Use the CK to ESM'ify, preferentially, by changing extension to ESM, set as "Active", load, save, done. To ESP'ify, I'd use WryeBash as TESVSnip invariably leaves CELL records un"Compressed".
Is there something wrong with using the Copy to ESM function in WryeBash? I trashed a file once using the CK method (probably my own fault) and I started using WryeBash.