you truly cold smoke.

I'll post an update after I smoke the chicken.


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## miatawnt2b

well, I took the plunge and bought one on Amazon last night. I love prime. Here in 2 days, free shipping on returns if it stinks. I'll take lots of pics.

-J


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## dogwalker

miatawnt2b said:


> well, I took the plunge and bought one on Amazon last night. I love prime. Here in 2 days, free shipping on returns if it stinks. I'll take lots of pics.
> 
> -J


Great!  I'm going to try mine again in the next few days, and I'm going to follow Masterbuilt's suggestions
1) turn the smoker unit on
2) turn the CSK on after putting wood in it

3) open the MSE vent about half way

and I'll probably also pull out the little ash tray about 1/4" but I'll experiment with leaving it closed, too.

Good luck, and let us know!


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## dogwalker

I smoked a few chicken breasts with the MES and CSK last night, and it went fine this time.  I guess the key is having the MES on.  It was nice not having to go check the smoke every 20-30 minutes to add chips.  I put a few handfuls of chips in the CSK, and it smoked an hour.


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## foamheart

A suggestion, if you know anyone with pecans grab some shells. They work FANTASTIC! Just get most of the nut meat out.

The buckets are where I started













017.JPG



__ foamheart
__ Feb 11, 2016






The up side......













Pecans Freezer.JPG



__ foamheart
__ Feb 11, 2016






Now I am keeping the shells in a 31 qt storage bin. BTW mention to all those friends who always stop by when they see smoke rising. You'll be surprized how many folks will bring you....LOL

Anyway, pecan shells are great smokers.


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## dogwalker

That sounds great!  I use pecan and maple chips most of the time, so that sounds really good.  Thanks!


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## miatawnt2b

It Came! It Came!

and I couldn't be happier. Pulled it out of the box and grabbed the dimmer extension cord I made up for the Christmas tree. (you'll be suprised how long those twinkle lights last if you dim them just a touch) I stuck it on the kill-a-watt meter and checked the wattage. Mine pulled about 130W. So I dialed it back to 75W and attached it to the smoker (after burning it in of course). Threw in a piece of bread and let it smoke at 150 degrees for about 30 min just to get a flavor profile. 

It's fantastic. No bitterness, just nice smoky flavor.  So the main difference between this thing and my DIY paint can/soldering iron is that the airflow is through the unburned chips to the element and into the smoker. With my DIY setup, the airflow was heating element, burned chips, unburned chips, smoker.  (hope that makes sense)

-J


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## dr k

miatawnt2b said:


> It Came! It Came!
> 
> and I couldn't be happier. Pulled it out of the box and grabbed the dimmer extension cord I made up for the Christmas tree. (you'll be suprised how long those twinkle lights last if you dim them just a touch) I stuck it on the kill-a-watt meter and checked the wattage. Mine pulled about 130W. So I dialed it back to 75W and attached it to the smoker (after burning it in of course). Threw in a piece of bread and let it smoke at 150 degrees for about 30 min just to get a flavor profile.
> 
> It's fantastic. No bitterness, just nice smoky flavor.  So the main difference between this thing and my DIY paint can/soldering iron is that the airflow is through the unburned chips to the element and into the smoker. With my DIY setup, the airflow was heating element, burned chips, unburned chips, smoker.  (hope that makes sense)
> 
> -J


Most people probably don't have the room to put on a 2'X3"  $1.99 aluminum extension between the CSK and MES to give it a little more time to condense volatiles before getting to the product/cooking chamber.  Even several feet.  You'll definitely be able taste a higher quality smoke especially cold smoking.  I'd be very interested to hear if somebody tries it.

-Kurt


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## miatawnt2b

All you had to do was ask.













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__ Feb 13, 2016


















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__ miatawnt2b
__ Feb 13, 2016


















IMG_20160213_094109.jpg



__ miatawnt2b
__ Feb 13, 2016


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## smokesontuesday

miatawnt2b said:


> All you had to do was ask.
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> __ Feb 13, 2016


Looks really nice.


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## dr k

miatawnt2b said:


> It Came! It Came!
> 
> 
> and I couldn't be happier. Pulled it out of the box and grabbed the dimmer extension cord I made up for the Christmas tree. (you'll be suprised how long those twinkle lights last if you dim them just a touch) I stuck it on the kill-a-watt meter and checked the wattage. Mine pulled about 130W. So I dialed it back to 75W and attached it to the smoker (after burning it in of course). Threw in a piece of bread and let it smoke at 150 degrees for about 30 min just to get a flavor profile.
> 
> 
> 
> It's fantastic. No bitterness, just nice smoky flavor.  So the main difference between this thing and my DIY paint can/soldering iron is that the airflow is through the unburned chips to the element and into the smoker. With my DIY setup, the airflow was heating element, burned chips, unburned chips, smoker.  (hope that makes sense)
> 
> 
> 
> -J


Most people probably don't have the room to put on a 2'X3"  $1.99 aluminum extension between the CSK and MES to give it a little more time to condense volatiles.  Even several feet.  You'll definitely be able t 


miatawnt2b said:


> All you had to do was ask.
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> __ Feb 13, 2016


Looks great!
-Kurt


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## miatawnt2b

just wait till you see the next mod.


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## mp3car

Just bought an MES 40 and the CSK (MES is model 20075315, From amazon, $320 a few days ago, now $340, was as low as $287 right before Christmas!  :(

I will be "seasoning" them both and doing a butt and beef ribs this weekend.  I'll probably use just the MES for a few hours to get the feel of just using it by itself, then throw on the CSK.  Plan on using pecan or hickory, with a little mesquite.

I am not new to smoking, I have had a cheap offset firebox chargriller model from Lowe's for about 8 years...  but I am new to the MES (and ES in general)...  I do want to do Jerky and cheese eventually, I'll come back with my observations/experience!


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## mp3car

Used the smoker a few days ago for the first time.  Without the "cold smoker" attachment I wouldn't be as pleased because it would need wood so often, but I was over all very pleased with the results!  I had the top baffle about 75% closed the whole time.  I see why people use a dimmer online with the cold smoker attachment, which is refered to as a "slow smoker" in the manual that came with it, potentially because it puts off too much heat to be "cold" unless maybe to 50F or below outside.


