# Nice to meet you!



## KrisUpInSmoke (Jun 1, 2018)

Hello,
It's wonderful to be here at SMF. I was researching smokers and all of the awesome things I can smoke when I found this forum. I'm happy to be here and to have found so many people who are as excited about smoking as I am! I've enjoyed reading all of your posts.
Sometime ago, I realized I wasn't going to get the results I wanted without a smoker. A few months ago, I hit my breaking point. I baked a nice, prepared pork butt low and slow in my oven for, maybe, 12 hours. I dry brined it for two days. I added liquid smoke to the pan (don't hold it against me...). It came out with no more flavor than a glass of water! That's when I knew! After much contemplation, I got myself an MES 340G (Masterbuilt electric smoker).  It's my first smoker, of any type. I'm looking forward to smoking everything that can possibly be good in there, all the wood-food combinations, all the techniques, and to sharing with and learning from all of you.


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## bluewhisper (Jun 2, 2018)

Welcome to the board! Oh you have a lot of discoveries waiting for you. Join in the conversations!


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## KrisUpInSmoke (Jun 2, 2018)

Thank you. 

I'm using the smoker for the first time today. 3 racks of bb ribs, 2 - 5pd chickens, a tri tip, bacon wrapped jalapenos, and potato volcanos. Put the chickens and ribs in at 7am. Hoping to get it all done by 3. Wish me luck!


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## Northshore Smoke (Jun 2, 2018)

Welcome to the forums, Kris!  Enjoy your journey through the world of smoking meats!


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## oddegan (Jun 2, 2018)

Welcome to you from the west side of Michigan. Glad you're here. Like Blue said so many things to find and try. The "I have to make that" list just gets longer and longer. Look forward to seeing the results of your efforts. Happy smoking!


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## KrisUpInSmoke (Jun 2, 2018)

Thank you. Unfortunately, I'm fearing the worst right now. With 3 racks of ribs and 2 chickens smoking in there, I rubbed the top of one of the chickens with my finger and it tastes LIKE PLASTIC! Same with the other chicken. Maybe I've been using too much wood, filling it every hour. Maybe the wood is bad. I cured the smoker yesterday for 3 hours on high plus one hour with chips, and left the door open all night. The instruction manuel wanted 3 hours on high, including one hour with chips.

I've got company coming for the smoked meat and I don't know if it's going to be edible! I have a tri tip and some little things that I'm afraid to put in there now. I was not expecting this.


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## dcecil (Jun 2, 2018)

Welcome from California, this is a great site.  Look forward to seeing some of your cooks


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## oddegan (Jun 2, 2018)

What kind of chips are you using and what temp are you running at?


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## KrisUpInSmoke (Jun 2, 2018)

oddegan said:


> What kind of chips are you using and what temp are you running at?



I used half hickory, half applewood. Guess what? Everybody loved it! I thought it was ruined. I felt so bad. I even called ahead to warn my guests. To me, it tasted like melted Barbie dolls. THAT is how inexperienced I am, apparently. Maybe I don't like hickory?

I ate one of the ribs once someone with more experience reassured me that it was normal hickory flavor and I still can't get the taste out of my mouth. It's like, to me, this horrendous plastic taste is coating the whole inside of my mouth...lol.


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## KrisUpInSmoke (Jun 2, 2018)

dcecil said:


> Welcome from California, this is a great site.  Look forward to seeing some of your cooks



Thank you. I'm looking forward to posting.


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## KrisUpInSmoke (Jun 2, 2018)

Northshore Smoke said:


> Welcome to the forums, Kris!  Enjoy your journey through the world of smoking meats!


Thanks. Today I discovered I don't like hickory, or at least not that much...lol.


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## SmokinAl (Jun 3, 2018)

Welcome to the forum!
Glad you decided to join us!
Al


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## oddegan (Jun 3, 2018)

I would guess that hickory is not for you. I also get turned off by to much smoke flavor. I prefer to us fruit woods or maple. To me it's a much milder flavor. West Michigan has an abundance of apple and maple so that's what we use. It could also be you spent to much time in the smoke. There was a whole thread on here about how after big smokes whether the person cooking did or did not want to eat. After small smokes I'm hungry. Big ones I'm just done and don't want anything to do with it. You might also have that going on. I'm glad your guests liked it. Sometimes that's just how it is. Don't get discouraged. Try try again.


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## KrisUpInSmoke (Jun 3, 2018)

Thanks. It's interesting to know these things. It was a real relief that everyone I was smoking for wasn't let down. Thanks for the encouragement. I'm looking forward to the next smoke. Can't wait to try other types of wood.

I wonder if using a respirator or anti- smoke mask around the smoker during long, big smokes would help and make the final product more enjoyable for the cook. New experiment!

