Time to get a smoker...

[theGinsue]

Thanks for the info (and pic, as I need all of the help I can get) Parf.

Yesterday I pulled the trigger & picked up the 40" MES from Sam's Club ($299..ouch, but it was $ my company paid me for per diem for the training class I attended - and the smoker was something my wife wanted me to get). Going to order a cover for it as well as an AMNPS. I need to learn this "trick to get the MES to kick on when the outside temps are below 32F".

Today, I stopped by Sportsman's Warehouse and picked up a 20lb bag of Traeger hickory pellets, a 5lb bag of another brand of Apple pellets, and a small bag of Maple chips. I always temper hickory with a fruit wood to prevent hte bitter flavor pure hickory would create.

I also picked up another rib rack. I'll be smoking ribs and a chicken for the 4th of July.

[rondog]

How easy are those pellet smokers to clean? That's the one thing I don't like about my cabinet unit, I hate to clean that nasty motherhumper out.

[theGinsue]

According to the YouTube videos I watched, the chip bins are nothing more than pouring out the ash and the tray pulls out the front. The rest of the unit...well, like yours. Several videos recommended lining the drip deflector and tray, etc. with foil to simplify cleaning.

Rondog - I'm already using your cart in my head as a template for something to build for myself to protect from wind & to lift it up.

[Parf]

I need to learn this "trick to get the MES to kick on when the outside temps are below 32F".

Look for a smooth metal "stud" sticking out of the inside back wall of the smoker. That is the temperature probe. I don't know if they have updated the software since they made mine, but when the probe was registering 32 degrees or less, the control unit would error out with a divide by zero error. The easiest solution is to take a hot and wet washcloth, and hang it from the end of the probe. Then you turn the unit on and it will heat up. Just take the washcloth out after the unit hits 100 degrees or so.

People were doing stupid things to try and fix this, like removing the control unit and bringing it inside, or bringing the whole cabinet inside to warm it up. They all assumed that the cold weather was bad for the electronics, but that is just not the case.

[BigDee]

How easy are those pellet smokers to clean? That's the one thing I don't like about my cabinet unit, I hate to clean that nasty motherhumper out.

A Traeger is as simple as pulling the drip tray and vacuuming out the ash. I cover the drip tray in foil and change the foil with each use. Cleanup takes less than 5 minutes.

[theGinsue]

Anyone here with an electric MES ever have flare ups? I've had 2 so far and they scared the holy shot right out of me. They act like a propane flare up and come with a loud whooshing sound and flame throughout the inside of the MES. The first one even warped the door & pushed it out from around the window frame a bit.

I've got the drip deflector and everything else in place, but still, WHOOSH!

Ideas?

[Gman]

A Traeger is as simple as pulling the drip tray and vacuuming out the ash. I cover the drip tray in foil and change the foil with each use. Cleanup takes less than 5 minutes.

I do something similar but I use heavy duty foil and only replace the foil as needed.

[enthusiast]

If anyone is looking to get the Masterbuilt propane two door smoker it is on sale at Bass Pro for $149. I was able to get Home Depot to price match it and get another 10% off as well.

[Parf]

Anyone here with an electric MES ever have flare ups? I've had 2 so far and they scared the holy shot right out of me. They act like a propane flare up and come with a loud whooshing sound and flame throughout the inside of the MES. The first one even warped the door & pushed it out from around the window frame a bit.

I've got the drip deflector and everything else in place, but still, WHOOSH!

Ideas?

Man, that does not seem right. I've never had any kind of flare up. It's grease in the drip/water pan that is catching on fire? That has never happened to me, but we don't have the exact same unit. I have a smaller 30" without any windows. How does the grease get into the enclosed chip box to come in contact with the electric element? Or was it dripping onto the pellet smoker box?

Masterbuilt is very good about their customer service, and would probably be willing to ship you out a new door under warranty, if you tell them that it started to pop out while you were using it.

[Dave]

I'm looking at a vertical propane smoker, maybe like this one http://www.basspro.com/Masterbuilt-E...SSSELL_PRODUCT. Can the pellets for a Traeger be used instead of the chips on vertical styles? I'd also have to look for a cabinet as I like rondog's setup, but have no woodworking skills at all. Right now I have the Char Broil offset charcoal smoker, and it's OK, but as it's aged the temp control has been getting worse, so I'm trading out.