I used a motor speed control intended for a [wood] router.  It uses a Triac/SCR, not PWM or variable capacitance, so it works great for resistive loads.  I didn't put a meter on it but the knob was about 75%, just at the bottom of the "green" range on the knob.  It was like $15 from harbor freight if you don't want to mess with putting a dimmer knob in line with it.  I'm an EE so a knob would be a cinch, but I already had this speed control so I saved myself a trip to Lowe's and a few bucks.  http://m.harborfreight.com/router-speed-control-43060.html


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## dogwalker

mp3car said:


> Used the smoker a few days ago for the first time. Without the "cold smoker" attachment I wouldn't be as pleased because it would need wood so often, but I was over all very pleased with the results! I had the top baffle about 75% closed the whole time. I see why people use a dimmer online with the cold smoker attachment, which is refered to as a "slow smoker" in the manual that came with it, potentially because it puts off too much heat to be "cold" unless maybe to 50F or below outside.
> 
> 
> I used a motor speed control intended for a [wood] router. It uses a Triac/SCR, not PWM or variable capacitance, so it works great for resistive loads. I didn't put a meter on it but the knob was about 75%, just at the bottom of the "green" range on the knob. It was like $15 from harbor freight if you don't want to mess with putting a dimmer knob in line with it. I'm an EE so a knob would be a cinch, but I already had this speed control so I saved myself a trip to Lowe's and a few bucks. http://m.harborfreight.com/router-speed-control-43060.html


I just bought this controller from Harbor Freight, and am trying it out.  So far, it's working great!  I have to experiment with where to set it to optimize the smoke output.  I filled the tube about 1/4 to 1/3, and I set the control to the middle of the green section, and it lasted an hour, really good, thin smoke.  Now I'm going to set it to the end of the green section (your suggestion, which I missed the first time through), to see what happens.

Thanks for the suggestion!


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## ferggie

IMG_0886.JPG



__ ferggie
__ Jun 30, 2017
__ 1





I have one and love it. Have no intention of using my chip try again.












IMG_0884.JPG



__ ferggie
__ Jun 30, 2017


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## dogwalker

Love your cart, Ferggie!  I need to do something like that.  Where did you get it?

BTW, for the Fourth, I used my MES 40 and the cold smoker, with the variable voltage gadget from harbor freight, and it all worked great!


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## rdel90

Does anyone get some smoke leak out of the top of the CSK? Is that normal? Is there a way to seal that better. I'm using mine for the first time today with a rack of ribs. Still getting good white smoke from the main unit.


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## foamheart

.


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## Robert Aulis

animal said:


> Hi guys
> Has anyone tried one of these yet?
> Masterbuilt cold smoker kit item 20070112 for use with all electric digital smokers.
> Bass pro has them in stock 13.00 less than masterbuilt. Item number 38-614-059-05 and they use wood chips.
> I would like some feedback. Before I buy one of them.
> Thanks



Hi,just tried mine this weekend works very well, I have it on my masterbuilt pro dual fuel smoker. Lots of smoke but did find the chips got hung up a couple times, not sure if the chips i used were a bit to big. I did true cold smoke, 3 types of cheese and with my setup. I am new to the site,


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## Angel L. Calzadilla

Hi all.. I have a MES Gen 1 with a CSK attached. Much like everyone else, I've been having issues with oversmoked or creosote flavor build up. Gave the MES a good cleaning after my last few attempts with the CSK. Found this thread, and got the Harbor Freight variable controller recommended by dogwalker. 

Just curious on the results those of you who followed his suggestion. Smoked a brisket with apple pellets yesterday on the mid-low setting, and although I got a thinner, longer lasting smoke with less creosote smell, the brisket turned out with no smoke ring and a slightly harsh flavor.

I haven't resorted to using the pipes others have recommended, but I wanted to see if I can get the variable motor speed controller working.

Thanks again, keep on smoking..


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## dogwalker

Angel L. Calzadilla said:


> Hi all.. I have a MES Gen 1 with a CSK attached. Much like everyone else, I've been having issues with oversmoked or creosote flavor build up. Gave the MES a good cleaning after my last few attempts with the CSK. Found this thread, and got the Harbor Freight variable controller recommended by dogwalker.
> 
> Just curious on the results those of you who followed his suggestion. Smoked a brisket with apple pellets yesterday on the mid-low setting, and although I got a thinner, longer lasting smoke with less creosote smell, the brisket turned out with no smoke ring and a slightly harsh flavor.
> 
> I haven't resorted to using the pipes others have recommended, but I wanted to see if I can get the variable motor speed controller working.
> 
> Thanks again, keep on smoking..



It's a constant "trial and error" with me and the CSK.  Last weekend, I smoked some steaks, and even though I turned the controller all the way down (once the smoke was going), the smoke just kept coming.  However, it was thin.  I found the steaks "too smoky" but I was alone in that opinion.  Everyone else thought they were perfect.

I've never gotten a smoke ring with the MES.  Is that even possible with an electric smoker?  I honestly don't know.


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## foamheart

dogwalker said:


> It's a constant "trial and error" with me and the CSK.  Last weekend, I smoked some steaks, and even though I turned the controller all the way down (once the smoke was going), the smoke just kept coming.  However, it was thin.  I found the steaks "too smoky" but I was alone in that opinion.  Everyone else thought they were perfect.
> 
> I've never gotten a smoke ring with the MES.  Is that even possible with an electric smoker?  I honestly don't know.



Smoke ring with an MES is possible, but it adds nothing to the meats flavor.








To get a smoke ring, you must burn a couple of charcoal brickets in the chip tray, and smoke the meat using some type of aux smoker. I have A-MAZE-N oval tubes, tubes, 5x8 tray, and a Masterbuilt Aux smoker. I did the above just to prove it could be done. Its just like my favorite current saying, "just because you can do a thing, doesn't mean you should".

Too smokey? Three causes, too much smoke (open the exhaust vent), too much smoke, you need not smoke the entire time you are cooking the meat or just cut back on your chips/pellets, change your wood type. If you are using hickoy/mesquite/oak quit and try a nice fruit or nut wood and see if it helps. Or any combination of the above. You want to find your smokers sweet spot. Thats where the smoker is happy and its easy on you.

Different people can taste smoke differently. My mom would not eat my Pop's smoke. I asked why once, se said it was too smokey. He was trying to smoke everything the same. Chicken/fish = mild smoke, pork middles smoke, and beef can handle anything. My go to smoke is pecan a medium smoke because I have pecan trees. But my favorite at the moment is apple/corn cob. Apply less smoke, vent more, try a different type sweeter smoke.