With the ribs yesterday, I tried one wrapped for two hours (2-2-1, which ended up being 2-3-1...lol) and two unwrapped the whole time. A blind taste test showed everyone prefered the wrapped. I actually wrapped them without putting anything in the foil with them. So, there's another experiment, foiled with or without adding things. Kept the ribs warm in the smoker for a couple hours too before eating and think maybe that was beneficial to the flavor and texture.


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## oddegan (Jun 3, 2018)

A little apple juice in the wrap is very nice. I will some times use a little beer. That's pretty great too. Not sure the respirator is the best option. I like to at least change out of my smokey clothes if not shower before we eat. Makes a big difference for your sense of smell.
Every smoke is a learning experience whether it's a success or a dismal failure. Don't let the failures discourage you. I ruined 3 briskets before I figured it out. Just remember to have fun and keep on trying. Never be afraid to ask questions. Keep us posted on your future smokes.

Jared


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## CharlotteLovesFood (Jun 3, 2018)

Welcome from England!
I've been here around a month now and I'll warn you be careful it's addictive! ;)

P.S I haven't tried Hickory... Oak is plenty smoky enough for me and my taste buds.

Happy smoking
Charlotte :D


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## KrisUpInSmoke (Jun 3, 2018)

oddegan said:


> A little apple juice in the wrap is very nice. I will some times use a little beer. That's pretty great too. Not sure the respirator is the best option. I like to at least change out of my smokey clothes if not shower before we eat. Makes a big difference for your sense of smell.
> Every smoke is a learning experience whether it's a success or a dismal failure. Don't let the failures discourage you. I ruined 3 briskets before I figured it out. Just remember to have fun and keep on trying. Never be afraid to ask questions. Keep us posted on your future smokes.
> 
> Jared


That makes sense. I did get and use dry shampoo in my hair which really neutralized the smoke smell. For me, stopping to wash and dry a long head of hair when I'm entertaining or running around getting things ready would be a pain, especially if I want it styled. Dry shampoo is a good temporary solution.


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## oddegan (Jun 3, 2018)

LOL! Not a problem for me. I'm completely bald!


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## KrisUpInSmoke (Jun 3, 2018)

CharlotteLovesFood said:


> Welcome from England!
> I've been here around a month now and I'll warn you be careful it's addictive! ;)
> 
> P.S I haven't tried Hickory... Oak is plenty smoky enough for me and my taste buds.
> ...


Someone else recommended white oak too, but I'm going to go with a fruit wood next per oddegan's recommendation and see how that goes. I want to try and figure out how much to add during the smoke too. I'm wondering if I might have liked the Applewood/hickory combo if I had used less of it. I was filling the chip tray full every 45 minutes.


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## oddegan (Jun 3, 2018)

Kris don't feel you have to run smoke the whole time it's running. Quite often I will only run smoke fo 2 or 3 hours depending on what I'm smoking. It's a matter of personal preference.


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## KrisUpInSmoke (Jun 3, 2018)

oddegan said:


> Kris don't feel you have to run smoke the whole time it's running. Quite often I will only run smoke fo 2 or 3 hours depending on what I'm smoking. It's a matter of personal preference.


I stopped adding after 3 hours, but only because I thought continuing to smoke it wouldn't help. After I tasted it and thought it was plasticy, I wondered if it was the wood so the last fill was changed to mesquite. I guess I thought there was a still a chance to change the taste...lol. It was still the same.
I'm wondering, if I use only Applewood next time, should I continue to fill the chip loader full every 45min-1hr or put in less?

I watched a guy on YouTube, who was some kind expert, say that no smoke penetrates after the first two hours. Don't want to miss my chance...lol.

Why do you stop adding? Does it prevent an overly smoky taste, layering the smoke more and more, that you don't like? I'm thinking, when things are smoked over a wood fire, there's no way to stop it, except maybe wrapping. And that has always tasted good to me.


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## oddegan (Jun 3, 2018)

I stop because I don't like too much smoke. For the most part smoke will keep adhering as long as there is moisture for it to stick to. Once you get a good bark it slows down.
The MES-30 electric is built so the chip tray sits right over the heating element. Typically you only get smoke generation during a heating cycle. The problem is if you aren't running it hot enough you you won't get the smoke you want because you're not close enough to the combustion point of the wood. I had a hard time getting any smoke from mine unless I ran it right a the top at 275. You want thin blue smoke. White is no good.
What temp were you running at and were the chips reduced to ash?


