MES Control Panel Is bad!!!

[chubbybro1]

The control panel on my MES 40 is bad. I am wonder if and one has just used the case for only cold smoking. I know that the smoker should be heated up if using the mailbox mod in order to create a draft. So what i would like to do is just use the case as a so call smoke house for clod smoking. Any suggestions would be great.

 

[dr k]

When it comes to hot smoking, insulated smokers are great but shorten the cold smoke duration because it's insulated and heats up much more quickly than non insulated heavy guage steel in the shade. Like a grill in the morning/evening hours. I want to stop cold smoking cheese when the chamber temp is at 80*F or so before it sweats but other foods are fine. People cold smoke cheeses in their Mes all the time but may have to stop and finish over more than two days.
-Kurt

 

[tallbm]

The control panel on my MES 40 is bad. I am wonder if and one has just used the case for only cold smoking. I know that the smoker should be heated up if using the mailbox mod in order to create a draft. So what i would like to do is just use the case as a so call smoke house for clod smoking. Any suggestions would be great.

Hi there and welcome!

Yes you can use your non functioning MES as a cold smoker. Like Kurt mentions you just have to watch the temp creeping up.

Also you can do this with a fully functioning MES by not turning it on, I do this for my few cold smokes.

Finally, you can buy a PID controller and do the simple rewire job to get your MES to be running WAAAAAAY better then when it had the crappy stock MES controller. See my simple rewire post here:
https://smokingmeatforums.com/threads/mes-rewire-simple-guide-no-back-removal-needed.267069/

Best of luck! :)