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## foamheart

Angel L. Calzadilla said:


> Hi all.. I have a MES Gen 1 with a CSK attached. Much like everyone else, I've been having issues with oversmoked or creosote flavor build up. Gave the MES a good cleaning after my last few attempts with the CSK. Found this thread, and got the Harbor Freight variable controller recommended by dogwalker.
> 
> Just curious on the results those of you who followed his suggestion. Smoked a brisket with apple pellets yesterday on the mid-low setting, and although I got a thinner, longer lasting smoke with less creosote smell, the brisket turned out with no smoke ring and a slightly harsh flavor.
> 
> I haven't resorted to using the pipes others have recommended, but I wanted to see if I can get the variable motor speed controller working.
> 
> Thanks again, keep on smoking..



Angel, its a cold smoker. A cold smoker is not a hot smoker. A cold smoke needs 3 to 4 times as much smoke to equal warm smoke.  FYI......

I just cold smoked a ham for Easter. 10 hours of smoke with a nice amber color that corn cob and apple. That ham is raw and must be cooked to eat, but the color and smell are really nice.







Below is a blade end pork bone in roast, that a 4 hours hot smoke and its ready to eat.







Cold smoke is just that smoking cold meat, cold meat does not accept smoke as readily as hot smoke. The same as wet meat smokes slower than dry meat.

When I use my cold smoker I am smoking cold meats because of the amout of smoke required. I even leave my door cracked on the MES 40, most of the time because of all the smoke!


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## Biggy1

sctdg35 said:


> I have the mes cold smoker kit and use it all the time .I also have the AMNPS but like to use a mix of lump charcoal broken up and chips and even mix in pellets  ,produces a nice smoke and gives a good flavor to food . I can even break up wood chunks with a hatchet and use that too . As far as I'm concerned the versatility of the mes cold smoker is a big plus .I will say that it did increase the temperature in the smoker by about ten degrees but that was completely empty when I burned it in . Probably temp rise would be offset with a pan of ice . I also bought it from Bass pro cheaper than Masterbuilt . Actually it is on backorder from Masterbuilt and I think it is now out of stock at Bass Pro .


I make wood chunks from a log of hickory, oak and mesquite it gives out plenty of smokefor 8 to 10 hrs.


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## dr k

The cold smoker attachment which I believe they changed the name to slow smoker attachment and now interchange the names has more people using it for hot smoking so they don't have to fiddle with chips as much.  With the higher draft at higher temps it will create a white cloud so after it's going people shut it off and let it self stoke with just the draft for lighter smoke or some use a $20 router controller from Harbor Freight or anywhere to dial in the heating element for their desired smoke volume when cold or hot smoking.  I don't have the slow smoke attachment and use the AMNPS but those that do if you remove the guts and place a chunk in the bottom and put everything back together like using chips, it seems like the new independent 150 watt chip/chunk burner built inside the new Mes 30 and 40 that can be set between 1-5 to dial in your desired smoke volume. It's just that the slow smoker with router controller is external vs. internal with the new 150 watt independent burner for chip/chunks.  It would be a simple addition plugging the slow smoker into the router controller then the controller into the electrical receptacle and not have the never ending chip jamming, being able to burn chunks with a variable controller.  Turn on slow smoker, then router controller and dial your heat. I don't know if this would work with chunks because I don't know how much room there is where the funnel flares and the chips burn but it does work with chips.  Isn't a chunk a big chip? lol


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## bregent

dr k said:


> some use a $20 router controller



I used a $10 plug-in dimmer. Worked great.


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## Biggy1

dr k said:


> The cold smoker attachment which I believe they changed the name to slow smoker attachment and now interchange the names has more people using it for hot smoking so they don't have to fiddle with chips as much.  With the higher draft at higher temps it will create a white cloud so after it's going people shut it off and let it self stoke with just the draft for lighter smoke or some use a $20 router controller from Harbor Freight or anywhere to dial in the heating element for their desired smoke volume when cold or hot smoking.  I don't have the slow smoke attachment and use the AMNPS but those that do if you remove the guts and place a chunk in the bottom and put everything back together like using chips, it seems like the new independent 150 watt chip/chunk burner built inside the new Mes 30 and 40 that can be set between 1-5 to dial in your desired smoke volume. It's just that the slow smoker with router controller is external vs. internal with the new 150 watt independent burner for chip/chunks.  It would be a simple addition plugging the slow smoker into the router controller then the controller into the electrical receptacle and not have the never ending chip jamming, being able to burn chunks with a variable controller.  Turn on slow smoker, then router controller and dial your heat. I don't know if this would work with chunks because I don't know how much room there is where the funnel flares and the chips burn but it does work with chips.  Isn't a chunk a big chip? lol


I cut them up then make 1"x1"chunks.


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## dr k

bregent said:


> I used a $10 plug-in dimmer. Worked great.





Biggy1 said:


> I cut them up then make 1"x1"chunks.


Ok now I'm getting somewhere.  People with a slow smoker can get a custom smoke setting without chip jams, using chunks.  Put 3-6 oz. of chunks in the bottom of the tower and slide on the screen and drop tower in the slow smoker.  No white cloud smoke like with the new Mes 1-5 setting independent chip/chunk burner,  No need to buy the new smoker if you already have a slow smoker but just need a rheostat to plug the slow smoker into.


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## MJB05615

dr k said:


> Ok now I'm getting somewhere.  People with a slow smoker can get a custom smoke setting without chip jams, using chunks.  Put 3-6 oz. of chunks in the bottom of the tower and slide on the screen and drop tower in the slow smoker.  No white cloud smoke like with the new Mes 1-5 setting independent chip/chunk burner,  No need to buy the new smoker if you already have a slow smoker but just need a rheostat to plug the slow smoker into.


I'm trying chunks in my slow smoker add on this weekend for ribs.  Do I still add wood chips to the tower?  Or will chunks alone be enough?  I've also gotten the router controller from Harbor Freight gonna try that too, very excited to give this a try.  Most of the chunks in the bag are pretty small and should fit the tower, the larger ones I will trim down.  Thanks for any info.


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## Biggy1

MJB05615 said:


> I'm trying chunks in my slow smoker add on this weekend for ribs.  Do I still add wood chips to the tower?  Or will chunks alone be enough?  I've also gotten the router controller from Harbor Freight gonna try that too, very excited to give this a try.  Most of the chunks in the bag are pretty small and should fit the tower, the larger ones I will trim down.  Thanks for any info.