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## KrisUpInSmoke (Jun 3, 2018)

KrisUpInSmoke said:


> I stopped adding after 3 hours, but only because I thought continuing to smoke it wouldn't help. After I tasted it and thought it was plasticy, I wondered if it was the wood so the last fill was changed to mesquite. I guess I thought there was a still a chance to change the taste...lol. It was still the same.
> I'm wondering, if I use only Applewood next time, should I continue to fill the chip loader full every 45min-1hr or put in less?
> 
> I watched a guy on YouTube, who was some kind expert, say that no smoke penetrates after the first two hours. Don't want to miss my chance...lol.





oddegan said:


> I stop because I don't like too much smoke. For the most part smoke will keep adhering as long as there is moisture for it to stick to. Once you get a good bark it slows down.
> The MES-30 electric is built so the chip tray sits right over the heating element. Typically you only get smoke generation during a heating cycle. The problem is if you aren't running it hot enough you you won't get the smoke you want because you're not close enough to the combustion point of the wood. I had a hard time getting any smoke from mine unless I ran it right a the top at 275. You want thin blue smoke. White is no good.
> What temp were you running at and were the chips reduced to ash?


I was running at 220, but it went to 250. I opened it to cool it off, turned it down to 200 and it went to 210ish and pretty much stayed there.

 It seemed like every time I looked at it, it was smoking. I did see white smoke, primarily at the beginning of each fill but not the whole time. I don't really understand the thin blue smoke yet. For some reason, I was under the impression that you want thin blue for cold smoking. I also thought the chips would heat up and keep each other sort of smoldering even if the heating element shut off, plus the unit is still filled with smoke. Maybe this is why I'm seeing people using those pellet contraptions in their wood chip smokers...hmmmm. I was wondering about that.

I also had the vent closed for the first hour and didn't know it, but open thereafter. I would have put it half open to start. I've heard people say they keep it closed the whole time. I don't know about that. I don't want "the bad smoke!" I wondered if that had something to do with what I tasted, but everybody else liked it. 

The chips did go to ash. It does have a 1200W heating element so maybe that helps.


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## oddegan (Jun 3, 2018)

You want thin blue smoke for every temperature. I run mine with the vent wide open 100% of the time. I had a hard time getting good smoke from the chip tray and switched to the pellet tray in a mailbox mod and never had another problem with the smoke. Your chips turning to ash is good. One of the problems with Masterbuilt electrics is they can be squirrelly on temp control. What the control says the temp is and what it really is can be quite different. I used an old dial oven thermo and checked the difference. Mine runs about 15 degrees lower than the control says. That might be something for you to try.


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## CharlotteLovesFood (Jun 4, 2018)

I think my first smoke was a bit too smoky/plasticy tasting for me too but I probably added a forest to my fire throughout the entire smoke haha...also I think it might have been adding unlit coals and wood that wasn't pre-warmed. Being my first ever fire I hadn't got a clue and I was just doing anything to keep the temp up. Not sure on your set up but I have now started adding a heap of fully lit coals towards the back of my smoker box and keep a couple of chunks warming towards the front.. they seem to catch a lot better if they are already warm. I also stopped going by the hood thermometer after my first smoke because it was out, I found I was smoking at a much lower temp than I thought.


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## TomKnollRFV (Jun 4, 2018)

I run my MES 140S at 225 most of the time, I have zero issues with the chips smoking..and I basically go smoke the entire time. I also run apple so it's alot milder then say, mesquite. <Actually I tend to blend apple and cherry and some hickory, or oak..>

As for thin blue smoke; it's where ...what is the best way to put it. When you have a cigarette and you are letting it just smolder. Not when you are taking a drag, but it's sitting in an ash tray. Really light, on the verge of going out. I know I got a good thin smoke going if I try to look through the screen door and I can't tell if it's going, but if I go out and check, it's still there.

Also I don't know what the plastic flavour is; I can't comprehend this but it leads me to wonder if you seasoned the smoker properly the first time..or..these days. What crap was put in the chicken? Check whats in stuff, some chicken is up to 20% some thing or another solution. 

PS: I know, I shouldn't be using a cigarette for a comparison, it's a horrid habit and I'm actively trying to quit. Only smoke when I drink at a bar or on long drives. But I can't think of any thing else to explain it!


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## RobisCluless (Jun 4, 2018)

Welcome Kris,
Fellow newbie here and I learned a bunch just reading through this thread. 
Thanks for the post. 
Rob


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## KrisUpInSmoke (Jul 4, 2018)

Just alittle update: I redid this smoke with the same wood (half Apple and half hickory) with the same meat (baby back ribs), but used only SPOG on 2 racks and a store bought on 1, rather than the rub of many things I put on last time.

I'm still using the chip tray and wood chips in the MES.

*I really think you all were right when you suggested that I spent too much time in the smoke when I did this before. *I don't see the rub making a huge difference for this experience. I have since avoided hickory completely and used Applewood sparingly... but these ribs were awesome with hickory and Apple wood, both flavors of rub. I thought I didn't like hickory and maybe even Apple was too strong, but they were delicious today and I will definitely use them again.

Thank you to everyone who helped me try to understand what was going on with this smoke.


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