My take on the "Mailbox Mod"

[raulous bbq]

My lovely wife was at the Goodwill this morning and found a Charbroil fire box attachment ($30).  I Decided to a version of the "mailbox mod" on my MES 30.  Works pretty good.  Just need to do some more foil taping for a decent seal.  Total cost $43.

I am using a AMNPS not pictured here.  As soon as the weather clears up I'll throw some food on and give y'all some Q View!

Materials:

Charbroil Fire Box:

3 inch sheet metal elbow:

Foil Tape:

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• raulous bbq
• Jun 25, 2013

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• raulous bbq
• Jun 25, 2013

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• raulous bbq
• Jun 25, 2013

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• raulous bbq
• Jun 25, 2013

 

[themule69]

Nice mod. I love it! looking forward to the Qview.

Happy smoken.

David

 

[pc farmer]

Looks great.

Need some q view

 

[raulous bbq]

Not so good so far.  Having trouble keeping the AMNPS lit and smoking for more than 10 mins

 

[daveomak]

Dry the pellets in the oven at 250-275 for an hour or 2 first.... on in the microwave....  do not leave them unattended in the micro.... they could burst into flame.....

 

[raulous bbq]

So unfortunately still no go.  Pellets will not stay lit and smoking once put in the firebox.  Here's what I have done so far:

• Put Oak Pellets in the microwave for a full minute
• Torched them till I got a flame
• Blew out flame after 10 min
• Stoked embers till "cigar like" cherry for an additional 3-5 min
• Drilled 10-15 16th of an inch holes in the box to get more oxygen into the chamber

If you guys can think of something I have not done please let me know.  Starting to get a little frustrated with it :(

 

[daveomak]

Raulous, evening.....  well, I'm starting from scratch....  vent open on the MES ??  intake open in the SFB ??    Remove the elbow just for the heck of it...  Pellets good and dry ???   Dry in an aluminum pie pan, in the smoker at 275 during preheat for 2 hours...   Light pellets per directions.....  set AMNPS on grate in SFB, close lid...    

Now that seems simple enough....  there are days when my pellets won't stay smokin'.....  high humidity gets them wet even in a plastic ice cream tub...  I have to dry them like you wouldn't believe and I live in the desert..... 

DON"T give up.....  you wouldn't even think about a little compressed hunk of sawdust whoopin' up on ya, would ya ??    

I don't mind losing, but it better be to something a lot smarter than I am..... know what I mean.....

Dave

 

[raulous bbq]

Thanks for the words of encourage Dave,

I ended losing the SFB just for tonight's smoke.  I had to relight the AMNPS yet again, but it ended up staying smoking for about 2 hours now.  I placed it in the MES on the little rack that connects the heating element to the housing.  Seems OK for now.  I'm guessing the SFB just needs more holes for oxygen?  Perhaps pellets need to dry for an hour?

 

[daveomak]

I think I see an air inlet on the SFB ??   

 

[raulous bbq]

Yes there is one.. 

 

[daveomak]

Where are you drilling the holes ???    Dave

• Drilled 10-15 16th of an inch holes in the box to get more oxygen into the chamber

 

[raulous bbq]

I thought perhaps the AMNPS was going out because of lack of oxygen

 

[daveomak]

If the SFB is air tight to the smoker body, and the lid is air tight, and the SFB air inlet is open, and the exhaust on the smoker is open, then all the air going through the smoker has to come through the SFB air inlet....    It is very important for all air leaks to be sealed so you can control the air with the inlet and exhaust controls....     Dave  

 

[Torc]

Man! If only I hadn't gifted my Char-griller smoke box already!

 

[Winterrider]

Using a mailbox is a pretty cheap and easy thing to rig up. Use search form for mailbox mods and you'll have a lot of reading. It is the ticket.

 

[Torc]

Using a mailbox is a pretty cheap and easy thing to rig up. Use search form for mailbox mods and you'll have a lot of reading. It is the ticket.

Just so happens I have a spare mailbox laying around. Could have done the ammo can version but I removed the seal when I was using it as a charging box for lipos.

Oddly enough I was using my vertical smoker as a charging box since I wasn't quite into grilling at the time and quite paranoid about lipo fires.

 

[cmayna]

Sorry,
Didn't realize how old this post is. Please delete this reply.