Chunks will smoke just fine.


----------



## MJB05615

Biggy1 said:


> Chunks will smoke just fine.


Thanks for the fast reply!  Fill tower half way?  Like I do with chips?  or more? or less?  Thanks.
Also, is there an easier way to get the temps up in my MES?  I set it to 275 and inside never gets above 220 usually.  I've seen the PID mods some have posted, but looks very complicated for someone not very coordinated in electrical work.  Is there some kind of Plug and Play mod I can do to get temps up?


----------



## Biggy1

MJB05615 said:


> Thanks for the fast reply!  Fill tower half way?  Like I do with chips?  or more? or less?  Thanks.
> Also, is there an easier way to get the temps up in my MES?  I set it to 275 and inside never gets above 220 usually.  I've seen the PID mods some have posted, but looks very complicated for someone not very coordinated in electrical work.  Is there some kind of Plug and Play mod I can do to get temps up?


Some light up a couple of charcoal briquettes in the bottom and put the wood chunks on top.


----------



## dr k

MJB05615 said:


> Thanks for the fast reply!  Fill tower half way?  Like I do with chips?  or more? or less?  Thanks.
> Also, is there an easier way to get the temps up in my MES?  I set it to 275 and inside never gets above 220 usually.  I've seen the PID mods some have posted, but looks very complicated for someone not very coordinated in electrical work.  Is there some kind of Plug and Play mod I can do to get temps up?


I use the Auber WS-1510ELPM  PID plug and play from auberins.com since I couldn't average actual temps over 250 in my Mes 40.  You can do tallbm's simple rewire no back removal you can search which I did or get a 14 or 12 guage extention cord without the female plug end that comes stripped. Get two high heat 1/4" female spade connectors and solder them to the white and black wires. Take the bottom back plate off to access the element. Remove the connectors on the element and connect the two on the extension cord connectors. Doesn't matter which side for white or black wires. Wrap the green ground around one of the six access screws and tighten. Done. Plug into the Auber PID. Plug the Auber into the electric recepticle.  Run Auber sensor down top vent and clip on the rack near your food. I have my top rack in to manage sensors/cables and cook on the midlle two. Second from top is my go to cooking rack.


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## MJB05615

dr k said:


> I use the Auber WS-1510ELPM  PID plug and play from auberins.com since I couldn't average actual temps over 250 in my Mes 40.  You can do tallbm's simple rewire no back removal you can search which I did or get a 14 or 12 guage extention cord without the female plug end that comes stripped. Get two high heat 1/4" female spade connectors and solder them to the white and black wires. Take the bottom back plate off to access the element. Remove the connectors on the element and connect the two on the extension cord connectors. Doesn't matter which side for white or black wires. Wrap the green ground around one of the six access screws and tighten. Done. Plug into the Auber PID. Plug the Auber into the electric recepticle.  Run Auber sensor down top vent and clip on the rack near your food. I have my top rack in to manage sensors/cables and cook on the midlle two. Second from top is my go to cooking rack.


WOW, that seems much more simple than the method tallbm listed.  So if I do this, I do not have to do anything from the tallbm rewire?  I'm not very mechanical, and his steps were very detailed and I get confused easily, LOL.  Thanks, if this is the case, I will try.  Really appreciate the help and info.
Once this is done, will I still be able to use the MB timer and on/off controll?  Or is that totally bypassed?  Or does this just bypass the temp sensor and temp setting?


----------



## dr k

MJB05615 said:


> WOW, that seems much more simple than the method tallbm listed.  So if I do this, I do not have to do anything from the tallbm rewire?  I'm not very mechanical, and his steps were very detailed and I get confused easily, LOL.  Thanks, if this is the case, I will try.  Really appreciate the help and info.
> Once this is done, will I still be able to use the MB timer and on/off controll?  Or is that totally bypassed?  Or does this just bypass the temp sensor and temp setting?


This wiring is from Auber. Nothing  else to do. This bypasses everything  Mes. If you have a removable Mes controller after the mod, then bring it inside in the a/c out of humidity. You have  a back up  in case it fails years from now and you can use the OEM controller if you put the Mes connectors back on the element.  The simple rewire no back removal keeps the dime size flat sensor on the back wall in the circuit for over heating protection above 302 so it opens  the circuit with heat like the thermostat in a car for coolant to flow but this cuts electricity to the element for fire safety . I peeled the rubber gasket off the access plate and stretch the holes over the screw heads to hold it in place  and have a board lead up against the back of the smoker so nothing cacan fall and hit that area.


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## MJB05615

dr k said:


> This wiring is from Auber. Nothing  else to do. This bypasses everything  Mes. If you have a removable Mes controller after the mod, then bring it inside in the a/c out of humidity. You have  a back up  in case it fails years from now and you can use the OEM controller if you put the Mes connectors back on the element.  The simple rewire no back removal keeps the dime size flat sensor on the back wall in the circuit for over heating protection above 302 so it opens  the circuit with heat like the thermostat in a car for coolant to flow but this cuts electricity to the element for fire safety . I peeled the rubber gasket off the access plate and stretch the holes over the screw heads to hold it in place  and have a board lead up against the back of the smoker so nothing cacan fall and hit that area.


got it.  Seems pretty simple,  I'm gonna go for it and let you know how it goes.  Very grateful for the info.  I'll write back if I run into any problems or to tell you how it went.
Hope to have it done in the next week or so, depending on part availability.


----------



## MJB05615

dr k said:


> This wiring is from Auber. Nothing  else to do. This bypasses everything  Mes. If you have a removable Mes controller after the mod, then bring it inside in the a/c out of humidity. You have  a back up  in case it fails years from now and you can use the OEM controller if you put the Mes connectors back on the element.  The simple rewire no back removal keeps the dime size flat sensor on the back wall in the circuit for over heating protection above 302 so it opens  the circuit with heat like the thermostat in a car for coolant to flow but this cuts electricity to the element for fire safety . I peeled the rubber gasket off the access plate and stretch the holes over the screw heads to hold it in place  and have a board lead up against the back of the smoker so nothing cacan fall and hit that area.


is this the correct one?   https://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8&products_id=110


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## dr k

MJB05615 said:


> is this the correct one?   https://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8&products_id=110
> View attachment 418757


That's the one I  have for my Mes 40. I read the manual waiting for it to arrive. I've done the out of the box setting and auto tune, writing down the PID numbers so I can manually set them back but like the P=1, I=0 and D=0 when you hold the lock button then enter 166 to manually enter your PID settings, leaving the AT at 0 and T at 2. You can always set your cook time in minutes to 2,000+ or higher for single stage long cooks or switch to single mode without inputting minutes which I did. So it stays at that temp until you shut off the controller or change the temp. Is your smoker an Mes 40?


