# MB's official statement on wet or dry chips.



## mawil1013 (Jan 3, 2017)

According to Masterbuilt website; https://masterbuilt.com/product/20078715-30-digital-electric-smoker-3/

"You may use dry or pre-soaked wood chips in your smoker. Dry chips will burn faster and produce more intense smoke. Chips pre-soaked in water (for approximately 30 minutes) will burn slower and produce a less intense smoke."


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## SmokinAl (Jan 4, 2017)

If you ask anyone with a MES they will tell you that soaking the chips is a big waste of time.

All it does is create steam & moisture in the smoker.

Then they dry out & start to smoke.

Al


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## daveomak (Jan 4, 2017)

What do engineers in China know about smoking meat ????


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## mawil1013 (Jan 4, 2017)

DaveOmak said:


> What do engineers in China know about smoking meat ????


they own smithfield meats so they gonna know all our secrets!!


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## daveomak (Jan 4, 2017)

mawil1013 said:


> DaveOmak said:
> 
> 
> > What do engineers in China know about smoking meat ????
> ...


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## mawil1013 (Jan 4, 2017)

SmokinAl said:


> If you ask anyone with a MES they will tell you that soaking the chips is a big waste of time.
> 
> All it does is create steam & moisture in the smoker.
> 
> ...



Hey AL, my first use of MB30 was dry chips and it seemed the temp spiked then dropped so I assumed chips were flaming then smoldering, the second time I soaked chips and opened damper all the way. Which I thought stopped the spike. I haven't been able to just sit and watch it so I won't swear by it. I'm the type how has to prove it, I got a lot to learn with this thing that is supposes to be so simple but has different variables for sure. I want to run that test again but watch carefully the first hour. I sincerely appreciate input from pros but I always prove it out.


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## Bearcarver (Jan 4, 2017)

SmokinAl said:


> If you ask anyone with a MES they will tell you that soaking the chips is a big waste of time.
> 
> All it does is create steam & moisture in the smoker.
> 
> ...


Exactamundo!!

How many Smokes do the guys who wrote the book have under their belts?

They also tell you to close the top vent to hold stale smoke in the Smoker---Bet their stuff tastes Great---Creosote & all.

Bear


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## mawil1013 (Jan 4, 2017)

Bearcarver said:


> Exactamundo!!
> 
> How many Smokes do the guys who wrote the book have under their belts?
> 
> ...



The consensus then is vent wide open, dry chips for everything from sausage to whole turkey? I just assumed (wrongly) that the electric was to operate like the bullit cooker they also sell. Which uses a small amount of chips, no top vent, the smoke stays in, I've had similar bullits and they smoked exceptionally well with little amount of chips due to no vent.


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## BGKYSmoker (Jan 4, 2017)

Bearcarver said:


> Exactamundo!!
> 
> How many Smokes do the guys who wrote the book have under their belts?
> 
> ...


All MES answers come out of  Kwick-E-Mart. No thank you berry berry much.













apu-kwik-e-mart.jpg



__ BGKYSmoker
__ Jan 4, 2017


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## daveomak (Jan 4, 2017)

mawil1013 said:


> Bearcarver said:
> 
> 
> > Exactamundo!!
> ...


Below is how myself and most others smoke meat...  BUT.... you are free to do it your way....


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## mawil1013 (Jan 4, 2017)

DaveOmak said:


> Below is how myself and most others smoke meat...  BUT.... you are free to do it your way....


great video! Appreciate u sharing that!


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## chef jimmyj (Jan 4, 2017)

Actually, most of the MES owners here dumped using chips for one of the A-MAZE-N products after their first PITA run of adding chips every 30 minutes during a 6 to 12 hour smoke session. Adding chips is NOT what I call a set and forget smoker...JJ


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## mawil1013 (Jan 4, 2017)

Chef JimmyJ said:


> Actually, most of the MES owners here dumped using chips for one of the A-MAZE-N products after their first PITA run of adding chips every 30 minutes during a 6 to 12 hour smoke session. Adding chips is NOT what I call a set and forget smoker...JJ



I bought the large square one but now wish it was one of the tube, I'll probably get a tube in a week or two after Xmas budget recovers!


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## seenred (Jan 4, 2017)

Chef JimmyJ said:


> Actually, most of the MES owners here dumped using chips for one of the A-MAZE-N products after their first PITA run of adding chips every 30 minutes during a 6 to 12 hour smoke session. Adding chips is NOT what I call a set and forget smoker...JJ









I don't have my old MES anymore (sold it to The Mule about 3 years back), but back then, the same day I ordered my MES40, I also ordered an AMNPS from Todd.  During the years I cooked on that rig, I never once had chips in the factory chip tray...the AMNPS was just such a convenient and perfect smoke generator for the MES.

Red


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## Bearcarver (Jan 4, 2017)

mawil1013 said:


> The consensus then is vent wide open, dry chips for everything from sausage to whole turkey? I just assumed (wrongly) that the electric was to operate like the bullit cooker they also sell. Which uses a small amount of chips, no top vent, the smoke stays in, I've had similar bullits and they smoked exceptionally well with little amount of chips due to no vent.


