Since you don't use the bottom rack I wonder if leaving it on the bottom permanently with heavy duty foil cut to the sizes of the left and right pieces you show would be easier since the pieces could be placed anywhere on the rack. My 12" tube smoker fits straight across the rails or diagonally but not left to right (too long.) I wanted to put a skewer sized metal rod at each end through the tube smoker so it is suspended right under the water pan away from drips (I'd have to cut the smoker to fit.) A full tube smoker is way too much smoke at 700 ft. above sea level so I'll fill it a little over half full vertically (1 and a half cups) and shake it sideways to level it across the length of the smoker. I've been half filling it since I got it last summer.
I tried a ceramic tile over the right side (flat), a long time ago, after I saw others doing it. The thing almost blew up!!
It held too much heat under it & then released it in bursts.
So I got some aluminum that's easy to cut, and cut it to size. Then I bent a small piece of aluminum into an "A", and slipped that under the left side of the aluminum plate. By sliding that "A" left & right, I'm able to adjust how much right side heat I send to the middle & left side of the smoker. It works pretty good for me. Sometimes you have to push heat to the left during the beginning of a smoke, and then later ease it back.
I also wrap it in foil like I do my water pan, for easy clean-up.
By doing it this way the heat I push to the left goes up the left & middle through the meat, instead of all going up the right side & then out wherever the vent or vent extension you might have is.
The deflector is on the right. (Below)
That thing on the left is just protecting my AMNPS from drips.
Bear
That could work.
I wouldn't like that, because there are too many different temps in most MES units. I like to put my Maverick probe about 3" from the main part of the meat.