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## MJB05615

dr k said:


> That's the one I  have for my Mes 40. I read the manual waiting for it to arrive. I've done the out of the box setting and auto tune, writing down the PID numbers so I can manually set them back but like the P=1, I=0 and D=0 when you hold the lock button then enter 166 to manually enter your PID settings, leaving the AT at 0 and T at 2. You can always set your cook time in minutes to 2,000+ or higher for single stage long cooks or switch to single mode without inputting minutes which I did. So it stays at that temp until you shut off the controller or change the temp. Is your smoker an Mes 40?


YES MES 40 ABOUT 5 YEARS OLD.  ORDERED THE PID YESTERDAY WILL BE IN THIS WEEK, THEN I'M GONNA INSTALL.  I HAVE A FRIEND WHO'S AN ELECTRICIAN THAT IS GONNA HELP ME SO I DON'T BLOW THE THING UP.  LOL.  THANKS FOR THE HELP AN INFO, IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE I NEED TO KNOW PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LET ME KNOW.
IF THIS WORKS LIKE YOU SAY, I WILL BE IN "HOG" HEAVEN.


----------



## MJB05615

dr k said:


> That's the one I  have for my Mes 40. I read the manual waiting for it to arrive. I've done the out of the box setting and auto tune, writing down the PID numbers so I can manually set them back but like the P=1, I=0 and D=0 when you hold the lock button then enter 166 to manually enter your PID settings, leaving the AT at 0 and T at 2. You can always set your cook time in minutes to 2,000+ or higher for single stage long cooks or switch to single mode without inputting minutes which I did. So it stays at that temp until you shut off the controller or change the temp. Is your smoker an Mes 40?


ONE MORE THING, COULD YOU SEND ME A PHOTO OF YOUR SETUP? TO SEE HOW YOU HAVE THE CORD AND CONTROLLER MOUNTED?  THANKS, IF YOU CAN'T I UNDERSTAND.


----------



## dr k

MJB05615 said:


> ONE MORE THING, COULD YOU SEND ME A PHOTO OF YOUR SETUP? TO SEE HOW YOU HAVE THE CORD AND CONTROLLER MOUNTED?  THANKS, IF YOU CAN'T I UNDERSTAND.


I did the no back removal simple rewire so my smoker cord plugs into the PID.  I do have a piece of 2×6 the controller sits on to keep it cooler since te SSR heat sink is on the bottom. I Keep it shaded.


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## MJB05615

dr k said:


> I did the no back removal simple rewire so my smoker cord plugs into the PID.  I do have a piece of 2×6 the controller sits on to keep it cooler since te SSR heat sink is on the bottom. I Keep it shaded.
> View attachment 418880


LOOKS VERY NICE.  QUESTION, YOU DID THE NO BACK REMOVAL REWIRE RIGHT?  I WON'T BE DOING THAT AS IT IS MORE COMPLICATED THAN I AM COMFORTABLE DOING.  WITHOUT DOING THAT REWIRE, WILL THE OVERHEAT SENSOR STILL WORK?  THAT'S THE ONE ON THE INSIDE BACK WALL THAT CUTS OFF THE ELEMENT IF IT GOES OVER 302 RIGHT?  I GET IT THAT I'LL NO LONGER BE USING THE MES ELECTRICAL PLUG, WHICH IS FINE, I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THE SAFETY WILL STILL WORK.  THANKS FOR ALL OF THE INFO AND ADVICE.


----------



## dr k

MJB05615 said:


> LOOKS VERY NICE.  QUESTION, YOU DID THE NO BACK REMOVAL REWIRE RIGHT?  I WON'T BE DOING THAT AS IT IS MORE COMPLICATED THAN I AM COMFORTABLE DOING.  WITHOUT DOING THAT REWIRE, WILL THE OVERHEAT SENSOR STILL WORK?  THAT'S THE ONE ON THE INSIDE BACK WALL THAT CUTS OFF THE ELEMENT IF IT GOES OVER 302 RIGHT?  I GET IT THAT I'LL NO LONGER BE USING THE MES ELECTRICAL PLUG, WHICH IS FINE, I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THE SAFETY WILL STILL WORK.  THANKS FOR ALL OF THE INFO AND ADVICE.


The easy power cord mod you want to do doesn't have the safety snap disc in circuit unless you access it by taking off the back, cutting an access where it's at from the back or you have an access built in there already. If you want to access the snap disc you can include  it in the circuit. With a mailbox mod and nothing combustible in the smoker, I'm not concerned with this PID like the stock on/off controller loosing control. The PID has a quick blow 15amp fuse for over amp protection. The Mes analog dial rheostat controllers don't have the snap disk. I cut an access in the back of my smoker incase it fails so I can jumper it or wire nut the wires together to bypass the snap disc or hook up the back up power cord I made like I expained to you to finish my smoke.


----------



## MJB05615

dr k said:


> The easy power cord mod you want to do doesn't have the safety snap disc in circuit unless you access it by taking off the back, cutting an access where it's at from the back or you have an access built in there already. If you want to access the snap disc you can include  it in the circuit. With a mailbox mod and nothing combustible in the smoker, I'm not concerned with this PID like the stock on/off controller loosing control. The PID has a quick blow 15amp fuse for over amp protection. The Mes analog dial rheostat controllers don't have the snap disk. I cut an access in the back of my smoker incase it fails so I can jumper it or wire nut the wires together to bypass the snap disc or hook up the back up power cord I made like I expained to you to finish my smoke.


OK I see.  I'm going to do the easy power cord mod and not include the snap disc in the circuit.  Once I make sure how accurate the temp settings are with the PID controller, since I never need to cook higher than 260-275, it should be safe, and not go over 302.  And if it does somehow get too hot, the fuse on the Auber will blow, right?  Thanks.  BTW I use chunks in my slow smoker attachment this weekend and the router controller, and it worked perfectly, only filled one time and lasted 4 hours.  Cannot believe I've wasted the last few years using chips with stale smoke flavor.  Now I know better, thanks to you and the great people on this forum.  Very appreciative for all of the help and support.


