# Wood Chips or Wood Chunks in MES 30"?



## lovespicyfood (Dec 14, 2014)

Okay, this might be a dumb question but...

Do you use wood chips or chunks in your MES smoker?  I have a MES Gen1 I'm getting this week and I need to order wood!

I'm guessing wood chips is what I need, but it seems the wood chunks are cheaper.  If you can't use wood chunks do any of you just take a hatchet to them to save money or is that a dumb idea?!

Thanks for helping out a newb!

I have the MES cold smoker attachment that I will be using with this unit...

Hoping to season it this week, do a test run this weekend and then a turkey to complement Xmas dinner.


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## themule69 (Dec 15, 2014)

Chips. Yes you can make your own. I use a AMNPS with pellets or dust. I see you already have the cold smoke adapter. Please wright a review on it after you have done a few smokes.

Happy smoken.

David


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## lovespicyfood (Dec 15, 2014)

themule69 said:


> Chips. Yes you can make your own. I use a AMNPS with pellets or dust. I see you already have the cold smoke adapter. Please wright a review on it after you have done a few smokes.
> Happy smoken.
> David



Thanks David!


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## foamheart (Dec 15, 2014)

I use my MES cold smoker on my 40 although I have a MES30 also. AMP's works good in either. You can get a wide variety of pellets flavors from Amazin. They are good folks.

I have not attempted pellets in my MES cold smoker. I have only used either wetted chips or pecan shells in it. I did notice that wetting the chips helps some on the cold smnoker. I don't usually wet my chips, but I use pecan shells a lot more than chips or pellets.


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## titansmoker (Dec 31, 2014)

Since the wood chip loader is so small.....how often do you find yourself reloading chips? 

Do you also have to clean out the ash from the previous load before adding new chips as well?


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## foamheart (Dec 31, 2014)

TitanSmoker said:


> Since the wood chip loader is so small.....how often do you find yourself reloading chips?
> 
> Do you also have to clean out the ash from the previous load before adding new chips as well?


I called Masterbuilt and got a big chip holder for mine. But don't know whats available for you.













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__ foamheart
__ Dec 31, 2014






The left cane with the smoker the right came as a conversion to replace it. I think only 2 or 4 screws to change the whole box.

Yes to the cleaning. Your trying to get powder white ash from a complete burn. The above is pecan shells, I was trying to get more wsmoke with.


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## lovespicyfood (Jan 3, 2015)

Foamheart said:


> I called Masterbuilt and got a big chip holder for mine. But don't know whats available for you.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



My MES 30" came with the larger wood tray, though for me it doesn't really matter as I use the cold smoker attachment exclusively.


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## daricksta (Jan 3, 2015)

That was one reason why I bought an A-MAZE-N Pellet Smoker and only use wood pellets in my MES 30. Loading wood chips ever 30 minutes or so was just way too much of a hassle. With the pellet smoker, I fill it with the amount of pellets I figure to need, light it, and then it's uninterrupted thin blue smoke until I'm done. It frees me up to be able to only concentrate only on the meat cooking inside the smoker.


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## foamheart (Jan 3, 2015)

In my cold smoke attachment, I use chips and/or pecan shells. I don't use Pellets in the cold smoker although I have seen some posts where others did. I only use ckunks in my pits.


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## lovespicyfood (Jan 3, 2015)

One reason I went with the MES cold smoker attachment is I wanted the ability to use wood.  The pellets seem a little pricey to me.  Understandable, given the process to create them, but I like the option of wood that I can buy just about anywhere.  Still figuring out the cold smoker a little bit...the wood gets stuck too much but I think smoothing out the chamber will help...


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