MES 30 Heat Distribution Tunnel...(my latest mod 6/4/12 )

[daveomak]

OK, I promise this is the last mod......  (for awhile anyway)....   

Doing pork shots the other day, I used the infra red and checked the wall temps of the MES.... there was about a 25 deg dif. from left to right sides and top to bottom....  Not too bad... well I thought about it and here is what I tried....  

Steel, baked on painted roll flashing I had....  The 90deg. cut out in back, is for the legs of the heating element.... 

The 45 deg. cut corners is for the corners of the drip pan......

This is the final placement..... everything fits well.... plenty of room for air flow around the element and to the AMNPS...

The AMNPS was by far the most important and best modification anyone could make to their electric smoker.....

This view shows the element clearance and how the tunnel curves over the top of the air inlet.....  very important to

pick up all the air to distribute the heat and smoke throughout the smoke chamber....

A better picture of the tunnel relationship to the air inlet......  The air inlet had been modified a few months ago...

The air inlet... rotating, spring loaded can lid with a 3/4" hole for air....

Temp differences were about 5 deg from side to side and 15 degrees  from top to bottom....  Mind you there was no 

food in the smoker and the AMNPS was not in use at the time....  testing done at 270 Deg....   

Your results may vary... 

....  I just had to throw that in....  

Seems I have tweaked this MES 30 to another degree of being better and consistent...

Don't know if it's measurable but I gotta have something to do and write about....

Open my profile and look at all the stuff I have done to this thing in 1 1/2 years... Hope I was of help to those trying to 

tweak their smokers.....  

Dave

 

[rocor98]

Great info again Dave ...............

I know you drift off to sleep at night thinking about these mods :-)

Answers many questions ( the pics )  .. so your AMNPS is not effected by the direct heat from the element in this mod .. great ... and who would have thought a loop front to back would have eavened it out .. as opposed to a higher plane running right to high on the left .. really outside the box

Looks like about 1/2 inch away from the right wall ( one pic has it wider ) . or is it kept against the right wall when in action

Thanks for the posts ..........

Ross

 

[daveomak]

Great info again Dave ...............

I know you drift off to sleep at night thinking about these mods :-)

Answers many questions ( the pics )  .. so your AMNPS is not effected by the direct heat from the element in this mod .. great ... and who would have thought a loop front to back would have eavened it out .. as opposed to a higher plane running right to high on the left .. really outside the box   My smoker has a dimmer running the element and usually doesn't operate at full heat... That being said, I feel the mixing of the air directly over the element would keep it cooler ? maybe ?

Looks like about 1/2 inch away from the right wall ( one pic has it wider ) . or is it kept against the right wall when in action  I'm going to try 1/8 - 1/4" for the first smoke and check the temps...  

Thanks for the posts ..........  You are welcome... Hopefully the mods have improved the uniform smoking in the MES... Thanks for taking an interest in my projects.....  Dave

Ross

 

[azbohunter]

Dave,

It is obvious, you are a tinkerer!

I know this is an old post but have just revisited it as I was scrolling through the MES forum.

I have a MES 30, have only been an owner for 6 months but love to tinker too!

I have been using the AMNPS from day one and am sure that it is responsible for my run of good luck with smokes.

I just finished building a PID with the ramp feature which I am really anxious to put to use. Hopefully it will allow me to go fishing while the smoker is doing its thing!

Now for my questions to you about your mods.

I noticed you eliminated the chip tray and loader completely.....I have been asking myself if I need to have that in there if I am not using it? Maybe for airflow over the heating element or of heat distribution? I am assuming that is why you build the Heat Distribution Tunnel.

Also I remember another post where you build a smoke deflector??? or something at the top.

Of all your mods is there one that stands out as the biggest improvement? For me I think it is simply adding the AMNPS. People can't believe you can fill the little 5x8 tray and get 12 hours of smoke.

I think I am going to do your mods of the smoke deflector at the top and your Heat Distribution Tunnel.

I have some 1/8" aluminum sheet goods left from a boat mod I did a while back and think I can put it to good use here.

Kudos for your posts and help to others like myself.

Dick

 

[daveomak]

Dick, afternoon...... Skip the heat tunnel..... I pulled it out, in favor of replacing the chip pan on the heating element..... my chip pan has a flange that slips under the element and the pan that sits on top of the element.... I found that to be superior to the tunnel.... and fill the water pan with pea gravel....
The small tunnel at the top of the smoke chamber works awesome... It directs the heat to the center of the smoke chamber by suction or some crazy thing... all I know is it works..... and then the AMNPS in the mailbox mod, (Pops creative thinking) is a blessing....


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