----------



## dr k

MJB05615 said:


> OK I see.  I'm going to do the easy power cord mod and not include the snap disc in the circuit.  Once I make sure how accurate the temp settings are with the PID controller, since I never need to cook higher than 260-275, it should be safe, and not go over 302.  And if it does somehow get too hot, the fuse on the Auber will blow, right?  Thanks.  BTW I use chunks in my slow smoker attachment this weekend and the router controller, and it worked perfectly, only filled one time and lasted 4 hours.  Cannot believe I've wasted the last few years using chips with stale smoke flavor.  Now I know better, thanks to you and the great people on this forum.  Very appreciative for all of the help and support.


The 15 amp fuse mayl protect the PID from a power surge I guess so it doesn't get damaged but not affect it's performance regulating electricity to the heating element. Since you have a Mes 40 when you run the default setting out of the box and autotune you may find like many of us that the controller flashes electricity to the element too soon maybe 25 degrees below your set temp which means it takes too long to get there instead of the green light on constantly up to a degree or two below set point. When I=0 and D=0 then it's in P mode and the instructions use P=7, I=0 and D=0 as the example so 7 degrees below set point the controller is at full output 7/7 =1 or 100%, green light on,  at 6 degrees below it's 6/7 output 85.7% flashes green light , 5 degrees below set point it's  5/7 output 71.4% flashing green light till you get to set point is 0/7 or off. Green light off. So the PID comes in for a landing so to speak at your set point. With vent widr open at higher temps you need a fast response to hold temps within two degrees of set point so the fastest is P=1,, I=0 and D=0. 1 degree below set point is 1/1 100% output .5 below set point is 50% outut then off at set point. You need 50% outut 1/2 ° below set point to not drop several degrees at high temps with max air flow through the smoker. P=2, I=0 and D=0 is 100% output two degrees below set point, 50% output at one degree below set point and off at set point. So at high temps  P=2 has a little more temp swing unless smoking at 200° or less. When preheating It'll over shoot the some without the cold sink of food but when you open the door to put in food it comes up  to your set point without overshooting. If P=0 no matter what I and D are set to it's on/off mode like the stock Mes controller and won't hover around set point within two degrees but is better than the Mes controller because the PID sensor is by your food not low on the back wal near the elementl where your food isn't. After one hour of playing with the PID with default and autotune I reread the P mode instructions and got to P=1, I=0 and D=0 and never looked back and change to P=2, I=0 and D=0 for starting at 150 and ramping up ten degrees every hour for dried beef, jerky, sausages, fish and creating a draft for cold smoking just setting the controller 10 degrees above outside ambient temp. With the smaller Mes 30 others have different go to settings but with the Mes 40 others like the P mode I described above.


----------



## dr k

MJB05615 said:


> OK I see.  I'm going to do the easy power cord mod and not include the snap disc in the circuit.  Once I make sure how accurate the temp settings are with the PID controller, since I never need to cook higher than 260-275, it should be safe, and not go over 302.  And if it does somehow get too hot, the fuse on the Auber will blow, right?  Thanks.  BTW I use chunks in my slow smoker attachment this weekend and the router controller, and it worked perfectly, only filled one time and lasted 4 hours.  Cannot believe I've wasted the last few years using chips with stale smoke flavor.  Now I know better, thanks to you and the great people on this forum.  Very appreciative for all of the help and support.


I forgot to mention that if someone is always home then a dual probe  digital therm that has a pit probe with a range vs. Just a high limit alarm is your safety over temp. So when I smoke ribs, butts and brisket at 275 I set my high alarm at 290 and the low at 260 so if I doze off I'll be alerted if the temp is out of range like a power outage or grease fire.


----------



## MJB05615

dr k said:


> I forgot to mention that if someone is always home then a dual probe  digital therm that has a pit probe with a range vs. Just a high limit alarm is your safety over temp. So when I smoke ribs, butts and brisket at 275 I set my high alarm at 290 and the low at 260 so if I doze off I'll be alerted if the temp is out of range like a power outage or grease fire.


WHENEVER I SMOKE, THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEONE HOME.  I DO USE A DUAL PROBE DIGITAL THERM, AND WILL PUT ONE NEXT TO THE MEAT TO USE AS A HIGH/LOW TEMP ALARM.
PID CAME IN TODAY! I'M HOPING TO INSTALL THIS WEEK, THEN TEST THIS WEEKEND.  I WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES. THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL OF THE INFO AND HELP.


----------



## MJB05615

dr k said:


> I forgot to mention that if someone is always home then a dual probe  digital therm that has a pit probe with a range vs. Just a high limit alarm is your safety over temp. So when I smoke ribs, butts and brisket at 275 I set my high alarm at 290 and the low at 260 so if I doze off I'll be alerted if the temp is out of range like a power outage or grease fire.


GREAT NEWS!!  We did the install today.  Everything went great.  I read the manual, and did the 1 set temp no timer setting, set it to 240', solid green light, watched it climb to 120', left it alone for an hour, came back out and it was at 240'! No green Light.  Opened door, cooled down very fast to 219'.  Closed door started to climb again.  Turned off.  Will smoke ribs next Tuesday and let you know the results after 5-6 hours.  I am very happy using this manually with the 1 step if it holds up and stays consistent.  I will put my dual probe in Tuesday when I do some actual cooking, and make sure the auber is reasonably accurate.  I cannot thank you enough for the info and advice.  I'll keep updating, and of course pay it forward.


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## dr k

MJB05615 said:


> GREAT NEWS!!  We did the install today.  Everything went great.  I read the manual, and did the 1 set temp no timer setting, set it to 240', solid green light, watched it climb to 120', left it alone for an hour, came back out and it was at 240'! No green Light.  Opened door, cooled down very fast to 219'.  Closed door started to climb again.  Turned off.  Will smoke ribs next Tuesday and let you know the results after 5-6 hours.  I am very happy using this manually with the 1 step if it holds up and stays consistent.  I will put my dual probe in Tuesday when I do some actual cooking, and make sure the auber is reasonably accurate.  I cannot thank you enough for the info and advice.  I'll keep updating, and of course pay it forward.


Did you try the default setting and autotune or P=1, I=0 and D=0 manual setting?


