# cold smoke fire box thoughts



## johndeer (Feb 13, 2014)

Thinking bout trying to use a MES 30 to cold smoke cheese and bacon.
I have a large supply of hard wood chips (hickory cherry apple & pecan) and was thinking on useing a small cheep toaster oven with a vent hose to the MES 30 to burn and keep the wood chips smoking . The temp. control would be handy to heat the element to keep the chips smoldering. Any ideas if it would work?


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## kc5tpy (Feb 14, 2014)

Hello John.  Search mailbox mod. and look at the AMNPS.  That combo will get ya going.  Keep Smokin!

Danny

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...0-new-pictures-for-attaching-elbow-to-mailbox


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## johndeer (Feb 14, 2014)

I have no doubt about the mail box mod and the Am
AMNPS but I was just trying to use what I had on hand which was almost an unlimited supply of wood chips . Would the AMNPS work with wood chips ?


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## goliath (Feb 14, 2014)

I have had great success with the Masterbuilt cold smoke generator. i actually use a pice of 3" heating duct to extend in further from my MES.
works well, and can use any fuel ya want to smoke with


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## daveomak (Feb 14, 2014)

johndeer said:


> Thinking bout trying to use a MES 30 to cold smoke cheese and bacon.
> I have a large supply of hard wood chips (hickory cherry apple & pecan) and was thinking on useing a small cheep toaster oven with a vent hose to the MES 30 to burn and keep the wood chips smoking . The temp. control would be handy to heat the element to keep the chips smoldering. Any ideas if it would work?




If you can set a pan on the element to get them smoking, that would work...   A thin stainless pan, like those that you put on your stove top to cover the heating element when not in use, would work....  the thin metal transfers the heat quickly to get the chips going then the heat turns off so you aren't heating up the smoker...   That is what I have done and it works well....  You don't want the "broiler" element to come on...  that would just heat the smoker.....    Use the chips dry... no need to soak them.....  

Be sure the element is a Calrod element...  If it is a resistance wire element, you can get electrocuted.....   that type of element is what is in your toaster, usually, and are dangerous....  

Dave


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## johndeer (Feb 14, 2014)

so many options . They all sound good . Just need to pick one and work the bugs out of it.   This option seems like the most practical and unusual . kinda set it and forget I hope


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## Bamazav (Feb 19, 2018)

Old thread I realize, but I felt my question/info fit here best. 

I went to price everything to build the mailbox mod. Didn't find a mailbox I was excited about and discovered for the same price as the mail box, I can get a small barrel grill  from a local store. I was hoping the grill would keep me from having to cut any holes, but no such luck. When I got home, I remembered we have an old toaster oven my wife doesn't want in the house any more and wondered. Could I gut the electrical stuff, cause I don't need the heat function, then add a few vent holes and a hole for some chimney pipe to run a line to the MES? Thought I would see what I could do with what I have before I go and purchase more stuff. What say you?


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## SonnyE (Feb 27, 2018)

Bamazav said:


> Old thread I realize, but I felt my question/info fit here best.
> 
> I went to price everything to build the mailbox mod. Didn't find a mailbox I was excited about and discovered for the same price as the mail box, I can get a small barrel grill  from a local store. I was hoping the grill would keep me from having to cut any holes, but no such luck. When I got home, I remembered we have an old toaster oven my wife doesn't want in the house any more and wondered. Could I gut the electrical stuff, cause I don't need the heat function, then add a few vent holes and a hole for some chimney pipe to run a line to the MES? Thought I would see what I could do with what I have before I go and purchase more stuff. What say you?



Hi Bamzav,
Might be best to start your own thread. No harm in that.
One fellow here found a small green BBQ at Walmart that made a dandy external smoke generator.
Called it the Spicy Lime Mod. I liked his use of it because since it is a small BBQ, it could have all sorts things used to make smoke. A few charcoal brickettes, some chunks of hardwood, hours of smoke.
I rooted around in my shop and rediscovered an old Craftsman Router case made out of steel. Yep, used it to make my version of a mod. It works really good in that it has this sheet metal support in the bottom the AMNPS sits on and gets lots of combustion air to keep it, and my MES 30 going.
But a lot of folks just set an AMNPS in the bottom of their MES, and get lots of smoke just that easy.
I made mine with a long aluminum dryer hose so it would cool the smoke for cheese and almond smoking.
Why, I bet I could smoke a box of chocolates in it now.

But don't be shy, start your own thread, or search for mods to make these smokers _SMOKE..._ :eek:


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