# MES while at work?



## cody0707 (Mar 9, 2016)

I am thinking about starting a butt before I leave for work and letting it cook while I am at work. I will move the smoker away from the house and put it in my yard. Have any of you left you MES going for 8+ hours while away?


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## Bearcarver (Mar 9, 2016)

Cody0707 said:


> I am thinking about starting a butt before I leave for work and letting it cook while I am at work. I will move the smoker away from the house and put it in my yard. Have any of you left you MES going for 8+ hours while away?


I never have, not while I'm sleeping either.

However I'm glad to see you're moving it away from your house. It's not worth losing your house!!

The worst that should be able to happen would be ruining the meat, in the event of a power outage or an MES problem.

Bear


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## old sarge (Mar 9, 2016)

I have done many an overnight smoke with my CS and will do so with my SI and not have any worries. Utterly reliable.


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## mountain-worm (Mar 9, 2016)

People sleep the night while smoking, just make sure it's not going to get wet if it rains while you're gone 
"Tricity n water don't mix".


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## SmokinAl (Mar 9, 2016)

I would do it. I do all nighters all the time with my WSM.

It would be great to come home from work & smell smoke, as long as it's not your house burning!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Al


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## frosty (Mar 9, 2016)

Bearcarver said:


> I never have, not while I'm sleeping either.
> 
> However I'm glad to see you're moving it away from your house. It's not worth losing your house!!
> 
> ...


What he said!

My personal MES DID catch fire and thankfully I WAS at home and all is well (except for the MES).

Be safe, it is worth it for the ones you love.


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## mummel (Mar 9, 2016)

I smoke overnight because my Mav will tell me if something caught on fire and I can wake up and grab the fire extinguisher.  I would not smoke while at work.


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## Bearcarver (Mar 9, 2016)

People can do what they want---It's their house!!!

I just feel I should give warnings to those who don't know, instead of listening to others who don't know.

If your Smoker door lights up, your Maverick won't wake you up until too late, if at all.

That's why I said it was smart for Cody to put his Smoker in the yard, away from the house.

You can get away with it for awhile---It only takes one time to burn your house down.

Bear


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## daricksta (Mar 10, 2016)

Cody0707 said:


> I am thinking about starting a butt before I leave for work and letting it cook while I am at work. I will move the smoker away from the house and put it in my yard. Have any of you left you MES going for 8+ hours while away?


There is so much that can go wrong I'd never trust an electric smoker to work away on its own while I was away from home.


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## old sarge (Mar 10, 2016)

Here is where I agree and disagree. If the equipment and it's components are top notch and there is good quality control during manufacturing, then I would not be concerned.  I should clarify that I do not smoke if not home but will do overnighters with no worries.  Folks have been using crock pots/slow cookers for generations with no problem either unattended because of work or sleep, and I will use one for overnight but not if I am not home. . But again, the item must be of first rate quality. And properly maintained.  My smokers are all steel (no plastic or rubber to melt) so if a fire were to start inside, there really is nowhere for it to go except to starve itself of air.   However, the first time my smoker trips a circuit breaker for some unknown reason, all smokes will be supervised when that smoker is placed into operation.  Until then, I have to trust the manufacturer and my own instincts.  But I do appreciate the words of caution.


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## smokeshowingbbq (Mar 10, 2016)

I've been thinking about this too BUT we get allot of split second power outages in my area which would be just long enough to stop the cook. I'm thinking about picking up a UNiversal Power Supply and plugging smoker into that and then that into power.  Not sure if it would work out but it's something I'm thinking about.


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## smokeshowingbbq (Mar 10, 2016)

Also happy to hear your moving it out far enough from your home as a former fire department lieutenant I've seen far to many grills / smokers etc catch people's homes on fire. Always play it safe.


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## chef jimmyj (Mar 10, 2016)

Run the MES Sleeping is one thing. Leaving and going to Work? I would not because, I don't have the $$ to replace a damaged MES40. I have had the AMNPS ignite and a Grease Fire...JJ

Edited from Leaving Unattended.


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## old sarge (Mar 10, 2016)

JJ - I assume you mean leaving the house for a few hours while the smoker is running. I won't do that either.


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## chef jimmyj (Mar 10, 2016)

old sarge said:


> JJ - I assume you mean leaving the house for a few hours while the smoker is running. I won't do that either.


Yep...Was thinking going to work. Poor wording...JJ


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## mummel (Mar 11, 2016)

Chef JimmyJ said:


> Run the MES Sleeping is one thing. Leaving and going to Work? I would not because, I don't have the $$ to replace a damaged MES40. I have had the AMNPS ignite and a Grease Fire...JJ
> 
> Edited from Leaving Unattended.


I set my Mav alarm to tell me if it gets too hot.  Works perfectly.  It sometimes wakes me up when the wind has died down for example, and the smoker temp rises, so I go downstairs and drop it by 5F to maintain 225F.  I'm confident if it catches on fire it will warn me.

But smoking while at work.  Thats a bad idea.  I've left my smoker and went to the store for 2-3 hours once, but a full 10 hour day?  I dont know....  However, the main reason I cant leave my smoker is because I need to make sure my AMPS is burning!


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## bill1 (Mar 11, 2016)

Like many say, there is a SMALL possibility of a serious electrically-ignited, food-fat-driven fire.  The probability is minute, but the outcome is immense so you should take proper controls.  So don't just move it away from the house, make sure it's sitting on something non-combustible (like concrete) and there's no grass or trees (or buildings!) within a 20' radius (including in height).  Make sure any extension cord you're using is listed by a NRTL and the same guage as the house wiring for the circuit that it's on (14AWG for a 15A circuit, 12AWG for 20A) and make sure you trust your breaker intensely, ie exercise it (with minimum load) making sure it feels right and make sure under high load it doesn't hum or sizzle.  If it's questionable, or just >20yo, just replace it.  

And STRONGLY consider putting this circuit on AFCI--arc fault circuit interrupt protection.  GFCI is for personnel shock safety, but you won't be around to get shocked so that's moot.  AFCI is for arc/fire safety. An AFCI receptacle is down to $30 now, breakers not much more.


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## mountain-worm (Mar 11, 2016)

Wow...lol...you just better wait till you get home.


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## smokeshowingbbq (Mar 11, 2016)

There is more to cords then just matching awg size you got to figure in voltage drop per length and adjust cord awg for such!


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## old sarge (Mar 11, 2016)

Here is a link to a nifty tool that Tony at Cookshack sent to me some time ago.  Hope it helps!

http://www.calculator.net/voltage-drop-calculator.html?material=copper&wires


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## smokeshowingbbq (Mar 12, 2016)

Also keep in mind quality of your cords and devices matter too as well as splices.  Sorry the electrician in me coming out.


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## smally (Mar 13, 2016)

I have a MES 30, and have done many overnight cooks for 8+ hours. Get it fired up late evening, put the meat in, and go to bed. I use a tube and pellets for smoke, so no need to keep adding chips. I've left it going while running errands for a few hours also. Just keep it away from the house, and you should be fine.


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## dr k (Mar 13, 2016)

I've done one over night smoke in my Mes gen 1 40"  I use the mailbox mod to get combustibles out of the smoker to eliminate fires due to being too close to the heating element or from grease not because the AMNPS won't stay lit. And to keep the smoker closed up except for foiling or removing finished product. I have left the smoker going while away from home for three hours once with the mailbo mod but it will never be a habit. To me the mailbox mod is for safety and convenience to access the AMNPS when done adding smoke.   
-Kurt


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