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## MJB05615

dr k said:


> Did you try the default setting and autotune or P=1, I=0 and D=0 manual setting?


No, I only did the single step mode, which is manually set the temp no timer or variance.  That was the test run 2 hours  total.  I was reading the manual a bit and a question, if I keep it this way, one step manual keep temp at 250-260 constant, no timer, etc.  Will it damage the PID unit?  Does it need to cycle other than just on off keeping temp at the setting I put? I'm reading manual and find one area says it could overheat the unit, and another stating it won't.  Based on amp draw.  Also will it damage the PID when I turn on initially, if it heats up too fast?  Like constant heating for 45 min-1 hour til it hits 260'.  Thanks.


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## dr k

The PID default setting it came to you out of the box is P=7, I=600 and D=150. With an empty smoker and you start heating to your set point at what temp does the steady green light start to flash (25° below your set temp, 10° below?) Nothing to do with the single stage mode. It's the performance of the PID. It's the section where you enter code 166 to autotune or manually change the P, I and D values.  When watching it heat up and it comes out of full power and the green light flashes many degrees below your set temp you'll never get to the set temp with food in the smoker. This PID doesn't know what it's controlling so the default values I found need to be changed like in the posts above. This controller won't have over heating issues since the element is 1,200 watts.


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## MJB05615

dr k said:


> The PID default setting it came to you out of the box is P=7, I=600 and D=150. With an empty smoker and you start heating to your set point at what temp does the steady green light start to flash (25° below your set temp, 10° below?) Nothing to do with the single stage mode. It's the performance of the PID. It's the section where you enter code 166 to autotune or manually change the P, I and D values.  When watching it heat up and it comes out of full power and the green light flashes many degrees below your set temp you'll never get to the set temp with food in the smoker. This PID doesn't know what it's controlling so the default values I found need to be changed like in the posts above. This controller won't have over heating issues since the element is 1,200 watts.





dr k said:


> The PID default setting it came to you out of the box is P=7, I=600 and D=150. With an empty smoker and you start heating to your set point at what temp does the steady green light start to flash (25° below your set temp, 10° below?) Nothing to do with the single stage mode. It's the performance of the PID. It's the section where you enter code 166 to autotune or manually change the P, I and D values.  When watching it heat up and it comes out of full power and the green light flashes many degrees below your set temp you'll never get to the set temp with food in the smoker. This PID doesn't know what it's controlling so the default values I found need to be changed like in the posts above. This controller won't have over heating issues since the element is 1,200 watts.


I see.  I only did the one stage setup with the manual, setting it to 240'.  Didn't pay attn to the P I or D setting.  Watched it climb to 120' solid green light , went into house for an hour, came back out and it was at 240', no green  light.  Opened the door, temp dropped to 219', closed door, green light solid temp started going back up.  I can reset to your suggestion P=1 I=0 D=0 and see how it does.
I did all of this with no food in smoker.  So I want to make sure it's right before I use real food.
Thanks


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## dr k

MJB05615 said:


> I see.  I only did the one stage setup with the manual, setting it to 240'.  Didn't pay attn to the P I or D setting.  Watched it climb to 120' solid green light , went into house for an hour, came back out and it was at 240', no green  light.  Opened the door, temp dropped to 219', closed door, green light solid temp started going back up.  I can reset to your suggestion P=1 I=0 D=0 and see how it does.
> I did all of this with no food in smoker.  So I want to make sure it's right before I use real food.
> Thanks


Ok now were on the same page. So it sounds like you tried the default setting. Turn on the smoker with the same setting and come back 15 minutes later and check the temp displayed and if the light flashes or solid. You want the solid light on right up to a degree or so just below your set temp with the Mes 40 and vent wide open. When you try P=1, I=0 and D=0 just write down those values before you try the above because you can always set it back. I removed all the metal chip burner assembly from around the element since I'm not using it. So the element is exposed and doesn't have to heat up metal or keep heat in the right rear corner and no clean up.


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## MJB05615

dr k said:


> Ok now were on the same page. So it sounds like you tried the default setting. Turn on the smoker with the same setting and come back 15 minutes later and check the temp displayed and if the light flashes or solid. You want the solid light on right up to a degree or so just below your set temp with the Mes 40 and vent wide open. When you try P=1, I=0 and D=0 just write down those values before you try the above because you can always set it back. I removed all the metal chip burner assembly from around the element since I'm not using it. So the element is exposed and doesn't have to heat up metal or keep heat in the right rear corner and no clean up.


I have already removed the wood chip drawer and fill tube since I'm using the slow smoke attachment.  You're saying also remove the metal that is around the heating element too?  I can do that it seems easy enough.  And I'll do another dry run without food with the P1I1D1 settings with temp set at 260' and see how that does.  Thanks.


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## dr k

It's P=1, I=0 and D=0. Do the default setting again and note the temp the green light flashes, then open the door to let out heat and then the other setting to see the difference. Press and hold set till the red flashing light on the lower right blinks indicating input changes and press the up arrow till 166 and press set. It'll show P and change to 1, then press set, it'll show D, then change to 0, then press set, then it'll show D, then change to 0, then press set, then it'll show AT= 0, no change press set, then itll show T =2 , no change press set and done. This will keep the green light solid (100% output) till 1/2 degree below set point and will quickly coast up past set point where the green light is off. There will be over coasting when preheating empty a few degrees but not with  food. The temp will drop and the green light will flash 50% output 1/2 degree below set temp and full output solid green light 1 degree below set point so you'll be a couple degrees around set temp with alternating 100 % output and 50% output vs. the default setting that flashes many degrees below set point so your waiting to preheat/recover. You should get to a preheatef set temp of 275 in 25 -30 minutes without food. Since you weren't around till after an hour you missed how the PID performed at the default setting.


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## MJB05615

dr k said:


> It's P=1, I=0 and D=0. Do the default setting again and note the temp the green light flashes, then open the door to let out heat and then the other setting to see the difference. Press and hold set till the red flashing light on the lower right blinks indicating input changes and press the up arrow till 166 and press set. It'll show P and change to 1, then press set, it'll show D, then change to 0, then press set, then it'll show D, then change to 0, then press set, then it'll show AT= 0, no change press set, then itll show T =2 , no change press set and done. This will keep the green light solid (100% output) till 1/2 degree below set point and will quickly coast up past set point where the green light is off. There will be over coasting when preheating empty a few degrees but not with  food. The temp will drop and the green light will flash 50% output 1/2 degree below set temp and full output solid green light 1 degree below set point so you'll be a couple degrees around set temp with alternating 100 % output and 50% output vs. the default setting that flashes many degrees below set point so your waiting to preheat/recover. You should get to a preheatef set temp of 275 in 25 -30 minutes without food. Since you weren't around till after an hour you missed how the PID performed at the default setting.