Keep on experimenting---That's a good way to learn.

All we do is give you our experiences to help you save some time & headaches (And bad food).

After 7 years of using nothing but MES units, I can't help you with any other kind of smoker, but Electric, and mainly MES.

However anything I tell you didn't come from any book, especially one written by someone who probably never used an MES.

Like JJ said, I started 7 years ago, fighting with the Chips & chunks, and all I got was off and on smoke, and sometimes too much smoke. Then I tried a Smoke Generator for $100, and found it to be a POJ.

Then Todd Johnson invented the AMNS, and I helped him test them. They are Great, but they weren't good for temps much over 200°, so he invented the AMNPS, good for Low & High Heat.

So that's what I have Happily used for more than 6 years now. They work Awesome!!  Wouldn't want to smoke without one.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Jan 4, 2017)

mawil1013 said:


> I bought the large square one but now wish it was one of the tube, I'll probably get a tube in a week or two after Xmas budget recovers!


Depends on where you live. If you live at a high altitude, you could be better off with a Tube.

However my AMNS & AMNPS  (Square Maze) work Awesome in all of my MES units, but I only live a few hundred feet above sea level.

BTW: You should type where you live in your Profile, so we can include that with our figuring, when we help you on things like this.

Bear


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## mawil1013 (Jan 4, 2017)

Chef JimmyJ said:


> Actually, most of the MES owners here dumped using chips for one of the A-MAZE-N products after their first PITA run of adding chips every 30 minutes during a 6 to 12 hour smoke session. Adding chips is NOT what I call a set and forget smoker...JJ



OK now, for today, I don't have a mailbox setup yet, it looks like the best procedure, for now, what's best way to set up my amazn, vent wide open for sure, placed where inside where it won't get dripped on? And, door cracked or not? I did find out I need to pile up pellets higher going around corners.


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## Bearcarver (Jan 4, 2017)

mawil1013 said:


> OK now, for today, I don't have a mailbox setup yet, it looks like the best procedure, for now, what's best way to set up my amazn, vent wide open for sure, placed where inside where it won't get dripped on? And, door cracked or not? I did find out I need to pile up pellets higher going around corners.


We still haven't established which MES model you have:

If it's a Gen #1, best place is on the bottom support rods to left of Chip burner.

If it's the Gen #2.5, on the bottom rack, right side, with the dumper pulled out a couple inches & turned 180°.

If it's a Gen #2, Remove the little water pan from the slanted Drip plate, and straddle the hole with the AMNPS, so air can rise through that hole through the AMNPS.

Vent Full Open, protect AMNPS from Drips. Never crack door open.

Bear


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## joda (Jan 4, 2017)

I have been experimenting with the AMZN 6 tube in my MES 30. I've found it works great on the lowest rack on the left,vent wide open. I leave the chip loader half out. I love Todd's products. It's like having a new smoker.


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## mawil1013 (Jan 4, 2017)

Bearcarver said:


> We still haven't established which MES model you have:
> 
> If it's a Gen #1, best place is on the bottom support rods to left of Chip burner.
> 
> ...


Model 20078715, what gen is this?


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## mawil1013 (Jan 4, 2017)

joda said:


> I have been experimenting with the AMZN 6 tube in my MES 30. I've found it works great on the lowest rack on the left,vent wide open. I leave the chip loader half out. I love Todd's products. It's like having a new smoker.


One thing I know is having a vent stack can be key to improving air flow. I'm going to buy a 3 foot length of PVC pipe which is bigger then vent on top, between adding that it may be enough to pull consistently through the grease drain hole. If that doesn't work; The other option would be, if your not going to use the wood chip adding tube is pull it out and cram a piece of foil in the hole but leave it open by about half the hole size. Keep in mind I haven't tried this yet but I will this weekend, this idea it is knowledge gained from working with other wood burners. Nothing like a 3 foot pipe on top to get a good draft.


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## Bearcarver (Jan 5, 2017)

mawil1013 said:


> Model 20078715, what gen is this?


That's a Generation #2.

Below is a Link to my thoughts on all 3 Generations:

*Masterbuilt Smokers (Bear's Thoughts & Findings)*

Bear


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## daricksta (Jan 5, 2017)

mawil1013 said:


> According to Masterbuilt website; https://masterbuilt.com/product/20078715-30-digital-electric-smoker-3/
> 
> "You may use dry or pre-soaked wood chips in your smoker. Dry chips will burn faster and produce more intense smoke. Chips pre-soaked in water (for approximately 30 minutes) will burn slower and produce a less intense smoke."


I never soak wood chips but I really only use them anymore in my Weber kettle charcoal grill. Soaked chips really last no longer than dry. And as SmokinAl wrote wet chips generate steam along with smoke. I've been using my AMNTS but I'm trying still trying to find a spot where the airflow is sufficient and I can get to it to pour in more wood pellets. I typically place it near the charcoal but the pellets keep flaming out.


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## chef jimmyj (Jan 5, 2017)

That's a gen 2, so remove the pan, left side, and set the maze over the hole in the slanted drip tray. Tent with foil for protection from drips...JJ


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