OK.  I see now.  I will print these directions, which are much easier to understand than the manual.  I will use this and let you know my results.  Should I remove the metal left above the heating element?  It's the enclosure the drawer used to go in to. So the element is totally exposed?


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## MJB05615

dr k said:


> It's P=1, I=0 and D=0. Do the default setting again and note the temp the green light flashes, then open the door to let out heat and then the other setting to see the difference. Press and hold set till the red flashing light on the lower right blinks indicating input changes and press the up arrow till 166 and press set. It'll show P and change to 1, then press set, it'll show D, then change to 0, then press set, then it'll show D, then change to 0, then press set, then it'll show AT= 0, no change press set, then itll show T =2 , no change press set and done. This will keep the green light solid (100% output) till 1/2 degree below set point and will quickly coast up past set point where the green light is off. There will be over coasting when preheating empty a few degrees but not with  food. The temp will drop and the green light will flash 50% output 1/2 degree below set temp and full output solid green light 1 degree below set point so you'll be a couple degrees around set temp with alternating 100 % output and 50% output vs. the default setting that flashes many degrees below set point so your waiting to preheat/recover. You should get to a preheatef set temp of 275 in 25 -30 minutes without food. Since you weren't around till after an hour you missed how the PID performed at the default setting.


I will also stay with it the entire time so I can watch how it acts once it hits the set temp.  I'll restore factory defaults first, then do this method.


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## dr k

MJB05615 said:


> OK.  I see now.  I will print these directions, which are much easier to understand than the manual.  I will use this and let you know my results.  Should I remove the metal left above the heating element?  It's the enclosure the drawer used to go in to. So the element is totally exposed?


I removed everything around the element so pools of grease and juice are farther away from the element on the bottom foiled pan. Not as much vaporizing smokey grease.


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## MJB05615

dr k said:


> I removed everything around the element so pools of grease and juice are farther away from the element on the bottom foiled pan. Not as much vaporizing smokey grease.


OK.  Doesn't grease get directly on the element during cooking with it exposed?  I could place as much of the food as i can to the left so it's less directly over the element.  I use the second shelf from the bottom to cook, mostly.


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## MJB05615

dr k said:


> It's P=1, I=0 and D=0. Do the default setting again and note the temp the green light flashes, then open the door to let out heat and then the other setting to see the difference. Press and hold set till the red flashing light on the lower right blinks indicating input changes and press the up arrow till 166 and press set. It'll show P and change to 1, then press set, it'll show D, then change to 0, then press set, then it'll show D, then change to 0, then press set, then it'll show AT= 0, no change press set, then itll show T =2 , no change press set and done. This will keep the green light solid (100% output) till 1/2 degree below set point and will quickly coast up past set point where the green light is off. There will be over coasting when preheating empty a few degrees but not with  food. The temp will drop and the green light will flash 50% output 1/2 degree below set temp and full output solid green light 1 degree below set point so you'll be a couple degrees around set temp with alternating 100 % output and 50% output vs. the default setting that flashes many degrees below set point so your waiting to preheat/recover. You should get to a preheatef set temp of 275 in 25 -30 minutes without food. Since you weren't around till after an hour you missed how the PID performed at the default setting.


I did it!  Set p=1 I=0 D=0.  Set it to 270'.  Solid green light all the way til 269, then blinking light as it hit 270.  Then off, Went to 272, then went down to 267 and green light came on solid etc.  I also had my probe thermometer next to the Auber probe plus an oven therm, both the probe and oven therms were 15-20 degrees less like 250 mostly. they were on the same rack about 1-2 inches from the Auber probe.  Does that much difference seem normal?  I'm very happy to be getting 250-270 degrees to cook now, much better than the 220 max i had prior to this mod. 
When I use food, should I set the Auber higher to achieve 260 degrees to cook?
 So now I should be ready to cook some ribs Tuesday morning at 4am for an office party at 11am.  Let you know how it goes.


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## MJB05615

dr k said:


> I removed everything around the element so pools of grease and juice are farther away from the element on the bottom foiled pan. Not as much vaporizing smokey grease.


Just tested my probes for my dual probe therm in boiling water.  My main one I use in foods was 179', my other one was 204'.  That settles the difference between the Auber probe and this one.  I used today the one that is off 25 + degrees in the smoker.  I'll get rid of that and purchase a new dual probe setup.  Any recommendations?  Inkbird?


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## MJB05615

dr k said:


> It's P=1, I=0 and D=0. Do the default setting again and note the temp the green light flashes, then open the door to let out heat and then the other setting to see the difference. Press and hold set till the red flashing light on the lower right blinks indicating input changes and press the up arrow till 166 and press set. It'll show P and change to 1, then press set, it'll show D, then change to 0, then press set, then it'll show D, then change to 0, then press set, then it'll show AT= 0, no change press set, then itll show T =2 , no change press set and done. This will keep the green light solid (100% output) till 1/2 degree below set point and will quickly coast up past set point where the green light is off. There will be over coasting when preheating empty a few degrees but not with  food. The temp will drop and the green light will flash 50% output 1/2 degree below set temp and full output solid green light 1 degree below set point so you'll be a couple degrees around set temp with alternating 100 % output and 50% output vs. the default setting that flashes many degrees below set point so your waiting to preheat/recover. You should get to a preheatef set temp of 275 in 25 -30 minutes without food. Since you weren't around till after an hour you missed how the PID performed at the default setting.


Today I smoked ribs, first time with food since the mod.  Everything turned out great!  Set Auber at 270-275 heated within 30 minutes. My 1 accurate probe lying next to the Auber probe, equal to or 1-2 degree difference the entire time.   Hickory chunks in the slow smoke generator.  Ribs came out better than ever!  What a pleasure it is to cook at proper set temps!  I can't thank you enough for all of the help and guidance.  After 10 + years smoking meats, I am renewed and can't wait for next week.  Up next Whole Brisket, lately has taken 18 hours, now hoping to go back to 12-14 hours at a true 250' cook temp.  You rock!


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